Travel ethically for inclusivity and belonging.

The travel industry, one of the most profitable, fastest-growing industries globally, is worth $8.9 trillion (World Travel and Tourism Council). In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism, an enormous leap from $48 billion in 2010 (Mandala Research). Additionally, in 2001, the United States Travel Association (USTA) identified African Americans as the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry. With these numbers, it’s clear that Black travelers are ready, willing, and able to spend their money on experiences in their chosen destinations, yet we are treated like we don’t belong.

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! This Memorial Day weekend brought the most people to than airport in a single day since COVID-19 (Washington Post). Half of the U.S. population is now vaccinated, and many are eager to get their hot girl summers started. This resurgence is sure to transform the travel industry.

And this gives us new opportunities to create a space that's more inclusive for all travelers. Reneé shares her perspective of traveling as a Black woman, and offers ways that we can create safer opportunities for us all.

Our free, daily newsletter is made possible by our passionate team of readers that give one time or monthly to help sustain the work. If you want to support, give monthly on Patreon. Or, you can give one-time on our website or PayPal. You can also support us by joining our curated digital community.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Note: Please be sure to abide by all coronavirus precautions and best practices if you are considering traveling during this time.

Prioritize booking travel with companies led/represented by people of color and committed to equity and inclusion.
Consult Ethical Traveler to understand which countries are most ethical to travel to based on their infrastructure and dedication to human rights, the environment, and social welfare.
Honor the Indigenous communities that have stewarded the land you visit. Use Native Land to learn more about Indigenous communities across the world.
Know the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, and make a point to respect cultural practices.
Speak up when you see or hear of discrimination against people of color while traveling.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

When we think about travel, we imagine a worry-free time without interrupting the “real world.” Unfortunately, this level of unadulterated escapism does not ring true for Black travelers.

A quick Google search of the terms ‘traveler’ or ‘solo female traveler’ and pages of young white women against picturesque backdrops of the turquoise ocean with pink sand or famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal appears. Absent are the faces of Black travelers who are most certainly traveling to destinations both near and far. Over the last decade, with the help of social media, the Black travel movement (a movement that encourages Black people – particularly Black millennials – to travel both domestically and abroad to build community while also immersing in other cultures) has grown to unprecedented numbers.

Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. Black professionals who often fly first-class are notoriously assumed to be in the “wrong line” when they’re on the priority line solely based on their skin color (LEVEL).

Black women have to research their destination and whether or not they will be safe from racialized and gender-based violence. White supremacy has made it so that the sexualization of Black women is worldwide, causing many Black women to experience unwanted advances abroad from men who assume they are prostitutes. Ugandan-American Jessica Nabongo, the first Black woman documented to travel the world, shares her experience with safety as a Black woman:

“...[women] of color are in more danger because a lot of people think we are prostitutes… My fear is always that if something happens to me in a European city, no one will care. I could be running down the street screaming in Italy, and onlookers won’t care because I’m Black. I think this is true no matter where in the world we are.”

Jessica Nabongo, world traveler, for the New York Times

For years, Airbnb branded itself as a way for travelers to stay at or with locals in new places; however, said locals have discriminated against Black travelers on several occasions (Fast Company). Whether it was kicking them out without reason or not responding to their inquiries on their accommodations availability (Fortune).

Also worth noting, 15% of Black travelers stated racial profiling played a role in their destination travel decisions (Mandala Research).

In the travel industry, people of color have played a supporting role in the tourism space. In contrast, white travelers have been the lead actors, not only as travelers but also in leadership positions at marketing agencies and press trips, travel media outlets, and tourism boards. Black people, wherever they are in the world, have been painted as the “gracious host,” “the safari guide,” and “the individuals who need ‘saving’ from white volunteers” but are rarely represented as “the adventurers in far-off lands.”

This lack of representation plays a significant role in the anti-Black racism Black travelers face on the road. For example, if locals from a country have limited real-world experience with Black people, they can only rely on what they’ve seen in the media. This misconception is likely to affect Black travelers negatively. A solution to this is simple: real diversity and inclusive initiatives rooted in anti-racism with a commitment to amplifying Black travelers.

Racism in the travel industry stretches beyond the average Black traveler but impacts the entire industry. Black travel agents make up a mere 6% of agents, while white travel agents make up 72% of the space (Data USA). Luxury travel is primarily represented by white travelers, erasing the Black travelers, journalists, and creators who create luxury travel content. In the PR industry, white professionals make up 87.9% of the space, while Black professionals make up 8.3%, Latinos 5.7%, and Asians a measly 2.7% (Harvard Business Review). With the absence of diverse voices, the stories, reporting, and content created from these trips lack the nuance that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) can provide.

And this is particularly tense for the Asian community experiencing increased levels of anti-Asian racism because of COVID-19. The attacks earlier this year coincided with the Lunar New Year, which is one of the busiest travel times both across Asia and for the Asian community in the U.S. In an article for National Geographic, several travelers shared their hesitations on traveling in the future. But even before the pandemic, Asian people have been notably absent from executive positions and marketing campaigns (Washington Post).

Tourism boards must create marketing campaigns that reflect the diversity of the world, not the status quo. People of all kinds should be represented and celebrated in advertisements, not just light-skinned, slim, able-bodied, cis-gendered people. Diverse advertising in the travel industry has a two-fold result: it allows non-white travelers to feel welcome while showing locals that we, too, travel and deserve respect. Recent research shows travelers who identify as ethnic minorities (64%) and LGBTQ+ (67%) say the companies they book their travels with must be committed to inclusion and diversity practices (Accenture).

Like most industries, the travel industry is undergoing a reckoning. Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the entry-level positions. Anti-racist policies must be adopted in the travel industry on a global scale to ensure Black travelers and Black locals are treated with the utmost care and respect post-COVID-19.

Key Takeaways

In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism and are currently the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry.
Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. It’s not uncommon that Black women are presumed to be prostitutes solely because of skin color.
People of color deserve to be seen, heard and respected in the travel industry, including marketing, executive leadership, and business ownership.

10/30/2020 | Don't be racist this Halloween.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

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Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Nicole Cardoza 11/12/20 Nicole Cardoza 11/12/20

Fight against pesticides in communities of color.

Environmental justice activists continue to fight to keep poisonous and fatal pesticides like Roundup out of their communities, though the federal government approves them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to permit 85 pesticides that have been banned or are in transition in China, Europe, and Brazil; the other three nations use the highest amounts of pesticides (Environmental Health). There have also been recent lawsuits against companies that manufacture these pesticides, including Bayer, which have settled claims of $10 billion (Succesful Farming).

It's Thursday! Weeks go by much faster when we're not awaiting election results, am I right? Today we're diving back into our ongoing series on environmental justice. Renée joins us to unpack how pesticides are common in communities of color, and what we can do to take action. With yet another lawsuit against chlorpyrifos and the ongoing EPA rollbacks, I felt this is particularly relevant right now.

This is the Anti-Racism Daily, a daily newsletter with tangible ways to dismantle racism and white supremacy. You can support our work by making a one-time contribution on our website or PayPal, or giving monthly on Patreon. You can also Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). To subscribe, go to antiracismdaily.com.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Urge your local representatives to support a ban on chlorpyrifos (U.S. residents only).
Have you considered pesticide usage in your community? Do you feel safe taking your child(ren) to playgrounds, public spaces, and zoos? Consider how privilege may influence whether or not you think about the air you breathe daily.
After reading this piece, consider: how can you take action in protecting farmworkers who are responsible for ensuring you have food daily?
Listen to and advocate for communities of color in your area that voice their concerns about contaminated water and air.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

Pesticides have a long history in communities of color in America, and like most issues that affect these communities, it is rooted in institutional racism.

A pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel, or control certain forms of plant or animal life that are considered pests (NIH). When we think of pesticides, our minds may wander off to rural farmlands; however, toxic pesticides and herbicides are being used in major cities today, directly harming low-income Black and Brown communities. This past January, a disturbing report by The Black Institute discovered that of the 50 Manhattan parks treated with Roundup in 2018, 42 were in Harlem (The Black Institute). The same study also revealed that Brooklyn, with an 89% native Black population, is the most heavily sprayed borough in the entire state (The Black Institute).

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide to kill weeds and is classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (Planet Watch). More infuriating, in 2017, Roy Wilkins Recreation Center in Queens, NY, located in a majority Black neighborhood, was treated with 100% glyphosate concentration (The Black Institute).

Not only are these toxins affecting the lives of Black and Brown families in these communities, but they also affect the employees responsible for applying them daily. Of the 203 NYC Parks Department staff members, 112 are Black or Latino (The Black Institute). This furthers the point that environmental racism is happening in real-time. Black and Brown communities bear the brunt of the exploitation of air and water by corporations and the federal government.

The spraying of these toxins on public grounds should be considered an act of terror similar to the spraying of Agent Orange in the American-Vietnam war. Most vulnerable to the life-altering health effects of pesticides are children and pregnant women, which can cause learning disabilities, congenital disabilities, asthma, increased rates of childhood leukemia, and autism (Philadelphia Inquirer). Editor’s note: This study has been questioned for its accuracy.

As the largest agricultural state, with over 700,000 farmworkers, California is unique in its fight for environmental justice against pesticides (Planet Watch). A key finding in a 2015 report found that more than half of the glyphosate used in California (54%) was applied in 8 of its most impoverished counties in the Southern Valley, including Tulare, Fresno, Merced, Del Norte, Madera, Lake, Imperial, and Kern (Center for Biological Diversity). The racial breakdown: 53% of residents in the eight counties identified as Latino or Hispanic, compared to 38% in the entire state (Center for Biological Diversity). Also worth noting, Hispanic children are 46% more likely to attend school nears pesticide dumping grounds than white children (The Black Institute).

Chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxin that kills insects by attacking their nervous systems, has widely affected the health of farm and migrant workers in California (Grist). After a two-day meeting with the EPA about banning the insecticide, groups representing farmworkers were censored, further proving environmental racism against the people responsible for getting food to the tables of Americans every day (ThinkProgress).

Because of the federal government’s lack of action, cities like Philadelphia are taking matters into their own hands by introducing bills that ban the use of toxic herbicides on all city or used public grounds (Philadelphia Inquirer). Earlier this year, California officially prohibited the selling and usage of Chlorpyrifos, which not only attacks the nervous system of those exposed but is also linked to brain damage in children (NPR).

How do communities of color withstand COVID-19, a respiratory virus, and bear the brunt of poisoned air? What consequence will pregnant Latina women farmworkers pay after daily pesticide exposure? What will it take for mainstream, white environmental organizations to make their work intersectional, including the needs of communities of color who carry the heaviest burden?

Effective environmental justice must safeguard communities as places where all people can live, work, and play without fear of exposure to toxic materials and conditions (The Black Institute). Clean air and water are not for the privileged but are a fundamental human right. The burden lies on white residents of communities to advocate for communities of color who continue to be silenced about the real harm they are experiencing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, is the most widely used herbicide and is classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization.
Hispanic children are 46% more likely to attend school nears pesticide dumping grounds than white children.
Exposure to the most common pesticides can cause adverse health effects.

10/11/2020 | Support climate justice.

9/29/2020 | Learn about climate migration.

7/25/2020 | Study Hall! How to be a better ally, petitions, and plastics.

7/24/2020 | Reduce your plastic consumption.

7/12/2020 | Learn how air pollution exacerbates COVID-19.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 10/23/20 Nicole Cardoza 10/23/20

Fight for environmental protections.

Understandably, the general American public is confused, disinterested, and polarized on the climate crisis. Climate change, said to be the biggest crisis of our lifetime by scientists, is rarely presented as fact, but rather an issue for debate. It is also seldom presented as a social and racial justice issue. However, communities of color bear the weight of the crisis with significant health issues, limited food supply, and contaminated water (Green America).

It's Friday! And we're rounding out this week's content with a call for environmental protections, written by Renée. This was a hot topic in the third U.S. Presidential debate last night, the first time the topic of environmental justice was discussed directly. And each candidate had different views on the subject.

Tomorrow is Study Hall, our weekly Q+A. I've had a ton of questions this week but send in yours anyway; we've got quite a growing list in the works and I hope to whittle them all down soon.

Thank you for supporting this newsletter. If you'd like, you can give one time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Or, subscribe monthly or annually on Patreon. I really appreciate it.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Follow and learn from Black environmental journalists like Talia Buford, Justin Worland, and Brenton Mock.
Look around your community/neighborhood. Where do you see an influx of coal plants, factories, or refineries? Before reading, did you ever question why low-income areas or Black communities had more pollutant producers? If not, why not?
How do you (or will you) advocate for environmental protections for communities of color?
Review how the Presidential candidates stand on the environment and global warming.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

If the first presidential debate was any indication of how the current administration is tackling climate change --then we’d better get ready for what’s to come. With only eleven minutes spent on the global issue, it was the first time a moderator presented the climate crisis on a presidential debate stage in twenty years (The Guardian).

The American south is not new to fighting for environmental justice. As a reaction to discriminatory environmental practices, including toxic dumping that negatively affects communities of color, the environmental justice movement was born (AVoice). Coined by Dr. Benjamin Chavis in 1982, “environmental racism” was born after an electrical transformers manufacturer emptied tons of cancer-causing PCB waste along 240-miles of North Carolina highways (The Guardian).

When the time came for cleaning the waste, the North Carolina government chose the predominantly Black town of Warren, North Carolina, to become home to a toxic waste facility (The Guardian). Decades later, Black and Brown communities are still home to deadly pollutants. Polluters actively seek low-income areas to dump their waste and often decide based on race rather than class (Green America). Multi-millionaires at the fossil fuel industry’s helm and politicians who hold their interests earn millions of dollars while marginalized communities are poisoned with pollutants.

Fenceline communities-- communities located closest to oil and natural gas refineries are disproportionately African-American (ColorLines). A joint report by the NAACP, Clean Air Task Force (CATF), and the National Medical Association (NMA) found that nearly 7 million African Americans live near oil refineries and pollution operations, causing 9 million tons of pollutants emitted annually. These emissions are responsible for 138,000 asthma attacks a year for school-aged children (CATF).

These communities are composed of predominantly low-income people of color. Consequently, African-Americans are 75% more likely to live in fence-line communities and are exposed to 38% more polluted air than white Americans (CATF). Also increasing: the number of African-Americans who live within a half-mile of an existing natural gas facility. With over one million residents and counting, we can expect exposure to toxic air emissions will likely turn to cancer risks for many African-Americans in these communities (CATF).

"Racism is “inexorably” linked to climate change...because it dictates who benefits from activities that produce planet-warming gases and who suffers most from the consequences.”
Penn State meteorologist Gregory Jenkins, via Washington Post.

African Americans make up 14 percent of the U.S. population, yet 68% live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant compared to 56% of white people (Green America). Latinos make up 17% of the U.S. population, but 39% live within a 30-mile radius from a coal plant. Native lands have been stolen and are home to coal reserves resulting in tribes across North America experiencing the toxic effects from plants and coal mines (Green America).

Over the last four years, we’ve seen significant environmental protections put in place to protect our right to clean air and water stripped by the current administration. Since his 2017 inauguration, Trump has rolled back 100 of the most major climate and environmental protections (NYT). Perhaps the most significant to African American communities is his deregulation of methane emissions (CATF). Methane, the leading cause of climate change, is a greenhouse gas that traps 86 times more heat than carbon dioxide, which accelerates global warming (ACS). The Trump administration has canceled an Obama-era policy that required oil and gas companies to report their emissions, making it easier to pollute Black and Brown communities (EPA).

When we think about places like Flint, Michigan, Newark, New Jersey, and Standing Rock, they are perfect examples of BIPOC reaping the dire benefits of environmental racism, even in a pandemic (Vox).

An Obama-era clean water regulation that curbed the amount of pollution and chemicals in the country’s rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands was also repealed by the Trump administration (CNBC). The goal: to protect 60% of the country’s water from contamination, but with it repealed, polluters can discharge toxic substances into waterways without a permit, which harms sources of safe drinking water and habitats for wildlife (CNBC).

Last month, federal judges pushed back against Trump’s fossil fuel agenda, citing they downplayed potential environmental damage in lawsuits over oil and gas leases, coal mining, and pipelines to transport fuels across the country (AP News).

As one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, America's choice to use fossil fuels over cleaner and healthier energy disproportionately affect communities of color. As these communities continue to fight for environmental protections, white people and those with privilege must challenge their local and state officials about new pipelines, plants, and refineries in communities of color. These communities have been fighting for the most basic needs – clean air and water –for decades, and it’s time for the privileged to join their fight.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Fenceline communities – communities located closest to oil and natural gas refineries – are disproportionately African-American.
The Trump administration has rolled back 100 of the most major climate and environmental protections.
68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant.

RELATED ISSUES

10/11/2020 | Support climate justice.

9/29/2020 | Learn about climate migration.

7/25/2020 | Study Hall! How to be a better ally, petitions, and plastics.

7/24/2020 | Reduce your plastic consumption.

7/12/2020 | Learn how air pollution exacerbates COVID-19.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 10/2/20 Nicole Cardoza 10/2/20

Protect early child care providers.

Early child care education is one of the most basic needs; however, most Black and Brown women who care for and educate the nation’s youngest minds are overlooked and discounted. As the coronavirus forced public schools and universities to transition to remote learning, some early childhood centers remained open. Absent from the conversation as essential workers in need of hazard pay were early care teachers.

Hi everyone,

Researchers warn nearly half of U.S. child care centers could be lost to pandemic, and over 4.5 million child care spots in the country could be permanently lost because of the pandemic (NPR). This affects millions of parents working from home, but also the workforce that's struggling to make ends meet. Today, Renée outlines the history of the child care industry and how critical it is that our government acts to keep it afloat.

Tomorrow is our weekly Study Hall, where we answer questions and offer insights shared from the week prior. Reply to this email to share your reflections.

As always, you can support the newsletter by giving one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe monthly on Patreon.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Use the hashtag #AskAboutChildCare to urge the next moderator of the presidential debates, @SteveScully, to bring it up as a topic.
If you are a white parent of a young child, how are you advocating for the Black and Brown children in your child's early childhood setting? Do your children have Black and Brown teachers? Have you investigated how they’re being protected through the pandemic? If so, how? If not, why not?

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

The consistent depreciation of early childhood education in the United States has long been a contention point for Black and Brown teachers, teacher aides, and administrators due to a shortage of funding and disproportionate wage gaps. Childcare centers, daycares, and after-care programs have long been deemed as non-essential and instead, a place for parents to drop their children off for a few hours to be cared for. Elizabeth Warren, a former teacher, recognized the indispensable value Black and Brown women brought to the profession by recognizing childcare as “infrastructure for families” (MotherJones).

Black and Brown women make up 40% of the child care industry workforce, including 22% of immigrant women (CSCEE). Nationally, women are paid, on average, an offensive $9.62 per hour, adding to $20,000 per year for full-time, all year round work (CSCEE).

Lea J.E. Austin, executive director of the Center for the Study of Childcare Employment (CSCEE), explains no single racial wage gap but multiple wage gaps among Black and Brown teachers versus their white counterparts.

“...For African American teachers, for example, we see that they are more likely to work with infant and toddler children, and infant and toddler teachers earn less than teachers who are working with preschool-age children. We also see that African American early educators experience a smaller pay bump for moving from working with younger children to older children...” (CSCEE).

Black educators working in centered-based settings are less likely across other racial and ethnic groups to earn more than $15 per hour. Even with educational achievement, Black educators still make $0.78 less per hour than white early educators with the same education, accounting for a loss of $1,622.40 per year (CSCEE). Hispanic teachers experience gaps in access to jobs. They are more likely to work as assistant teachers (or teacher aides), where they earn, on average, $10.00 per hour versus $11.06 as a lead teacher.

If we know anything about American history, the mistreatment and undervaluing of Black and Brown women’s care work is historical. During slavery, enslaved Black women were forced to feed, nurse, and care for white children while also taking care of their master’s homes, unpaid and under violence. During Jim Crow, the ‘Mammy’ archetype gained popularity, which depicted Black women as wholesome, skilled, submissive, and obedient caretakers (The Grio). Often shown with exaggerated smiles, Black women were usually made to look happy while taking care of children – children that were rarely depicted as their own.

Structural racism is what makes it possible for Black and Brown early educators today, amid a pandemic, not to be considered essential workers in need of equitable and hazard pay. Even before coronavirus, structural racism within the early education sector contributes to the low wages Black and Brown early educators earn, causing them to live below the poverty line.

More than 325,000 childcare workers lost their jobs during the five-month lockdown, as almost half of all child care programs closed (Prism). The federal government has done little in providing economic assistance to Black and Brown women of color business owners who own and operate home-based childcare centers.

A July survey found that half of childcare business owners of color are sure they will close permanently without additional assistance (NAEYC). Economic aid from the federal government is required for various day-to-day operations, including masks for teachers, cleaning supplies, the ability to pay teachers more money, and training for both parents and teachers.

A little more than one in six women, child care workers live below the poverty line (NWLC). Over half depend on a form of public assistance like the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Earned Income Tax Credit, or Medicaid (CSCEE).

The frustrating part of the devaluing of early childhood services and its professionals is that it was primarily created to alleviate poverty among children from low-income families (Head Starter Network). In an effort to break the cycle of poverty, the Lyndon Johnson president administration created the Head Start Program to meet the emotional, social, nutritional, and psychological needs of children who needed it most (Wikipedia).

This summer, two bills passed at the end of July: the Childcare is Essential Act and the Childcare for Economic Recovery Act. This, resulting in a $60 billion investment to stabilize the child care sector during COVID-19, is significant. But more work needs to be done (CNBC). Advocates, both teachers and parents, are fighting side by side for a federal minimum wage as part of the Child Care Fight for $15 campaign movement to ensure higher pay and benefits for teachers (Prism).

Organizations like the Grassroots Movement for Child Care and Early Education, in collaboration with the ECE Organizing Network, are working to bring a shared economic, racial, and gender justice lens to their work as child care workers, educators, and parents (Grassroots Movement for Child Care and Early Education).

We must continue to actively work to dismantle the racial disparities in the child care field, whether as parents, teachers, or allies. It is unjustifiable that Black and Brown women continue to carry the highest economic burdens in this country regardless of their professions. Childcare is a basic need, and those with privilege should advocate to ensure Black and Brown parents and caregivers have their most basic needs met.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Black and Brown women make up 40% of the child care industry workforce, including 22% of immigrant women.
Hispanic teachers are regulated to assistant teacher positions then lead teacher roles resulting in lower pay.
The ‘Mammy’ archetype during American slavery contributes to the low-wages Black women experience as care workers.

RELATED ISSUES

9/21/2020 | Support the 1619 Project.

9/8/2020 | Reject the model minority myth.

8/20/2020 | Support affirmative action in schools.

8/17/2020 | Fight for equity in remote learning.

7/17/2020 | Analyze representation in media.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 9/22/20 Nicole Cardoza 9/22/20

Learn about sundown towns.

Happy Tuesday! Today we're learning about sundown towns, which I always thought of as a part of our history until the Defund San Antonio Police Department Coalition referred to San Antonio as one, and released travel advisories for Black residents.

Renée takes us through the history of sundown towns, the danger of U.S. travel for Black residents, and offers insights for you to consider the next time you're planning a road trip. And be sure to check out the action items – I discovered that my own hometown was once a sundown town.

And thank you for your contributions! If you enjoy this newsletter, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

– Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Use this map to see what towns near your hometown may have been sundown towns.
Support the GoFundMe campaign of two Black women aiming to make travel safer for Black travelers through a modern-day digital green book.
Consider: How does your community express itself as a welcoming space for people of color? How might it dissuade visitors and new residents?

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

An American pastime has resurrected with international travel halted to break quarantine’s mundanity: the road trip. Part of the ‘American Dream’ appeal was the sense of freedom, especially in the imagery of road trips on an open highway.

Twentieth-century representation was loaded with white families’ on deserted highways in Chevy’s worry-free with bright smiles. Absent were Black families’ – as the open road was not a journey of good times but open racialized terrorism (NYTimes).

Though Black Americans were aware of the dangers of traveling by car, there was (and still is) a strong sense of freedom and control that automobile travel offered that trains and busses did not (NYTimes). While traveling by busses and trains in Jim Crow America, Black Americans were often subjected to a conductors’ watchful eye. They would have to defer to white passengers even when seated in the “Colored Cart.” This kind of harassment was relentless and what made the construction of a new highway appealing.

Route 66, or “The Mother Road,” one of the most famous U.S. highways, connected eight states beginning in Chicago linking to Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Gaining popularity during the 1930s as people tried to escape the Dust Bowl, Black Americans also used Route 66 to flee racial violence in Jim Crow south. Unbeknownst to them, there was no escaping Jim Crow as institutionalized racism was embedded in every part of the country. A year before Route 66 construction began, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial warning Black Americans away from recreational facilities like swimming pools:

“We should be doing no service to the Negroes if we did not point out that to a very large section of the white population the presence of a Negro, however well behaved, among white bathers is an irritation. This may be a regrettable fact to the Negroes, but it is nevertheless a fact, and must be reckoned with … [T]he Negroes could make a definite contribution to good race relationship by remaining away from beaches where their presence is resented.”

Chicago Tribune editorial, published on August 29, 1925, via The Atlantic.

Because Route 66 covered over 2,000 miles, various businesses like restaurants, barbershops, gas stations, and motels were along the route, making it possible for travelers to stop for a night’s rest and food –except Black travelers. Of the eight states along the highway, 6 had official segregation laws, but all had unofficial rules about race (The Atlantic).

Victor Hugo Green, a postal worker from Harlem, New York, created The Negro Motorist Green Book. This travel guide listed motels, taverns, guesthouses, barbershops, beauty salons, restaurants, realtors, and department stores that were safe for Black Americans to patronize without harm. The book included listings for all parts of the country, but Route 66 was the most famous highway. Published from 1936-1966, the Green Book was considered the Bible of Black travel because it prevented the shame of being kicked out of restaurants and listed towns known as sundown towns (Smithsonian Magazine).

Sundown towns were white only communities where Black people were not allowed to stay “past sundown,” hence the term. Thousands of communities used local law enforcement to protect these spaces across the U.S. (Tougaloo). These communities were dangerous to Black travelers under any circumstance, but being seen after sunset was sure to warrant violence or death. Mostly created to prevent an influx of Black Americans (and Jews and Chinese) in white communities, sundown towns were and still are, symbols of violence (GEN). Black travelers often passed signs that read “Don’t Let the Sun Set on You Here, Understand?” and “Whites Only Within City Limits After Dark.” At its peak, there were an estimated 10,000 towns like these in 1970 (Tolerance.org).

A common practice among Black men with nice cars was to lie to police officers when asked if the vehicle they were driving was theirs. White vigilantes and police officers found it offensive if a Black man owned a fancier car than their own, or even interpreted it as a Black man trying to upstage him. If a Black man was stopped with his family, to protect them from violence, a chauffeur hat would be kept in the car and used as a decoy to avoid trouble (The Atlantic).

Misha Greens’ new series, Lovecraft Country, on HBO, is a powerful example of how horror coupled with America’s unique form of racism can not only be entertaining but illustrates the psychological warfare Black Americans are forced to endure daily. The series follows a young man Atticus, from Chicago, searching for his father in Ardham, Massachusetts.

Joining him on this road trip is his Uncle George (played by Courtney B. Vance) and childhood friend, Letitia (played by Jurnee Smollet). Playing off Mr. Green’s travel guidebook, Uncle George is creating a travel guide for Black travelers. Without sharing too much, all of the fear that sundown towns embody is perfectly depicted thus far.

From psychological violence by police officers, sundown town signage, and refusal of service in a restaurant, the horror of racism is real, and to consider it entertaining can feel wrong. The first two episodes alone show how mortifying, debilitating, and dehumanizing segregation, sundown towns, and Jim Crow were, and still are, today. Police officers and white vigilantes were used as agents against Black life. This is clear when we think about the hunting and murder of Ahmaud Arbery as he ran through his Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood, which may have very well been a sundown town.

It may be easy for white viewers of Lovecraft Country and those who’ve recently learned about The Negro Motorist Green Book to brush off the racial history both explore as ways of the past. However, we should remember that Black men are still being lynched in America in 2020.

If this year has shown us anything, its that we are far from a post-racial society. With racial injustices in full view, Black travelers are creating the necessary resources to keep other Black people safe both domestically and internationally (Travel + Leisure). White people who consider themselves allies should spend their privilege by sharing and amplifying these resources often to aid in the protection of Black travelers everywhere.

Key Takeaways

Sundown towns were white only and dangerous to Black travelers under any circumstance.
Lovecraft Country, on HBO, illustrates the psychological warfare Black Americans are forced to endure daily.
Black Americans still feel fear when traveling by car in America.

RELATED ISSUES

9/2/2020 | Rally for fair appraisals.

8/30/2020 | Protect housing rights during COVID-19.

7/20/2020 | Protect your community from the harm of gentrification.

7/12/2020 | Learn how air pollution exacerbates COVID-19.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 9/9/20 Nicole Cardoza 9/9/20

Make the census count.

It's Wednesday and there's only 22 days left to complete the U.S. Census! You may have already completed this back in April, and that's a good thing – considering how messy the current census counting situation is right now. In case you missed the news, Renée is giving us the overview in today's newsletter. Learn why the extension is necessary for ensuring fair representation of everyone – especially those most marginalized.

And do your part to rally your friends, family and colleagues to take the census! The next best time to complete the census is now.

Thank you all for your contributions. To support our work, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Complete the census! You can do it online, on the phone or via mail: 2020census.gov
Create time and space at your (IRL or virtual) office for your team to complete the census.
View where your state ranks on the 2020 Census Response Rates. Then, research specific ways you can help your state / city count – whether by joining text / phone banking initiatives, or spreading the word in your neighborhood.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

Beginning in 1790, the United States Census has been part of the country’s constitutional law. Every ten years, every person in America is counted for two main reasons: distributing funds and properly revealing representation. Census findings not only affect the funds and resources allocated to communities, but it also determines the number of seats each state in Congress holds as well as the drawing of congressional and state legislative districts (Census.gov).

On August 3rd, the Census Bureau announced that field data collection would end on September 30th, a full month before the Trump administration’s extended October 31st deadline. (CNN) In an internal document released last week by the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee, Census Bureau officials warned the Trump administration that compressing the Census data timeline would “eliminate activities that will reduce accuracy” (CNN).

Also mentioned in the Powerpoint-styled report is any modifications made to the review process would eliminate or reduce steps designed to ensure the exactness of data before it is made public (Census.gov). With a shortened timeline, there won’t be time to review data that may be skewed in a practical matter before presenting it to the president on December 31st.

A U.S. judge was able to temporarily halt this movement last Saturday, an issue that will remain in effect until Sept. 17 when she will hold a hearing in a lawsuit filed by the municipalities and advocacy groups (Reuters). This move buys the census some “precious and indispensable time” to gather more data (NPR). And this adjustment is critical; a miscount threatens the accuracy of the numbers used for reapportioning seats in Congress and the annual distribution of $1.5 trillion for federal funding of public services (NPR).

The Trump administration’s decision to expedite the census timeline during an election year and pandemic cannot be overlooked. Because the census determines the allocation of seats in Congress, there is undoubtedly a push to receive incomplete data to ensure seats are held by those who don’t have marginalized communities’ best interests over the next decade (New York Mag).

It’s also not the first time the Trump administration has tried to manage the census in a way that sways to their political agenda. In 2019, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the Census Bureau, insisted on a citizenship question added to this year’s census (NPR). With Trump’s xenophobic history towards immigrants on full display over the last five years, the Supreme Court blocked the citizenship question from the 2020 census (CNN).

A miscount or no count at all is disastrous for not only Black and Brown communities but also immigrant communities and those experiencing homelessness. Historically, Black and immigrant communities have been undercounted or not counted at all in the census. In 1940, the Census Bureau missed 1 in 12 Black residents (The Guardian). In the 2010 census, 2.1% of African Americans were not counted, including 6% of African American children (Forbes).

Also undercounted: 1.5% of Hispanics and 5% of Indigenous people living on reservations while the white-non Latino population was overcounted by almost 1% (CBS). A 2019 report by the Urban Institute estimates that between 1.1 million and 1.7 million Black residents will be missed in 2020’s census (Urban Institute). However, because of the ongoing pandemic and upending to daily life because of it, years of mistrust of the federal government, the numbers could be far higher.

Racial inequality in national statistics is not new. It has cost the Black community millions of dollars that could have been used for education, mental health services, clinics, businesses, and public programs like Medicaid. An example of this is the disproportionate incarceration rate of Black men.

Black men are incarcerated five times higher than white people, and when the census traces, it documents that Black men are part of the prison population. This inflates the population count and divests funds from Black communities, where incarcerated Black men will eventually return (Forbes). Like the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, who successfully sued the administration over its citizenship question, advocacy groups have voiced their concerns about the new census deadline:

"This new deadline allows Trump to cheat hard-to-count communities of color out of the resources needed for everything from health care and education to housing and transportation for the next 10 years" (CNN).

Like door-knocking, field operations are critical in undercounted communities and counting populations that are most vulnerable like the unhoused. Black people in America only make up 13% of the population, yet, 42% of the unhoused population is Black. The numbers are even higher among Black people experiencing homelessness with children at 52% (ABCNews).

With the deadline fast approaching, Census field agents are now pushing to get into the rural communities that don’t have internet or telephones access. Virtual phone banks organized by advocacy groups are scheduled for September 9th in Chicago, where only 40% of households have completed the census (ABC7). On the opposite end, fieldwork will end in San Diego, a city with a large Hispanic population, which will end on September 18th, twelve days earlier than the official deadline (KTLA).

Almost 230 years later, to the first enumeration, the 2020 Census may be the most critical of our generation as we face down a public health crisis, racial uprisings, an economic crisis, and a federal government steeped in fascism. We must do everything in our power to ensure BIPOC people are counted in this census. If we don’t, these communities stand to lose more than they already have over the last six months of this pandemic and four years of this administration.

key takeaways

The last day to complete the U.S. Census is September 30th.
Black communities are historically undercounted in the Census, leading to millions of dollars lost for valuable resources.
In the 2010 Census, 1.5 million Black and Hispanic people went uncounted.

7/21/2020 | Honor the legacy of Rep. John Lewis.

7/20/2020 | Protect your community from the harm of gentrification.

7/8/2020 | Investigate school district funding disparities.

7/6/2020 | Abolish qualified immunity.

7/5/2020 | Support the Navajo Nation through COVID-19.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/30/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/30/20

Protect housing rights during COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has and continues to wreak havoc on every sector of society, but perhaps the most pressing is the looming housing catastrophe. COVID-19, a virus that spreads through respiratory droplets, can be regulated with social distancing and quarantine measures, but how can it be controlled if millions of people are forced to live on the streets/

Happy Sunday! Each week we share insights on the racial disparities of COVID-19. I didn't think that when I started this newsletter on June 3 that we'd still be in the midst of this global pandemic, but here we are. And as we wait for Congress to pass a new stimulus deal, we need to do whatever we can to support our community in need. Renée joins us today with a critical look at COVID-19 and housing insecurity.

As we continue to cover COVID-19, remember that these disparities in critical infrastructure – like healthcare, education, housing, employment, etc – always existed here in the U.S. COVID-19 didn't create them, just exposed them. Taking action "during COVID-19" is only for emphasis; we should always do our part to help close these critical gaps in our society.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or via Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Or, subscribe monthly to our Patreon to contribute regularly.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Tell your Congress representative to take action on housing stability by using this email template.
Support GoFundMe campaigns of people looking for support to pay their rent, particularly if they identify as BIPOC. Search by location to find individuals in need near you.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez (she/her)

Of the 110 million Americans living in renter households, the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project found that between 19 and 23 million people will be at risk for eviction by September 30th (CEDP). The project was created in response to the pandemic and the housing crisis it exacerbates by pairing legal experts with tenants who need legal advice or legal representation.

With a three-headed monster nearing: flu season, an imminent second-wave of the coronavirus, and colder weather, more must be done by the federal government to keep people safe and healthy in their homes. The primary federal relief bill passed, the CARES Act, established a moratorium on evictions for federally subsidized homes and homes covered by federally backed mortgages like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Bloomberg). While single-family homeowners with federally funded mortgages will receive reprieve until the end of the year, no additional safety nets have been granted to renters (FHFA).

Unemployment has reached unprecedented numbers in America, making it even more infuriating that people are facing eviction. During the Great Recession of 2008, unemployment peaked at 10.7% over two years. In May, unemployment reached as high as 14.4% (in 3 months) due to COVID-19 (Pew Research).

In July, 32% of U.S. households were unable to make their full housing payments, while 19% missed payment all together (CNBC). At the height of the pandemic, 44.2 million Americans filed for unemployment (Fortune). This past week, one million new unemployment claims were filed, which begs how people can pay their housing costs without a reliable income (CNBC)? Making people choose between feeding their children and paying rent is inhumane.

Unsurprisingly, evictions have a tremendous effect on low-income women, particularly women from Black neighborhoods. A research study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, found that Black women only make up 9.6% of the population, yet they make up 30% of all evictions. Nationally, 8% of Latinx women and 20% of Black women are evicted each year (Aspen Institute).

In New York City, 70% of housing court cases are by women of color head of households, particularly Black and Latinx women (Aspen Institute). Some of the risk factors contributing to women’s eviction are having children, domestic violence, lower wages, and even the power dynamic between male landlords and female tenants. It’s also not uncommon for landlords to maliciously evict people from their homes knowing their building is indeed covered by a federal moratorium (Washington Post).

Rent burdened, a term used to describe households who pay more than 30% of their income towards rent disproportionately affects people of color (Aspen Institute). Black and Latinx people make up 80% of national evictions (Harvard Law Review). Another study found Black households were twice as likely than white households to be evicted (Harvard Law Review). During the Covid-19 pandemic in Boston, 70% of market-rate evictions were filed in communities of color; however, those areas only make up half of the city’s rental market (Boston Evictions).

During the pandemic’s height, loss of jobs primarily affected people of color at higher rates than their white counterparts. And let’s not forget people with disabilities who notoriously have higher rates of unemployment, LGBTQ+ people who experience homelessness at higher rates, and undocumented immigrants who pay taxes but do not receive unemployment benefits or stimulus assistance (Aspen Institute).

These groups of people will undoubtedly experience the hardships that impending evictions will bring, and in some places, they’ve already begun. Tenants in New Orleans have come to find their belongings lining the sidewalk as federal moratoriums expired on August 24th (WSJ). With courts re-opening virtually, millions of people will be forced out of their homes in the coming weeks without help from the federal government.

In May, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, which would authorize a $100 billion fund relief for housing. Republicans have countered with the HEALS Act, which does not offer any housing relief assistance (CNBC).

Housing advocates and renter activists are pushing for states, cities, and counties to extend moratoriums on evictions to counter the federal government’s lack of action. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is calling for a national uniformed 12-month moratorium on evictions and foreclosures (NLIHC).

In California, Governor Newsom passed a bill that will ban evictions for tenants who’ve been unable to pay their rent citing financial hardship due to the coronavirus; however, they will need to pay at least 25% of their cumulative rent between September 1st and January 31st (KTLA).

Homelessness should not only outrage some but all. If this pandemic has made anything clear, people of color bear the brunt of this crisis on every level. It should also illuminate the areas in which the government we pay with our tax dollars should be far more useful in times of crisis.

Granting housing assistance to people who live in this country, regardless of their identity and sexual orientation is a fundamental human right and should be free of political gymnastics. As the temperature outside changes, there is work to be done for those being punished for no other reason than being poor in a pandemic.

key takeaways

Between 19 and 23 million people will be at risk for eviction by September 30th.
Nationally, 8% of Latina women and 20% of Black women are evicted each year.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is calling for a national uniformed 12-month moratorium on evictions.

8/17/2020 | Fight for equity in remote learning.

8/16/2020 | Think before eating out.

8/9/2020 | Understand the unemployment gap | COVID-19

8/2/2020 | Protect those vulnerable to extreme heat during COVID-19.

7/27/2020 | Support Asian Americans through COVID-19.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/27/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/27/20

Help decriminalize drug possession.

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Happy Thursday – for real this time. I guess I was trying to fast forward this week yesterday. Can you blame me?!

This has been a heck of a week, and it's still only Thursday. You may have heard that last night, players at several major sports leagues went on strike, forcing leagues to postpone games (ESPN). Renée wrote a powerful story in last week's newsletter encouraging all of us to support athletes fighting injustice. Now's the time to put that newsletter into action.

Today, Renée is back with a quick overview of the history of drug possession, its contributions to the criminalization of communities of color, and its ramifications today. Send your insights and thoughtful inquiries – each Saturday, we answer questions and dive deeper into this week's topics in our weekly Study Hall.

You can always support our efforts by making a one-time contribution to our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Or, subscribe monthly on Patreon. Thank you to all that have contributed so far!

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

Urge your senators to support the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which will, if passed, decriminalize marijuana, expunge certain marijuana offenses from people’s records and “provide for reinvestment in certain persons adversely impacted by the War on Drugs.”

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

America’s 1970’s “war on drugs” introduced by Richard Nixon and continued by Ronald Regan in the eighties created deep and disproportionate outcomes for communities of color, and Black people bore and continue to bear the highest burden. In 2016, Dan Baum published an article in which he recalls a 1994 conversation with a former Nixon aide:

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or blacks, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.”

John Ehrlichman, counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon, via Harpers.

This may have surprised some, but Black people across America knew for decades the war on drugs was racialized terror that targeted their communities. If asked to picture a drug dealer, it’s unsurprising if the first image that comes to mind is a young, Black man. This is wholly evident in majority-white cast movies and shows where marijuana use is depicted. It’s no accident because this is how the war on drugs campaign was designed. In an April COVID-19 press conference, Jerome Adams, the Surgeon General of the United States, suggested that the disproportionate rates of death among Black and Latinx communities were caused by higher rates of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol consumption. Not only did he fail to mention systemic racism as a cause for higher rates of death in Black and Brown communities, but he perpetuated the stereotype that Black and Brown people consume substances at higher rates (NYTimes).

The war on drugs was intended to criminalize and vilify Black people, making it possible to lock them away in prisons under a public safety guise. Because of this, Black people continue to undergo blatant discrimination at every level of the criminal justice system, including over-policed communities, more searches, more arrests, more convictions, longer sentences, extended probation periods, and are granted fewer appeals (Drug Policy Alliance).

Introduced in 1973, the Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York mandated draconian prison terms for possession or the sale of small amounts of drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin for 15 years to life. (Drug Policy Alliance). The law was said to target “kingpins,” however, those overly convicted were Black, low-level, first time, non-violent offenders though white people smoked and sold crack more than Black people (NPR). Mandatory minimums for low-level offenses were set by Congress, making it impossible for judges to have their say in the event they disagreed.

These laws not only ushered in the mass incarceration system we see today but the usage of the criminal justice system for drug abuse versus public health systems like cost-free rehabilitation clinics.

In 2018, Black men were incarcerated at 5.8 times the rate of white men, and Black women were incarcerated at a rate of 1.8 times the rate of white women (U.S. Department of Justice). Black men’s prison sentences, on average, are 19.1% longer than white men who commit the same offense (USSC). Nearly 80% of people in federal prison and almost 60% of people in state prisons for drug offenses are Black or Latino. Furthermore, prosecutors are twice as likely to pursue a mandatory minimum sentence for Black people than white people charged with the same offense (Drug Policy Alliance).

Science shows that drug abuse is a disease and should be treated as a health problem rather than a moral failure (NIH). Unlike the crack epidemic of the eighties which involved poor Black people, the opioid and heroin epidemic that’s killed mostly young, white, middle-class Americans in recent years is told in a more compassionate and solution-based way. A research study analyzed 100 popular press articles from 2001-2011 found that the depictions of white, suburban heroin users to be sympathetic while the descriptions of Black and Latino heroin users were “urbanized” and criminalized (NIH).

As the 2020 American presidential election approaches, millions of disenfranchised Black and Brown people cannot vote due to the war on drugs and mass incarceration. Because of this, candidates running for office on any level should be advocates of the decriminalization of drugs, including marijuana. Black people who use marijuana are deemed thugs and low lives, while white people who use marijuana are considered progressive and cool.

Marijuana is legalized in eleven states and Washington D.C. and legal for medicinal use in thirty-three states (Business Insider). With the legalization of marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington, majority-white venture capitalists have invested and gained billions of dollars in profit growing and selling the very substance millions of Black and Brown people are imprisoned for. Many states in the cannabis industry have laws that prevent individuals with marijuana adjacent offenses who are disproportionately Black and Brown people (Forbes).

What does it say about a country that has more prisons than schools? What does it say about a country with more people imprisoned in cages than anywhere else in the world? Rates of drug use are as high as they were forty-nine years ago when Nixon dubbed drug abuse “public enemy number one.”

We cannot trust that mass incarceration and the enduring criminality of Black lives will just go away. We must advocate for the decriminalization of drug possession, which is the primary cause of incarceration among Black and Brown people. Treatment centers should be available for everyone, especially those without means. We must continue to educate ourselves about the root of issues – not only the issues themselves – to help guide our building of essential programs and resources in communities that need them the most.

RELATED ISSUES

President Richard Nixon and Ronald Regan ushered in the “war on drugs” in the ’70s and ’80s, which has led to the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people today.
In 2018, Black men were incarcerated 5.8 times the rate of white men, and Black women were incarcerated at a rate of 1.8 times the rate of white women.
The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana will help to end mass incarceration.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/23/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/23/20

Support those incarcerated and impacted by COVID-19.

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Good morning!

Each Sunday we analyze the racial disparities of COVID-19 and how you can help. Today, Renée outlines the crisis happening in prisons and jails across America. As we continue to rally to transform our criminal justice system, we cannot forget about how so many are suffering right here, right now. Read more stories on criminal justice here.

Thank you for everyone that makes this newsletter possible. If you haven't already, consider giving one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Or, you can contribute monthly on our Patreon.

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

Stay informed with The Marshall Project as it collects data on COVID-19 infections in state and federal prisons. You can view the website here.

Do you know your local or state prison? Are they allowing incarcerated people to make phone calls free of cost? If not, send an email using this template and customize it to your local or state prison.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

As COVID-19 began making its way across America in March, the country came to the standstill of the century. Universities and schools closed their doors, nursing homes, and hospitals suspended visitation, restaurants, retail stores, and movie theaters stopped all operations to prevent the spread of this invisible virus.

Public health and safety seemed to be the utmost priority but not for the incarcerated. America's carceral system is disgustingly unique: Holding only 4% of the world's population, the United States imprisons the highest rate (20%) of incarcerated people globally (Prison Policy Initiative).

Prisons and jails are like Petri dishes where bacteria and disease spread rapidly due to close living quarters, limited to no cleaning supplies, overcrowding, and the inability to socially distance. Not only is the COVID-19 death rate of incarcerated people higher than the overall national rate, but the incarcerated are also infected by coronavirus at 5.5 times higher than the overall national rate (JAMA Network).

So far, the country’s highest cluster can be found in California’s San Quentin State Prison, where over 2,600 incarcerated people and staff have been infected, and 26 incarcerated people have died (NYT).

“I am very concerned [...]. There’s no way to social distance. We all eat together. We have a communal bathroom. There’s no way to address a public health issue in an overcrowded facility.”

An incarcerated person at San Quentin State Prison for the NYTimes

In June, Texas began testing every incarcerated person to find that both the incarcerated and staff tested positive quadruples of the number of positive cases to 7,900, resulting in 25 deaths (Prison Policy Initiative). Even more shocking is 60% of the (785 men out of 1,400) incarcerated at Michigan Lakelands Correctional Facility tested positive for the virus (Detroit Metro Times).

Like the general public, at the start of the spread, testing for the virus in prisons and jails was limited. Prisons are now mass testing the incarcerated and staff regardless of their symptoms to help slow the spread of the virus (The Marshall Project).

With over 170,000 coronavirus cases affecting the incarcerated and staff across the country, prison activists are demanding the release of vulnerable populations like the elderly. After decades of extreme sentencing as a result of the “war on drugs” and the “tough on crime” era, a large portion of the incarcerated in state prisons are over fifty-five years old and are more likely to be in poor health (The Marshall Project).

Without access to quality medical care, coupled with the brutal conditions of prison, seniors suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension, all underlying conditions that exacerbate COVID-19 (NCBI).

Family members, lawyers, and advocates have placed calls to prisons to grant early-release to the elderly, and the infirm to prevent more deaths as well as decrease the population. Frustratingly, research shows that out of 668 jails being tracked, 71% of them saw an increase in population from May 1 to June 22, while 84 jails had more people locked away on July 22, then they did in March (Prison Policy Initiative).

There has also been a push for those in jail pre-trial, detained for parole or probation violations, or near the end of their sentences to be granted early release.

“For the most part, states are not even taking the simplest and least controversial steps, like refusing admissions for technical violations of probation and parole rules, and to release those that are already in confinement for those same technical violations. Similarly, other obvious places to start are releasing people nearing the end of their sentence, those who are in minimum-security facilities and on work-release, and those who are medically fragile or older” (Prison Policy Initiative Report).

By the end of August, California could see the early release of 8,000 incarcerated people to slow the spread of the virus (LA Times). The releases will occur for those 30 or older, not serving time for what can be deemed a violent crime under state law and are not involved with domestic violence.

During this crisis, we all share the desire to stay connected with our friends and family. Some prisons and jails have begun allowing visitors. Still, most have not, which can be challenging mentally for the incarcerated as they rely on those visits from family, friends, advocates, and lawyers to keep their morale high (The Marshall Project). Because prisons are also a for-profit business, some are charging for phone and video calls during a time where unemployment numbers are similar to or greater than the Great Depression (The Intercep t).

When we think of vulnerable populations, we must be diligent in keeping the incarcerated in our minds because they are often forgotten. They are real people, with real stories and families, and their health and safety should be prioritized and valued. Society shouldn’t be judged on how they resolve what can be deemed a crime, but rather how they treat those who’ve committed said crime. Incarcerated people deserve our compassion and advocacy too.

Key Takeaways

Incarcerated people are infected by coronavirus at 5.5 times higher than the overall national rate.
Of the 668 jails tracked by the Prison Policy Initiative, 71% of them saw an increase in population from May 1 to June 22 rather than a decrease.
California’s San Quentin State Prison has the largest cluster of COVID-19 cases in America.

7/26/2020 | Pay attention to the Portland protests.

7/20/2020 | Protect your community from the harm of gentrification.

7/6/2020 | Abolish qualified immunity.

7/2/2020 | Remove police from our public schools.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/18/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/18/20

Support athletes in taking action.

Athletes have used the spotlight to demand change for decades. Join them when they rally for change.

Get daily actions in your inbox. Subscribe Now ›

I think I owe you all an apology. HOW have I had this newsletter for 75 whole days and not written a single post about sports?! Perhaps it's because I'm often the worst player on any sports team. But the industry has had a long, deep history of challenging white supremacy – on and off the field – led by outspoken athletes throughout history.

Thankfully I'm not the only writer on the Anti-Racism Daily team anymore letting you down. We've got Renée at the plate teeing up a comprehensive look at how sports are amplifying the current movement. Our action is to get into the audience and be this movement's biggest fans – AND gear up and join athletes center court. There is no I in team. We can only win together.

Our new staff of contributors is made possible thanks to your generous contributions. I'm proud of the company that Anti-Racism Daily is becoming, and committed to continuing this work. If you can, pitch in by making a one-time or monthly contribution. You can give on our website, PayPal, Venmo (@nicoleacardoza) or subscribe monthly on Patreon.

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

Donate to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Campaign, which works to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.
Have you ever watched the WNBA? If not, now’s the time! Give them the views and support they deserve. Amplify and engage in the issues they are advocating.
Do you have a favorite sports team or league? How are they incorporating diversity and inclusivity into their organization? Does its ownership and management reflect the rainbow of society and players?

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

Sports can be a great unifier in any society while also acting as a mirror. They bring strangers together from all walks of life for a common cause (a win for their team), while also sharing a universal message of teamwork and comradery. Contrary to popular belief, sports have also been deeply political, especially sports with Black athletes as the majority.

At the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised the Black power fist in solidarity with oppressed people around the world, and as a result, their careers were ruined (History).

Muhammad Ali, arguably the best boxer of all time, was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison (this was later repealed), fined $10,000, and was banned from boxing for three years for refusing to join the American-Vietnam War in 1967 (History).

More recently, sharing in the spirit of those before him, Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, peacefully protested by taking a knee during the national anthem to raise awareness about police brutality against Black and brown people in America.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
Colin Kaepernick for The Undefeated

For the last four years, Kaepernick has been blacklisted by the NFL because of his unwavering commitment to social justice reform. After the murder of George Floyd, it seems the rose-colored lenses used by deliberate detractors of Kaepernick’s protest message have come off. It was never about the military or a flag; it was always about the deliberate state-sanctioned murders of Black and brown people in America.

At the start of the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, Kaepernick started the Know Your Rights Defense Fund to raise money for legal assistance for arrested protesters (KYRDF). He continues to raise millions of dollars for various social justice causes that disproportionately affect Black and brown communities through his Know Your Rights Camp. Kaepernick has also donated $100,000 for COVID-19 relief providing nutritious foods, access to educational material, and shelter for the unhoused.

Critics have said sports are supposed to be an escape from the “real world,” a neutral space, but Black athletes understand all too well, that they are always Black. There are no “days off” or “neutral spaces” while existing in a Black body. There is no amount of money, fame, or championship wins that can stop racism from knocking on their door. This was evident in 2017 when Lebron James’s home was found vandalized with the N-word. (LA Times).

The racial breakdown of players versus management and ownership of professional sports leagues is staggering. The NFL (National Football League) is made of 70% Black players while the CEO/President roles, league office roles, and head coaching positions are filled by a majority of white men (TIDES). It’s common for retired athletes to take on jobs in broadcasting; however, NFL broadcasters are majority white though most players are Black.

Out of 251 NFL broadcasters in 2018, only 48 (or 19%) were Black (The Guardian). The NBA (National Basketball Association) consists of 74.2% of Black players, while white head coaches make up 70% of the league (TIDES). In terms of ownership, Michael Jordan is the only Black team owner and is one of four people of color who own an NBA team. Black and Latino presidents/CEOs make up a disturbing 7.3% owners, which is just four individuals in this role (TIDES).

After a four-month hiatus due to coronavirus, the NBA has resumed but not without critique by some of its most prominent athletes like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. They and other players opposed a restart amid racial uprisings that deserve continued attention and demand the conversation continue throughout the season to amplify what is happening in the streets (COMPLEX).

A league of women who do not receive the recognition and respect they deserve is the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). When it comes to activism, the WNBA women are not new to this; they are true to this (SLATE). They’ve been kneeling, wearing the T-shirts, and doing the work to keep their fanbase engaged with daily injustices and social issues, including gun violence (SB Nation).

Maya Moore, a player on the Minnesota Lynx has sacrificed her career (in her prime) to help a family friend earn his freedom after 23 years in prison (The Undefeated). To continue the necessary conversations being unearthed during this freedom movement, the WNBA has dedicated its 2020 season to social justice (WNBA).

The Social Justice Council, enacted this season, focuses on three pillars: educate, amplify, and mobilize working with activists, educators, fans, league staff, and players to create sustainable social change. In an 80% league of women of color and 67% Black women, the WNBA also highlights the women who are always forgotten: Black women (TIDES).

WNBA players are wearing #SayHerName shirts this season to amplify the Black women who are murdered by police, yet we never know their names. The WNBA is unique because they don’t have the fanbase (or income) of their NBA brethren, yet they use the power they do have in intentional and culture-shifting ways. A league of women of color, Black women, and white allies is changing what it means to wield power for radical justice, and this is a league that deserves our support.

It’s eerily ironic that Colin Kaepernick non-violently protested by taking a knee. It was a knee that forced the life out of George Floyd’s body that’s woken up white America to police brutality.

Now is the time to ask ourselves how we will move forward with holding sports organizations accountable, especially our favorites. It’s not enough that they post black squares and put out statements of solidarity. They benefit from our dollars and views. Like the WNBA, it’s time for radical transparency, inclusivity, and diversity in management and ownership to reflect the players and American society at large.

*This post was previously titled “Support athletes in taking a stand,” which promoted discriminatory, ableist language. We’ve changed the title of the web version to “Support athletes in taking action.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sports have always been deeply political, especially sports with Black athletes as the majority.
Both the NBA and NFL consist of 70%+ Black players, yet management, ownership, and coaching roles are predominantly held by white men.
The WNBA enacted The Social Justice Council this season, which focuses on three pillars: educate, amplify, and mobilize working with activists, educators, fans, league staff, and players to create sustainable social justice changes.

7/6/2020 | Abolish qualified immunity.

6/30/2020 | Boycott as a form of protest.

6/22/2020 | Talk about our right to protest.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/11/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/11/20

Travel for diversity and inclusivity.

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It's Tuesday and we're going on a trip! Sort of. Guest writer Renée is guiding us through the lack of representation of Black people in the travel industry, and the danger it brings to both travelers and the industry as a whole.

If you're interested in being a guest contributor, send us a detailed outline of the newsletter you'd like to write on our website. I'm committed to elevating diverse voices and perspectives in this newsletter that initially started with little ol' me writing every day.

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Research the diversity and inclusivity efforts of the travel companies you spend money on (hotels, airlines, etc). How are they trying to be inclusive? How did they respond to the protests over the past few weeks?

If you identify as white...
Have you witnessed racism against a BIPOC while traveling? What did you do to stop it? How will you use your white privilege in the travel space to ensure the physical, emotional, and mental safety of BIPOC travelers?

If you identify as Black...
Join the Black Travel Alliance, a group of Black content creators from around the world using three pillars part of their mission: alliance, amplification, and accountability to create a world where Black people are supported and accurately portrayed in the travel industry. Brands who join will have access to a wide range of Black travel creators, including journalists, bloggers, photojournalists, and social media influencers.

GET EDUCATED

By Renée Cherez

When we think about travel, we imagine a worry-free time without interrupting the “real world.” Unfortunately, this level of unadulterated escapism does not ring true for Black travelers.

“...[women] of color are in more danger because a lot of people think we are prostitutes… My fear is always that if something happens to me in a European city, no one will care. I could be running down the street screaming in Italy, and onlookers won’t care because I’m Black. I think this is true no matter where in the world we are.”

Jessica Nabongo, world traveler, for the New York Times

Also worth noting, 15% of Black travelers stated racial profiling played a role in their destination travel decisions (Mandala Research).

In the travel industry, Black people have played a supporting role in the tourism space. In contrast, white travelers have been the lead actors, not only as travelers but also in leadership positions at marketing agencies and press trips, travel media outlets, and tourism boards. Black people, wherever they are in the world, have been painted as the “gracious host,” “the safari guide,” and “the individuals who need ‘saving’ from white volunteers” but are rarely represented as “the adventurers in far-off lands.”

Tourism boards must create marketing campaigns that reflect the diversity of the world, not the status quo. Black faces and bodies of all kinds should be represented and celebrated in advertisements, not just light-skinned, slim, able-bodied, cis-gendered people. Diverse advertising in the travel industry has a two-fold result: it allows Black travelers to feel welcome while showing locals that we too travel and deserve respect. Recent research shows travelers who identify as ethnic minorities (64%) and LGBTQ+ (67%) say the companies they book their travels with must be committed to inclusion and diversity practices (Accenture).

Like most industries, the travel industry is undergoing a reckoning with its lack of diversity and is being called to do more than post black squares on social media. Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the entry-level positions. Anti-racist policies must be adopted in the travel industry on a global scale to ensure Black travelers and Black locals are treated with the utmost care and respect post-COVID-19.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In 2018, Black travelers spent $63 billion on global tourism and are currently the fastest-growing segment in the travel industry.
Over the last few years, more and more Black travelers have been vocal about the anti-Black racism they’ve experienced while traveling in various parts of the world. It’s not uncommon that Black women are presumed to be prostitutes solely because of skin color.
Black travelers and industry professionals demand real representation in the industry from the highest levels in leadership to the bottom.

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