Providence Zoom session of Courageous Conversations
Courageous RI: Teaching Us to Talk (And Listen) To One Another
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“I’m going to do it with my brother. We haven’t spoken in five years,”  declared Providence resident and attorney Elayne Burke.  She was talking about a process called “looping for understanding” which she had learned and practiced in the Courageous Conversation regarding High Conflict. Burke [...]

06
Mar
African Mariner, oil on canvas. courtesy of Christian McBurney Collection. American Indian (Ninigret), portrait, oil on canvas by Charles Osgood,1837-1838, courtesy of Massachusetts Historical Society, in A Matter of Truth: The Struggle for African Heritage & Indigenous People Equal Rights in Providence, Rhode Island (1620-2020)
Black History Panorama
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The exhibit of historical artifacts illustrating the history contained in A Matter of Truth continues free and open to the public until the end of February on the walls of the lower level hallways in the State House, created by the Rhode Island Black Heritage [...]

31
Jan
Three historic houses on Angell Street. J. Hogue, artinruins.com
Should Providence Be More Empowered to Delay Demolitions?
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Cities are faced currently with the delicate challenge of balancing progress with the preservation of their historical identity. The architectural remnants of the past often find themselves in the crosshairs of development projects to modernize. Recognizing the irreplaceable value of older buildings, many municipalities have [...]

24
Jan
Boy watching the Lippitt Hill Redevelopment Project construction when many families, mostly Black, were forced to move. Photo: Providence Redevelopment Agency’s Annual Report, 1960.
City Increases Funding for United Way to Support Racial Equity Program
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The city’s Board of Contract and Supply approved a Nov. 2 request from the Smiley administration to increase funding for the Providence-based racial equity nonprofit United Way of Rhode Island from $1.75 million to $3.35 million from the city’s $10 million COVID-19 Equities Program, widely known [...]

10
Jan
Cannabis Control Commission Chairperson Kimberly Ahern is shown during the commission’s meeting on Nov. 3, 2023. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
What Constitutes a Community That is Disproportionately Impacted by the War on Drugs? 
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That’s the question Rhode Island’s Cannabis Control Commission hopes to better define as it works on initial regulations for recreational dispensaries. To do so, Chairperson Kimberly Ahern said at the commission’s Nov. 3 meeting, she would request data from state and federal agencies on which [...]

20
Dec
Monarchs and Milkweed: A Providence Tale
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A few years ago, some Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) sprouted in my front yard. It can be an aggressive plant (hence the weed moniker), but nonetheless, I let it take over my front yard because it is the exclusive host plant for Monarchs. The [...]

11
Oct
Meeting to consider neighborhood needs and expenditures Courtesy of participatorybudgeting.org
Power to the People: New Process Gives Providence Residents A Real Voice
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It’s probably not a stretch to assume that most people have little idea how their elected officials make decisions about where public funds should go. The process is complex, rife with politics and power dynamics, and usually takes place behind closed doors. What’s wrong with [...]

11
Oct
The United States Capitol, Washington, DC
CD1 Candidates Focus On PVD
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We contacted all of the Democratic and Republican candidates who will be on the ballot for the Congressional District 1 Representative position for the September primary, and were interested to learn more about their concerns for Providence. We asked them all this question and their [...]

30
Aug