Washington Square Park in New York City is one of my favorite places. There is a corner of the park known for its chess players and hustlers. Recently I spotted this pro teaching a young man some of the finer points of the game.
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The First 100 Days
The first 100 days of the Trump administration ended on April 29, 2017.During the hundred days there were marches and protests almost daily in communities in the Untied States and around the world protesting the new administration’s policies that are designed to roll back 80 years of progress of human and economic rights in this country. Some protests like the Womens’ March, the opposition to Trump’s attempts to curtail immigration into the country by Muslim’s from certain countries,the march in support of Muslims in New York City,the march in Washington D.C. in support of existing policies seeking to end human made climate change drew hundreds of thousands of people.
There were almost daily smaller demonstrations and town halls around the country that drew many ordinary citizens, some of whom never before were involved in the political process, who wanted to make their views publicly known to their congress people and other government officials. It was democracy at its finest.
For more signs see the slideshow below:
Children with autismdance class and soccer clinic
The American Autism Association offers services and programs to children with autism and their families to promote positive development, personal empowerment, and independence.Among the services provided are ballet classes and soccer clinics. I recently had the privilege of photographing the children.
Signs at the Anti Muslim Ban Rally in New York City January 29, 2017
On January 27, 2017 the president of the U.S. issued an order effectively banning all Muslims from seven specific countries from entering the United States. The next day, January 28, 2017 targeted people were removed from airplanes that were in flight when the ban was announced and detained. Thousands demonstrated at airports around the country and lawyers by the hundreds showed up to help and represent those who were detained and prevented from entering the U.S. Within days federal judges around the country issued injunctions to stop the detentions and to halt enforcement of the order. As of today an appeals court has refused to stay the injunction. Within days all of those detained were released.
Demonstrations continued the next day and tens of thousands of people in cities and towns around the country and around the world rallied and marched that weekend, forcing the government to modify the order to allow legal residents (Green Card holders) to enter the country even before the injunctions issued. As of today, February 5, demonstrations, rallies and marches in support of the refugees and immigrants are still ongoing.
These photos are from a rally in support of immigrants and refugees at Battery Park City on Sunday January 29, 2017.
Girl Power Womens March New York City Jan 21 2017
The Women’s March in New York City attracted 400,000 people by official estimates. People of all ages and genders and ethnicities were there. It was wonderful to see so many young girls learning to be activists
Remembrances
I met this 69 year old woman while working with All Hands Volunteers helping to clear debris from her home in Gatlinburg Tennessee which had been destroyed by the wildfire last November. I found the teapot she is holding while sifting through the ashes of her home looking for any objects that might be salvageable. She told me that she gave it to her mother as a gift when she was eight years old. She was so appreciative and thankful that we found this little teapot. That I was able to salvage such a precious memory for her makes all of the hardship of disaster relief work worth it all. I will treasure my conversation with her for a long, long time.
