Study Hall: Recognizing complicity and making investments.

Happy Saturday! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. I hope this week's content illuminates more on the topics we unpacked this week.

If you subscribe to just the weekly digest, this is the only email you will receive (hi Saturday readers 👋🏾) You can click through to read all original pieces on the archives and get this recap, too. Change your email preferences by updating your profile information here.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $7/mo on our Patreon. Thank you to everyone that shares, donates, and puts this content into action, and sends well-wishes.

Nicole

If this email was forwarded to you, welcome to the Anti-Racism Daily. You can subscribe on our website at antiracismdaily.com.

TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

2. Discuss with a friend: what did you uncover this week that you never heard of before? What power and privilege may have protected you from unpacking this concept? Or, which trauma(s) may have shielded you from learning more?

GET EDUCATED

We've published 170 newsletters on racism over the past 170 days. Here are the newsletters we published this week.

11/20/2020 | Honor Transgender Day of Remembrance.

11/19/2020 | Decolonize your reading habits.

11/18/2020 | Advocate for missing Black women.

11/17/2020 | Cancel student debt.

11/16/2020 | Understand your local law enforcement.

11/15/2020 | Learn the key terminology.

Read all previously published newsletters on our archives >

Q+A

Would you be in favor of canceling student loan debts incurred by a wealthy family whose student will be a high earning professional after graduating? I’m more in favor of canceling student loan debt for those who are struggling with repayment. If someone took hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans to get a high paying job, why should that be forgiven? We could help many people with smaller debts or bail out a few of the top 5%. Which would you choose?

From Cancel student debt, published 11/17/2020.

This is a common narrative when talking about this work and, quite frankly, a bit exhausting. Many people feel that equitable initiatives may support people that "don't deserve it as much." But we have to remember that solving an inequitable system isn't perfect. If some people gain that already have wealth, sure, it's not ideal. But pausing an initiative that could help thousands that could really need it, just because a few lucky others may benefit, is far worse. I think it's also important to note that Biden's proposed plan caps forgiveness for undergraduate tuition and people making up to $125,000. Learn more >

And that kind of zero-sum thinking is how we got here in the first place. Remember that, generally speaking, a privileged few almost always benefitted at the cost of many others. Applying the same logic with the players in different positions doesn't change the game. It just rearranges the pawns and protects the status quo in the process.

We need to change the game entirely – in this case, reimagining an inequitable education system. And that can start with (but certainly doesn't end with) eliminating debt for all people, regardless of where they're positioned on the board.

Lastly, I don't think anyone should be penalized for trying to become a high-earning professional. There are many reasons why someone would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to get a high-paying job: maybe because they will be the main breadwinner of their family. Or maybe their family sacrificed everything to bring them to this country to be successful. And maybe they did ALL of that and still found themselves out of a job because of COVID-19, or had to leave the profession because of an illness, or were wrongly terminated and can't find a job again. I went to school to study finance because I knew how much it meant for my family to go to college. I didn't end up working there, but does that make my debt unforgivable?

When you're thinking about issues like this, consider: what part of my decision-making process supports how we got here? How am I protecting an inequitable system? Am I looking for equality or equity? What is the difference between fairness and justice?

Q+A

I try buying from Black-owned bookstores, but they're not as fast, cheap, or reliable or Amazon. How do I find a Black-owned business that I can depend on?

From Decolonize your reading habits, published 11/19/2020.

Oftentimes, shopping at local businesses, small businesses etc, means unlearning the unrealistic expectations these big box businesses have created when it comes to commerce. Since when did we need everything delivered in less than 24 hours? Unlimited access to every product on the planet at our fingertips? Prices that are cheap only because they exploit the people that make it possible?

Doing this work sometimes means taking our comfort out of the equation. And if that means investing time to make a purchase, doing research, waiting longer, and paying more, then so be it. I know it may not be possible to do this for every purchase, but I think we can when we're talking about buying a book.

Also, the only way that a Black-owned business could compete with Amazon is if more people committed to buying there, especially when it's hard. If you want to see stronger locally-owned businesses, invest in them.

Q+A

What are your thoughts on bringing yoga to law enforcement and police?

I've grappled a lot with this as a yoga teacher, and was contacted by my local police department to offer yoga to officers (due to scheduling it never happened) because it's obviously not a be all, end all, measure.

But I'm struggling with the idea of whether this helps officers cope with and manage stress (thereby theoretically reducing the use of force), or whether it falls into the category of "more training" and thereby doesn't actually work to deconstruct the current system as it looks now.

I worry that this will become an acceptable "solution" to the issue of police brutality and excessive use of force, when in reality, it may do more harm than good?

From Understand your local law enforcement, published 11/16/2020.

I think that's a call you have to make for yourself. I think you're trying to decide which of your two points is the "right" one, but I think the real answer is both: you could both help officers reduce and manage stress and add "more training" that doesn't deconstruct the current system.

There's a lot of "boths" in this work when you're operating within a system and trying to dismantle it. I'm not the right person to tell you which to do, but I think it's important that we all recognize where we may be complicit, even as we do work we deem as necessary and productive.

Q+A

I read a LOT but find it difficult to travel with physical books for lack of space. Enter >> my Kindle. This year I've made it a point to buy books written by Black authors no matter the genre but I'm still buying from Amazon because that's what the Kindle is linked to. Are there other alternatives or recommendations for me? How can I avoid Amazon in this scenario or are the authors still benefiting from my purchase?

From Decolonize your reading habits, published 11/19/2020.

This is a match-making Q+A! I'm copying/pasting a helpful recommendation from another newsletter reader below as a response:

I just wanted to share a reading resource (at least for those living in the U.S); Libby and OverDrive are both free apps offered by the public library.

They are essentially digital libraries where you can check out audiobooks and ebooks straight to your phone/tablet, and all you need is a library card to access them. (perfect for social distancing—no human contact woo!)

Unfortunately, the selections are very limited, especially when it comes to diverse authors (at least in my county. The selections offered vary from county to county, as the apps link up directly with your local library branch)

But, you can recommend titles for your library to purchase that will become part of your library’s circulation. (Recommendations can be made both in physical libraries and on OverDrive, Libby doesn't have a place to make recommendations yet, but apparently, they are working towards making it a feature) And I figure, the more people who use these apps and make recommendations for more diverse books, the better access readers will have in the future.

You can find both apps on OverDrive.com. Also, in looking through OverDrive.com to make sure I had all my information straight, I found out that they also offer an app for public-school students that can be accessed with a student ID.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The federal government offered a series of treaties to Indigenous communities across the U.S., but broke nearly all of the agreements
The forceable removal of Native communities from their lands has stripped people of their culture and connection to their ancestors
Initiatives to return stolen lands aren't just reparations, but a clear way to disamantle white supremacy and center Indigenous communities in climate justice

11/15/2020 | Learn the key terminology.

10/21/2020 | Change racist sports team names.

10/12/2020 | Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

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

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

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

Nicole Cardoza 11/7/20 Nicole Cardoza 11/7/20

Study Hall! Whiteness voted for Trump.

Happy Saturday! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. This week we're diving into some FAQs from the content this week, mainly the election.

If you subscribe to just the weekly digest, this is the only email you will receive (hi Saturday readers 👋🏾) You can click through to read all original pieces on the archives and get this recap, too. Change your email preferences by updating your profile information here.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $7/mo on our Patreon. Thank you to everyone that shares, donates, puts this content into action, and sends well-wishes.

Nicole

If this email was forwarded to you, welcome to the Anti-Racism Daily. You can subscribe on our website at antiracismdaily.com.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

We've published 157 newsletters on racism over the past 157 days. Here are the newsletters we published this week.

11/6/2020 | Don’t homogenize Latinx identity.

11/5/2020 | Abolish the electoral college.

11/4/2020 | Understand intergenerational trauma.

11/3/2020 | Vote.

11/2/2020 | Make an election safety plan.
11/1/2020 | Question billionaire philanthropy.

Read all previously published newsletters on our archives >

Q+A
Bezos does not have $180 Billion dollars in his bank account. Most of his wealth is not actual liquid money, right? I don't think we have public data on how much a guy like him has in liquid assets, but presumably, he doesn't just have billions of dollars lying around ready to be put to better use.

From Question billionaire philanthropy from 11/1/2020.

This is correct, Bezos is not sitting on $180 billion in his bank account. Most billionaires are not billionaires because they have billions of dollars in the bank; it’s because of the wealth they own in assets (like real estate and cars) and the companies they own. However, regardless of how much money is there, Bezos’ historically has given significantly less than others of his stature (Business Insider).

Also, some of Bezos’ charitable acts that receive press are actually donations on behalf of the company itself. Corporate philanthropy is a common way many organizations receive tax write-offs that ultimately save them that money otherwise. Individual donations work this way too. Furthermore, individuals can invest in vehicles like a donor-advised fund which allows them to immediately reduce taxes after a windfall but make donations on their own schedule, which means that tax money isn’t received to re-invest in public social services.

These tactics are publicly available loopholes that many companies and individuals use, regardless of their income – you may have created a tax-deduction yourself by donating to a 501c3. But beyond that, we have the capacity to both celebrate donations to create solutions – and criticize how those same people contribute to problems. There’s plenty he could do to increase working conditions within his company and ensure his employees are adequately paid and protected – at minimum.

Also, the solutions are often short-term stop-gaps to long-term issues. Consider a donation to support homeless shelters in Seattle, a city with a swiftly rising income disparity, partially due to the rapid expansion of tech companies like Amazon. Does the displacement of people feel equitable to displaced people in a homeless shelter? Is that justice?

Once again, the goal of this inquiry isn’t to condemn or admonish, but to stay in inquiry. But asking whether or not the money is “technically” in Bezos’ bank account isn’t the right question for this exercise. It’s how someone has that much power and privilege from an inherently inequitable company, and how their efforts – philanthropically or otherwise – are exacerbating critical issues. I highly recommend reading books like Decolonizing Wealth and Winners Take All to start orienting yourself more on this subject.

Does this explain why Black people voted for Trump too?

From Don’t homogenize Latinx identity on 11/6/2020.

I want to emphasize that it’s whiteness – not Black, Latinx, or other people of color – voting for Trump. When whiteness is dictated as the dominant culture, it forces people to surrender their own cultural background to be accepted by the majority. Being accepted as a part of whiteness is marketed to offer safety and security – education, decent job, protection from law enforcement, etc. And an easy way to show that solidarity is by voting.

This has happened to white people throughout history. Italian Americans and Irish Americans both used political engagement to be accepted into dominant culture (more via Michael Harriot on Twitter).

And what’s worse? Accepting dominant culture requires us to disparage any other cultural or societal norms. That can happen on an individual level; by learning to be ashamed, guilty, judging or hateful of the parts of you that connect you to narratives outside the “norm.” It also happens on a group level by taking public action to diminish people of color. And this is how racism is wielded to maintain dominant culture.

And it’s taught that this assimilation is essential to survival. So many people will choose it – especially when their lives feel threatened. And right now, everything is strained: we’re facing economic uncertainty, a persistent global pandemic, an uncompromising racial reckoning, environmental threats. The current President has consistently referred to people of color as “rapists" and “terrorists,” “thugs” and “criminals.” As a person of color, distancing yourself from the narrative in this environment may feel like the safest thing to do.

And white people vote for white supremacy the same way. Here, it’s a vote for the safety of dominant culture that feels threatened. And we could spend endless time analyzing how other aspects of our identities – like being a woman, or having a disability – may also influence how we feel about participating in dominant culture.

I also want to emphasize that despite a growing number of people of color voting, they still represent the vast minority of non-white voters. And fades in comparison to the number of white people – and the increased number of white women – that voted for Trump.

But white people in particular are absolutely using the decisions of those more marginalized to justify their own actions. But they should be ashamed. Because when white people feed white supremacy, they force everyone else to, too.

Q+A

As I am a junior in high school, I’m concerned I won’t have the time to fulfill tasks listed on the Safety Checklist. Do you have any recommendations for steps I can take to simultaneously balance schoolwork and extracurriculars, as well as the missions that the Checklist outlines?

From Make an election safety plan on 11/2/2020.

I first want to send a BIG hello to all the youth on this list! I know you have been our most vocal and engaged readers, and if you’re based in the U.S., I can’t imagine how it feels to watch this election unfold right now. Thank you for being here and doing the work – I know many of you are doing the work in households that have more conservative views, and that takes strength.

This Safety Checklist should be a practice, not a one-time action. We initially shared this resource on Monday – and the rhetoric of our election has changed significantly since then. Furthermore, most of the action items listed here are best practices for how to be in community anytime, not just during conflict.

I would recommend adding time in your day to check-in with this, and take on one section. It could be to complete it for the first time, or to revisit as it goes. And always start with your own well-being – we must be resourced to resource others.

Q+A

Of COURSE it's unfairly biased, but how in the world will the people who have the outsized power ever give it up? Certainly, with the Senate looking like it does, there is no WAY it will happen.

From Abolish the electoral college on 11/5/2020.

They likely won’t – and this is why many people call not just for reforming policies and practices, but abolishing them overall, and pushing for more radical revolution than expecting our current government to take action. It doesn’t offer a fast or simple solution, but rarely does the most critical work. I know that this doesn’t answer your question, but I want to emphasize how important it is to keep asking.

CLARIFICATIONS

In our 11/3/2020 article, we misspelled the name of the political analyst with a two-minute analysis of Trump. His name is Mehdi Hasan, not Medhi Hasan. This has been updated in our archives.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 10/31/20 Nicole Cardoza 10/31/20

Study Hall! The scary truth.

Happy Halloween! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. This week we unpack the futility of marginal change, Halloween, and the Supreme Court.

If you subscribe to just the weekly digest, this is the only email you will receive (hi Saturday readers 👋🏾) You can click through to read all original pieces via the archives, and get the recap in one place. Change your email preferences by updating your profile information here.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $7/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

ps – you can also sign up for our advocacy program, which helps you track referrals to the newsletter and unlock perks along the way! Learn more.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

We've published 150 newsletters on racism over the past 150 days. Here are the newsletters we published this week.

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

10/29/2020 | Fight racist death row sentencing.

10/28/2020 | Unpack the history of social work.

10/27/2020 | Expand the court.

10/26/2020 | Support diversity in animated films.

10/25/2020 | Learn the history of the Texas Rangers

Read all previously published newsletters on our archives >

Q+A

Just because we Democrats are disadvantaged now, I don't think we should stoop to Trump’s level. Are there future repercussions if Biden were to pack the court?
From Expand the court on 10/27/2020.

There's certainly repercussions to restructuring the court; it could divide the two parties even further and make the Supreme Court a critical part of every future election. Some are calling for different ways to restructure the court, like implementing term limits, that might not feel as radical as changing the number of seats altogether.

We could also have a court that changes more rapidly, offering more diverse perspectives on cases than what we've had historically.

But I think many people feel (including myself) that the stakes are too great to worry about the optics or the repercussions. The repercussions that the American people will experience outweigh any political maneuvering. Some of the most foundational human rights are at stake, and if we believe this democracy is designed to protect them, we need to make rapid changes so it can.

Q+A

This election I have the chance to vote for more environmental protections for my city. The plan notes that it will raise taxes to achieve its vision. I know we've talked about how important environmental protections are for marginalized communities in particular, but we've also talked about how the tax system disproportionately impacts the same community. How do I vote in a way that actually helps, not hurts?
From Fight for environmental protections on 10/23/2020.

When writing one newsletter on one topic each day, we oftentimes fail to demonstrate the complexities of this work. Unfortunately, our best efforts on one issue don't exist in a silo, and often come in direct conflict in what we believe our best efforts are in another. This is a great example of that paradox.

When abstracted, this is an example of a futility cycle, which some radical abolitionists point to in discussions about changing the current system. Because our entire society is built upon oppression, it's incredibly difficult to make monumental change. We can rally to change in one aspect of our lives, but overhauling everything is going to take more drastic action. It's akin to rebuilding a house on a rotting foundation. At some point, we need to raze the entire structure and start anew.

I don't know the specifics of the issue on your ballot this year, and sure, there might be one of the two choices that are slightly better. But let's focus on the paradox at hand. How can we look at both issues past the ballot and fight not for reform, but for abolition? Like in your scenario, taxes often come at the "cost" of other threats – poverty, housing insecurity, hunger – so what would it look like if we abolished the tax system entirely? How can we start today to push for a reimagining of taxes tomorrow?

I don't have the answers, but community activists in your city may. You're asking all the right questions. Keep listening for more tangible ways you can reshape the system. And in the meantime, keep doing what you can and make the decision that marginally moves things forward.

Q+A

I disagree with some of the costumes you say are offensive. Humor is healing, so zombie cops or coronavirus in chains could be a good way to look at where we are right now.
From Don't be racist this Halloween on 10/31/2020.

It may be for you! But I'll be honest, I had a visceral reaction to thinking about someone draped in chains walking down the street – regardless of what they're dressed as. I personally hold my breath when I see any cop while walking down the street; I don't think realizing one in particular is a Halloween costume as I approach will assuade that gut check.

Your response centered your assumption on how other people will feel based on what you deem funny. This work always encourages centering your assumptions on how people most vulnerable may feel; those that have had to live with the real-life horrors of cops and sickness. I don't think it's right to assume that everyone will appreciate a joke over the assumption that someone could be offended.

When it comes to humor, this take is often hotly contested. Comedians, for example, are both praised and condemned for making light of difficult situations. But I personally think that Halloween costumes occupy a different territory than a space designated for those kinds of statements. To me, Halloween is a way to escape the horrors of the day-to-day, not place them center stage.

Q+A

I heard that the term "spooky" is rooted in a slur against Black people and we shouldn't use it. Is that true?
From Don't be racist this Halloween on 10/31/2020.

Kind of. The term "spook" derives from the Dutch word for apparition, or specter, as did all of its variations (like "spooking" or "spooky").

But the word "spook" became a derogatory term for Black people in WWII, when Black Army pilots who trained at the Tuskegee Institute were referred to as the "Spookwaffe". Referring to someone – particularly a Black person – as a "spook" or "spooky" is absolutely uncalled for (NPR).

However, the term is "spooky" is still used as a colloquial statement towards general specter related activities (I clearly used it without thinking even though I already knew this). There's definitely more adjectives we can use instead of this term that's been co-opted in our history to have this meaning.

CLARIFICATIONS

In our 10/25/2020 newsletter, Learn the history of the Texas Rangers, we mistakenly insinuated in an early release that the police officer involved in the shooting of Jonathan Price was a Texas Ranger. It was the police officer involved in his arrest, not the shooter. The issue was changed in subsequent releases of the newsletter and on our archives.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 9/12/20 Nicole Cardoza 9/12/20

Study Hall! Youth activism, Prop 22, and being multiracial.

Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. Many of these questions from this week are actually newsletters en queue, but I added a couple I felt I could address in the short space here.

If you'd prefer to receive just one email a week, this is the email you'd receive. You can change your email preferences by updating your profile information here.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

In review: The newsletters we published this week.

9/11/2020 | Protect Black women.

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.

9/9/2020 | Make the census count.

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

9/7/2020 | Learn about critical race theory.

9/6/2020 | Protect the aging population from COVID-19.

RESOURCE
Black women services in Atlanta, GA
From Protect Black women on Friday, September 11.

From reader Maria:

This article is a critical reminder of the ways in which Black women experience intersecting violence from all corners of society. I wanted to share a resource that is working to serve Black women survivors of domestic violence and suicidality in Atlanta, GA. They provide 100% free psychological services and work to address transportation and other barriers to provide Black women with much-needed support, including practical support (clothing, feminine products). The program has been developing a culturally adapted intervention for Black women survivors of DV for ~20 years now. This program also trains mental health and medical professionals to be more culturally competent. Resources like these are too few and far between, but this is a program that is really doing good work. The website is below:

https://theniaproject.wordpress.com/

Q+A
You mentioned that many people don't know about our history because it's not taught often in school. What can we do to ensure our education system is educating our kids about history more equitably?
From Reject the model minority myth on Tuesday, September 8.

This is worth a whole newsletter – which I'm planning on publishing next week! Because our education system is a critical component of how we view the world, particularly when it comes to racial equity.

I'll dive into it further in that piece, but it starts with active participation. Parents have a particular influence on the curriculum brought into classrooms. Review your child's syllabus and consider how many diverse stories and perspectives are included. Flip through their textbooks and note how their lessons on history, geography, etc. may prioritize certain places and parts of our timeline.

Also, consider the representation of your school district – not just in its teachers (which is critically important) but in the administrators, district leads, and educational boards. There's still state and federal mandates, but as you'll read next week, public participation can greatly influence it, for better or worse.

INSIGHT
Prop 22 protects more than just low-wage workers that are employed by tech companies.
From Fight for fair labor on Thursday, September 10

From reader Julia:

It’s good to see some love towards Prop 22! More than gig workers are affected by the current policy.

Right now businesses are allowed to try workers as contractors before they commit to them as employees. Depending on the cost of the contractor, businesses can be tempted to keep workers (performing essential functions to the business) as contractors indefinitely.

This subjects so-called “freelance” workers to a sometimes full time schedule with one single business, without the health benefits, stock benefits, retirement benefits, bonus benefits, or pay that their employee peers receive.

Q+A
I'm under the age of 18 so I can't take the census, or get a census job. How else can I support?

Actually, anyone age 15 years or older can do the census on behalf of their household! Be sure to check with the people you live with to see if someone else has already completed it on your behalf. You do have to be 18 to get a census job.

After you've sorted this out, spread the word! Maybe you have friends that are also under the age of 18 who thought the same thing you did. And maybe you can rally your friends on social media to take action!

I can imagine it's especially for anyone too young or disenfranchised from voting to watch what's unfolding in the U.S. right now and not be able to take civic action. It might sound simple and dismissive, but I mean this earnestly – now is the most important time to use whatever power you have to share your voice. It might not feel like you're making a difference. But luckily, we all don't have to change the world alone. If we can each change one heart and mind, only half of us have to be successful for all of us to thrive. Start where you are and do what you can. You've got this.

Q+A
How does the model minority myth impact individuals with mixed identities? As someone who's both Asian and Black, for example, have double the expectations for success?
From Reject the model minority myth on Tuesday, September 9.

I am not both Black and Asian, so I can't speak to this from personal experience. I can imagine it's a unique experience for each person, and influenced by their perceptions of how their identities are perceived in the world around them.

From what I learned in Jami's newsletter, model minority myth, like many racial biases, isn't just internalized. It's something that individuals experience from the world around them. So it's not just "how do I relate to this concept," but "how does the world view me in this light, and what does that mean for my safety and well-being?"

Regardless of how it does, I think we should all be sensitive to how it should. And, know that we can listen and learn to understand, instead of intentionally or unintentionally promoting the same myth.

Clarifications

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.
I meant to write that voting No to Prop 22 protects low-wage workers from exploitation. Not "Yes to Prop 22". The campaign for "Yes to Prop 22" is a well-funded marketing campaign from tech companies, including Uber. I've made that clarification in our archives.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/29/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/29/20

Study Hall! The trauma of police brutality videos, active bystander trainings.

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Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. We have such a wide range of readers from various different backgrounds and industries, and I always appreciate reading how this work is showing up for you.

This week was the longest year of my life, honestly, and we covered critical issues preventing our collective liberation. Spend some time reviewing the questions and insights below, and resource yourself for the work ahead.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. These contributions are our only source of funding and help us pay writers and develop new resources. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

In review: The newsletters we published this week.

Q+A

Q: It seems like there was a lot of misleading information published about the attempted murder of Jacob Blake. How do we know which news sources to trust?

A: I recommend always checking multiple sources to ensure what you read is true. The news is often sensationalized, so move past the headlines you see on social media and read the full article. Also, just because something is shared often doesn't make it true.

I also recommend following local journalists, both in your community and when you're learning more about news that's occuring in a specific area. Many local journalists will report in real-time during a crisis on Twitter, which is what we used to publish our initial report on Jacob Blake on Monday.

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared more about this on her Instagram, which was reposted on this Twitter thread.

From Demand justice for Jacob Blake. on Monday, August 24.

Insight

We often get questions from readers internationally on how to take action from their countries. Usually you'll find the same injustices occurring closer to home. Here's a note from a Canadian reader on how Tuesday's conversation on racism in. America's art museums is reflected in Canada:

This isn’t specifically related to art galleries or museums but, here in Winnipeg (in Canada), we are home to the Canadian Human Rights Museum. There has been much controversy attached to this museum since its inception but has recently come under fire for racism experienced by employees of colour and censoring content (such as a queer rights display) for different tour groups.

Just wanted to pass this on in case it is helpful for some Canadian content. Here’s a link to the full article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pervasive-and-systemic-racism-at-canadian-museum-for-human-rights-report-says-1.5674468

From Rally against racism in America’s art museums. on Tuesday, August 25.

Insight

Linda shared this quote that embodies the act of an active bystander:

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." Elie Weisel

From Be an active bystander.on Wednesday, August 26.

Insight

Many people also shared that Hollaback has a series of free active bystander trainings that you can take, including one to intervene on harassment to people from AAPI backgrounds, and one to counteract implicit biases. You can learn more here or make a donation to support their work.

From Be an active bystander on Wednesday, August 26.

Q+A

Q: You mentioned that we shouldn't share videos of violence against people of color. But other people are saying that it's important that we "don't look away," because so much of these injustices have been overlooked for decades. How do we balance the two?

Here's the thing. We shouldn't need graphic videos of violence against communities of color for us to be believed. There are already countless graphic examples of the brutalization against us throughout history, available readily on the internet. These videos are proven to be traumatizing for African Americans. It is offensive for anyone to argue that the education of a white person should come before the safety and health of a non-white person; in fact, it's another form of violence.

This argument also forgets the importance of choice. Emmett Till's mother made the brave decision to share the photos of the mutilation of her child's body when he was murdered 65 years ago. But many of these videos circulating were not shared with the consent of the individual or their kin.

I can trust the accounts of eyewitnesses, and do my work to cross-reference sources from journalists. I don't need a video to believe a Black person when they call attention to the injustices so ingrained in our society.

Read more:

https://newrepublic.com/article/153103/videos-police-brutality-traumatize-african-americans-undermine-search-justice

From Be an active bystander on Wednesday, August 26.

Q+A

Q: The threat of incarceration can be powerful motivation for people to not use drugs, or fight a drug addiction. Shouldn't we keep it instead of decriminalizing it?

A: No, y'all. Why would we hold onto a rotten system in the hopes that it will encourage healthier behaviors? It would make much more sense to divest these funds into community support that can provide drug awareness and rehabilitation. In fact, it's believed that decriminalization will further encourage people to seek help.

From Help decriminalize drug possession on Tuesday, August 27.

7/11/2020 | Study Hall! Raising multiracial children and addressing microaggressions.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/15/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/15/20

Study Hall! Affirmative action, sliding scale pricing, and the right intentions.

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Welcome to our weekly Study Hall where we answer questions and reflections from the previous week. We dove into some tricky topics this week, and I appreciated your kind and thoughtful reflections.

Remember that you can always respond to these emails with a question and we'll do our best to add it to future newsletters! It can be related to the topic or something else that you're learning about. Sometimes it sparks an idea for a future newsletter!

As always, your support is greatly appreciated. These contributions are our only source of funding and help us pay writers and develop new resources. You can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

Nicole

ps – if you opted-in to weekly digests this is the only newsletter you will receive. If you prefer to get weekly newsletters than the daily ones, update your profile here.

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TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza

In review: The newsletters we published this week.

8/14/2020 | Support Black mental health.

8/13/2020 | Don't tokenize people of color.

8/12/2020 | Demand justice for Elijah McClain.

8/11/2020 | Travel for diversity and inclusivity.

8/10/2020 | Respect the relationship between name and identity.

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

You mentioned that the government should do more to support unemployed workers right now. What do you think that should look like?
From Understand the unemployment gap | COVID-19 on Sunday, August 8.

I'm certainly not an economic expert, so I'll leave this up to the officials. But I do think we need a more long-term, sustainable solution than the federal aid announced last weekend. And that proposal was more generous than the actual outcome; it looks like most people will receive $300, not $400, and these extended benefits don't support some of the lowest-wage workers. Workers must qualify for at least $100 a week in unemployment benefits to be eligible. According to the NYTimes, would exclude roughly one million people, nearly three-quarters of them women (NYTimes).

I agree with the importance of learning names as parts of identities. It's also important to honor when individuals choose to use their Americanized names instead of their given names, too!
From Respect the relationship between name and identity on Monday, August 9.

Absolutely. Some people may choose to adopt a name that's easier to say for their own comfort and ease. And if that is their choice, it's our responsibility to respect that. Names are an important part of our identity, regardless of which ones we choose to adopt. Your response cautioned us not to "bulldoze people with our good intentions" of asking for a different name or using it without consent, which I appreciate. Thank you for this important note, Risa!

Why didn't this piece talk about how the travel industry exploits different communities and harms the environment?
From Travel for diversity and inclusivity. on Tuesday, August 11.

There's many ways we can look at how white supremacy impacts certain industries, including travel. We are committed to publishing one newsletter a day in perpetuity – that's 365 opportunities to talk about racism this year. We often publish a newsletter / day that focuses on one aspect of large and complex issues. This issue was about Black representation and stigmatization in the industry.

When we write about one issue, we don't consider it the only issue. And one issue within an industry shouldn't minimize the issues of another. We have a lot of work to do to unpack the patriarchal, colonized approach to travel in America, and reckon with its environmental impact. But as we do, we can also rally for inclusivity and representation to make the industry safer for those marginalized.

Many of the issues that affect communities of color are sidelined because they don't seem "as important" as others. That dismissal in itself is systemic oppression in action. As we continue this work remember that there is enough space in our hearts and minds to take action on a wide range of issues, even if they're not "as important" to you.

How does tokenization differ from affirmative action? I know that affirmative action is looking to add more representation in certain spaces, but can it cause more tokenization as a result?
From Don't tokenize people of color. on Thursday, August 13.

I had a feeling this question would be coming, so I'm writing a whole newsletter on affirmative action for next week. But in short, there's absolutely a relationship between the two. Tokenization can happen consciously or unconsciously. Our newsletter last week looked at more conscious examples of how we can tokenize people – hiring them and placing them in visible roles without addressing racism internally, using people of color as examples that "racism doesn't exist anymore," etc.

But tokenization can also happen because of other structures and systems that place people of color into visible and inequitable spaces. Affirmative action is one of them. Although the intentions of affirmative action may not be to tokenize, the impact may be the same. And, there are absolutely affirmative action programs that are intentionally designed so organizations "look diverse" without "being diverse;" using the diversity data of new members to avoid blame and guilt, and maintaining oppressive systems that don't truly support non-white communities. We see this often in colleges and universities.

I'm a therapist and when I was starting private practice, I wanted to advertise a sliding scale fee for BIPOC to decrease barriers to services. I've seen a few organizations do this. But colleagues responded that I should not do this as it assumes BIPOC people don't have the capacity to pay. What are your thoughts on the two perspectives?

General question

Sliding scale pricing (which means providing a range of payment options for products and services) is a great way to increase accessibility for people of all socioeconomic statuses. And non-white people are more likely to be lower-income than white people (Pew Research). But, as your colleagues mentioned, advertising services that connect socioeconomic status with racial identity does infer that all non-white people can't afford to pay, which is likely untrue. I also think it alienates the white people that could also benefit from lower prices – most lower-income people by population size are white, most lower-income individuals are feeling the strain of the economic impact of COVID-19.

I'd recommend offering sliding scale pricing for everyone, regardless of racial or ethnic identity.

8/1/2020 | Study Hall! Racist actions, doulas, and intersectional change.

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

7/18/2020 | Study Hall! Ebonics, capitalizations and cultural appropriation.

7/11/2020 | Study Hall! Raising multiracial children and addressing microaggressions.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 8/1/20 Nicole Cardoza 8/1/20

Study Hall! Racist actions, doulas, and intersectional change.

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Happy Saturday! It's Study Hall, our weekly recap of the content we reviewed through Q&A and additional resources shared by our community. We covered a wide range of topics, so we have a lot to dive into. Remember – you can submit a question by responding to this email for the week ahead!

You can also get weekly discussion guides for your workplace or university by subscribing to Anti-Racism Daily at Work. Quickly onboard colleagues, track their progress, and use the topics mentioned to create strategic change internally and the community around you. Learn more: antiracismdaily.com/corporate

We're posting daily recaps on Instagram @antiracismdaily. And stay tuned for more Study Hall sessions on our Patreon starting next week! Excited to keep learning with you.

This newsletter is a daily labor of love and I appreciate every contribution. You can give once on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Or, pledge $5/month on Patreon to help us stay sustainable for the months ahead.

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our community.

2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza

Read the past week's content on the archives

June 31, 2020 | Keep fighting for Breonna Taylor.

June 30, 2020 | Support Black maternal health.

June 29, 2020 | Protect public workers.

June 28, 2020 | Denounce anti-Semitism.

June 27, 2020 | Support Asian Americans through COVID-19.

June 26, 2020 | Pay attention to the Portland protests.

An Asian American friend was called a racial slur by a Black person. How should society deal with racism from other marginalized communities?
From Support Asian Americans through COVID-19 on July 27

In short – in the same way we handle racism from dominant culture. Any type of racism, regardless of the perpetrator, is harmful. And because we've all become assimilated to a society with racism at its core, it's frustrating yet unsurprising that marginalized communities would apply the same discrimination and harm against each another. We touched on this a bit in the anti-Semitism newsletter we published the day after we received this question.

Anti-racism expert Ibram X. Kendi explains this well in his book How to be an Antiracist, which is required reading for this work, in my opinion. You can get a snippet of this topic in a 2019 interview with CNN.

Katie's post referenced that she doesn't believe BIPOC people should have to constantly be compared to white people. You often use the term non-white. Why use that term if it may continue to exacerbate that issue?
From Support Asian Americans through COVID-19 on July 27

First, it's important to note that our shifting use of "BIPOC" or "non-white" or "Black and Brown" or "people of color" reflects the perspectives of our writers (both our staff and the news we're quoting and referencing). All terms aim to identify a community that is often impacted by dominant culture, which is majorly influenced by whiteness.

I personally prefer to use "non-white" in those scenarios, and since I write most frequently, you hear it most often. To me, it intentionally separates so many communities not from white people, but the whiteness that has the power of normal in our society. It does name an entire group of diverse, multi-cultural people against whiteness itself, which can absolutely be considered a form of erasure. I just hope it reminds us why we're having the conversation in the first place. But I'm going to keep learning about this; language is important and I don't want to cause further harm.

Do you have suggestions on how to validate the pain of Jewish silence and the fact that being Black is more stigmatized than being Jewish, without inadvertently feeding into anti-Semitic sentiment?
From Denounce anti-Semitism on July 28

There's no reason we can't have complex, nuanced conversations on how racism and anti-Semitism show up at the same time. If we allow the anti-Semitism in the Black community and anti-Blackness in the Jewish community to divide us, we're both allowing white supremacy to win. And the impact of white supremacy won't discriminate between the two. Both communities will suffer.

So right now, we have an incredible opportunity to unite in favor of common goals and objectives, see our similarities over our differences, and commit to the deep and necessary healing to keep moving forward, together. If part of that includes, as you're referencing, focusing on the needs of Black people right now based on current events, then that just prioritizes one action item of many to tackle on the list.

The critical work of doulas to support equitable maternal health.
From Support Black maternal health on July 30

This isn't a question, but a powerful response from Heather on how necessary doulas for the advancement of maternal care. I didn't touch on doulas in this newsletter; I tried to stay focused on the direct political changes that our government can make, and plan on focusing on doulas in another newsletter. But let's start that conversation now! I've shared Heather's thoughtful response below:

One way we can help advocate for the rights of birthing people is to make sure they all have access to a birth doula!

Doulas advocate for their clients rights, provide informational, physical & emotional and support to the birthing family. We significantly reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes for all birthing people. Sadly many women don’t even know what a doula does or the benefits. And many more can not afford one, despite the fact the most doulas are willing to work with a payment plan or sliding scale.

Currently, due to Covid, most hospitals across the US have told their clients they can only have one support person while birthing in the hospital. Of course, most people are going to choose their significant other. Myself and other doulas are working hard to pass legislation that makes doulas an essential worker, so that hospitals can not ban us from supporting our clients. I have personally witnessed via virtual care, my clients rights ignored during this time. Something I KNOW would not have happened if I were present in the room.

Actions I and other are working on so that every birthing person who wishes to have a doula can-
1. Have insurance companies 100% cover the costs. It is only in the insurance companies benefit since it significantly reduces health risks and negative outcomes.
2. Pass legislation that hospitals can never ban a birth doula from the birthing setting and is not counted as a visitor but an essential employee

I found a change.org petition advocating for doulas to be considered essential workers that you can sign here.

Do you have any advice for what people in other countries can do in situations like this? I’m Canadian and I want to help (and have donated to causes) but because a lot of petitions call for your zip code and to call your political representative in the US, I feel like I can’t be that effective. Is it better to keep sharing posts about her or to find issues like this in my own country / area instead?
From Keep fighting for Breonna Taylor on July 31

We're considering expanding the Anti-Racism Daily to other countries, as we know it's frustrating that we cover mainly U.S. based news! Thanks for your patience as we continue to plan.

Generally speaking, I recommend looking for ways to tackle the same issues in your own community – whether you're abroad or in the U.S. Breonna Taylor's story isn't unique – there are many Black women who still fight for justice. Consider who the Breonna Taylor is in your community, or more critically, who could be the Breonna Taylor in your community? What practices and policies make it easy for harm to happen on vulnerable populations like Black women where you live? And how can you take action each day to prevent it?

CLARIFICATIONS

From Support Black maternal health on July 30
My piece on Black maternal health failed to note that transmen and gender non-binary individuals are also impacted by the racial disparities of maternal care, not just cisgender Black women. Thanks for the catch, Stephanie!

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 7/18/20 Nicole Cardoza 7/18/20

Study Hall! Ebonics, capitalizations and cultural appropriation.

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Happy Saturday!

Here's a roundup of questions and insights from the past week. I'm calling these Study Hall now! We introduced some new topics this week in our newsletter series to act as a foundation for more nuanced, thoughtful conversations moving forward. Excited to continue to dive into this work with more perspectives as we grow.

If you haven't already, consider supporting this work with a one-time or monthly contribution. You can give via PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or give $5/month on Patreon.

We're also posting sharing assets on Instagram @antiracismdaily.

Nicole

ps – many of send a note skeptical that we will receive it. But we do! We recently implemented something on our Mailchimp account called Conversations, which sends your responses to an inbox on Mailchimp instead of my personal email inbox. It makes it easier for our growing team to organize responses, and for contributors to log in and respond to you directly. It might look like you're sending your response to a random string of text, but we are receiving them. So don't worry!

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TAKE ACTION

1. Reflect on the questions prompted by our users and by our team in the responses below.

2. Ask yourself two questions about one of the topics we discussed this week. Discuss these questions with a friend or colleague.

GET EDUCATED

ICYMI: Last week's Newsletters

Friday July 17, 2020: Analyze representation in media.

Thursday, July 16, 2020: Respect AAVE.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020: End racial bias in school discipline.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020: Embrace your race privilege.

Monday, July 13, 2020: Respect the roots of Black hair.

Sunday, July 12, 2020: Learn how air pollution exacerbates COVID-19.

Questions from the Community

What about the term Ebonics? How is that similar / different to AAVE?
In response to Respect AAVE from Thursday, July 16.

The word Ebonics and AAVE are essentially referring to the same language. Ebonics, a blend of "ebony" and "phonics" was coined in the 1970s and popularized by African American psychologist Robert L. Williams (Hamilton College). Although the term itself isn't a slur, the word Ebonics is often used that way. I noticed that AAVE was used more frequently in the resources I gathered, so stuck with one term in the newsletter for the sake of clarity.

Aren't there other forms of English that we discriminate against, like "country twang" or "Southern accents"? Why are we only making a big deal about AAVE?
In response to Respect AAVE from Thursday, July 16.

Yes! There are other accents and dialects that people discriminate against all the time! And it's equally unfair that we do that. When we talk about AAVE specifically, we focus on the discrimination that contributes towards a larger, comprehensive system of racism against Black people. But this insight isn't intended to detract from harm that may happen when we judge how anyone speaks, only illuminate one specific instance.

This type of questioning can be an honest, thoughtful reflection. But often, this type of criticism is a common argument against anti-racism conversations. And, to the reader that submitted this, I know you were challenged like this when you shared this newsletter with your friend. I group these into the "all lives matter" arguments – the argument that if everyone is somehow impacted, then there can't be a specific issue on one group of people. Trump recently said this himself about police shootings (LA Times).

If all people can be harmed by discriminatory practices, or harmful systems, shouldn't we all be trying to change them? Yes, many people can be judged unfairly because of how they speak. And it's a major barrier for Black people. So how do we adopt practices that prevent that from happening to anyone? Yes, white people get killed by cops, too. And Black men are 2.5x more likely to be than white people. So what policies can we implement to ensure all people don't lose their lives?

What people often forget is that when we center those most vulnerable, or most marginalized, in policies and practices, we tend to create more equitable spaces that positively impact the lives of everyone.

Shouldn't we all agree on one common language that's taught at schools and used in workplaces? Is it not acceptable to expect coworkers to use SAE in a professional setting? What’s the appropriate way to make space for AAVE being the mother tongue of Black coworkers while having SAE be the default language at work?
In response to Respect AAVE from Thursday, July 16.

Personally, I challenge the idea that there has to be one common language that we embrace, and would prefer to see our schools teach several types of English. What notions have we been taught about dominant culture that define the idea that there's only one "professional" language appropriate for schools and the workplace? How could embracing multiple forms of language improve workplace culture? Encourage students to feel more comfortable learning?

What's the reason against using an uppercase W when referring to white?
In response to Embrace your race privilege from Tuesday, July 14.

A couple people this week asked about capitalizations, which we covered in an earlier newsletter on June 25 (read Capitalize the B in Black and I in Indigenous here). The newsletter offers various opinions on the subject, and most major publications are using the lowercase w for white, likely because of the points in this paragraph (an excerpt from the newsletter):

The need to add respect and understanding to the Black community is also in response to whiteness. I mentioned above that acknowledging Black and Indigenous as a community helps to "articulate the common challenges," and these challenges are an effect of being marginalized and exploited by dominant culture (more on that here). Some use this point to argue against white being capitalized, because white people already have enough power and don't need further acknowledgement. In these cases, some writers also note that white supremacists often capitalize white to demonstrate that they should remain in power. I paraphrased a detailed perspective you can read here >

We follow this approach in our editorial guidelines.

Where is the line with cultural appropriation? Can I wear Dutch braids, that might look similar to other forms of braids worn by Black people but are actually from my European ancestors? Can I wear a kimono to a Japanese celebration where the attire is appropriate? Can POC wear lederhosen to Ocktoberfest? What about the Native American earrings I bought in New Mexico to support local businesses?
In response to Respect the roots of Black hair from Monday, July 13

The voices here at Anti-Racism Daily cannot possibly speak on behalf of everybody on the appropriate way to culturally appreciate all cultures, backgrounds, and heritages. I encourage us to think beyond the binary when it comes to anti-racism work. There are certainly clear and deliberate actions we can take against more blatant forms of racism. But the more nuanced and subtle ways that we perpetuate systemic oppression have more nuanced and subtle responses, too.

Instead of seeking a stamp of approval*, ask yourself these questions instead. Reflect on how your participation in culture is appreciating it, or appropriating it. To which extent are you minimizing the voice and perspective of other people in your participation? Are you mocking it or degrading it? Are you using the culture of someone else to make yourself seem cooler, edgier, more "exotic"? How did you come across the items you're wearing? Who profited off of what you bought? Why did you buy these items, and how do you plan to act while you're wearing them?

Harm happens when we don't think about the impact of our actions and only focus on the intent. So sit deeply with these questions. And know that we ultimately can't control how anyone feels about anything that we do.

*I'm not insinuating that you all emailed with these questions for a stamp! I'm simply emphasizing that this type of reward-based behavior isn't the right approach.

CLARIFICATIONS

Learn how air pollution exacerbates COVID-19, Monday, July 13
Tommy sent a note that scientists now believe COVID-19 is a vascular disease (which still affects the respiratory system), not a respiratory disease as this email initially stated. Learn more on The Daily podcast from NYTimes. This will be updated in the archives.

Analyze representation in media, Friday, July 17
Helen, and a couple others, noted that Black soldiers are mentioned in Hamilton in the song Yorktown in the lyrics "Black and white soldiers wonder alike if this really means freedom" and in Your Shot with the lyrics "But we'll never be truly free / Until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me / You and I / Do or die / Wait 'til I sally in on a stallion / With the first black battalion". Although I believe Ebony meant to emphasize a mention beyond lyrics (as in dialogue between characters, plot points, etc), the email as written is factually untrue. This will be clarified in the archives.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 7/11/20 Nicole Cardoza 7/11/20

Study Hall! Raising multiracial children and addressing microaggressions.

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Happy Saturday!

Welcome to faces old and new! This Saturday recaps our emails from the previous weeks, answers questions that came in from the community, and offers resources others shared in response to the topics we discussed.

The Anti-Racism Daily started June 3, and all previous emails are available on our website organized by categories for easy review. We're also now on Instagram @antiracismdaily.

If you haven't already, know that you can make a one-time contribution on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or contribute monthly on Patreon – but only if you choose. Thank you to everyone that's supported!

Nicole

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TAKE ACTION

Write out three questions you have from the content shared this week, and discuss one of them with a friend. If it's difficult, consider starting your questions with the following inquiries:

What would it look like if...
If this issue didn't exist, what would this newsletter be discussing about this issue in its place?
I never realized that...
What did I believe about this issue before?

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza

Your email mentioned, "shouldn’t we all be held to the same levels of accountability?" Can we create "one standard of behavior" across the board when it comes to race? When does setting different standards advantage the privileged or demean those who don’t hold privilege?
In response to Abolish qualified immunity, Monday, July 6.

I do feel we're missing a sense of standardization in how we hold each other accountable in relationship to the law. The qualified immunity conversation is fascinating to me because it makes it incredibly difficult to arrest and charge officials. Yet, we know that it is also much easier for Black people to end up in jail (previous newsletter). We already have standards of behaviors embedded in our Constitution that advantage the privileged or demean those who don't hold privilege.

In my opinion, we need to either abolish the standards that exacerbate the inequities or create new standards that counter the imbalance of power. We also need to be critical about who's creating the standardization, and what privileges their perspectives on the issue reflect. Your response mentions standardized testing (which is deserving of its own newsletters) as an example of standards that don't serve all. And it is in part because it wasn't designed to serve all.

Is it possible to create one standard that truly, equitably serves all? Perhaps not. But can we do a lot better from where we all now? Absolutely. And we must have these standards amend and iterate throughout time to best reflect the swiftly changing times we live in.

I know you referenced multiple times that cancel culture can be used in harmful ways and that it shouldn't be used to discredit the movement in general. But I think it's harmful not to name how harmful cancel culture can also be when it's not used appropriately.
In response to U nderstand the role of cancel culture, Friday, July 10.

I think right now the mainstream media is making that case well enough at the moment, which is why I didn't spend more time on it. I also think that appropriately is incredibly subjective – many people called cancel culture inappropriate when it was used to hold white men accountable during the #MeToo movement, and hold R. Kelly accountable re: sexual relations with minors. It wouldn't be my place to pick and choose examples of what is appropriate, or who is considered "well-informed" and who isn't, or whether victims of harm perpetuated against them are "taking it too far".

I also try to look at broader issues, like cancel culture, from an anti-racism lens, instead of the broader issue itself as a whole. That absolutely limits the scope of reporting on the issue itself and doesn't give a comprehensive look at the full picture. My hope is that we can understand how current events, and more importantly, our perception of them, can either accelerate or detract from dismantling systemic oppression. And as we watch dominant culture aim to cancel cancel culture, we need to understand how that can silence voices that need to be heard.

The action was to understand the role of cancel culture, not shield it from criticism. As we continue the work, especially on broad cultural and political conversations, it's important to remember that this newsletter cannot act as a single news source, single perspective, or sole comprehensive analysis. That's especially important to remember because there are so many -isms beyond racism that we need to dismantle, like sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia, etc, that are also impacted by these conversations. And although they often overlap, they each deserve their own lens (consider how the cancel culture movement gained fervor last week because of JK Rowling's transphobic comments, right off the heels of pride month and as so many trans lives have been lost these past few weeks).

Can I reference your emails when I contact my senator?
In response to Abolish qualified immunity, Monday, July 6.

Absolutely, share away. Whatever supports your activism. Feel free to forward our emails, or copy and paste content, however you need. But when you do, be sure to reference where it is from and who wrote it. You may notice this week we recently added bylines for contributors – as these conversations grow, it won't just be my voice anymore!

But I advise against signing anyone up for this email without their consent (local official, citizen, or otherwise). I understand the sentiment, but subscribing people in lieu of having a conversation about their racist behaviors likely isn't going to make an impact. It may even draw their animosity our way.

How are we supposed to know the breadth of microaggressions that a person can experience? And how can we assume that something we hear is a microaggression for someone else?
From Acknowledge the harm of microaggressions, Thursday, July 9.

There's not an expectiation that through this work you become an expert on all the topics immediately. There's a lot of binary thinking when it comes to anti-racism because there's a very binary goal – be actively anti-racist, or don't. But within it is a full scope and spectrum of learning and understand. The goal is to be consistently committed to the learning; a persistent student, always practicing the myriad actions we can take to dismantle white supremacy and learn along the way.

Side note: someone asked why I structure the emails with the action first, and the education following, feeling that it makes more sense to have the action at the bottom. But I want to emphasize, as I did in the paragraph above, that the active practice needs to be emphasized. It is the doing, not just the learning, that changes the world.

When it comes to racial microaggressions, there are more than enough instances of common questions, phrases, and terms used copiously to build a general understanding of what they are, and why they're harmful, so you can not use that language moving forward. And a healthy dose of empathy goes a long way. Paying closer attention to how your non-white colleagues show up in conversations, or respond to the language you're questioning, may also give you a clue that something isn't right.

You also mentioned that we can't assume that some microaggressions are considered microaggressions by everyone in the group. And you're right, it's never good to assume that all people from a same race are the same. But it is important to remember that if many people have actively said that language is harmful, it's likely to be harmful. So there's no need to use it and risk it, OR let someone else say it without addressing it.

I addressed a microaggression that a colleague made to a Black woman in our office, and she realizes her grave error. Should she now apologize to the Black woman?
From Acknowledge the harm of microaggressions, Thursday, July 9.

Great question! I wrote a whole newsletter on apologies on July 1, 2020; a follow up on one of the first newsletters we sent on checking in on June 6. I hope both of these perspectives are helpful as you continue to unpack this work.

Is there anything your parents did, or that you wish they did, that helped you to feel more comfortable embracing your biracial ancestry? What can I do for my children to help them navigate society and feel more confident in their identities?
From Honor the biracial / multiracial experience Tuesday, July 7

This is an excerpt from a response written by the original author Ebony Bellamy.
At a young age, I was educating my friends about being biracial because my dad and I always had open conversations about race. I grew up knowing I was different and that there was nothing wrong with that. My dad often shared stories about what it was like for him to grow up in NYC during the 60s and 70s (my dad was born in the late 50s). Those stories really shaped how I viewed my privilege has a biracial person because I learned how important it is to respect and honor different perspectives and cultures.

I think it's important to embrace all aspects of each race, so your children can grow up loving being biracial or multiracial. When they understand what makes each race beautiful and unique, they'll be able to embrace their racial identity with confidence.

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Nicole Cardoza 6/27/20 Nicole Cardoza 6/27/20

Reflect on these questions from the past week.

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Hi!

There was an outpouring of questions over this week, so I'm dedicating Saturday emails to answering them. It will also offer a helpful refresher of topics discussed in earlier newsletters, so we can revisit some key topics you may have missed from the past.

Thanks to you, we'll have another writer helping me starting next week! Give one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or you can subscribe monthly on Patreon like you'd subscribe to any other news platform.

Simply reply to any email to submit a question. I try to read all responses, even if it takes me a few days! And as always, your support is so appreciated.

Nicole

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A few things to remember!

I'm more of an anti-racism practitioner, not an educator. I curate current events and news, apply historical contexts, and plug in personal anecdotes from myself or guest editors. It's why I note trends and offer resources from others, but don't do coaching, consulting, or courses. I offered some educators you can learn that from in question #3. You can learn more about me here and here.
Racism is political. Some of you question whether I'm using this email to push political agendas. I'm here to push anti-racist agendas. But our political system upholds systemic racism. It's as much political as it is interpersonal. So I'll be sharing political CTAs, talk about the election, and name our current President's racist agenda often.
Work in protest. Many of you are new and don't know that I started this just three weeks ago in response to the protests! Thanks to your support, I'm hiring our first staff member, but until now it's just been me waking up at 3a in Alaska to write these and deliver each am. So there's often typos because I'm not ahead of the schedule enough for proofreading (despite all of your lovely offers). But I'm getting there, so the content will improve – and I might take you up on your offers. And I'm adding updates and clarifications over on the archives where I mess up.

If "defund the police" is too radical, what can we re-brand it as?
From Defund the police – beyond the slogan sent June 23

Unfortunately, I'm not in advertising anymore so I couldn't say. But I do think diluting the slogan itself may dilute the work that's necessary. Defund the police does mean defund the police, even if it doesn't account for all the important work that follows. I think what will be helpful for us to do is advocate for defunding law enforcement as we advocate for investing in other community care. That will likely look different for local communities, so this shift will be critical for making the movement feel attainable at home.

And the "defund the police" movement has been in place for a long time before it became mainstream (more via Politico). We're not doing the work justice when we try to shy behind the depths of its words.

Action: See what policies are in place for defunding the police in your local community, and how you can best advocate for its impact.

Do we capitalize "brown" when referring to "brown people"?
From C apitalize B in Black and I in Indigenous sent June 25

Brown, another racial classification that colloquially acts as a catch-all for the multitudes of identities that don't fall under "Black" and "White" wasn't mentioned by the AP Style Guide or in any of the articles I referenced. I see this term used interchangeably with "people of color," another catch-all term, which was added and clarified in the AP Style Guide in 2019 (via ACES Editors). It isn't my place to say that it should be used interchangeably because self-identification is important and everyone can choose what they prefer.

I imagine that, based on the arguments outlined by people in favor of capitalizing Black, Brown should be capitalized too, considering people of darker skin colors that aren't Black also often suffer from systemic racism. And, if you prefer to capitalize Black and White to signify them both as races, Brown should be the same. This is just my personal opinion, and I'll keep an eye out for more conversations as they unfold.

Action: Apply the same rules. Also, try to get as specific as possible when referring to communities you're writing about. Ask them to self-identify wherever possible.

I've been told that, as a white person, asking a Black person to educate me on racism is upsetting and offensive. Can you clarify on that?
General question.

This question is a bit meta – a couple people asked me about asking questions to a Black person that's sharing resources on anti-racism, after all! And I appreciate that each of you that asked thoughtfully and with nuanced consideration.

Generally speaking, asking Black people to support you (as a non-Black person) on understanding racism is a no-go. It places additional labor on Black people that are already burdened with the weight of racism and the deep emotions of the events unfolding. And, non-Black people often go to Black people as if they're Google without taking the effort to learn it themselves, which feels like a lack of accountability. More perspectives on this in The Washington Post and Fortune Magazine.

And part of this is because there are so many places where Black people are sharing anti-racism resources! You can learn from incredible anti-racism scholars like Rachel Cargle, Rachel Ricketts, Layla F. Saad, and Austin Channing, find a list of books, podcasts and movies on racism in every publication, etc, like this one from Fortune, and sign up for newsletters like this one! Hi 👋🏾

I invited people to ask questions here because I know 99.9% of readers are already here doing the work, and committed to learn more. I've set up time and space in my life to hold space for this, and I have the capacity to answer whatever questions I choose to answer. But most Black people that get asked questions from non-Black people around racism aren't given that choice. They're just trying to live, and they don't live in service to white people – not anymore.

A helpful resource on this may be Reflect before reaching out to your Black colleagues. that I sent June 8.

Action: Ask questions to those that are offering to support. Do not ask Black people to help you understand racism in unprompted settings.

Why is it important to edit those standard emails that we're sometimes asked to send to our senators in the daily actions?
From Face the bias in facial recognition software. sent June 26

Ah! This is helpful to know for whatever change you're looking to make in your local community. It's easy for tech-savvy politicians to set up filters in their inbox to send some emails straight to spam. For example, I auto-filter any email with the subject including "automatic reply" out of my inbox for this newsletter, because so many of our subscribers are out of office for whatever reason.

When you are prompted to send an email, changing the subject and the body text is recommended so your email lands in the inbox itself, instead of getting lost in these filters. Even if your email isn't read or responded to, it is more likely to be seen and felt by the politician and their team.

What are we calling this anti-racism movement right now?
General question.

I don't know if there's been an official term to call this movement right now – if you see one, let me know. It's certainly a part of the Black Lives Matter movement that's been sweeping the nation for decades (more on its impact in the NYTimes). But I personally think that we're seeing the beginning of a reckoning that will be more widespread, focus on more marginalized people than just the Black community, and bring not just reform but abolition in my lifetime. The Civil Rights Movement lasted over 20 years (via History.com) and although we've been in this work for a while, I have a feeling this wave has only just begun as we grapple with a global pandemic, environmental crises, and what's sure to be a tumultuous election regardless of outcome.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 6/16/20 Nicole Cardoza 6/16/20

Anti-Racism Daily in Review

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It's Tuesday.

Our list size has quadrupled in the past week alone – welcome, new faces! Which means that many of you did not get a chance to start these practices from the beginning. These actions are necessary for the work ahead and more relevant now than ever – so today is your opportunity to catch up.

I've provided a recap of our first week of content below – in addition to current events and other resources that add more context for the earliest subscribers.

And thank you to everyone that has contributed one-time or monthly to keep this going! You can make a contribution via PayPal, Patreon or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza).

– Nicole (@nicoleacardoza on IG)

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1. Choose ONE action from the list below and do it – even if you already have!

2. Reflect on your progress:
What have I learned that I did not know before doing this work?
How have my behaviors changed since I started doing this work?
How can I dive deeper to further my understanding of this work?
Who is one person I can reach out to today to get them in this work with me?

GET EDUCATED

In our first week, we addressed some critical issues when it comes to race.
And we'll keep going. Here's a recap of the first seven days of content that most of you missed! You can review all previous emails on the archives section of our website.

June 3 | Check your race privilege.
When committing to anti-racism work, it's important to acknowledge the privilege you may have based on your race. People who identify as white benefit from white privilege, and the power of normal that results in a society that's built around their experience. The worksheet in today's action helps you contextualize privilege in your life.
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June 4 | Don’t tell Black people how to respond.
This issue talks about policing Black bodies, and how society has normalized the concept that a Black person's behavior can be controlled and manipulated. As we continue to watch Black people victimized by police brutality, remember that policing Black people can happen at all levels – regardless of whether you're in law enforcement or not. Today's action encourages you to call out this harmful behavior when you see it happen in your community.
Learn more >

June 5 | Breonna Taylor. Say her name. And remember it.
In this issue we introduce the concept of intersectionality, and how other parts of our identity along with race – like gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status – can further marginalize us, and how important it is to center those voices. We talk about Breonna Taylor, who's killers are still walking free, and other Black women that have been lost in the conversation. With the recent death of Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist, the conversation is intensifying about protecting and centering Black women (both cisgender and transgender) as this movement unfolds. Because Breonna Taylor has still not seen justice, completing these actions are more important now than ever.
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June 6 | Give to bail funds – and abolish cash bail.
Millions of dollars were donated to bail funds in the response to the start of protests, which prompted a conversation many people have the privilege of being new to: How does cash bail work? Why is it important during times of protests? This issue outlines how cash bail disproportionately puts people in jail – and keeps them unfairly without trial, simply because they can't afford freedom. Considering conversations about changing our criminal justice system are gaining attention, it's still a good time to sign the petition in today's action.
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June 7 | Call your loved ones and talk about white supremacy
I polled readers early on to see what they wanted this email series to tackle most. And it was this: How do I have these conversations with my loved ones? Remember that racism is systemic, and also interpersonal. This issue gives guidance on having the conversation. The action is to start that conversation – and put time on your calendar to follow up with them again in 10 days. For those that received this email on June 7, your follow-up day is tomorrow. But remember the best time to start this conversation was yesterday. The second best is now.
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June 8 | Reflect before reaching out to your Black colleagues.
I can't speak for every Black person, I know many of us have been in a deep state of grief as we watch our communities fall victim to racism and the global pandemic. And although you as a non-Black person may feel compelled to check in on them and have a discussion, it's important to reflect and handle these conversations with care. This issue discusses the importance of understanding "intent v. impact" and elevates Black voices and their perspective on these check-ins.
Learn more >

June 9 | Address performative allyship.
Remember all those years ago when those black boxes dominated our social newsfeeds in a campaign gone awry? This issue defines the term "performative allyship" – which was a new term for many of our readers, and maybe you, too! As we continue to hold businesses and individuals accountable (like we analyzed yesterday when diversifying our media), it's important that we understand this key concept and don't find ourselves doing the same.
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