Sarasota parents voiced their concern at Tuesday night’s school board meeting regarding teachers showing a BrainPop video that teaches kids about the Black Lives Matter movement.
The educational animation video explains the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin.
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 with the shooting of Martin and fights for the rights of the Black community and eradication of white supremacy.
Hundreds of parents argued at the meeting whether it is appropriate for kids to be learning about the Black Lives Matter movement in their schools.
“I agree that the goal here is unity not division,” said one concerned parent who supported showing the video. “Our differences do not need to separate us.”
USF, TGH officials meet with Florida Senate for coronavirus safety
Coronavirus safety was being taken seriously at the Florida Senate on Tuesday, when experts met to discuss new precautions to lower the risk of senators getting infected.
Officials from Tampa General Hospital and the USF Medical School set up plans as at least 18 lawmakers nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19.
The plan is to require masks or face coverings, practice social distancing through limiting the number of people in enclosed spaces such as elevators, and even getting rid of common touch-points such as hand dryers in restrooms.
Interactive voting mural in St. Petersburg encourages people to vote
The League of Women Voters in St. Petersburg commissioned a new mural turning information about voting into an interactive display.
The artwork is titled Diversity in Democracy, and organizers hope to empower people’s votes by providing information through technology. People can use a phone app to scan the mural and get voting information.
“We wanted to show that no matter who you are, who you love, what you look like, how you express your gender, you have the right to vote.” said Dr. Linsey Grove, League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area President.
Download the free PixelStix app to try it out. The mural is at 556 Central Ave. downtown.
The League is a nonpartisan political organization founded in Florida in 1939 and has fought to inform and empower voters all over the state.
Florida virtual bear school provides training to residents
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission wants to teach people about Florida’s largest predator, the Black Bear, through a new virtual bear school.
The virtual bear school is an 18-minute video that details how bears live and how humans can avoid them.
The species was listed as threatened from 1974 to 2012, but its numbers have been rising since then.
“It sort of makes sense, why the 6,000 calls we get every year, a full third of them are specifically bears getting in their garbage,” said Dave Telesco, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission bear expert. “And that’s because garbage has a pretty good scent, and bears can smell things over a mile away.”
There are more than 4.000 black bears in Florida, so informing the public about these creatures is important to the Commission.
CREDITS
Anchors: Demi Asensio, Ashley Reyes
Reporters: James Birmingham, Cheyenne Pagan
Producer: Nova Charles
Writers: Deanna Lampasona-Colon, Garrett Shiflet
Graphics editors: Calista Muncy
Video Editors: Niamh Larkin, Tobias Sönne
Show Editor: Vanessa Galluppo
Associate Producer: Emmanuel Maduneme
Web Editor/Social Media Producer: Jordan Frazier
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Faculty Adviser: Jeanette Abrahamsen, Wayne Garcia
