Abolish prison labor.

Though the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and made involuntary servitude illegal within the U.S., it managed to preserve slavery in another form; penal labor (Center for Human Rights Education). Under Section 1 of the law:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (Crime Report, Find Law). As written and in practice, the amendment creates a class system that allows convicted members of society to be exploited against their will (The Nation).

Happy Friday! And welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily.

When the rioting happened at the Capitol last week, I couldn't stop thinking about how that place was built by enslaved Black people. I was reminded of it again when we saw videos of Black custodial staff cleaning the site in its wake. And again, when news sources noted that it's likely that prison labor would replace the broken furniture.

Prison labor is slavery with a new name. We must abolish prison labor as part of our efforts to dismantle the prison industrial complex.

Thank you all for your support. This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider subscribing for $7/month 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

Boycott companies that use prison labor. You can find a list of them here.
Learn which specific policies uphold prison labor in your state. This spreadsheet by Samuel Sinyangwe is a good place to start.
Learn about the "Abolition Amendment" proposed last December, and encourage Sen. Merkley to reintroduce the legislation in this new session of Congress.

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

Though many think that the current prison-industrial complex was born out of the 70s or mid-90s, it actually began immediately after the Civil War. In a move to invalidate the newly gained rights of emancipated Black people, southern states passed racially motivated laws— called “black codes,” “pigs laws,” and “Jim Crow”—that sent thousands of Black citizens back into slavery through the prison system (History, National Geographic). Under these statutes, a Black person could be incarcerated for violations as arbitrary as loitering, having debt, being unemployed, or making “attitudinal infractions,” i.e., not showing “proper deference” to white people (History, PBS).

As Douglas A. Blackmon revealed in his documentary and Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery By Another Name – which reviews county prison records in southern states – this exploitative system effectively extended slavery into the 20th century (PBS, NYTimes, Wall Street Journal). To compensate for lost revenue previously earned on the backs of kidnapped Africans, the government coordinated with industry leaders through these laws to falsely arrest as many as 200,000 Black citizens and force them into brutal and legally sanctioned slave labor without pay (The Conversation, Washington Post).

Slavery was effectively rebranded as "convict leasing" while continuing its most despicable aspects, including auctioning off Black citizens, delivering severe beatings, working people to death, and keeping them locked up for life (Washington Post).

Convict leasing was “officially” abolished in 1941, but revised under the Justice System Improvement Act of 1979. This act created the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (Al Jazeera, Bureau of Justice Assistance), which purports to provide inmates with post incarceral job training. In reality, it rents them out to businesses as a cheap labor force (The Guardian). Sentenced inmates are legally required to work unless they have been declared medically incapable (Federal Prison Bureau). They meet this mandate by working at the facility where they are serving time or through Federal Prison Industries (AKA UNICOR), which administers and markets their low-wage contracts to private companies as a “cost-effective labor pool” (Vox).

On a national average, inmates are paid 14 cents to 63 cents an hour (Prison Policy). In Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, and Alabama, they are paid nothing (The Guardian). Meanwhile, they are required to pay for basic necessities—such as hygiene products, soap, and socks (Mother Jones)—at inflated prices in an exploitive scheme that replicates sharecropping by keeping them locked in debt (US News, Vox, Pacific Standard).

Meanwhile, though participation in UNICOR’s outside work program is billed as by choice and even a reward for inmates in good standing, refusal to comply can result in punishment as severe as solitary confinement, a form of torture that has been proven to drive people insane (NPR, The Atlantic, Wired, PBS).

Forced labor takes place at immigrant detention centers as well through a “voluntary work program” that has been sued six times for taking advantage of and coercing detainees to participate, all while paying them $1 to $3 an hour (Truth Out, NYTimes).

By contrast, UNICOR presents itself as a good deal by paying inmates up to $17 an hour, though after deductions are applied, the program reports that their takeaway is on average 23 cents to $1.15 an hour (Economist, UNICOR). Even this system is rife with abuse, with reported wage theft sans recourse often occurring (Mother Jones, The Guardian). For all its talk about providing on-the-job training, the program ignores the reality of rampant employment discrimination that ex-offenders face following their release (Politico) and has yet to report interceding on behalf of even a model prisoner.

UNICOR compromises inmates’ safety. It operates 24 hours a day and restarted operations for over 63,000 workers nationwide during the pandemic (Marshall Project, Washington Post). It also requires federal agencies and state universities to purchase prison labor manufactured products—ranging from air filters to office furniture—unless they receive a waiver for an unavailable product (Economist, NBC News, Inside Higher ED).

This means that the U.S. Capitol will have to replace any damaged furniture during the failed insurrection with products built by an underpaid prison forced disenfranchised of its right to vote (Refinery 29, Prison Policy).

The 13th Amendment may have abolished slavery, but as written, its opening statute ensures that inmates, who are disproportionately Black people, remain in shackles with—as the prison abolitionist Ruth Gilmore has argued—very little that is worthwhile to do (NYTimes). Keep in mind that Black people make up 33% of the US’s prison population in the US, even as they make up only 13% of the entire country’s population (USA Facts, Pew Research). For all of UNICOR’s claims otherwise, recreating slavery does not result in convicts’ redemption.

On January 26, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order instructing the attorney general to “reduce profit-based incentives to incarcerate” by eliminating private prison contracting at the federal level (White House). While the gesture might seem purely symbolic, it does return 14,000 incarcerated individuals to public prisons. The Obama administration found these prisons “were more dangerous and less effective at reforming inmates than facilities run by the government” (NBC News, Criminal Justice Programs).

This initial step did not happen overnight. Nor does it fix Biden’s support of the Crime Bill of 1994, which helped increase prison incarceration, or eliminate the use of privately-run immigration detention centers (Washington Post, AP News). But it does signal that when we amplify these issues, change can happen.

It is essential to call on our legislators to remove the statutes requiring federal agencies to purchase prison-made goods and boycott any business that refuses to divest of these services. As was proven by the social-media-driven boycott against Ivanka Trump’s shuttered fashion line and #DeleteUber campaign, hurting a business’ reputation is a key component to making them change (Glamour, The Atlantic, Washington Post).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Slavery still exists in the prison system, partially due to Section 1 13th Amendment
Former inmates face reduced opportunities for success due to employment discrimination.
Slave labor disproportionately affects Black people and continues to be revamped every time it is shot down.
Providing education to inmates is a key component towards reducing recidivism.

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 1/22/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/22/21

Embrace multiculturalism.

On January 19, outgoing-secretary of state Mike Pompeo published a tweet that excoriated multiculturalism as “not who America is” and a ploy to “make us weaker” (NYTimes). The irony that his last name is Italian is lost on no one, though his use of the government’s imprimatur to make this racist statement is no joke. Pompeo’s denouncement is in-line with the Trump administration’s goal to sow division and erode the rights of anyone who does not align with whiteness (Forbes).

Happy Friday! And welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. After four years of fighting against Trump, the start of a new administration feels exhilarating. In his first days as president, Biden signed 17 executive orders and introduced other initiatives to rebalance the system. A few directly centered racial equity, including ending the 1776 Commission, reinstating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and revoking Trump's ban on diversity training for federal agencies (for context, I've linked our previous reporting on each topic). Review all executive orders >

The Trump administration is behind us. But its impact is not. So we need to shift our focus from fighting against the political leaders of our past to reimagining the future we deserve. Juan's article today morphs a final bitter statement from leaders past into how we can become the leaders our future deserves. Consider this: how are you modeling tomorrow, today? Regardless of how you may feel about the new administration, it was clear that multiculturalism was on full display during this inauguration. How do we carry this into the communities we serve.

This is a free daily newsletter that operates on pay-what-you-wish contributions. Consider subscribing for $7/month on Patreon, or give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also join us in our d igital community.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Take a look at the company you work for, the school where you/your child attends, and/or the community you value most. Consider: how does this organization focus on multiculturalism? How does it celebrate diversity in ideas and values? List three tangible ways that the organization can improve and share with key leadership.
Make a concerted effort to only spend your money at places that support and pursue diversity. If you stop patronizing a business because of its lack of diversity, be sure to send and email explaining why, as well as the changes you would like to see if you are to return.

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

As a professional dancer in NYC, I participated in an interactive teaching program called “Multicultural Fusion.” “Multi-Culti,” as we called it, used dance forms from all over the world to show immigrant students how diversity made America great. My boss, Michael Mao—who himself was born in Shanghai—reasoned that by encouraging students to immerse themselves within the numerous cultures that comprised America’s mosaic, they would discover how vital they were to their new home’s vitality.

Though it meant leaving our glamorous rehearsal studios in midtown Manhattan to take a bus to NYC’s outer boroughs, I loved this program. It brought to mind my travels around the world, interacting with people who went out of their way to make me feel like I belonged. Most pressingly, I loved seeing teenagers guilelessly burst out of their shells to rejoice in physical expression.

For the past four years, their futures in this country have been imperiled. On January 19, outgoing-secretary of state Mike Pompeo published a tweet that excoriated multiculturalism as “not who America is” and a ploy to “make us weaker” (NYTimes). The irony that his last name is Italian is lost on no one, though his use of the government’s imprimatur to make this racist statement is no joke. Pompeo’s denouncement is in-line with the Trump administration’s goal to sow division and erode the rights of anyone who does not align with whiteness (Forbes). It plays right into the hands of white supremacists such as Hans von Spakovsky, a lawyer at the Heritage Foundation, who has stated that “diversity is a way of justifying discrimination” (Time).

Trump’s attacks on multiculturalism have included rolling back long-standing civil rights protections, instituting a travel ban on mostly Muslim, declaring the “Black Lives Matter” sign on Manhattan’s 5th Avenue “a symbol of hate,” expelling migrant children to Mexico regardless of their country of origin, and banning diversity and racial sensitivity training at the federal level. (ProPublica, NPR, Vox, Axios). *Editor's note: the Biden administration has ended the travel ban as part of the first executive orders issued in its presidency.

These assaults on diversity were dangerous even when they faced legal challenges because they allowed lawyers to refine their statutes until they were legally plausible, though still regressive. Erica Newland, who worked in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, revealed as much while lamenting having stayed on with the Trump administration in a misguided attempt to curtail his draconian measures. Regarding the travel ban, she says that if she and her colleagues had not been on board to “nip and tuck” the agenda, “the attacks would have failed” (NYTimes).

That’s what makes statements like Pompeo’s dangerous. Though he is departing in disgrace, his words influence future legislators and policies. In fact, the Trump administration added six mostly African countries—Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, and Myanmar—to the travel ban on January 5th, 2020, for no other reason than they can (NYTimes).

When I think of the harm resulting from lost contact with these incredible countries, I am reduced to tears. Following a devastating dance injury when I first arrived in New York 21 years ago, my training in Nigerian and Ivorian folkloric African dance rejuvenated my body and brought me back to the art form. My exposure to Sudanese storytelling and its focus on inter-communal sharing inspired me to become one of the largest independent dance presenters in New York and one of the world’s very few Black dance critics. Beyond my own selfish gains, diversity has been proven to make countries and companies stronger because it quite literally challenges us to prepare better, work towards consensus, and anticipate alternative viewpoints (Scientific American, Harvard Business Review). Let us also consider that embracing diversity is simply the right thing to do.

When Trump promised to build a wall along the U.S. southern border, many failed to realize that walls can be metaphorical and physical. Under his reign, our country has lost stature, entered into bruising trade wars, and become isolated from its allies (Pew Research, Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic).

Without multiculturalism, our bonds to other countries are weakened. It is essential that we reject Pompeo’s assertions, promote multiculturalism, push the incoming Biden administration to re-open the borders as swiftly as possible, and reclaim our position as a country that welcomes anyone seeking to build their own “American Dream.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Trump administration has instituted racist policies that erode civil rights and isolate the U.S. from the rest of the world.
Mike Pompeo’s outgoing message as secretary of state seeks to destroy future policies that promote multiculturalism.

RELATED ISSUES

12/4/2020 | Repeal the Trump Equity Gag Order.

9/21/2020 | Support the 1619 Project.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/12/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/12/21

Abolish the death penalty.

The federal government was responsible for 10 of the 15 people who were executed under the death penalty last year, the largest number of state sanctioned murders ordered by an administration since 1896 (BBC, NYTimes). The death penalty has been wielded as a cudgel to keep Black people subjugated for centuries, first as lynchings, before being codified as state-sanctioned murder.

Happy Tuesday. Yesterday, ProPublica reported that the Justice Department is pushing ahead with plans for three executions this week – even though two of the prisoners have COVID-19 and multiple courts have objected to the government’s aggressive tactics. This email should go without saying, but I appreciate how Juan walks us through the history in today's newsletter.

Our work is made possible by our paid subscribers. You can financially contribute by making a one-time gift on our website or PayPal or subscribe for $7/month on Patreon. Thank you all for your support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to stop federal executions scheduled for the remainder of its term.
Follow the Death Penalty Information Center for any information or changes related to the death penalty.
Urge your local representatives to abolish the death penalty.
Use this list from the Equal Justice initiative to find criminal justice organizations to support in your state.

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

The death penalty has been wielded as a cudgel to keep Black people subjugated for centuries, first as lynchings, before being codified as state-sanctioned murder.

According to Ngozi Ndulue, the Senior Director of Research and Special Projects for Death Penalty Information Center, “The death penalty has been used to enforce racial hierarchies throughout United States history, beginning with the colonial period and continuing to this day.”

In a report on the historical context of the death penalty, she noted racial disparities at every level of the legal system while equating police shootings and white vigilante violence to a "modern death penalty (that) is the direct descendant of slavery, lynching, and Jim Crow-segregation" (Death Penalty Information Center).

The Supreme Court came to similar conclusions when it struck down capital punishment in 1972, due to the “arbitrary and capricious way” it had been employed up to that point, especially in regards to race. The court reversed course five years later to acknowledge that 66% of Americans supported capital punishment, but with the caveat that a “model of guided discretion” would be used (History).

Unfortunately, discretion has never guided this country when dealing with racism or the unequal punishments it leverages against Black people. Case in point; though Black people make up only 13.4% of this country’s population, they account for 32.8% of people in prison Bureau of Justice Facts).

According to still applicable findings from 1990, conducted by the U.S. General Accounting Office, 82% of reviewed studies showed that a victim’s race influenced death penalty charges, “i.e., those who murdered whites were found more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murdered Blacks” (NYTimes). Actual numbers of people executed for interracial murders since 1976 show that 21 white defendants convicted of murdering Black people were given death sentences, whereas 297 Black defendants who were convicted of murdering white people were assigned death sentences.

This final solution is not justice, especially when the legal system has been proven to associate being Black with criminality, mete out harsher sentences against Black defendants, and prevent Black people from serving on juries for death-penalty cases (VOX). What drives the racism in this disparity home is that since 1991, Black people have consistently accounted for 40% of people on death row (NYTimes, NAACP, Death Penalty Information Center).

This manifests even when violent crime is not a factor. For example, though most Americans do not support the death penalty to punish drug crimes, President Trump began tweeting for its application against those convictions in December 2018. This, despite the reality that Black people are six times more likely to be imprisoned for drug charges than white people even though both groups use drugs at similar rates, with 21.8% of Black people being incarcerated on drug charges (Drug War Facts).

Soon after Trump’s drug tweets, then-attorney general Jeff Sessions put forward a memo instructing prosecutors to apply capital punishment with reference to Title II of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, nicknamed the “1994 Crime Bill” that emphasized applying the death penalty towards crimes involving drugs (CNN). And then, after 16 years of no executions at the federal level, President Trump insisted that the government “bring back the death penalty.”

In late July, Attorney General William Barr followed suit and ordered the Bureau of Prisons to schedule the deaths of five inmates. The first three executions were of white men, followed by a Navajo man and then two more white men. Critics denounced this scheduling as a political maneuver to allay racial tensions over the murder of George Floyd. As if to reinforce their claims, since September 24, the federal government has executed four Black men consecutively and of the 57 people who were on federal death row at that point, 34 were people of color, including 26 Black men (AP News).

On December 10th and 11th, two Black men, Brandon Bernard and Alfred Bourgeois, were killed. In 2018, Bernard’s legal team discovered that the trial prosecutor withheld information from the defense (NPR). Five out of the nine living jurors who sentenced him to death changed their minds after learning this (Reuters). Bourgeois was found to have an IQ ranging between 70 and 75 during his trial. This should have prevented his execution under the Supreme Court’s 2002 ruling on Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, which determined that the government could not put intellectually disabled people to death (NBC). Despite these disqualifying issues, both men were put to death (The Guardian). Most egregious of all, according to Robert Owen, a death-penalty litigator who represented Bernard, is that he had never seen such a speedy federal execution schedule (New Yorker).

There are currently two men on federal death row slated for execution before Trump leaves office: Cory Johnson, who was mentally disabled when he was convicted is slated for January 14 (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Dustin John Higgs, who did not pull the trigger for the murders that he was involved in, is scheduled to be executed the following day (Baltimore Sun). Both men are Black, have COVID-19, and are requesting commutation of their sentences (The Guardian).

Outrage over the deaths of Bernard and Bourgeois has come from politicians, celebrities, and ordinary citizens. As Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts stated, "state-sanctioned murder is not justice.” And even more importantly, in a letter to Joe Biden, “With a stroke of your pen, you can stop all federal executions” and end the death penalty as an option (The Hill). Unfortunately, this will do little to save Johnson or Higgs.

While many believe that Biden will pursue criminal justice reform after he is inaugurated, it cannot be forgotten that he believes in working with both sides even when they were segregationists (Washington Post). 77% of Republicans who participated in a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center stated that they supported the death penalty, particularly older people (Pew Research). With the control that the outgoing president has over his party, it is unclear if those governmental representatives will participate in reform (Washington Post).

Anyone interested in dismantling the racist death grip on our prison system will need to put constant pressure on their elected officials if they want to see change. And while it may seem like a pipe dream, working to remove attorney generals who apply the penalty means that it will never go into effect. But the most important act is to stay informed. For the latest information about the death penalty, follow the Death Penalty Information Center, which reports on every new change in policy and law. For too long, the legal system has relied upon the belief that ordinary citizens do not care. As millions of activists proved this year, when we show up and make our voices heard, change happens.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Black people are disproportionately prevented from serving from juries when the death penalty is an option and account for no less than 40% of people given death sentences.
The death penalty is legally applied to Black people informally by police officers and has been used historically to keep Black communities in check.
The president has the power to eliminate the death penalty without relying upon the legislative or judicial bodies.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/8/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/8/21

Pay Black women.

“Black women saved us.” That’s a slogan of ill-advised praise that white people deliver for Black women whenever a horrorshow candidate loses an election. We heard it in 2017 when 98% of Black women helped to defeat Roy Moore’s Alabama senatorial ambitions, and it’s happening again with the most recent presidential election, during which 91% of Black women cast their votes for Joe Biden (USA Today, Yahoo News).

It's Friday. Welcome back. How are you holding up? I'm still trying to take it easy.

In the midst of the domestic terrorist attack on Wednesday, both Democratic candidates defeated their Republican opponents in Tuesday’s runoff elections in Georgia, giving Democrats control of the Senate (NYTimes). This success was in no small part because of Stacey Abrams and other Black women organizers. Social media users were quick to share their gratitude, but those well-wishes need to turn into conscious efforts in our communities every day. Black women deserve to be elevated, compensated, and protected, regardless of what's happening. I feel this point got lost (naturally) in the chaos at the Capitol. Juan's article (written before the events of this week) dives deeper.

Tomorrow we resume Study Hall, our weekly email where I answer questions and share insights from the community. We haven't hosted one of these since late last year, so feel free to reference any of the year-in-review emails or other content from before break. You can also switch your subscription to a weekly digest, which means you'll only get the Study Hall email. Our virtual digital community is also a great space to learn more with like-minded peers.

Lastly, our work is made possible by our paid subscribers. You can financially contribute to sustain our work by making a one-time gift on our website or PayPal or subscribe for $7/month on Patreon. Thank you all for your support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Hire Black women and pay them as much as you would a white man for the assigned work.
Find a Black women creator that inspires you and support their work financially if you can. Also, share their work with others.
Promote Black women in your company, contract with Black women-owned businesses (such as these 81 entrepreneurs and brands), and support those same businesses when making purchases in your personal life.
Study intersectionality and participate in anti-racism, gender inclusion, and unconscious bias training.

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

Beyond its inherent condescension, the statement perpetuates a dangerous narrative that Black women are magical mammies—obsessed with protecting their misguided white charges from themselves, at the expense of their own agency (HuffPost). Dulce Sloan, a correspondent for The Daily Show, said it best when she quipped, "you’re welcome, white people. But let’s be honest, we didn’t do it for you, we did it for ourselves” (Independent).

To be clear, Black women aren’t here to save the world out of altruism; they are working to protect themselves and their own families (Boston Globe). And yet, the “Strong Black Women” trope—which praises the group for serving as the Democratic Party’s most reliable bloc—persists, even as Black women are chronically denied financial opportunities (Essence, Refinery). Hard data reveals that Black women are underpaid nationally, receiving 62 cents on average for every dollar that a non-Hispanic white man is paid. Meanwhile, 80% of Black mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners in their families (Forbes, Atlantic).

A lack of financial investment has historically haunted Black women across every facet of life. Until 1988, women as a whole could not secure business loans without a male co-signer (Forbes). Meanwhile, only 0.5% of Paycheck Protection Program loans went to Black woman-owned businesses (Accountable, Entrepreneur). The tacit understanding is that Black women don’t deserve money and should be grateful to serve for free.

That’s what the Grammy’s confirmed when they asked Tiffany Haddish to host its pre-telecast ceremony without payment while covering her own expenses, including hair, makeup, travel, and accommodations (Variety). Haddish declined. The Grammy’s CEO ultimately apologized after the incident was made public, explaining that a talent booker had a "lapse in judgment” (Hollywood Reporter).

It is unimaginable that a similar lapse in judgment would have been extended towards Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, or even the far less famous Russell Brand for hosting a three hour internationally covered event. While acknowledging that hosting would have given her “amazing” exposure, Haddish stated, “I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful.”

British actress Kelechi Okafor agreed with a pointed message that rejected the fallacy that Black women should “be grateful” for exposure, particularly because they’ve already been forced to do free labor for over 400 years (Instagram). It’s the right response, but one that few Black women are free to make without facing severe repercussions.

Whether or not Haddish loses out on future nominations for her comedy albums, financially, she will be fine. But most Black women, when faced with this conundrum—such as consistently being asked to do more work than their white colleagues—feel forced to comply. This includes performing “work that’s important but undervalued” and without additional compensation (Harvard Business Review).

Though white women also face discrimination at work, Black women are subjected to "double jeopardies" due to the intersection of gender and race, which keeps them locked in lower positions (Semantic Scholar). And when consulting is involved, Black women are asked to offer their hard-won and unique expertise for free (Guardian). This plays out even now during a pandemic where Black women are at the forefront of essential work, at the risk of their own lives, but without the necessary remuneration to escape poverty, even though they continue to face the most severe financial losses (CNBC, CNN).

While speaking at a Red Door Foundation plenary on longevity in June 2019, trans activist Tori Cooper told the audience a story about being flown to New York to speak with the Ford Foundation about improving their outreach. During that talk, she confronted the room full of white men with the fact that she was not being paid. “All of you are being paid to listen to me speak,” she said, “and I deserve the same money because I have something that you need; that only I can say.”

The same is true for Black women everywhere. The struggle to uplift Black women in a capitalistic society cannot work if it does not include a viable financial argument. Here is one: rather than ask them to be grateful for the honor of participating, hire Black women and “don’t blame the pipeline.

As Nicole Cardoza wrote last year, despite the incredible educational gains that Black professionals have steadily made since 1980, unconscious bias discriminates against nonwhite people for their every difference, while arguing that they are unqualified or “do not fit the culture” (Anti-Racism Daily, Raconteur, HuffPost, Fortune). In addition to enshrining whiteness, this rationale ignores the benefits of greater racial diversity, which has been proven to make companies more money (Market Watch).

When hiring Black women, it is essential to pay them more because, by default, they are paid less. Companies can perform a compensation audit, be transparent about pay, raise the minimum wage, commit to equal pay, and eschew salary histories—which perpetuates the practice of underpaying Black women (American Progress).

If we are serious about eliminating racism in this country, redressing the history of devaluing Black women is critical. Otherwise, we will perpetuate the centuries-long practice of praising Black women while ignoring their needs and repressing their potential progress.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

On a national average, Black women are paid 62 cents for every dollar that a non-Hispanic white man is paid.
Black women face double jeopardies over gender and race.
Black women are consistently asked to do more work than their white colleagues without additional compensation.
Greater racial diversity at workplaces is proven to earn companies greater revenue.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 10/14/20 Nicole Cardoza 10/14/20

Make the outdoors more equitable.

Last month I wrote an essay in Outdoors cataloging my negative encounters with white people who "didn't expect to see me”: a Black man hiking Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and a favorite destination of extreme hikers. During my many visits to Katahdin, I have been screamed at, accused of following people, questioned about why I was on the mountain, and treated with such hostility that I have questioned whether I was doing something illegal. I was not.

In today's piece, I'd like us to reflect on the idea of reclamation. So much of this work isn't about granting new access and opportunity, but a reclaiming of rights given to us before oppressive systems even existed. The notion that some of us experience discrimination while exploring the great outdoors is appalling to me, and represents the core of this work – our need to reclaim the most fundamental parts of being human. I'm grateful to share this space with Juan so he can tell his story on reclaiming our right to blaze our own trail.

Thank you for all the support for this little newsletter that could! If you can, consider joining in by contribution to our website, PayPal, Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe monthly on Patreon. Thank you for all the support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Check out In Solidarity for resources on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors
Contact major industry brands and associations like the Outdoor Industry Association and Merrell and ask them to support connecting Black communities to the outdoors
Organize and support trips that introduce Black schools and families to the outdoors
Write letters to your local representatives to demand greater funding and services in Black neighborhoods

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

My experiences are far from unique. There are numerous accounts from hikers of color about racist hostility that they have received from white people on the open trail (Outside, OPB, The Guardian).

Though I have grown accustomed to these reactions, I was unprepared for the large volume of emails that I received after writing that piece. Some of those letters were kind, though misguided: white people offered to take me hiking in a paternalistic show of solidarity and protectionism. Rather than shower me in virtue signaling (Vanity Fair), I wish that they would focus on eliminating racism so that all Black people could venture into the outdoors without fearing reprisal.

Mixed in with these solidarity statements were denouncements of disbelief that I had experienced racism at all. These screeds oscillated between denying my experience to threatening to “show me what real racism looks like.” It felt as if these white people lived in a different universe from me.

In one regard, they do: they have the privilege of hiking without fear that someone will assume that they are perpetrating harm. As a Black man, I am always greeted with suspicion, even while on an isolated mountain summit in a state that has fewer than 40,000 Black people living in it (Maine Census).

Despite the threats, I keep hiking because I refuse to be defined by fear or to limit the freedom that I feel by being outdoors. In fact, I returned to Katahdin last weekend to reclaim the space as a place of joy for me. Pursuing pleasure is my version of radical activism, especially in a time when so many Black lives are under threat from COVID-19, police brutality, and governmental neglect (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, NYTimes).

I speak out against these issues, as so many other Black people do, because if we stop, the white community (which has the privilege of occupying the outdoors without suspicion) will keep promoting the lie that racism is dead while also blaming us for the threats that we receive for doing nothing more than sleeping in our own beds (Poynter).

I interviewed Shilletha Curtis, a hiker who is of the same mindset. She aims to be the first Black gay woman to complete hiking’s Triple Crown (the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide trails). Though Curtis has experienced horrible harassment since she started hiking in March—most notably in a Facebook group for hikers after she expressed concern for her safety as a Black woman hiking in the South—she refuses to apologize for “speaking her truth.”

After Curtis was kicked out of the Appalachian Trail Facebook group for discussing race, rather than stay angry, she says, “I took all of that anger and passion and I threw it into words. I put it into something educational; that isn't harmful." Curtis responds to comments such as “there's no racism on the trail” or “the trees don't know any color” by pointing out, “but humans do.”

Whenever I encounter racism, I recall the words of Paul Laurence Dunbar and decide that I will not "wear the mask that grins and lies" (Poetry Foundation). Instead, I work on decolonizing the outdoors and promoting accessibility to Black people. America’s natural splendor is our inheritance, left to us by kidnapped Africans who were forced to work on stolen lands; who fled bondage through valleys and across rivers as they pursued their natural rights as freed people (History, BBC News, Smithsonian Mag, USA Today).

Denying Black people access to outdoor leisure has a long history in the United States. Consider Madison Grant, who helped engineer the national parks system and promoted the pseudo-science behind eugenics. He had no problem with Black people as long as they remained “willing followers who ask only to obey and to further the ideals and wishes of the master (white) race” (Mother Jones, New Yorker). Grant was intent on preserving the parks to the exclusion of Black people. His racist attitudes blossom throughout white-dominated outdoor spaces even today.

Non-Hispanic white people make up only 63% of the U.S. population, but they account for 88% to 95% of all visitors to its public lands (Resource Magazine). Many white people blanch when I point to these facts as signs of pervasive racism and exclusion. Ultimately, I don’t care about what they think. I care about introducing Black people to the stress relieving and lifesaving experience that comes from spending time in nature (TIME, Science Daily). And if that means snatching a few edges, so be it.

You can join me in reclaiming the outdoors as a safe space for Black people by organizing as many people as you can to build a coalition of support that fearlessly and relentlessly advocates for Black communities. Black people deserve their time in the outdoors as much as anyone else does.

Like Shilletha Curtis, I fulfill this mission by serving as a role model for Black people who do not realize that the outdoors is for them, even if that just means visiting a local park. It may be a small step over the mountain of racism, but through grassroots and political initiatives, together we are all building a coalition to reclaim our birthright. Instead of “40 acres and a mule”, we Black people deserve access to every golden valley, from sea to shining sea.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Black people face hostility and racism in the outdoor community and at recreation centers.
Non-Hispanic white people make up only 63% of the population in this country, but they account for 88% to 95% of all visitors to public lands across the U.S. (Resource Magazine)
Confronting racism is important, but arguing with racists is less effective than advocating for Black communities fearlessly and relentlessly.

6/18/2020 | Take down Confederate symbols.

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

ARCHIVES

Abolish prison labor.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Embrace multiculturalism.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Abolish the death penalty.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Related Issues

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Pay Black women.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Make the outdoors more equitable.

TAKE ACTION

GET EDUCATED

KEY TAKEAWAYS

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

ACCOUNT

ABOUT