Support local journalism.

Local journalism needs your support now more than ever. Resources for local publications have been dwindling for years, spurred nearly a decade ago when readers shifted from print to digital publications. Moving news consumption from online to offline enabled national outlets to attract more readers, siphoning readership – and advertising revenue – from local publications. Beyond that, local advertising revenue has moved towards tech behemoths like Facebook and Google, who offer more cost-effective, segmented opportunities to reach an audience (Washington Post). Over 2,000 local newspapers have shuttered since 2004. By the close of 2019, over 65 million Americans live in counties with only one local newspaper—or none at all (Brookings).

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! We've been reporting on the rise of anti-Asian violence this year. Despite the work of local reporting, many of those stories failed to gain national news, which may have shielded many from the pain the Asian community has been experiencing until the tragedy last week.

It was a good reminder to reflect on the role of local and independent journalism to keeping us informed. If you're reading this, you've already taken a chance on an independent publication committed to sharing stories often overlooked and unheard, so THANK YOU! But even we won't report on every injustice in every community. Today's call-to-action is to add more local reporting to your reading list. It won't just keep you resourced to support your neighbors, it'll invest in the space for life-saving information in the future.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our paying subscribers. We'd love you to consider making a monthly recurring donation on our website or Patreon. You can also give one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Thank you for all your support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Find a local newspaper and, at minimum, subscribe for updates. Here’s a directory of nonprofit local news organizations created by INN.
If you have the funds, make a recurring subscription to your local news outlet. See if they’re listed on NewsMatch, an initiative that matches donations to local news outlets.
Check your local newspaper and identify issues related to white supremacy and systemic oppression that you may read about in the national news. Notice how broader trends affect your community each day.
See how you can support local journalism programs in your community, including (and not limited to) contributing to scholarships, mentoring, and sharing their work on your social media accounts.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Like many, these issues have been exacerbated by COVID-19, when local journalism is most needed. A joint survey conducted by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and the International Center for Journalists showed that 21% of respondents reported that their salaries had been cut, 6% experienced furloughs, and 6% were laid off. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that journalism jobs are projected to decline by 11% over the next ten years (Columbia Journalism Review).

This is an issue because local publications can be life-saving resources for your community. No national media organization can mobilize as effectively as a local team can. Here in Texas, the Texas Tribune was an invaluable source of information during the winter freeze and blackout in February. The organization shared lists of warming stations and places to find food, organizations to support, and even set up a text platform to offer regular alerts. L.A. TACO, which reports on all things Los Angeles, launched a daily text platform for unhoused residents & advocates with copies of sanitation schedules, updates on COVID, and other resources (L.A. TACO). Even if you don’t personally think you’ll benefit, consider those that rely on fast, free, and accurate reporting to navigate issues related to transportation, safety, and housing.

In addition, many of the injustices the U.S. has rallied around this past year were sparked by local reporting that raised awareness and mobilized thousands of people to take notice. The Brunswick News had published seven stories on the murder of Ahmaud Arbery before the story was picked up by the New York Times, gaining national recognition. Similarly, Kentucky’s Courier-Journal was the only outlet – aside from national Black-led platforms The Root and Blavity – to publish reporting on the death of Breonna Taylor until May, two months after her death. Their deaths deserved accountability and justice well before they came nationally-recognized stories. We must pay attention to advocating for justice in our communities instead of waiting for national headlines.

Thankfully, this past year has brought a broader realization that more independent, homegrown, local journalism is essential for accurate reporting. Part of this was fueled by the rise of misinformation and disinformation that took off on social media platforms and perpetuated by conservative political leaders quick to cry “fake news.” It may also be accelerated by the racial reckoning that’s swept nearly all national media outlets. From Bon Appetit to the New York Times, the Inquirer, and Refinery29, many had top executives step down since June 2020 (Washington Post). Local journalism is facing the same calls for accountability, which we can only hope strengthens its capacity to accurately reflect the diversity of your community and its needs.

It’s also accelerated an uptick of independent journalism, which is another worthy place to invest. Many writers and editors, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, left (or were fired) traditional media to start their own. This past year introduced a surge of micro publications hosted on websites, social media, or newsletters to the industry (including the Anti-Racism Daily, thank you for being here!). This freedom allows writers to write more candidly about current events and bring their own perspectives into the storytelling. I recommend searching for newsletters, blogs, or podcasts based on your city to find independent writers to support.

Similarly, growing non-profit, independent publications are diving into critical issues around racial equity. According to a Knight Foundation study, nonprofit news organizations tend to be more diverse than traditional outlets (although still less than the general public). This is likely to provide broader perspectives and insights in its reporting (Knight Foundation). Even if they’re not local, they may be an excellent place to learn about specific issues facing your community. Prism is a reporting platform that focuses on topics related to the BIPOC community. The Forge reports on organizing work across the U.S. The Fuller Project focuses on global reporting of injustice to women. ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network pays covers the cost of reporters at news organizations across the country so they can spend a year working on an accountability journalism project of importance to their communities. And More Perfect Union is following stories on labor rights for the working class.

With so much unfolding this year, it might feel like the best bet to read national news. But the urgent issues that make national headlines have action items that start in your backyard. Become a more active member of your local and independent news and help build a more equitable community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Local journalism is essential for understanding how larger systemic issues directly impact your community
Disinformation, the economic impact of COVID-19, and declining advertising revenue have all contributed to negatively impacting local journalism
There's new and emerging independent writers and publications that are focused on issues especially relevant to marginalized communities.

RELATED ISSUES

2/10/2021 | Celebrate zines.

1/21/2021 | Invest in new media.

11/19/2021 | Decolonize your reading habits.

10/26/2021 | Support diversity in animated films.

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 3/18/21 Nicole Cardoza 3/18/21

Stop the “lone wolf” narrative.

But, most urgently, it pushes the "lone wolf" narrative: that this individual acted alone for personal reasons and wasn't motivated by a larger narrative. This attempts to detach this specific instance from the larger role that white supremacy plays in acts of violence and terrorism in the U.S. As a result, it doesn't call for accountability for the system that nurtured and developed that hate in a white supremacist society. Although the individual should be held responsible for their actions, so should the government that fostered discrimination and bias against the Asian community since its start, from the Chinese Exclusion Act, to Imperialism in the Asia-Pacific, and platforming a president that persistently called coronavirus “Kung flu” and the “Asian virus” (Anti-Racism Daily).

Happy Thursday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! Tuesday evening's attack on the Asian community was another clear and blatant act of white supremacy. And still, law enforcement and the media attempted to mitigate the harm by diminishing a violent act of terror to "a good boy" who "had a bad day". Today we analyze how white supremacy persists through the coddling and protection of violent acts of terror.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our paying subscribers. We'd love you to consider making a monthly recurring donation on our website. You can also give one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Thank you for all your support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Center your education about reporting on the victims and communities harmed, not the perpetrators. Avoid media platforms that share more about the perpetrator than the wellbeing of the community harmed.
Sign the petition and in solidarity with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta, which is dedicated to the civil rights of the Asian American community.
Donate directly to support the victims and their families and to support crisis interventions, created by Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta.
Continue to report Asian hate crimes to Stop AAPI Hate to more effectively address anti-Asian violence.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Watch recordings of interviews on Instagram with Michelle Kim and Dr. Jenny Wang to understand more about the rise of anti-Asian violence and racism.

On Tuesday evening, March 15, a gunman shot and killed eight people and wounded another at massage parlors in the Atlanta area (NYTimes). At least six of the victims are Asian women. Four of those were identified as Korean. The names of the victims available as of writing (12:30 am EST) are Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, and Paul Andre Michels (NYTimes). Each of them still deserves to be here, and we grieve for their loss.

This was the latest of a surge of violence against the Asian community over the past few months. Read our recap in an earlier newsletter. According to the latest report from Stop AAPI Hate, which has been measuring the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes since March 2020, women are 2.3 times more likely to report hate incidents, and 35% of all violence happens at businesses (Stop AAPI Hate). This attack is all the more heartbreaking because it was taken out against members of the immigrant community and sexually motivated, which makes this not just a racially-charged attack, but one rooted in misogyny and racial fetishization. Read more in a previous newsletter.

As the world woke up to the news Wednesday morning, a series of new articles explained more about the perpetrator, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, who was arrested and charged with murder. Friends described him as “nerdy,” “from a good Christian family,” and “very innocent-seeming and wouldn't even cuss” (Newsweek). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that he has a “sexual addiction,” leading others to report that his mental health might have influenced his decision-making (AJC). Police officers stated that “yesterday was a really bad day for [Long], and this is what he did,” and that he “he gave no indicators that this was racially motivated.”

This rhetoric is problematic for several reasons. By centering his religious faith, nerdy background, and lack of cussing, the press and law enforcement imply that he's aligned with whiteness’s key characteristics and consequently impervious to harm. This narrative has been used frequently to excuse violent acts carried out by white men, often against women and people of color. It aims to solidify that things like Christian faith, proper language, and academic performance grant power and privilege, and those that don’t align with these markers are “less than” in society. Related: White Supremacist Ideas Have Historical Roots In U.S. Christianity (NPR).

Not only that, it attempts to center the "innocence" of the perpetrator over the innocence of the victims. This further minimizes the pain that marginalized groups experience, and takes up space that could be used to tell their stories. Author and advocate Michelle Kim names other reasons why, in this case, families of victims might not feel comfortable speaking up, further exacerbating the issue (Twitter).

It also contributes to the mental health stigma in our society. It insinuates that people with mental health conditions are dangers to our society. Remember, racism and misogyny is not a mental health condition. This stigma doesn't just affects us on an individual level by discouraging people from seeking help and sharing their experiences with their friends and family. It creates a systemic narrative that mental health is so dangerous it needs to be policed, enforcing our criminal justice system’s role in health and well-being instead of social services that offer more preventative, healing support. Read more in the Washington Post.

This isn’t new – this is the same narrative we've heard after white terrorism events throughout our history. In an article from last summer, we outlined how quickly the rhetoric changes to protect white domestic terrorists. Dylann Roof, a far-right extremist who shot nine Black people in a church in South Carolina, idolized the Confederacy, was portrayed in the media as “mentally ill” and "misunderstood" (Al Jazeera). Kyle Rittenhouse, a white teenager who killed two people during protests in Kenosha last year, was called a "hero" and "innocent," and a "bullied teenager" who became a huge fan of the police (Huffington Post). Each of these issues, too, were discarded as single acts of individual errors than a result of systemic decisions – like our unwillingness to admonish the Confederacy, our lack of gun control, the tensions between communities and law enforcement stoked by our President – that fostered them. It should come as no surprise that, in 2020, reports indicated that white supremacists posed the greatest domestic terror threat to the U.S. (The Guardian).

And the first days of 2021 brought that to life, when hundreds of these "lone wolves" rallied together to attempt a violent insurrection at the nation's Capitol. A new report indicates that local and federal law enforcement often fail to address violence caused by white supremacists. Video evidence shows several members of the insurrection causing violence in their communities years before the event, and they weren’t charged (NYTimes). Elizabeth Neumann, an assistant secretary for threat prevention in the Department of Homeland Security who left last year, stated that “the Proud Boys are just the guys-that-drink-too much-after-the-football-game-and-tend-to-get-into-bar-fights type of people — people that never looked organized enough to cause serious national security threats.” The lone wolf narrative protected these violent extremists and enabled them to cause harm on a national scale.

It’s important to note that this convenient narrative is reserved for members of the white community. A study found that overall, terror attacks by Muslims receive 357% more press attention (The Guardian). But the narratives differ, too. Researchers analyzed news coverage of mass shootings in Las Vegas in 2017 and Orlando in 2016. The Orlando shooting, carried out by someone that identifies as Muslim, was allotted more coverage despite the fact that it produced nine fewer fatalities than the Las Vegas shooting. In addition, newspapers were more likely to frame the Orlando mass shooting as “terrorism” and link it to the global war on terrorism. In contrast, most articles for the Las Vegas shooting attempted to humanize Stephen Paddock, the white perpetrator (Taylor & Francis Online). Similarly, the concept of “Black on white crime” is a grossly fictionalized narrative used throughout history to validate the enslavement and incarceration of Black communities, which influences both policy and media to this day (Southern Poverty Law Center). The Huffington Post has side-by-side comparisons on how white suspects are often treated better than Black victims in headlines.

In the latest attack Tuesday night, one man might have pulled the trigger, but white supremacy doesn't act alone. He was encouraged and supported by a white supremacist culture that normalizes violence against communities of color and enables white men to carry it out. We need to hold not just individuals but our society accountable for this violence – including ourselves, and the role we play in perpetuating white supremacy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Tuesday evening, eight people were killed in shootings at massage parlors in Atlanta, GA, contributing to the rise of violence against Asian communities over the past year.
Reporting of white male suspects tends to emphasize qualities that support their innocence and distance them from collective accountability.
This type of reporting allows for violence and terrorism by white supremacists to go unchecked, as evident in the recent attack on the Capitol.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 3/10/21 Nicole Cardoza 3/10/21

Believe Black women.

Last Sunday, March 7, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview on stepping down as senior members of the royal family. In that interview, Meghan Markle named that the stress and anxiety from the defamatory press led her to suicidal ideation, but she received no mental health support from the palace. She also details the racism that she and her child, Archie, experienced directly, including that the Crown would not provide her son titles or protections and that someone in the family questioned how dark his skin would be (Vulture).

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I'm still sitting with the "Harry and Meghan" interview with Oprah. Two of the most powerful Black women on Earth sat and discussed racism, oppression and mental health live on television. But you don't need to be in positions of power to experience the harm and rejection that Meghan Markle named. Today's newsletter unpacks some of this, along with links to great content to dive deeper.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that have contributed!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Donate to the Loveland Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Rachel Cargle that provides therapy resources to Black women and girls (which is supported by Meghan Markle’s foundation). Black women: apply for support here.
One way to prioritize racism allegations is to de-prioritize those that gaslight or diminish those that speak out. Actively seek to use your privilege to address those like Piers Morgan who aim to discredit serious claims.
Believe Black women when they say they have been harmed.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

This post references suicidal ideation. If you are in need of support, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

This interview only reaffirmed what became quickly apparent after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry began dating in 2016: that the tabloids, and perhaps even members of the royal family themselves, treated Markle differently because of her racial identity. There are countless examples of the disparities of headlines for Markle vs. Kate Middleton and headlines making unfair accusations based on her race, referencing her (false) “gang-scarred” upbringing and “exotic DNA.”

These only escalated after the couple announced their departure in early 2020. The tabloids blasted their departure as a “Megexit,” using a term that was already a popular hashtag online where users would post racist and sexist comments about Meghan Markle (Vanity Fair). As the couple said in their interview, they decided to move to the U.S. to escape the abuse they experienced in the U.K.

Because Meghan is Black, she experienced a particular form of misogyny: misogynoir. Coined by queer black feminist Moya Bailey, this term explains the misogyny directed towards black women where both race and gender influence the bias and discrimination that one may experience.

But we didn’t need to wait for Meghan Markle to analyze the anti-Blackness of the British monarchy. Since its start, it’s been deeply invested in the enslavement and control of Black people. By investing in English trade with West Africa, the Crown hoped to find financial independence from Parliament. Between 1690 and 1807, European enslavers brought over 6 million enslaved African people to the Americas. Half of that trafficking was protected and funded by the Crown and Parliament (Slate). Although the Crown first publicly supported anti-slavery efforts in 1838, they have still yet to address their contributions to the system or the harm they’ve created, even after the past year’s racial reckoning. We can also look to the impact of British colonial rule on the destruction and disparagement of African culture, community, and heritage, an effect that persists to this day (Quartz).

There’s a lot of criticism against Meghan Markle for participating in this system. If she knew about colonialism and anti-Blackness in the institution, why would she even marry into it, to begin with? Why didn’t she expect to deal with racism all along? And quite frankly, that’s no one’s business but hers. We need to continue to question why these systems continue to perpetuate violence instead of chastizing how marginalized folks choose to navigate through them. What do we gain from punishing the victim? What do we lose when we fail to hold our institutions accountable? Why is it up to one woman to protect herself from a legacy of harm?

We also need to emphasize the light skin privilege on display here. Meghan Markle is a very light-skinned Black woman with a Black mother and white father. Colorism is the reason why Meghan Markle was likely even able to marry Prince Harry and be considered a part of the family to begin with. She experienced this violence because she was “white enough” to be included and still “too Black” to be loved, respected, and protected. Darker-skinned Black women experience more misogynoir than their lighter-skinned peers (Change Cadet). But light-skinned women are often more privileged to have a platform to share their experiences. So as you follow stories of misogynoir, always look for what you don’t see, too. Colorism is especially insidious in British culture. Learn more in this comprehensive article by Seun Matiluko (Glamour UK).

We don’t have to wait for breaking news to find examples of racism against Black women, though. Meghan Markle bravely named the same kind of fear, guilt, and shame that many Black people have experienced at their offices or dinner parties or while buying groceries or meeting their significant other’s family. 17.1 million people tuned in to this conversation last night on CBS, but how many of us are listening when we have a front-row seat to this violence happening in real life? Her statements came as no surprise to many Black Britons who have experienced the same racism and discrimination themselves (AP News).

Many people have reflected on how damaging the interview is to the monarchy. But how much has the monarchy hurt us? And this goes beyond its legacy of colonialism and oppression. We have to recognize its complicity of normalizing and perpetuating misogynoir on a global platform through its treatment of Meghan Markle. We must recognize the harm inflicted on Meghan Markle, her son Archie, and her daughter.

And most urgently, we must recognize how it harms the Black women in our community. Listen to what we say. Believe us. Platform our voices, not those of white men committed to disparaging us (Washington Post). Ensure we have the tools we need for our well-being. And, for all of this, prioritize the safety and wellbeing of dark-skinned Black women.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The "Harry and Meghan" interview with Oprah was the first time the couple publicly addressed why they stepped down as senior members of the royal family and named the racism and harm they experienced from the tabloids and members of the royal family.
Meghan Markle is subject to misogynoir, a specific form of misogyny where race and gender both play a part.
Meghan is a light-skinned Black woman, which gives her a particular set of privileges that also fail to protect her from harm.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 3/8/21 Nicole Cardoza 3/8/21

Demand accountability during the Derek Chauvin trial.

Today, March 8, marks the beginning of the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Chauvin is the officer depicted in cellphone and bodycam footage kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I started this newsletter days after the death of George Floyd; my way to hold us all accountable for the violence and devastation that racism causes. Today I'm amplifying the work of The George Floyd Memorial Foundation to demand a fair trial, and sharing local reporting from the ground. Please do what you can to support their efforts.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that have contributed!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Sign the petition urging Governor Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, of Minnesota Attorney General, and Judge Peter Cahill to ensure a fair trial.
Send an automated postcard to members of city and state government advocating for a fair trial. Their goal is to send 10,000 cards by March 31, 2021, and I know we can help them get there. A portion of proceeds supports the George Floyd Memorial Foundation.
The Minnesota Star Tribune will be making all reporting on this case free to the public. Consider subscribing to support local journalism during this time.
Remember, this is not the “George Floyd” trial. George Floyd is NOT on trial. As the NAACP states, “George Floyd was taken from us viciously, inexplicably, and inhumanely. Derek Chauvin is on trial to tell his side of the story. A luxury that was not afforded to George Floyd and countless other men and women within the Black community”.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors were initially denied the chance to add a third-degree murder charge in the case, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals overturned that decision on Friday, March 5. This could potentially delay the trial proceedings (Star Tribune). Three other former police officers involved in the death of George Floyd will face trial together in August 2021.

If he’s found guilty, Chauvin would be the first former police officer to be convicted of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. He will also be one of the few police officers charged and convicted to this extent. Our current justice system makes it incredibly difficult to hold police officers accountable (NYTimes). Read more about qualified immunity in a previous newsletter. This was made quite evident last September when a grand jury decided not to charge any police officer with a crime for killing Breonna Taylor (NYMag).

And justice is rarely seen for victims of police violence in Minnesota. In the past 20 years, at least 195 people have died in law enforcement incidents in Minnesota. But only one officer has been convicted of an on-duty killing. That officer was a Somali American man, and the victim was a white woman (Star Tribune). Last Friday, families of over a dozen of those victims gathered to advocate for a murder conviction in this trial – not just for the family of George Floyd, but everyone that’s failed to see accountability in these kinds of cases (Star Tribune). In each of the families' cases, facts were disputed, credibility was questioned, and police escaped liabilities when juries decline to indict or refuse to convict. Read more about Families Supporting Families against Police Violence in this excellent long-form story from the Star Tribune.

Although courtroom seating is limited due to COVID-19, video, and audio of the trial will be streamed live online, which is also significant. A fair and equitable trial unfolding in real-time may help to shape accountability for future cases. This will be the first time a high-profile trial in a Minnesota state court will be broadcast live, and the second trial in August will be, too (Star Tribune). The Star Tribune will offer a live stream each day on StarTribune.com.

If the city’s preparations for the upcoming trial are any indication, they give a pessimistic outlook on the case’s perceived outcomes. The city plans to spend $1M on security measures, and over half of that budget will go towards fortifying its five police precinct stations (NBC News). They’ve also called in thousands of additional law enforcement, including police officers and members of the National Guard. Although the city says that they have been working in partnership with local activists, reporting Tasneem Nashrulla at BuzzFeed News says otherwise. She reports that many activists did not hear from city leaders until Thursday — just days before the trial — and were not involved in the public safety plan. After criticism, the city also reversed plans to hire local social media “influencers” to spread messages of civility and unity in advance of the trial (USA Today).

Demonstrations have been held all weekend in Minneapolis and across the U.S. They are expected to continue today and throughout the trial (Star Tribune). And although only some may participate in person, it’s clear that the world is watching. George Floyd and his family deserve a fair and just trial, but so do all the families impacted by police violence, and all of us still processing the trauma of police brutality in our communities. The verdict in this trial will symbolize how far we’ve truly come over the past year – and only emphasize how much we’ve fallen short historically.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Today is the start of the Derek Chauvin trial, one of the four police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
The trial will be livestreamed to the public, and Minneapolis is bracing for tension by hiring law enforcement and building barricades.
Police officers are rarely tried or convicted, particularly in Minnesota, and families of victims are advocating for a fair and just trial.
The outcomes of this trial hold particular cultural significance and will symbolize how the U.S. is responding to the racial reckoning of the past year.

RELATED ISSUES

3/2/2021 | Demand more than reform.

9/24/2020 | Demand justice for Breonna Taylor.

7/6/2020 | Abolish qualified immunity.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 3/3/21 Nicole Cardoza 3/3/21

Know the difference between canceled and accountability.

Water is a necessary natural resource needed to live a sustainable life. Humans are made up of about sixty percent of water and, in addition to it being essential for the body, it is the most important substance for cleaning, bathing, washing, and many other things. When it comes to cities that are mostly comprised of Black and Brown citizens, proper maintenance and availability to the basic necessities—such as water, in this case—are sometimes overlooked or deemed as unimportant or not as urgent as those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Blatant disregard for these Black and Brown populations shows up more often than not but mostly during some sort of environmental crisis or natural disaster.

Happy Thursday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! I was disappointed to see this news get convoluted into something more than what it is. Not only does it add noise to a time where fast and accurate information is critical for our wellbeing, but it also detracts from the rare instances where organizations hold themselves responsible for change. I think this is a good case study in media literacy and looking past sensationalized headlines.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that support it!

Nicole

Ps – yes, I know that MI is for Michigan and MS is for Mississippi. That was a typo.

TAKE ACTION

If you are reading books with a child that depicts harmful racist stereotypes, have an honest discussion with them about it. More resources from Learning for Justice.

Explore the diverse books recommended for 2021 by the National Education Association.
Pay attention to how “canceled” is used in conversations about race. Who is on the defensive? What were the actions taken? Where did the conversation originate from?

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

March 2 was Read Across America Day, an initiative launched in 1998 to celebrate reading across the U.S. The day was started to commemorate the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel who wrote iconic children’s books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. But this year, the news was lit up with shocking allegations that Dr. Seuss was officially canceled for promoting racial tropes in his work. A school in Virginia banned his books. President Biden slighted him in a speech. And on Tuesday, the organization that manages Dr. Seuss’ anthology was forced to stop publishing his works. Altogether, these read as serious developments at first glance but, is the controversy valid?

One thing for certain is that there are definitely racist tropes in Dr. Seuss’s work. This conversation is not new, in fact, Dr. Seuss himself acknowledged and apologized for the harm (Dr. Seuss Art). In a study from 2019 titled Research on Diversity in Youth Literature, researchers Katie Ishizuka and Ramon Stephens analyzed all the published children’s work of Dr. Suess and found that only two percent of the human characters were people of color. All of those characters were depicted using harmful racial caricatures that are unacceptable today (St. Catherine University).

Consequently, organizations have acted accordingly. In 2017, the National Education Association rebranded Read Across America which is held on March 2 each year in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday to focus only on the celebration of reading and, specifically, the need to read diverse books (Edweek). These changes are reflected by others celebrating the day including school districts. Loudoun County Public Schools, the school district in question, had to publish an update on their website explaining just that (lcps.org). And although President Biden is the first president not to name Dr. Seuss in his public acknowledgment, it’s likely more to stay aligned with the NEA’s talking points than a direct attack on the Dr. Seuss’ legacy.

It’s also true that some of Dr. Seuss’ books are “canceled”, but not because of public outrage. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, the organization that manages Dr. Seuss’ anthology, announced that they made the decision to cease publication and licensing of only the books that depict racist tropes. The announcement indicated that this decision was made sometime last year after an external review. None of these books are the popular ones Dr. Seuss is known for. Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, If I Ran the Zoo, McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer are the six books that have been removed. (Suessville).

The controversy this year is less about the issue itself, but more on how it’s being spun by conservative media which is blaming the “woke mob” and “cancel culture” for “destroying” the institution of Dr. Seuss’ whimsical rhyming children’s books. Nothing here is destroyed; the majority of Dr. Seuss’ books will still be sold, organizations will celebrate the importance of reading, and we’ll continue to acknowledge the harm of promoting racist tropes in kids’ books. This wasn’t brought about by a mob of protestors but instead were decisions made by a national organization and the company that represents Dr. Seuss’ legacy. These clear and straightforward calls for accountability have been weaponized to insinuate that they’ve caused more harm than they actually have.

The controversy around Dr. Seuss is one of many recent examples of the conservative uproar over change, particularly expressed in the media. According to conservatives, The Muppets were canceled after Disney added content warnings to some of the old episodes that showcased harmful stereotypes (Vulture). Mr. Potato Head fell victim to the woke mob when Hasbro—sort of—dropped the Mr. and Mrs. from the brand name and logo to make the characters more gender-inclusive (AP).

These misinformation initiatives detract from the necessary efforts of both individuals and organizations to promote diversity and inclusion. They also attempt to discredit efforts to address sexism, racism, homophobia, etc. By disparaging those that seek change, conservatives believe they can reshape the narrative to act in their favor, often completely ignoring the facts most central to the issue; in this case, that some of Dr. Seuss’ work can be harmful for youth.

There’s a wide berth between accountability and cancelation, and we should applaud those taking steps to move forward instead of defending the outdated norms that exist. Although the actions of Dr. Seuss aren't forgiven, the most we can do is take accountability and do our part to move forward.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

After conversations around racist stereotypes found in Dr. Seuss' work rose again alongside Read Across America Day, the organization that represents his work announced they are ceasing the sale and publication of the books in question.
Critics decried the move as an attack by the "woke mob" and their attempts to "cancel" Dr. Seuss entirely, misrepresenting recent actions by the President, a Virginia school district, and the official Dr. Seuss organization.
This is one of many examples on how conservative media and leaders wield "cancel culture" and "wokeness" against those taking accountability and working towards change.

RELATED ISSUES

2/5/2021 | Stop white centering.

12/13/2020 | Acknowledge whiteness in classical art.

12/8/2020 | Learn how to apologize.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/23/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/23/21

Rally against anti-trans legislation.

Right now, there are over 50 pieces of anti-trans legislation under consideration in states across the U.S. All are designed to strip away the limited rights and protections that currently exist for transgender people (LGBTQ+ Nation). Seventeen states are all considering bills that would ban transgender girls and women from school sports this year, and some of the bills also ban transgender boys and men. These states are Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. This week, hearings are scheduled in South Dakota, Kansas, Tennessee, and South Carolina to act on anti-trans legislation that will disproportionately impact trans women and girls. Amplify the work of state and federal organizers fighting for their rights.

This newsletter is a free resource and that's made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $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. Thank you to all those that support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Sign up to phone bank with NEAT, the National Equality Action Team, to defend trans youth in key states.
Review the anti-trans legislation by state on the ACLU’s tracker. Then, contact your local legislators and urge them to block anti-trans bills from passing. Find your state representatives here.

Donate to trans-led organizations in your community. To make a donation that will be distributed to local orgs, donate to the Trans Justice Funding Project.

Action items inspired by the work of Chase Strangio, deputy director of transgender justice for the ACLU.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

In addition, 15 pieces of legislation designed to prevent transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming healthcare. Like HB 1/SB 10 in Alabama, these bills seek to impose criminal penalties on medical professionals and parents that offer transgender youth medical care. Arizona’s SB1511 wants to make it a Class 2 felony – punishable with up to 12 years in prison (Human Rights Watch).

Together, this legislation drafted in 2021 is a coordinated attack against trans rights, which activists feared after the Trump administration’s continued attacks on the trans community and growing anti-trans sentiment. Although President Biden signed an executive order to protect LGTBQ+ people in federally funded spaces, including education, it’s insufficient to ban state legislation on this topic (them).

These bills don’t necessarily reflect the sentiment of each state’s voter base. The Human Rights Campaign and Hart Research Group conducted a study across ten swing states on LGBTQ+ rights. They found that 87% of total respondents believe transgender people should have equal access to medical care, with many states breaking 90% support. They were also asked to prioritize banning transgender people from participating in sports against other policy issues. This issue came in dead last, and only 1-3% of respondents prioritized the issue (Los Angeles Blade).

In fact, much of this legislation has been drafted not by legislators, but Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit organization that aims to protect "religious freedom, sanctity of life, and marriage and family" (Southern Poverty Law Center). As Nico Lang reports for them, the ADF has been fighting against equal rights for queer and transgender people for years. The organization has lobbied in favor of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Colorado, Idaho, and South Carolina and advocated for the use of “religious freedoms” to justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ people (them).

This is also happening in a time of rampant violence against the trans community, particularly the Black trans community. And many of these deaths were directly caused by police brutality; the criminal justice system disproportionately impacts the Black trans community (Vox). This is exacerbated by the systemic injustices that the Black trans community experiences, including unprecedented unemployment rates, high levels of houselessness, and low household incomes (Harvard Civil Rights). The Human Rights Watch noted a 43% increase in the formation of anti-LGBTQ hate groups in 2019.

This legislation is yet another form of policing the health and safety of trans youth, particularly trans women, for it’s important to emphasize how gender influences these harmful narratives. A common refrain from proponents of this legislation is that it’s necessary to protect women in sport because people assigned male at birth are “inherently” better at sports, purporting the notion that “women are weak and in need of protection.” It also insinuates that trans women athletes have an unfair advantage (this has been proven untrue). Throughout history, women’s protection, particularly white women, has been used to justify unnecessary harm against other marginalized communities (Washington Post). And more generally, the government continuously tries to control women’s bodies (Institute for Women’s Policy Research).

"
These bills cloak transmisogyny in inflammatory language and scare tactics that distract from the policies’ discriminatory intent. Notably, many do not lay out restrictions for transgender boys and men, focusing solely on regulating women’s bodies.
Excerpt from Fair Play: The Importance of Sports Participation for Transgender Youth by the Center for American Progress (CAP), via them.

As hearings unfold this week, I urge you to take direct action on this legislation right now, even if it doesn’t affect your state. And, more broadly, continue to amplify and advocate for the needs of the trans community, particularly trans youth.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A series of anti-trans legislation is being discussed in state legislators across the U.S. this week.
This legislation is a part of the violence and discrimination that trans communities experience on behalf of our government, particularly trans communities of color and the Black trans community.
This is especially harmful for trans women and girls, who experience added discrimination because of stereotypes about the role of gender in society

RELATED ISSUES

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

6/13/2020 | Center Black trans lives.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/22/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/22/21

Advocate for reparations.

Last Wednesday, February 17, Congress held a hearing on “H.R. 40: Exploring the Path to Reparative Justice in America.” The bill, referred to as H.R. 40, calls for Congress to create a commission to study the history of slavery in the U.S. from 1619 to 1865, and develop actionable steps to pay reparations. You can watch a recording of the entire hearing on PBS.

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I was hoping to cover this issue last week on the day of the hearing, but I totally missed my own deadline with everything happening in Texas. It aligns well with Andrew’s article yesterday, which analyzed our relationship to reconciliation through history.

This newsletter is a free resource and that's made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $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. Thank you to all those that support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Send a message to your members of Congress urging them to support H.R. 40.
Download and review the reparations toolkit from the Movement for Black Lives.
Research efforts for reparations in your state and local community. See how you can support, amplifying, or advocate as needed.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

This is a marked point of progress on the long road to receiving federal reparations for Black people. In 1898, The National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief Bounty and Pension Association had 600,000 members – all of who organized to obtain compensation for slavery from federal agencies. During the 1920s, Marcus Garvey organized hundreds of thousands of Black people to demand reparations. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr advocated for reparations as part of his book “Why We Can’t Wait” in 1964. The Black Panther Party called for reparations as part of their ten-point program.

In fact, in her 2019 public lecture at Columbia Journal of Race and Law, activist, attorney, and scholar Nkechi Taifa emphasizes that, since the end of slavery, “there's been no substantial period of time where the call for redress has been neglected.” Read her full speech via Columbia and more examples of reparations through history via ACLU.

But in 1988, Congress passed legislation paying reparations to Japanese Americans that were descendants of those held in detention camps, along with funding dedicated to educating the history of Japanese internment and a pardon for all those convicted of resisting arrest. This action created a framework for approaching reparations for Black people in the political sphere. As a result, the H.R. 40 bill was introduced a year later, led by the late Representative John Conyers (MI). It’s named after “40 acres and a mule,” referencing the broken promise of 1845 to redistribute land to formerly enslaved people (learn more in a previous newsletter).

The House and the Senate issued apologies to Black Americans for the impact of slavery and Jim Crow back in 2008 and 2009 (NPR), a hollow gesture without joint accountability or reparations for the harm. (They also apologized for the harm that happened “to Native Peoples” during this time). But otherwise, there’s been no significant progress on behalf of the federal government.

Despite this, public perception of reparations is rapidly shifting. Ta-Nehisi Coates’ article, The Case for Reparations, brought reparations to the front-page in 2014 (The Atlantic). And racial reckoning of this year alone has swiftly shifted sentiment in favor of passing reparations. Reparations have been a persistent demand from major Black-led organizing groups. And last summer, the Human Rights Watch, along with dozens of other organizations, sent a letter to Congress urging the review and passing of H.R. 40 (Human Rights Watch).

Representative Shelia Jackson Lee (TX) took on this work after the passing of Rep. Conyers. She reintroduced the latest version of H.R. 40 on January 4, 2021. This pivotal step got buried in the news; two days later, white supremacists stormed the Capitol building – resulting in another slew of calls for accountability. It’s difficult to imagine what more is needed to make this case a national priority.

“
Reparations is repairing or restoring. It’s a formal acknowledgment and apology, recognition that the injury continues, commitment to redress and actual compensation.”

Nkechi Taifa, told to Donna M. Owens for NBC News

Proponents of the bill believe that this year, H.R. 40 has a chance. It’s likely the bill will pass the House but may falter in the Senate. But they hope that President Biden will step in, enacting this work as an executive order if Congress votes against it. The press secretary at the White House confirmed that Biden supports a study on reparations but didn’t explicitly note how he’d respond to the bill (Newsweek).

In the interim, we can also turn to state and local governments to pursue reparations in their communities. Over the past two years, in particular, states and cities have increased efforts to pay reparations for Black people and other people of color (Pew Trust). For example, Maryland has launched its own commission to consider financial commitments like free college tuition at Maryland schools, low home mortgages, and business loans without collateral (NBC).

It’s important to remember that conditions only worsen each day the government fails to act on reparations. A recent study found that reparation payments could have reduced the transmission and fatality of COVID-19 across the U.S. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Lancet Commission on Reparations and Redistributive Justice analyzed data in Lousiana and found that payments could have reduced between 31% to 68% of coronavirus transmissions (Social Science and Medicine). As of this past weekend, over 500,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 in less than a year. This is more than the number of U.S. soldiers that died in both WWI and WWII (NBC News).

The best time to demand reparations was yesterday. The second-best time is right now. We must hold our leaders accountable for a legacy of harm to protect our communities today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Last week there was a Congressional heraing on H.R. 40, a bill that calls for the government to create a commission to study the history of slavery in the U.S. and pay reparations.
Social sentiment on reparations is changing swiftly, particularly due to the racial reckoning of the past year
The work to federally recognize reparations for Black people has been happening for decades by politicians and organizers alike

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/17/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/17/21

Support those most vulnerable in the winter storms.

Millions of people across the country are without power after a series of intense winter storms. From Nashville to Chicago, North Carolina to Oregon, states are grappling with power outages, car crashes, and destruction from wind, snow, tornadoes, or hail.

The situation is especially dire in Texas, where over 2 million people are without power throughout the state. Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures have overwhelmed the state’s power grid, causing widespread outages that have left many communities without power for days on end.

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. This is a rougher email than usual. I’m writing at 3am after driving to a friend’s home. My neighborhood hasn’t had power for the past two days with no end in sight, a situation many in Texas are experiencing right now. The call to action below is specific to Texas, but as this storm spreads across the U.S., I encourage you to pursue more local action wherever possible.

Thank you all for your contributions! This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider giving $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

Donate or volunteer with mutual aid funds supporting vulnerable communities.
- Feed The People Dallas | Website or Venmo @feedthepeopledallas
- Mutual Aid Houston | Website or Venmo @mutualaidhou
- Austin Mutual Aid | GoFundMe or Venmo @austinmutualaidhotels
- Para Mi Gente Mutual Aid (San Antonio) | Venmo @pmgmutualaid, IG @para.mi_gente
Donate to commissary funds for those incarcerated in Texas jails receiving inadequate care (via Texas Jail Project).
Local news is critical for many people to stay informed in turbulent times, and can use your support now more than ever. Make a monthly or annual subscription to your local news site if you can. If you can't, be sure to like, follow and share their articles!

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Texas once prided itself on its energy independence. Unlike the rest of the country, the state has its own power grid, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which acts independently from neighboring states. This means that the state needs to produce enough energy to support its residents. But the grid entered this upcoming storm with a lower reserve than usual, and the weather halted or reduced power generation effort by freezing refineries and wind turbines. It’s not impossible to generate power in cold weather; cold states do it all the time. But Texas chose not to winterize their equipment (Washington Post). This, paired with the increased demand from residents, put the grid at a deficit. And the shortfall can’t be fixed overnight. It will take improved weather conditions and increased production to generate enough power to reach more residents. And in the meantime, there is no timeline for power to be restored.

Power scarcity isn’t a unique issue to Texas; Oklahoma and Louisiana have similar problems (WDSU). On a much smaller scale, California experienced a similar situation during the heatwave last summer (Bloomberg). But the scale and severity of the power outage in Texas is a grave reminder to the rest of the country of what happens when we don’t plan for unprecedented weather amid global warming.

As we often see when analyzing the impact of climate change, black and brown communities are disproportionately impacted by the latest winter storm. Across Texas, there are clear racial disparities in power outages. In Austin, for example, the communities experiencing ongoing outages are predominantly Black and brown, while downtown Austin and other pricier, mostly white neighborhoods have yet to lose power (Statesman).

The storm is also gravely impacting houseless communities across the U.S., who are already vulnerable to the pandemic. With freezing temperatures expected to continue through the weekend, shelters quickly became overwhelmed. Cities are opening more warming centers to provide temporary relief. Mutual aid networks were booking hotels for those unhoused to get a night of reprieve. In Tulsa, a record $1.5M was raised to support those unhoused (Tulsa World). However, as many of the housed community experience ongoing power outages at their own homes, they’re quickly filling up hotels, decreasing available supply.

Those incarcerated in Texas are also struggling during this time. The Texas Jail Project noted that, since losing power, those incarcerated in Harris County Jail hadn’t received hot meals or extra blankets. At another Texas jail, heaters aren’t working, and correction officers have resorted to using table salt on the walkways to mitigate ice (Keri Blakinger on Twitter). The cold and lack of power exacerbate existing inequitable conditions that already threaten their livelihood (Twitter).

The storm also conflicts with the Biden administration’s efforts to increase the vaccine distribution to communities of color – both in Texas and throughout the U.S. Appointments were postponed or canceled altogether because of the severe weather, and additional shipments are delayed. In California, though, two new FEMA sites in Los Angeles and Oakland began mass vaccinations (AP).

Haphazard weather is unavoidable. But it’s our local and federal government’s response to it that influences its severity. With so many marginalized communities in need, it’s important to remember that some of our greatest threats are man-made.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/15/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/15/21

Advocate for Black immigrants.

Last week, the Biden administration deported 72 people, including a two-month-old baby and 22 other children, back to Haiti (The Guardian). Advocates for immigrants approximate that over 900 Haitians have been deported in the weeks prior (Washington Post). This, paired with other recent efforts that disproportionately impact Black immigrants, has spurred advocates to call for accountability on the racial disparities in an unjust system.

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. We're drawing attention to the work of several Black-led organizations that are highlighting the racial disparities in our immigration system. Follow their work and amplify within your networks.

Thank you all for your contributions! This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider giving $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

Donate to the Black Immigrant Bail Fund in their mission to eradicate the mass incarceration of Black immigrants.
Act for immigrants from Mauritania, sign onto a letter calling for their protected status. Learn more about why immigrants from Cameroon also require protected status.
Follow and support these Black immigrant advocates and organizers: @HaitianBridge @UndocuBlack @OfficialBLMP @BAJITweet.
Action items provided by the Movement for Black Lives.

GET EDUCATED

By Kashea McCowan (she/her)

Haiti is in the midst of roiling political turmoil. Its president, Jovenel Moïse, is refusing to step down after opposition called for him to step down on February 7 (The Guardian). The United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Biden Administration all support his plan to remain in office until 2022. However, as protests mount, citizens and human rights activists are worried about the people’s safety.

Similar unrest threatens other Black immigrants being targeted by ICE. Over 40,000 immigrants from Cameroon are at risk of deportation while the country reels from multiple ongoing conflicts. Activists call for the government to offer these immigrants Temporary Protected Status, abbreviated as TPS (Clinic Legal). A similar effort is underway to protect Black Mauritanian immigrants, who are in fear of returning to a country with rampant “police violence, slavery, human trafficking, genocide, restrictions on free speech and association, discrimination in education and access to citizenship and identity documents, and racism and repression” (Ignatian Solidarity Network).

Furthermore, advocates emphasize that these expulsions are happening amid the pandemic, rising unemployment, and just weeks after the Biden administration pledged to improve immigration policies in their first 100 days. On Friday, the administration announced that they would allow approximately 25,000 migrants who have been waiting for months in Mexico under a program called the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, to enter the U.S. as soon as next week. Lawmakers expressed concern that ICE is “disparately targeting Black asylum-seekers and immigrants for detention, torture, and deportation” (Washington Post).

“

It is unconscionable for us as a country to continue with the same draconian, cruel policies that were pursued by the Trump administration.

Guerline Jozef, Executive Director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, for The Guardian

There’s historical data that shows the disparities that Black immigrants face. Although most media attention on immigration centered on the Latinx community, RAICES Texas found that 44% of families in detention during the pandemic were Haitian (RAICES Texas). While 7% of non-citizens in the U.S. are Black, they make up a full 20% of those facing deportation on criminal grounds, even though there’s no evidence that Black immigrants commit crime at greater rates than other immigrants or U.S-citizens (Black Alliance for Just Immigration). While detained, Black immigrants are six times more likely to be sent to solitary confinement (RAICES Texas).

Black families are not just being detained more often, but ICE also makes it more difficult for them to be released. The bond system allows some immigrants in detention to be released if they can pay thousands of dollars in fees. RAICES Texas, which runs a fund that pays for bail on immigrants’ behalf, found that between June 2018 and June 2020, they paid $10,500 per bond payment, on average. But bonds paid for Haitian immigrants by RAICES averaged $16,700, 54% higher than for other immigrants (RAICES Texas).

Last week, several Black activist groups created Black Immigrant Advocacy Week of Action, calling on the Biden administration to recognize and address systemic anti-Black racism in how the government treats immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Let’s carry that work forward and continue to advocate for Black immigrants.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Biden administration is deporting Black immigrants, mainly Haitian, at a time of significant political unrest both here in the U.S. and abroad
Black immigrants are disproportionately targeted for deportation and detained
The efforts of the Biden administration to improve immigration in the U.S. may be racially-charged, and Black advocacy organizations are calling for accountability

10/5/2020 | Protect undocumented Americans.

9/17/2020 | Abolish ICE.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/11/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/11/21

Support an equitable vaccine rollout.

Happy Thursday, and welcome back. We started covering COVID-19 in the newsletter each week back in June. Many of our articles have the same theme: this pandemic is disproportionately affecting communities of color, and there are inadequate resources to support their wellbeing. Unfortunately, the same narrative is unfolding with access to the vaccine. Take action today to support those in your community.

Thank you all for your contributions! This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider giving $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

Ps – The latest news released during the impeachment trials are harrowing. Be sure to review and amplify the Black Lives Matter movement's list of demands in response to those events. Details here.

TAKE ACTION

Urge your elected officials to improve your state’s COVID-19 race and ethnicity data reporting by using the resources on The COVID Tracking Project.
Search for petitions and other action items to ensure an equitable rollout of the vaccine in your state. Here are example actions to take in North Carolina and Georgia.
Contact your local mutual aid network to see how you can support those eligible for vaccinations in your community. You may be able to offer transportation or schedule appointments on behalf of others.
Individuals across the country are designing their own websites, Google docs, and social media accounts to make vaccine testing information more accessible (MIT Technology). Find the latest for your community and share/support where needed.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Over the past few weeks, valiant efforts to increase vaccination rates have been lauded by the press. Tuesday, White House officials announced a program to ship doses of the vaccine directly to a network of federally funded clinics in underserved areas (NYTimes). Pfizer expects to cut COVID-19 vaccine production time by close to 50%, promising more accessibility (USA Today).

But so far, the federal government has gathered race and ethnicity data for just 52% of all vaccine recipients. Among those, just 11% were given to recipients identified as Latino/Latina, and 5% were given to those identified as Black Americans (Politico). Although public health experts believe delivering vaccines directly to underserved communities is helpful, they note that the absence of comprehensive data makes it impossible to know whether vaccine distribution is truly equitable (NYTimes).

The lack of data on COVID-19 contraction and treatment’s racial disparities has been a persistent issue since the pandemic began in the U.S. last March. A study from the John Hopkins' Coronavirus Research Center published last June noted that racial and ethnic information was available for only about 35% of the total deaths in the U.S. during that time. Various advocacy organizations, including the Black Lives Matter movement, demanded accountability. While data have improved over time, they continue to have significant gaps and limitations, particularly on a state-by-state level (KFF). These discrepancies have made it difficult to understand its effects across communities and respond appropriately.

And now that we’re rigorously attempting to distribute the vaccine, the same challenges apply. In the NYTimes, Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, notes that the lack of data is alarming.

“

The race and ethnicity data is important because we know who’s bearing the brunt of the pandemic, so there is a fairness and an empathy issue. But there is also a disease control issue. If those are the groups most likely to get affected and die, those are the groups we need to make sure we are reaching with the vaccine.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, NYTimes

Even with limited data, the differences are apparent. NPR studied the locations of vaccination sites in major cities across the Southern U.S. and found that most are based in whiter neighborhoods (NPR). This data mirrors the organization’s previous reporting last May, which analyzed COVID-19 testing facilities (NPR). This continued disparity has immediate and urgent implications. Residents express their frustration with finding transportation to facilities for an available vaccine. But it also indicates a broader issue. Most vaccine distribution and tests are hosted in existing health care facilities, and those, too, are inequitably distributed. It’s a reminder that COVID-19 doesn’t just cause these disparities but exacerbates them.

And the South isn’t a unique case. Similar studies in other major cities show that vaccine accessibility prioritizes whiter neighborhoods (NPR). As Grist notes while analyzing Chicago data, these disparities often mean that more polluted communities are left behind (Grist). Communities with higher rates of pollution tend to have compounding health issues that can worsen the impact of COVID-19.

But it will take more than presidential intervention and speedier production timelines to get those most vulnerable vaccinated. A significant barrier to ensuring vaccines are utilized is trust. The Black community – and other communities of color - have a deep distrust of the medical system, an issue we’ve written about frequently in previous newsletters. Organizations have rallied quickly to create cross-cultural awareness campaigns, but it’s likely insufficient for solving generational trauma alone (Ad Council).

As individuals, we have little control over the systemic and political forces in play that makes vaccine distribution inequitable. But we can do our part to ease access for those in our communities. As the rollout continues, consider how you can also advocate for changes that transform our healthcare system, making it more responsive in times of future emergencies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The vaccine rollout seems to favor white communities, with few people of color receiving the vaccine so far
Data on the vaccine rollout is limited due to constraints and disparities in state-by-state reporting
The lack of racial/ethnic data in the response to COVID-19 is a persistent issue that's affecting access to testing and treatment
Part of the issues in lack of accessibility stem from broader systemic disparities evident in healthcare

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/8/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/8/21

Address anti-Asian hate crimes.

Happy Monday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! A rise in violence against the Asian community this past week prompted me to revisit this article from July, where I outlined the rising anti-Asian sentiment prompted by COVID-19 and the previous administration. I've included it below, with the addition of new sources to follow and the latest ways to take action.

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

Ps – be sure to sign up for 28 Days of Black History.

TAKE ACTION

If you or someone you know experiences an anti-Asian attack, report it at stopaapihate.org.
Raise awareness and learn more by following the hashtag #StopAAPIHate on social media.
Ensure your company has implemented anti-discrimination policies that protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders using this PDF.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Over the past week, a series of attacks against the Asian community, particularly in the San Francisco Bay area, have led calls for justice. In SF, an 84-year-old man from Thailand, Vicha Ratanapakdee, was tackled to the ground. He ultimately died from his injuries (Yahoo). In Oakland, a 91-year-old man was senselessly knocked over. According to the Chinatown Chamber president, there have been 20+ robbery/assault incidents reported in the neighborhood over the past week (ABC7). These acts of violence match others that have sparked in cities across the country, as reported by @nguyen_amanda on Twitter. Despite the severity of these attacks, many major news sources have not yet reported on them.

The onset of COVID-19 in early March set off a dramatic spike in anti-Asian racism. The Stop AAPI Hate Reporting Center, organized by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, has tracked over 1,900 self-reported acts of anti-Asian incidents from March 13 – June, and hundreds more from California and Texas since (A3PCON). 58% of Asian Americans feel it’s more common to experience racism now than it was before COVID-19, and 31% have been subject to slurs or jokes because of their race or ethnicity (Pew Research). A recent Pew Study reports that since COVID-19 about 40% of U.S. adults believe “it has become more common for people to express racist views toward Asians since the pandemic began” (Pew Research).

Former President Trump played a role in this, applying his divisive approach to conversations around COVID-19. He chose to refer to it as “Chinese virus,” or “kung flu,” consistently. Press noted he used “Chinese virus” over 20 times between March 16 and March 30 (NBC News). And there’s a long history of North America and its leaders using false narratives to associate Asian Americans with diseases to "justify" racial discrimination and violence.

In the late 19th century, many Chinese and Japanese people immigrated to the U.S. and Canada for the gold rush, along with immigrants from the UK and Europe. Their labor was indispensable for the growth of infrastructure alongside the West Coast, but they were also paid terribly compared to their white American counterparts (The Conversation).

As Chinese communities began to grow, white communities turned against them, fearing they would take their jobs and disrupt their quality of life. They ostracized them by blaming Chinese people for diseases – like syphilis, leprosy, and smallpox – growing in the region. This was entirely untrue; poverty, not race, is more accurately correlated with the spread of diseases.

Despite that, Canada created a Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration and concluded that "Chinese quarters are the filthiest and most disgusting places in Victoria, overcrowded hotbeds of disease and vice, disseminating fever and polluting the air all around,” even though they knew themselves it wasn’t accurate (The Conversation). This spurred violence and hateful rhetoric, but political changes, too: the U.S. passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, and Canada followed with their own Chinese Immigration Act in 1885. These were the first law for both countries that excluded an entire ethnic group (AAPF).

To see the same type of discrimination and violence rise yet again is terrifying. For our original piece last summer, I interviewed my friend Katie Dean, an educator currently working in the tech space, to get her thoughts. Dean, who has been self-isolating since March, expressed her frustration for the violence her community is experiencing.

"
Right now, who I actually am, doesn’t matter. When I walk out into the world, I am judged by my face. And currently the face of an Asian person, to some, is synonymous with COVID-19, the virus that has taken loved ones, the virus that’s brought the global economy to a crashing halt, the virus that has exacerbated every conceivable racial and socioeconomic disparity. And this hurts, on a profound level.

Katie Dean for the Anti-Racism Daily

Our country needs to take more direct action to protect the AAPI community. In just the past month, President Biden signed a memorandum to combat bias incidents toward Asian Americans, issuing guidance on how to better collect data and assist with the reporting of anti-Asian hate incidents (NBC News). But the work truly starts with each of us. We must continue to raise awareness and admonish this violence in our own communities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A rise in anti-Asian sentiment only further stresses the need for accountability from individuals and the government alike
The onset of COVID-19 in early March set off a dramatic spike in anti-Asian racism.
The U.S. and Canada have a history of accusing Asian Americans of disease as one of many ways to discriminate and incite violence against them.

RELATED ISSUES

10/13/2020 | Support Chinatown during COVID-19.

11/4/2020 | Understand intergenerational trauma.

11/22/2020 | Stand against hate crimes.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/5/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/5/21

Stop white centering.

On February 2, the School Library Journal, a publication for librarians and information specialists that reviews and recommends children’s books, released the cover of their February issue, which drew immediate criticism on social media.

Happy Friday, and welcome back! This one is personal. For my 9-to-5 (I don’t run this newsletter full-time!) I run a company that creates diverse mindfulness content for kids, and I just published my first children’s book with the same intention. For both of those projects, I’m committed to centering Black and brown kids because of how often they’re overlooked. Today’s topic – during Black History Month no less – is infuriating.

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

Ps – be sure to sign up for 28 Days of Black History.

TAKE ACTION

Support the work of We Need Diverse Books, which advocates for essential changes in the publishing industry.
Buy books that center children of color, particularly books beyond “issue books” from independent writers and publishers—recommendations on our Bookshop.
Consider: How do you center the “benefits” of diversity, equity, and inclusion at your office? In your community? At your school? Does it align with centering the needs of those most marginalized or the white community?

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Screen Shot 2021-02-04 at 8.03.49 AM.png

Before we dive in, the statement on this cover isn’t factually wrong. The article highlighted on the homepage names the challenges that libraries in majority-white school districts experience when diversifying their collections. It’s correct that, as the article states, centering whiteness in children’s media can promote an ethnocentric, superior mindset against other communities of color. You can read the full article here.

But this is a disappointing example of white centering – when the case for change has to be rooted in the benefit of dominant culture. It’s a violent manipulation of privilege, a way to disregard the sentiments of a non-white person or community and prioritize white feelings instead. White centering is often found in tone-policing, racial gaslighting, and in the refusal of apologizing or holding oneself accountable for their actions. It creates the assumption that diversity is only important when it benefits white people.

The illustration, personally, makes this positioning most damning. The cover depicts a white child holding up a Black face speaking Spanish over their own. The two images merge, so the Black face becomes theirs, too. This is a form of blackface (Anti-Racism Daily) and normalizes the idea that white people can adopt the culture of non-white people for their own gain – as if it’s automatically theirs to own. It perpetuates the idea that the experiences of non-white people should be designed for white consumption, white empowerment, and white advancement. This notion is the foundation of white supremacy.

Rebekah Borucki, author, and publisher at Wheat Penny Press, emphasizes that “what happened here was no accident or oversight. The decision to center white children and their needs in an educational institution’s cover story, written by a non-Black woman, during Black History Month, is exactly why we desperately need more Black authors, publishers, and librarians creating and curating content for our children. Black creativity and labor does not exist for white people’s benefit.”

This perspective on books is quite common in the publishing industry. We already know that the industry is largely white, and the books written by people of color that succeed are “issue books,” books that educate and illuminate their struggles. We wrote about this in more detail in a previous newsletter. Consider the controversy around “American Dirt,” a novel that glorified the trauma of immigration written by a white woman. Publishers celebrated it and accelerated its rapid success without listening to the Latinx voices adamant about its harm (Vulture).

And this is reflected in the children’s book publishing space. A 2019 study by We Need Diverse Books found that 71% of the characters found in children’s books are either white or non-human (BookRiot). It’s 2.5x more likely that a children’s book character will be an animal than Black/African American, and only 1% of characters are of Native background. Currently, there are several top bestselling kids’ books featuring kids of color. Still, all but one of them reflect the inauguration of Vice President Harris (there’s also one that celebrates President Biden). We can’t wait for another inauguration to see this type of diversity (Barnes & Noble).

I was one of the few kids of color at an otherwise all-white school. I'd go home and wrap a towel around her head to pretend to have the long locks of my peers. I tried everything I could to fit in. Abby, an American Girl doll that represented a nine-year-old enslaved child, was the only Black doll I owned. In the first pages of the book that accompanied the doll, her overseer forced her to eat a worm found on the tobacco plants because she wasn’t removing them fast enough (Paris Review). Who was that doll created for? Who was that story created for? Was it designed to offer this young Black girl representation, vision, and hope, or make the horrors of slavery consumable for a broader audience? And would the diversity efforts of my school actually support me and my experience?

As of now (mid-day Thursday), the School Library Journal has yet to respond to the feedback on their cover. It’s clear that it’s up to us as individuals to stay educated and aware on how to center diverse kids’ books – by centering the experiences of marginalized children that deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

We’ve created our own recommended reading list of diverse children’s books for Black History Month. You can explore the collection in our Bookshop.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The School Library Journal released an off-putting cover in February that centers the need for diversity in children's media for the benefit of white students
This is an example of how white centered diversity efforts only perpetuate white supremacy
The publishing industry is notoriously white, and often only celebrates diverse stories when they seem to have a benefit for white readers.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/4/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/4/21

Support the BAmazon Union.

On Monday, February 8, 5,805 workers at an Amazon facility in Alabama will decide whether they wish to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. If they vote yes, they would be the first Amazon warehouse in the United States to unionize (Washington Post). The vote-counting is scheduled to be completed by late March. This Black women-led movement is one of the greatest and most significant unionization efforts in recent history.

Happy Thursday, and welcome back. Today I'm spotlighting the unionization efforts happening at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, AL. Their efforts could have a significant impact on not just Amazon but the many companies that thrive off of low-wage workers.

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

Ps – yes, I'm aware of the irony of citing the Washington Post in this article, and I'm glad you are too.

TAKE ACTION

Follow the work of the Bessemer Union on Twitter @BAmazonUnion and their website.
Alabama residents: Join the rally to support workers on February 6 (details on Twitter).
Share the resources provided on the Bamazon website with Amazon employees you may know (if applicable).

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

This organizing has placed the Bessemer, AL facility in the spotlight. The city, a working-class suburb of Birmingham, was once a powerful industrial city called “Marvel City” (Alabama Pioneers). But after steel mills exited the area decades ago, unemployment rates rose. 28% of the population (which is 72% Black) lives under the poverty line (Census.gov). The mayor said it was the largest single investment in the city’s 130-year history (CBS 42). And the jobs, which pay twice as much as the state’s minimum wage, could offer a much-needed boost (NPR).

But, according to a video by More Perfect Union, a media company covering labor issues, employees say that conditions inside are like a sweatshop, and employees are treated “worse than robots (More Perfect Union video). Employees shared more details on conditions to Michael Sainato in his article for The American Prospect:

“
'They work you to death,' said Sara Marie Thrasher, who worked as a 'stower,' an employee who stocks items in warehouses before they’re ordered by customers, at Amazon BHM1 [facility] in October and November 2020, before she claimed she was fired via email without warning. 'It’s crowded. Sometimes you can’t even find a station. We would get reprimanded if our stowing time was above 20 seconds or higher, with rates needing to be done in 8 seconds per item' (The American Prospect).

These stories reflect thousands of others that employees have shared at Amazon factories across the globe. And many of these stories are not new; here’s reporting on the issue from 2013. But conditions for many workers, including those in Bessemer, have deteriorated since the start of the pandemic. The Bessemer facilities opened in March 2020, and rules started to change quickly as the pandemic worsened. Una Massey, a former level five area manager at the facilities, tells the Guardian that rules changed rapidly weren’t adequately communicated to staff, causing more terminations and leaving the team short-staffed (The Guardian). Massey also stated that a supervisory group called Space Force designed to ensure social distancing would give final warnings to associates that were less than six feet from one another. “But that was so unfair to the associates,” she states, “because there weren’t even enough seats in the lunchroom” (The Guardian).

In response, Amazon has gone on the offensive. The organization now forces employees to attend anti-union meetings during their shifts (Business Insider) and have plastered anti-union fliers everywhere, including bathroom stalls (Washington Post). Employees are receiving text messages and being targeted with sponsored ads on Facebook linking to the organization’s anti-union website (The Guardian). The organization is also pressing for the upcoming vote to be held in-person instead of through mail ballots, even though we’re still in a pandemic (Washington Post).

Last June, the company was celebrated for making broad statements in support of Black lives (Business Insider). But those words fail to justify their actions. Their gross profitization on the oppression of Black and brown communities is a clear example of racial capitalism, a term coined by Cedric J. Robertson, describing the process of extracting social and economic value from nonwhite communities (Harvard Law). This isn’t just reflected in Amazon’s treatment of its employees, but other aspects of its business: the racial discrimination of its AI and the partnership between their Ring and local law enforcement (The Forge). It also makes an egregious impact on the environment, which we know disproportionately affects communities of color. A September 2019 report released by the organization outlined that, in 2018, it emitted 44.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents into the atmosphere – roughly equal to the annual emissions of Norway (Wired).

On Tuesday, February 2, CEO Jeff Bezos announced that he’s stepping down and will be replaced by cloud executive Andy Jassy (CNBC). This news came hours after the story broke that the company will pay $61.7M in fines after stealing a percentage of drivers’ tips (TechCrunch). Since the start of the pandemic, Bezos’ net worth has increased by $70 billion. Progressive International estimated that if Bezos gave every Amazon worker a $105,000 bonus, he’d still be as rich as he was at the start of COVID-19 (Twitter).

It’s important to remember that even with a new CEO, it’s likely that Amazon’s predatory capitalism will continue to grow. For NPR, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum notes that this movement isn’t just a labor struggle, but a civil rights struggle, too (NPR). Supporting this initiative isn’t just a way to honor those bold organizers’ work but stand for more equitable working conditions for all laborers, especially those most vulnerable to racial capitalism. The outcome of this upcoming vote could define the future of Amazon and the labor decisions of thousands of other organizations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

An Amazon facility in Bessemer, AL is planning to vote next week on unionizing.
If completed, this will be the first unionization against Amazon
Amazon's inadequate treatment of employees is one form of racial capitalism

RELATED ISSUES

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.

6/29/2020 | Protect public workers.

11/1/2020 | Question billionaire philanthropy.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/1/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/1/21

Honor Black History Month with action.

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month in the U.S. Created as Negro History Week in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson at his organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, this time was designed to encourage “people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience” (ASALH). Congress passed “National Black History Month” into law in 1986, proclaiming that “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity” (Library of Congress).

It's Monday, it's finally February, and we're back with the Anti-Racism Daily. It's also the first day of Black History Month. I touched on this topic in a Study Hall email two Saturdays ago, which I saw people sharing with their community. I figured today was a good day to expand on that, and offer more ways to honor this month beyond education.

If you're looking for more accountability on education, though, I highly recommend 28 Days of Black History, our daily curated guide of works that exemplify the Black legacy. The first work goes out tonight. Sign up here: 28daysofblackhistory.com.

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

Add one of the action items below to your plan this month. Commit to executing on it weekly (if relevant).
Consider: How can my community/classroom/organization make a more meaningful impact this Black History Month?
As you learn over the next month, share and discuss with your friends and community.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

However, moving through Black History Month 2021 like it’s merely a learning opportunity misses the mark. This is a year for making the history books, not only for re-reading them. Education is essential, but we have to also take targeted actions to change the course of history. Here are some suggestions.

Address pay inequity.

Racial pay inequity is still an issue across the country. Reports from early 2020 found that the Black-white wealth gap widened in the 2000s (NWLC) and worsening during the pandemic (UC Berkeley). Use this month to solve the pay inequity at your organization. If you’re not in a leadership position to do this, perhaps start by inquiring: what were the findings of the latest pay audit performed by your company? What initiatives were put in place to solve them?

Review your DEI initiatives.

Ensure your DEI initiatives are actually inclusive. And this goes beyond racial equity. Organizations that strive for racial equity, but don’t prioritize disability equity or LGBTQ rights, for example, aren’t inclusive. This is one of many reasons that DEI can fail to fix corporate culture (Catapult).

Give.

Donate monthly to organizations that center Black wellbeing. Prioritize organizations that have Black executive leaders and Black board members (Non-Profit Quarterly). Think beyond traditional 501c3 to local, grassroots initiatives – including mutual aid networks. You can also donate physical goods (like food or clothing) or your time (skills-based volunteering, transportation, etc.).

Mentor.

Invest in the next generation of leaders in your field through a fellowship or mentorship program. You can do this individually or create/enhance a program at your office. Remember that mentorships are a two-way relationship. You likely have as much, or more, to learn from your mentees or fellows than you may think. Note: mentorships and fellowships should only be implemented in addition to other employment equity initiatives, like achieving pay equity or increasing the number of Black senior executives, not in place of them. Alone, it can cause more harm than good.

Rally.

Change isn’t created in silence. Continue showing up at protests and other demonstrations as best as you can. This includes protesting physically in the streets and/or providing essential services to protestors on the ground. This can also include consistently sharing action items on social media and defending protestors through advocating for legislation and donating to bail funds and other emerging needs. More resources for supporting protests can be found here.

Pay reparations.

Reparations are necessary for achieving racial equity (Brookings). On an individual level, pay it forward to creators you learn from on social media or organizers in your community. On a local level, find the local or state initiative advocating for reparations and support for their work. In addition, I recommend completing the Reparations Now Tool Kit created by the Movement for Black Lives to create a comprehensive plan.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Black History Month was started by Carter G. Woodson as Negro History Week in February 1926.
The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the Black community only widens the racial disparities evident in the U.S.
Use this month not just to educate, but do your part to accelerate racial equity in the U.S.

RELATED ISSUES

11/27/2020 | Support Black-owned businesses.

1/26/2021 | Support Black poetry.

1/8/2021 | Pay Black women.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/28/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/28/21

Take action on executive orders.

Since his presidency began two weeks ago, President Biden has signed 26 executive orders to rewrite our political history and create a distinction between his and the previous administration. And in text, these statements are powerful. Four of them signed last Tuesday directly address racial equity, and cover topics you’ve seen in this newsletter: they stress the importance of land sovereignty for Indigenous communities, address anti-Asian sentiment due to COVID-19, reduce the use of private prisons, and acknowledge the role the federal government has played in discriminatory housing policy. The previous sentence links to previous newsletters. Read more about these orders on Politico.

Happy Thursday! And welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. Executive orders are meant to spark confidence in a new administration. But that can be performative if they're not emulated in policies and practices, or simply become revoked when there's a new President. We can't decide that for our nation's leaders, but we can certainly influence it. Today is a recommendation to channel the hope you're feeling into change by organizing on the local level. I've included the hopes and visions of our writers to help spark your own.

This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider subscribing for $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Get clear on your visions for this administration. What are you hoping this administration achieves in the next four years?
Read the executive orders published so far. All are available on whitehouse.gov.
Use our framework at the bottom of the article to start investigating how to take the executive orders you read into local action.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Since his presidency began one week ago, President Biden has signed 26 executive orders to rewrite our political history and create a distinction between his and the previous administration. And in text, these statements are powerful. Four of them signed last Tuesday directly address racial equity, and cover topics you’ve seen in this newsletter: they stress the importance of land sovereignty for Indigenous communities, address anti-Asian sentiment due to COVID-19, reduce the use of private prisons, and acknowledge the role the federal government has played in discriminatory housing policy. The previous sentence links to previous newsletters. Read more about these orders on Politico.

Because our team has spent much of our newsletter’s history writing about these disparities, I wanted to hear from them about their hopes for the upcoming administration. Here are their thoughts:

While the abject cruelties of the last administration may pass, I think it’s important to hold on to the reality that racism, Islamophobia, and brutal state violence didn’t start with Trump and won’t end with him, either. Trump’s term was a time of repression and violence but of courageous resistance as well. My hope is that during the next four years, we can continue to manifest dignified, beautiful rebellion as we work together to craft a world that fits all of us.

– Andrew Lee

I want to see student loan forgiveness, accessible healthcare for all, foundational criminal justice reform, the beginnings of reparations to the Black and Indigenous communities and more; I want to see it and not just hear about the possibility of it. And I want to see people continuously demanding more of their local, state and national representatives, even when it isn’t trending anymore.

– Shayna Conde

I would like to see the Biden-Harris Administration combat drug addiction. As a recovering cocaine addict, my experience with prison-based rehab was very dispiriting, and didn't work for me. There isn't one shoe that fits all when it comes to combating drug addiction. And for Black people entering prison-based rehab, we are required to submit to the broken-self narrative. Even if it means saving a life, it can be a barrier getting Black people to admit to white authority figures that we are morally and emotionally broke and need white men to manage our lives.

– darryl robertson

I am looking forward to more BIPOC leadership at all levels of government from Madam Vice President to Senator-elect Raphael Warnock to take their rightful place in the White House and other areas of government. I am hopeful that as we see more diverse leadership, our policies will begin to reflect and prioritize the needs of communities in the U.S. including BIPOC, the LGBTQA, disability community, the elderly. Lastly, I am hopeful for a clear COVID-19 plan, a plan that was nonexistent prior to Biden's inauguration. Wishing for a new year of healing and invigoration.

– Kayla Hui

On Twitter, writer Kim Tran (@but_im_kim_tran) said: "If the rights of the marginalized can be diminished and reestablished in the space of years/hours, they are not inalienable, they are subject to state power and the real work is to free ourselves from a framework that would treat our humanity as such." I thought that described the problem so well. My hope is that over the next four years we will not grow complacent under a Democratic administration, but use our collective power to dismantle this framework piece by piece.

– Jami Nakamura Lin

I'll be honest: a Biden-Harris administration is both fearful and relieving to me. Even with a Democrat-controlled Congress and Executive branch, the battle for progressive policies like universal health care, erasing student loan debt, abolishing ICE and defunding the police seem so far off. But after an election with such a massive voter turnout, I am hopeful that all of the people who've joined this fight won't turn their backs on us and are in this for the long haul. Trump was a symptom of years of white supremacy and capitalism, so now more than ever, we must mobilize for a better future.

– Olivia Harden

National organizers see these executive orders as just the beginning. Black Lives Matter Movement co-founder Patrisse Cullors sees President Biden’s executive orders on racial equity as “a nod,” but emphasizes that "there's so much more to do and we will push this administration to do it” (MSNBC).

And Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of the Highlander Research and Education Center, emphasizes that all of this was because of organizers on the ground fighting for change. “This is not just because of his good graces, but movement made it possible that racial equity is prioritized in the executive branch of our government”. She notes that the work is a step forward, and that “this is the floor, not the ceiling” (Democracy Now).

As Jami said above, the worst thing that we can do is become complacent. So, in the spirit of Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, I encourage us all to put these executive orders into action in our own communities. As you continue to review the executive orders in the coming days and weeks, consider:

Who is exemplifying this work in my local community?

What policies and practices need to be implemented here to align with these national initiatives?

Where are the existing support services in my community already doing this work?

How can I contribute to this work? How can I cause unnecessary harm?

Why is this work so critical to move forward now, not tomorrow?

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/26/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/26/21

Support Black poetry.

Amanda Gorman, a 23-year old Black woman, and the nation's first-ever youth poet laureate, read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the Biden inauguration. Her poem, which you can read here in full, and her delivery of words captivated the nation and thrust her work into the spotlight.

Indeed, all of this alone is a reason to celebrate. But Black poetry has historical significance – living as a written form of protest that has outlasted unbeatable odds. By understanding how Black poetry has shaped our nation, we can appreciate Gorman and her words even more.

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! There was so much energy surrounding Amanda Gorman's performance at the inauguration. I hope that we carry that same energy forward to support the arts – particularly poetry – for all youth.

You'll notice that there's a LOT of links in this article, directing you to incredible works from Black poets. I highly recommend reading the content over the course of the next month. You can also explore books featuring the writers below through our (new!) bookstore.

Thank you for all your support. Consider subscribing for $7/month on Patreon. Or, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Donate to Youth Speaks and First Exposures to safe space for youth, storytelling, and community building in San Francisco’s Mission District.
Learn how you can support local youth poetry initiatives in your community.
Bring poetry into your workplace or classroom. Alternatively, consider attending a poetry workshop by yourself or as a team.

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Poetry readings during the inauguration aren’t necessarily new: Four presidents—John F. Kennedy in 1961, Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997, Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, and Joe Biden in 2021—have had poets read at their inaugurations (Poets.org). Amanda Gorman is by far the youngest, and the third Black poet (following Maya Angelou in 1993 and Elizabeth Alexander in 2009), to participate. She finished writing her poem after the riot at the Capitol, referencing scenes directly in the text (NYTimes).

Black poetry began in the U.S. before it was even founded. In 1773, Phillis Wheatley became the first Black person and second woman to publish a book of poetry. An enslaved woman from The Gambia (she was renamed after the slave ship she arrived on, “the Phillis”) Whatley was taught to read and write English from her captors. Throughout her teenage years, she used poetry as a way to question the political and social injustices of the era. As an enslaved woman, no one in the U.S. was interested in publishing a collection of her work. Ultimately, her “less controversial” works were published in London (National Women’s History Museum). She was 20 years old. Read one of her works, “On Being Brought from Africa to America.”

Ever since, poetry has played a critical role in Black history. During the Civil Rights Movement, poets like Margaret Walker, Nikki Giovanni, and June Jordan used their work to “instill a sense of pride in one’s identity, to praise freedom fighters and honor fallen leaders, to chronicle acts of resistance, and to offer wisdom and strength to fellow activists” (Poetry Foundation). Consider “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall in response to the Birmingham Church Bombing by white supremacists in September 1963. Or “Riot” by Gwendolyn Brooks, commissioned by Black magazine Black Expressions in response to the protests sparked after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr (The Stranger). And “Afterimages” by Audre Lorde is a moving narrative of grief and despair after the brutal murder of Emmett Till.

Even today, Black literary leaders offer poignant narratives of the liberation we all strive for. I recommend “Trojan” by Jericho Brown, Lee Mokobe’s “Surviving Blackness,” or "Immigrant” by Nayyirah Waheed. But that doesn’t come without a cost. Black literary leaders were routinely censored and banned. Many people don’t realize that poet Maya Angelou is one of the most banned authors in the U.S. due to the topics in her autobiographical work “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” (New African). A school board in Alaska just banned this book last year (NBC News).

Furthermore, dozens of prominent African American writers were profiled by the FBI between 1919 and 1972 (The Guardian). One such writer was Claude McKay, a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance who wrote poems, like “America,” that protested racial and economic inequities (Poetry Foundation). The FBI would keep accounts of their travels, review their works before publication on the sly, and apparently considered “whether certain African Americans should be allowed government jobs and White House visits, in the cases of the most fortunate,” and “what the leading minds of black America were thinking, and would be thinking” (The Guardian). Surveillance of Black leaders is still happening today, but it is nevertheless encouraging to see Gorman sharing her work in that moment.

I reached out to Natalie Patterson (she/her/Queen), a Poet & Teaching Artist (natalieispoetry.com) who leads workshops for youth. She stresses poetry’s importance in Black history: “Poetry is a tool for liberation. It is access that can not be taken away. The act of writing is an act of manifestation. It is communing with the creator. It is one of our most powerful tools. Perhaps that is why it is not celebrated and elevated as it should be.”

And that is up to us – to celebrate it and elevate it, particularly for the next generation. It doesn’t just connect them to our history but gives them the tools to write their own. Patterson reflects on her work: “I think of the many young people I have taught, particularly the ones who were incarcerated. I think of how giving them a single sheet of paper and a pen allowed them to come to terms with some things, make peace, discover new things about themselves and the world. I think about how that is perhaps the best teaching I've ever done, to give them the tools, permission to be honest, and then get out of their way.

Storytelling is in our DNA. It is our inheritance and legacy.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Black poetry in the U.S. has been a revolutionary space throughout history
Black writers have been subject to censorship and harassment for their views
Black youth are a critical component to the future of Black poetry – and it's our responsibility to invest in it

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/25/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/25/21

Unpack "This Land is Your Land".

The inauguration was heralded as one of the most inclusive yet, centering not diverse political leaders, but nods to various cultures and identities. But Indigenous communities were disheartened to hear “This Land is Your Land” performed during the ceremony, a song that celebrates the land this nation “owns” without acknowledging how it was acquired – by the genocide, oppression, and forced removal of Indigenous communities that initially call it home. And this conversation isn’t new; Indigenous activists have been naming this for decades (learn more from Mali Obomsawin’s comprehensive overview in Folklife).

Happy Monday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I never really paid attention to the language in this song until the feedback from the inauguration last week, and learned a lot from all the activists that shared their voices – including Jordan Marie Daniel, Allie Young, and Raye Zaragoza that spent time discussing it with me this past weekend. I hope you learn something from today's email, too.

This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider subscribing for $7/month on Patreon. Or, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community.

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Find the Indigenous lands you are on. Use native-land.ca or text your zip code to 907-312-5085.
Learn how to host a land acknowledgment in your community and use whenever holding space (meeting, celebration, or other gathering).
Listen to All My Relations Podcast, which explore relationships to land, to our creatural relatives, and to one another.

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

When the performance started “I couldn’t stop cringing,” said Jordan Marie Daniel, a Lakota advocate and professional athlete, in a phone interview. “‘This land’ has been stolen. It is stolen. We did not give up these lands. They were taken from us.” She stresses that the narrative in the lyrics contribute to the erasure of the centuries of colonization, enslavement, racism, and systemic oppression that Indigenous communities face, and have faced, in this country. The song contributes to the broader whitewashing that “this country is great and has always been great. And we know that it’s not true.”

Many are quick to note that the song itself wasn’t designed to be a patriotic anthem. Famous folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land is Your Land” in the 1940s as a sarcastic retort to Irving Berlin's classic "God Bless America,” that he felt was overplayed at the time. The original song included more critical lyrics that have been lost across the decades – and even more radical verses that were never released – juxtaposing farmers’ struggles, depicting struggles of toiling farmers, poverty, hunger, and land disenfranchisement (NPR). But today, only the sanitized versions remain, often sung alongside “God Bless America” or other patriotic songs at large events.

But, as Raye Zaragoza, a singer, songwriter, and podcaster of Indigenous descent, emphasizes, there’s a difference between impact and intent. Guthrie may not have intended for this song to come off as an anthem for colonization, but that’s exactly how it’s being used today. “As a songwriter,” she explains, “I can’t imagine how it would feel if someone chopped up my song, but that’s the impact.” She emphasizes that regardless of the other lyrics, the chorus itself is insensitive. Daniel agrees: “People can always say ‘but wait, that’s not what it’s supposed to mean’ but this is how it makes people feel – and isn’t that most important?”

This criticism doesn’t detract from the significance of having Jennifer Lopez, a Latina icon of Puerto Rican descent, performing this song after four years of Trump inciting racism and discrimination against the Latinx community (The Guardian). As Tatjana Freund notes in Marie Claire, “a Latinx woman calling for justice for all in Spanish speaks volumes,” especially when paired with the President’s commitment to reunite children separated at the border with their parents (Reuters). But the act becomes all the more muddled when we consider the impact that centuries of colonization have had on Puerto Rico and its Indigenous people (Mother Jones).

Allie Young, a Diné organizer, mentions that, despite the song, there was much to celebrate during the inauguration for Indigenous communities, which made its use all the more disappointing. Deb Haaland is serving as the Native American Cabinet secretary as head of the Department of Interior (Washington Post). Wahleah Johns, the founder of Native Renewables, was named Director of the Office of Indian Energy. Indigenous Enterprise, a dance crew from Phoenix, was included in the virtual “Parade Across America” celebration on Inauguration Day (Indian Country), and the president of the Navajo Nation was included in the National Prayer Service (NPR). Young hopes that this administration’s efforts towards inclusion mean they’re listening to this feedback and are open to continuing to evolve.

And what should they do, aside from (obviously) choosing a more appropriate tune? All agree that a land acknowledgment is a good place to start. “Land acknowledgments change our relationship to this land. Having that recognition, honor, and sense of respect in those spaces is critically important,” stresses Daniel. Young agrees. “People say that land acknowledgments are simple, and they are! But they are also significant”. They acknowledge the contributions of Indigenous communities and can apologize for the harm that’s occurred – which is the bare minimum, she notes, towards reparations. Anyone can practice a land acknowledgment, and everyone should (learn more about holding your own here).

She also reminds us that white supremacy in the U.S. began with the decimation of Indigenous communities and the forced removal from their lands. A blatant act of white supremacy occurred at the Capitol – on the same soil – just weeks previously. It would have been prudent to hold a land acknowledgment as a way of symbolizing that moment.

Zaragoza goes a step further to note that “it’s about time for some new anthems. Why are we still singing these same songs?” And it’s true – why are we still allowing these old songs to represent an emerging new nation? Zaragoza uses her music as a way to challenge these harmful narratives. Her song “American Dream,” written in reaction to Donald Trump's election, tells the story of her great grandmother, who was forced from her home and family to be assimilated into white culture. She notes singers like Ondara, a Grammy-nominated Kenyan singer-songwriter who immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 20, who are also using folk music to tell the story of the U.S. from another perspective.

Young emphasizes that the only way we can move forward, the only way we can heal, is by naming our nation’s dark history. We have so much more opportunity to tell all of our stories through the music we choose to elevate.

Interested in music? Follow us on Spotify to listen to our playlist American Dream inspired by this article.

About the Voices in this Article

Jordan Marie Daniel leads Rising Hearts, an Indigenous-led grassroots organization committed to the heart work in elevating Indigenous voices and promoting and supporting intersectional collaborative efforts across all movements with the goals of racial, social, climate, and economic justice. Explore their work at risinghearts.org and follow her on Twitter at @_NativeinLA.

Allie Young is the co-founder of Protect The Sacred, a grassroots initiative created by Navajo organizers to support their community. You can support their COVID-19 relief efforts here. She also is the co-founder of Well-Read Native, an initiative to elevate Indigenous voices in academia and literature. Follow her on Twitter @allieyoung13.

Raye Zaragoza is a singer, songwriter, and co-host of the Create Well podcast. Her latest album, Woman in Color, is now available on Spotify. Follow her on Instagram @rayezaragoza.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The use of "This Land is Your Land" at the inauguration failed to recognize the violence against Indigenous communities in this nation's history
At a minimum, a land acknowledgment would have been a poignant way to recognize Indigenous communities
This nation's legacy of white nationalism and white supremacy started with its violence against Indigenous communities

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Nicole Cardoza 1/18/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/18/21

Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s full legacy.

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. has been whitewashed and gentrified to depict him as someone that only advocated for unity and peace (Essence). But during his life, many denounced him as an extremist (Time) and the FBI considered him a threat to democracy (Stanford). Neither narrative speaks to his radical views, nor his lasting commitment to racial equity. It's our responsibility to honor his legacy beyond what's been deemed "appropriate" by education and media.

Happy Monday. Keeping it short up here because today's email is long. I choose a speech to revisit on this day each year, and I hope you find these as inspiring as I do. Remember, the most important thing you can do to honor Dr. King's legacy is to keep going; to continue to “give ourselves to this struggle until the end”.

This newsletter is made possible by our subscribers. Consider making a monthly or annual subscription on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza).

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Read / listen to the speeches below and consider: How do they shift your perception of Dr. King's work?
Watch a movie dedicated to Dr. King’s legacy. Some considerations: "Selma,” Ava Duvernay's depiction of the historic march, Clark Johnson’s "Boycott" on the start of the civil rights movement, or "Shared Legacies," outlining historical lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation.
Talk with a friend about the correlation of Dr. King's work to current events today

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The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been whitewashed and gentrified to depict him as someone that only advocated for unity and peace (Essence). But during his life, many denounced him as an extremist (Time) and the FBI considered him a threat to democracy (Stanford). Neither narrative speaks to his radical views, nor his lasting commitment to racial equity. It's our responsibility to honor his legacy beyond what's been deemed "appropriate" by education and media.

One way to start is to absorb all of the words in his speeches and literary work (beyond the quippy quotes you'll see on social media today). Here are my recommendations for where to start.

Letters from a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

Audio | Transcript | Bonus: Photocopy of Original Transcript

“I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

This is a speech that’s often quoted without context. Responding to criticism made by the "A Call for Unity" clergymen, who wanted racial equity to be pursued by the courts, not the people, King defends the tactics of the civil rights movement and admonishes those that take a moderate state against the injustices Black people face.

---

Beyond Vietnam, April 4, 1967

Audio and Transcript

“I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.”

This is a scathing admonishment of the U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, but also a critique of the racial inequities of capitalism, and our nation’s inability to invest in its own people before spending on wars abroad.

---

The Role of the Behavioral Scientist in the Civil Rights Movement, September 1, 1967

Transcript

“Urban riots must now be recognized as durable social phenomena. They may be deplored, but they are there and should be understood. Urban riots are a special form of violence. They are not insurrections. The rioters are not seeking to seize territory or to attain control of institutions. They are mainly intended to shock the white community. They are a distorted form of social protest. The looting which is their principal feature serves many functions. It enables the most enraged and deprived Negro to take hold of consumer goods with the ease the white man does by using his purse.”

In a speech delivered to the American Psychology Association’s Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., Dr. King analyzes the social sciences behind the civil rights movement, noting how forms of protest to an unjust criminal justice system, poverty and other inequities are necessary to dismantle whiteness and white supremacy.

---

The Other America, March 14, 1968

Audio Excerpt | Full Transcript | Video of another version delivered at a different time

“And I use this title because there are literally two Americas. Every city in our country has this kind of dualism, this schizophrenia, split at so many parts, and so every city ends up being two cities rather than one. There are two Americas. One America is beautiful for situation. In this America, millions of people have the milk of prosperity and the honey of equality flowing before them. This America is the habitat of millions of people who have food and material necessities for their bodies, culture and education for their minds, freedom and human dignity for their spirits. In this America children grow up in the sunlight of opportunity. But there is another America. This other America has a daily ugliness about it that transforms the buoyancy of hope into the fatigue of despair”.

This speech centers the economic disparities of our nation, and makes clear the correlation between racism and economic oppression. Dr. King also defends the anger and injustice that Black people are experiencing, naming that “certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots”.

---

I’ve Been to the Mountaintop, April 3, 1968

Audio | Annotated Transcript | Video Excerpt of quote below

“Now about injunctions: We have an injunction and we’re going into court tomorrow morning to fight this illegal, unconstitutional injunction. All we say to America is, “Be true to what you said on paper.” If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn’t committed themselves to that over there.

But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech.

Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren’t going to let dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren’t going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on.”

This was Dr. King’s last speech. In it, he celebrates both the emotional and economic strength of the Black community, and rallies for everyone to “give ourselves to this struggle until the end”. He names that he’s unsure “what would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers,” but that he’s happy, because he’s had the opportunity to witness the power of the civil rights movement across the country. The next day, he was shot and killed while standing on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. King delivered this speech at the Memphis sanitation strike, where sanitation workers advocated for fair wages and humane working conditions. We wrote about this strike, and the more recent New Orleans sanitation strike that mirrors this movement, in a previous newsletter. The font used in our name and key headers of this email, alongside our social media assets, was inspired by the protest signs from this event. The font is called Martin, and was designed by Tré Seals at Vocal Type.

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Nicole Cardoza 1/14/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/14/21

Impeach, ban and convict Trump.

The following are the BLM's list of demands in response to the Capitol coup shared via email. Action items in today's email reference the points made below. I've added contextual information in italics with an asterisk *.

Happy Thursday and welcome back! Another "new year", another impeachment of President Trump. Today we're amplifying Black Lives Matter's list of demands as our call-to-action. It has action items not just for the next administration, but tactical ways you can take action today.

As you do, remember that Trump has been inciting violence over the past four years. It took an insurrection at the Capitol to spur action, but our democracy and many of its people have been endangered (or outright killed, attacked and/or discriminated against) by his presidency since day one.

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

Co-Sign the BLM demands in response to the Capitol coup.
Contact your Senators and demand they vote to convict President Trump. You can use the Senate website, use this form via Everytown, call by dialing (202) 224-3121, or text EXPEL to 30403.
Take at least one of the four actions to support the BREATHE Act on their website, whether it's calling local representatives, spreading the word, or sharing your story on how the BREATHE Act would change your life.
Consider: How did Trump's hateful and incendiary rhetoric directly affect my wellbeing? How did it impact my community? Those more vulnerable than me? Those more resourced than me?

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

1. Impeach, convict, and ban Trump from future political office: Every second that Trump remains in office is a threat to our democracy. We are joining Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and others who are demanding Trump be immediately impeached and convicted in the United States Senate. Trump must also be banned from holding elected office in the future. Call your members of Congress and demand they support impeachment by dialing (202) 224-3121.*It's not enough to simply impeach President Trump to prevent him from running again. Learn more aboutwhat needs to happen next, and learn how similar efforts have played out withother political leaders around the world.

2. Expel Republican members of Congress who attempted to overturn the election and incited a white supremacist attack: More than half the Republican representatives and multiple senators stoked Trump's conspiracy theories and encouraged the white supremacists to take action to overturn the election. We are supporting Rep. Cori Bush's resolution to expel them from Congress for their dangerous and traitorous actions. *Learn more about this resolution onCBS News.

3. Launch full investigation into the ties between Capitol Police and white supremacy: The Capitol was able to be breached and overrun by white supremacists attempting to disrupt a political process that is fundamental to our democracy. We know that police departments have been a safe haven for white supremacists to hide malintent behind a badge, because the badge was created for that purpose. Guilty parties need to be held accountable and fired. We are supporting Rep. Jamaal Bowman's COUP Act to investigate these connections. *Read more about the COUP Act.

4. Permanently ban Trump from all digital media platforms: Trump has always used his digital media platforms recklessly and irresponsibly to spread lies and disinformation. Now it is clearer than ever that his digital media is also used to incite violence and promote its continuation. He must be stopped from encouraging his mob and further endangering our communities, even after inauguration.*Here's aroundup of the actionsvarious tech platforms have taken to block Trump.

5. Defund the police: The police that met our BLM protestors this summer with assault rifles, teargas, and military-grade protective gear were the same police that, on Wednesday, met white supremacists with patience and the benefit of the doubt, going so far as to pose for selfies with rioters. The contrast was jarring, but not for Black people. We have always known who the police truly protect and serve. D.C. has the most police per capita in the country; more funding is not the solution.*Learn how calls to defund the police are translating politically with thisbreakdown of police budgetsacross the U.S.

6. Pass the BREATHE Act: The police were born out of slave patrols. We cannot reform an institution built upon white supremacy. We need a new, radical approach to public safety and community investment. The BREATHE Act paints a vision of a world where Black lives matter through investments in housing, education, health, and environmental justice.*Read more about The BREATHE Act.

Related Issues

10/1/2020 | Vote Trump out of office.

6/10/2020 | Defund the police.

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

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Nicole Cardoza 1/11/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/11/21

Honor our grief.

But, in all of this, I am missing accountability. I am missing an acknowledgment of the accumulation of harm that we’ve experienced – not just last week, but over the past four years. It makes me angry. It makes me weary. And it does nothing to address the deep and profound grief I’ve been experiencing for the past year – one that I believe many of us are harboring.

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! I needed to create more space for grief in my life this weekend, and dedicated some space in today's newsletter, too. I hope you find resources that can help you on your journey. We'll be holding space for processing grief over on our digital community all this week.

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

Invest in healing for marginalized communities. Make a donation to organizations like The Loveland Foundation, BEAM, and BACII.
Listen to conversations on grief. We recommend the Finding Refuge Podcast by Michelle Cassandra Johnson.
Consider: What does it look like to center your grief this week? The grief of your community? Your co-workers? Does your organization offer culturally sensitive healing resources?

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

The insurrection at the Capitol last week seemed to finally spur people into action. Tech companies kick Trump off their platforms (TechCrunch). Democratic Congresspeople organize for impeachment (NBC News). The FBI tweets for help to arrest insurrectionists. And Republican leaders resign, admonish the actions of the President while calling for “unity” (Buzzfeed News).

Honoring grief is quite different than acting out against our grievances, which has been the crux of our political environment. White grievance politics, put simply, is when politics play to the perceived loss of white entitlement in a diversifying nation. When power is considered a zero-sum game – and the white community historically holds power – any progress made by marginalized communities is perceived “at the loss” of white power. The fight to preserve white supremacy is justified through white grievance politics. We’ve watched this unfold throughout history, but Trump and the Republican party clearly wielded it to rally those disgruntled with the Obama administration (NYTimes). I recommend reading “Black Protest / White Grievance: On the Problem of White Political Imaginations Not Shaped by Loss” by Juliet Hooker to learn more (available for paid download here or watch Professor Hooker share more in a one-hour lecture for free).

The political imagination of white citizens has been shaped not by the experience of loss but rather by different forms of white supremacy and that this results in a distorted form of racial political math that sees black gains as white losses, and not simply losses but defeats. As a result, in moments when white privilege is in crisis because white dominance is threatened, many white citizens not only are unable or unwilling to recognize black suffering; they mobilize a sense of white victimhood in response.

Juliet Hooker, Professor of Political Science at Brown University, in Black Protest / White Grievance: On the Problem of White Political Imaginations Not Shaped by Loss

Other interesting articles on the subject: James Kimmel, Jr. analyzes “the brain on grievance” (Politico), and Jeet Heer unpacks the difference between grief and grievance by juxtaposing how Biden and Trump address the nation (The Nation).

All citizens need to have the capacity to cope with loss, to “confront the paradox that they have been promised sovereignty and rarely feel it” (South Atlantic Quarterly). But in this nation, white supremacists are encouraged, even invited, to commit acts of violence and insurrection, while communities of color are killed and incarcerated for far less. Black leaders are asked to be more “civil” and “empathetic” to white communities, but white leaders are granted the pass to fight for power through racial oppression (South Atlantic Quarterly). This has been reinforced throughout America’s history, a familiar narrative even if foreign to our generation. The insurrection at the Capitol was centered not just as “their duty, but also as their right,” Daniel Black writes for CNN. One insurrectionist stated it themselves: “This is not America. They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots” (The Nation).

This conversation is not for grievances but reserved for grief. And I write this specifically for the marginalized communities that have so much more to bear. For all those that have experienced the racism, discrimination, exile, and oppression encouraged by this President over the past four years. For the Jewish community that had to see Neo-Nazi insignia at their nation’s Capitol (Quartz) and grapple with the rise of antisemitism during this presidency (Anti-Racism Daily). Those who have had their religious/ethnic identities unfairly associated with terrorism while white terrorism goes unchecked (Anti-Racism Daily). Those who immigrated here to the U.S. to escape the same political unrest that our nation tries to rebrands as patriotism. For everyone dismissed and diminished for warning that these days were coming, and action was long overdue.

We’re here in a new year, carrying an abundance of old grief. We couldn’t feel the events last week in isolation even if we have had the time to process the events of 2020 fully, and many of us haven’t. And in just the past week alone, the political disaster we’re facing may have drowned out stories on the mismanaged vaccine rollout (USA Today) and the significant increase in deaths related to COVID-19 (CNN). adrienne marie brown referred to this in a tweet last week as “grief debt,” the culmination of all we’ve endured “with no time to come apart and land beyond the loss.” And Marissa Evans poignantly expresses how this grief transcends generations in the Black community, carried through the trauma of enslavement to the lost opportunities of those gone too soon.

We know, too, what the inequities mean for our future. Our pain comes not just from those we've already lost, but from those we stand to lose over time. A specific sadness emerges when you realize that someone may be denied the chance to be their ancestors’ wildest dreams.

Marissa Evans, in The Relentlessness of Black Grief for The Atlantic

But our nation’s response to the events this week also centers white grievance politics, not grief. Leaders call for unity instead of acknowledging the harm. Major media outlets continue to publish pieces to “humanize” insurrectionists. And with news circulating that more attacks are planned for the inauguration, it’s unlikely this narrative will only continue its harmful cycle (Washington Post). If this country will not make space for our healing, it is up to us. We must hold and process our grief tenderly with our community and center collective grief over reductive white grievance politics. Our healing journey may not be linear, but it’s our only path through.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

White grievance politics centers the perceived loss of power and supremacy that white people experience in response to progress for marginalized non-white communities
Our nation has consistently prioritized white grievance over collective grief and loss
We must carve out our own space to process grief as part of a laboratory movement

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