The town of Charlestown has a distinction shared by no other city or town in Rhode Island: It’s the one municipality in the state with a special town solicitor dedicated to so-called “Indian affairs.” But members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe say the position is unnecessary, adversarial, and a modern way of oppressing American Indians. Now the Town Council president says she shares some of their concerns and Charlestown needs to rethink its approach with the tribe.
In The Spotlight
Posted inArticle, Health
‘We want to take care of our family members’: Some Latino households struggle as COVID surges in Central Falls
Central Falls has been one of Rhode Island’s communities hardest hit by the pandemic. The city was a major hot spot for COVID-19 last winter, and now it again has among the highest transmission rates in the state.
Rosa Sierra is the Wellness Project Manager at the organization Progreso Latino, which serves local Latino and immigrant communities in Central Falls. She discussed the latest surge with reporter Antonia Ayres-Brown.
Posted inArticle, Newport Bureau
Under the radar: Rising housing costs around Newport fuel predatory behavior toward undocumented tenants
Home prices have climbed in recent years around Newport, and many Hispanic and Latino families are finding it especially difficult to secure a place to live. For some undocumented individuals, these housing struggles also make them vulnerable to predatory behavior that often goes unchecked and unreported.
Posted inEpisode
Mosaic Community Essay: What’s Real?
The Public’s Radio’s podcast on immigration, Mosaic, has a series of community essays. This one is by Eve Kerrigan, a writer and actor living in Cranston, Rhode Island. Her essay is titled “What’s Real? The text said “Happy Birthday! Hope you had a blast!!!! Truly yours, xhusband.” There were heart emojis and one of a […]
Posted inArtscape, Episode
A handmade blanket by Lizzy Dargie offers no warmth, no comfort
What do you think of when you imagine a hand-made blanket? Probably something soft and warm for a chilly winter night. Artscape producer James Baumgartner talked with Lizzy Dargie, a Providence artist who has created a blanket that is none of those things. Instead, it’s a metaphor for life in the pandemic.
Posted inArticle, South County Bureau
Site of ‘Great Swamp Massacre’ returned to Narragansett Indian Tribe
The site where English colonists massacred hundreds of Narragansett Indians more than 345 years ago has officially been returned to the tribe in a land transfer that’s being described as monumental.
Posted inArticle
Community Essay: Life Stopped in Evin Prison
Mohammed Fallahiya is a mail carrier living in Warwick, Rhode Island. Moe writes of his time in an Iranian prison and the challenges of starting a new life in the United States.
Posted inArticle
Mosaic Community Essay: Birds
Patrick May’s parents adopted a family of sparrows during the COVID-19 shutdown and unwittingly changed their son’s perspective on the world.
Posted inArticle
Mosaic Community Essay: Art is Liberation
The Public’s Radio’s podcast on immigration, Mosaic, has a series of community essays. This one is by State Senator of district 18, Cynthia Mendes about art and what it means to her.
Posted inArticle
Mosaic Community Essay: Growing in Sankofa
Shreya Kaipa is a student at the Rhode Island School of Design who was a fellow at Sankofa Food & Cultural Initiative this past summer.
