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

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 2/13/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/13/21

Support the Indian farmers’ protest.

In November 2020, tens of thousands of farmers and their families took to the streets and blocked highways across India to invoke a national strike. The news about the passing of three new agricultural laws hit the fan, and just as fast as rumors travel, farmers of more than 250 million people from the northern states crowded the capital city. They joined together in a protest to fight against the Indian government and their ideas for the future of farming in India.

Happy Sunday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! We touched on the importance of labor unions in last week's newsletter on BAmazon. I thought today's article on the legacy of César Chávez, written by Charlie, adds timely context for that conversation. I hope you enjoy learning more!

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

Learn more about the recent laws enacted last September.
Follow reporting from journalists and leaders like Sandeep Singh, Asis Kaur, and Sikhexpo for updates.
Raise awareness on social media and in real life using resources in this newsletter – and by following hashtags such as #StandWithFarmers and #FarmersProtest.

GET EDUCATED

By Kashea McCowan (she/her)

Unlike most farming communities in the United States who thrive off of large agribusiness corporations and massive farms, India is the complete opposite and works on a much smaller scale. The vast majority of India’s farmers own fewer than three acres of land. Though there are many small farms in India, many of them are struggling to make ends meet. However, that fact doesn’t take away from the huge impact those farmers have on the livelihoods of those around them.

The agricultural sector in India makes up nearly fifteen percent of the country’s $2.9 trillion economy and employs around half of its 1.3 billion people—approximately more than 600 million workers—which is almost twice the entire population of the United States (CNN). This is possible because, for decades, they have sold their produce in their home state’s government-sanctioned markets that guarantee minimum prices on several key commodities. This all changed in September 2020 when Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, passed the new farming laws that will change the way the agricultural industry does business. These modifications will change the way crops are to be produced, stored, and sold. The laws include The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act (India Today).

Some farmers such as Sukhdev Singh feel like these measures only will benefit large corporations thus opening the door for private players to play a much bigger role. The result will lead to the loss of decades-old concessions, and most of the farmers will be left to fend for themselves, furthermore, pushing them into poverty at the mercy of the free market (BBC News).

“These laws will have an affect on anyone who eats,” Singh says. “They will buy from us for very low prices and we will lose our livelihoods” (Al Jazeera).

With boiling fear, farmers swarmed into the heart of the capital of New Delhi. Standing their ground, millions of agricultural workers prepared for a month on end protest against the government and their antics. Beginning as a non-violent protest, India’s farmers joined together making their opposition known by blocking the roads that lead up to the capital. Just a couple of weeks ago, the heat escalated and turned violent when protestors confronted police officers and began charging a procession of tractors onto the streets. They were met with tear gas, massive concrete barriers, and the government cut off all access to the internet, electricity, and water supplies (CBSN). More than 120 people were arrested, and farm union leaders were charged with sedition and rioting.

Today, it is evident that the farmers are determined to dismantle these newly imposed agricultural laws. For however long it takes, millions of farmers and their families have decided to leave the comforts of their homes and live on the streets (PBS News Hour). They have even erected thousands of iron nails on some of the roads to keep the police from invading. These farmers are dedicated to making prime minister Modi and his government uncomfortable to the point that he has a change of heart. Modi states in an interview that he will not change his mind about the new laws but will delay them for the next eighteen months.

To further push the protest along, protestors have found ways to make their stay at the capital a part of their daily lives. Medical booths are being set up to tend to the sick, and tons of water-filled tanks brought in on tractors are provided to supply people with water for bathing, cooking, and cleaning. The old and young are cooking in community kitchens and serving meals, and even a makeshift mall, a roadside market, with people selling items like coats and jackets is available (CNN).

The Indian government is determined to force farmers back to their lands with closed mouths, but this revolt—as it were—shows how prime minister Modi and his crew are worried about just how far these protests will go. But these farmers aren’t giving up their demands; some are prepared to wait it out for years, if need be.

Being in the United States, you may feel that there is little you can do, but standing with those adamant supporters and howling as loudly as you can, along with those farmers, will help get the attention of those higher-ups. Stand against those big businesses and corporations looking to profit from the small man they see as dispensable. And, like the farmers, stand firm and be unmovable until those unfair agricultural laws are repealed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Farmers are protesting against the newly imposed agricultural laws that are set up to benefit corporations and private players.
The agricultural sector in India makes up nearly fifteen percent of the country’s $2.9 trillion economy and employs around half of its 1.3 billion people, approximately 600 million workers.
The laws affect the way crops are produced, stored, and sold.
To further push the protest along, protestors have found ways to make their stay at the capital a part of their daily lives while putting a foot down on their demands.

RELATED ISSUES

1/17/2020 | Support Black farmers.

8/16/2020 | Think before eating out at restaurants.

8/31/2020 | Condemn colorism.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/13/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/13/21

Remember César Chávez.

As President Biden transitions to life in the White House, he’s responsible for controlling the imagery that will set the tone for the next four years. His Oval Office overhaul removed an Andrew Jackson portrait but added a bust of Latino union hero César Chávez (Washington Post). Dolores Huerta, American labor leader and civil rights activist, described it as a “healing moment” (NPR). The significance of this moment, and its urgency today, may have been lost on those unfamiliar with the work of César Chávez. Here’s a bit of context.

TAKE ACTION

In case you missed it, read last week’s article on unionization efforts at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama for specifics of how employers attempt to suppress union organizations.
Use this website to write your local representative to help pass the PRO Act, a piece of workers’ rights legislation that would ensure workers’ rights to organize without fear of retribution.
It’s hard to eat entirely ethically, but take the time to learn where your food comes from. If you can, buy fair trade foods and avoid brands like Driscoll’s that have been routinely boycotted (KSBY).

GET EDUCATED

By Charlie Lahud-Zahner (he/him)

César (pronounced “say-zar”) Chávez was born in Yuma, Arizona in 1927. His parents were migrant farmworkers, and Chávez, working alongside his parents, changed schools 38 times before eighth grade (SA Current). Unable to attend high school, Chávez worked the fields in rural California, where his family had moved in 1939. There, he was introduced to labor organizing by Donald McDonnel (a priest) and Fred Ross, a part of the Community Service Organization, a labor activist group (HISTORY).

Through the Community Service Organization, Chávez met Dolores Huerta. Together, they formed the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1962. In 1965 the NFWA famously joined an ongoing strike started by Filipino farmworkers at the Delano vineyards. They organized to protest low pay and dangerous working conditions, leading a series of boycotts on grapes, workers strikes, and a 340-mile march from Delano to Sacramento. Finally, In 1970, the newly christened United Farm Workers (UFW) were a formally recognized union (UFW). For migrant and minority workers in California often exploited by their employers, the UFW and Chávez were much-needed symbols of collective power.

Chávez was a follower of both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr and was committed to both non-violent protesting and fasting as a form of protest. As the organization grew, the organization was often met with violence and assault. Some members wanted to respond in the same way. To demonstrate his commitment to nonviolent protesting, Chávez fasted for 25 days– losing 35 pounds in the process. His fasts gained media attention, and his breaking of the fast was even attended by Robert Kennedy (UFW). Said Chávez:

“

It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. The truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men.

César Chávez

Though Chávez is remembered as the face of the UFW, Huerta, who served as vice-president from 1965 to 1999, was its spiritual and organizing force. Let it be known that Huerta was the one who came up with “¡Sí Se Puede!” (Yes we can!) and that today she is still revered as a civil rights icon. Chávez and Huerta would go on to spearhead numerous movements, including an international table grape boycott in 1984 protesting the use of pesticides and successful campaigns to improve pay in the states of Arizona, California, Texas, and Florida (HISTORY)

It’s difficult to overstate the influence and legacy of Chávez, especially in California. He’s a hero, a people’s champion whose legend has turned him into a deity of Mexican-American activism. His face is on countless murals across the country, and the UFW flag has grown beyond a representation of worker’s rights to a symbol of inspiration and unity for Latines across the country (TakePart). Even the LA rock band Chicano Batman’s name is based on the famous black eagle silhouette on the red background (Guardian).

The prevailing stereotypes of American Latines are that we’re uneducated, poor, or just plain dirty. Brown Pig-Pens with sombreros working in hot, dusty fields. In contrast, the UFW flag and images of Chávez offer pride in the face of discrimination and racism. In Oakland (where I live), the UFW flag is tagged under bridges, painted on tiles, and even plastered on the corner store where I buy late-night iced tea.

The inclusion of a Chávez bust in the Oval Office potentially signals the Biden’s administration’s commitment to working with Latine labor groups and immigration activists. It could be a shallow performance to gain Latine support. Still, given Biden’s efforts to reverse Trump-era legislation and ensuring temporary foreign farm workers (those with H2A visas) receive travel reimbursement (Modern Farmer), it seems safe to be hopeful.

Labor justice issues remain racial justice issues. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts farmworkers, especially in the same areas of California where Chávez fought for protections. In Salinas Valley, farmworkers – predominantly Mexican immigrants with temporary visas – showed an infection rate nearly three times higher than that of the Bay Area (UC Berkeley). Amazon continues to mistreat its employees by forcing warehouse workers in Chicago to work insane graveyard shifts (Vice) and attempting to block the unionization efforts of a predominantly Black workforce in Alabama (ARD). To respect Chávez’s legacy, we must think of labor rights as not inherently different from racial rights. President Biden must work to pass the PRO Act and protect workers’ right to organize. The year is different, but la causa is the same.

¡Sí Se Puede!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

César Chávez was a Mexican-American activist known for being the head of the United Farm Workers and organizing boycotts, strikes, and fasts to improve working conditions for migrant farmworkers.
The United Farm Workers flag, featuring a black Aztec eagle and red background, has evolved to represent both workers’ rights and Latine/Chicanx identity.
By including a bust of Chávez in the Oval Office, Biden seems to be signaling a willingness to work with the Latine community.

RELATED ISSUES

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.

6/29/2020 | Protect public workers.

2/4/2020 | Support the BAmazon Union.

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 2/10/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/10/21

Celebrate zines.

In a previous newsletter, I wrote about the pros and cons of using new media as a way to imagine and organize around collective change and liberation. Despite the fast and global reach of these digital tools, there is also something to be said about distributing knowledge through a more low-tech option: the zine.

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back! Today we're looking at the original newsletters as part of Ida's ongoing series of investing in new media. If you subscribed to 28 Days of Black History, you may have read the history of the Negro History Bulletin, which served a similar purpose decades ago.

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 BIPOC zinesters by donating to community projects like POC Zine Project and Brown & Proud Press.
Check out the zines featured in the electronic archives of the Barnard Zine Library and the Sherwood Forest Zine Library. Read through some that speak to you. If the zine’s author(s) have an online presence, write to them to thank them for their work.
Make your own zine about something that you are passionate about and share it with your community.
Check out your local bookstore’s zine collection & buy a zine to support the bookstore and the zine’s author(s)! (Women & Children First in Chicago, IL and Trident Booksellers & Cafe in Boston, MA are only two of many indie bookstores that sell amazing, self-published zines!)

GET EDUCATED

By Ida Yalzadeh (she/her)

Zines (pronounced “zeen,” like “magazine”) are low-budget, independently produced publications, often made up of sheets of paper xeroxed, folded, and stapled together. Their content can encompass anything from fiction and poetry to art, photography, personal narratives, interviews, how-to guides, manifestos, and so much more. These publications have a small distribution run due to their DIY nature, usually not going outside of the authors’ own networks. Most importantly, zines have a tradition of operating outside of mainstream publication channels, and by doing so, creating tight-knit communities among its readers (Barnard College).

This practice of zine-making began with science fiction magazine readers who created their own self-published fanzines from mimeographs (The Creative Independent). In the 1970s, the tradition of the DIY spirit picked up; zines were used in the punk scene to promote underground bands(The Public). In the 1980s and 1990s, zines would again be central to the Queercore and Riot Grrrl movements. These “zinesters”—producers and/or readers of zines—wrote about their personal experiences with gender formation and sexual identity, and distributed their work to other fellow zinesters who also were thinking about the same questions (From Codex to Hypertext).

In addition to these uses, zines have a long history in political movements and activism, both within and outside of the United States. Zines’ low barriers to entry—publishing and distributing a publication only requires office supplies and a copy machine—contributed to their popularity. Zines allowed people without much power or capital to distribute information about U.S. systems of imperial oppression and domestic racial discrimination, as well as how these marginalized communities were resisting such systems.

Particularly in the mid-twentieth century United States, during the Civil Rights and Third Worldist movements, communities fighting for social change would use zines to distribute information about their anti-imperial and cross-coalitional work (Third World Studies). La Raza, a bilingual publication that ran from the late 1960s to the late 1970s, emerged out of Los Angeles’ Chicano movement and was critical to the wider recognition of the Chicano struggle for social justice at the time (Autry Museum of the American West). During the same period, from 1969 to 1974, Asian American students at UCLA wrote and produced the monthly zine, Gidra, which became known to many as the “voice of the Asian American movement” (Densho).

Bearing in mind these broader purposes of social justice and political change, many of today’s zine collectives honor the traditions of previous zine movements in their own publications and collection practices. Fifty years after its initial publication, Asian American and Mixed Asian students from UCLA and USC came together to restart the work of Gidra’s first iteration and translate its purpose to the twenty-first century (Gidra Media). POC Zine Project is only one example of a number of online venues that have been working toward collecting, archiving, and distributing zines for other like-minded individuals to find. Collectives such as the Queer Zine Archive Project and Printed Matter, Inc. are also doing the work of amplifying publications that speak to marginalized perspectives. Moreover, these digital spaces have created communities for zinesters to gather and read work with similar political and intellectual projects to their own.

While zines may not have the same potential of going viral as a social media or blog post, their ability to form tightly networked collectives and communities are historically embedded within their primary purpose. The zines’ low barriers to entry, moreover, allows for information to be produced and distributed without the need for mainstream approval. By forging strong community networks and giving greater informational access to marginalized folks, zines continue to be an option for slow-form communication among advocates and activists for political and social change.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Zines have a tradition of operating outside of mainstream publication channels, and in doing so, forge closely networked communities with those who find connection with its contents.
During the Civil Rights and Third Worldist movements of the mid-twentieth century, zines’ low barriers to entry contributed to their popularity for distributing information about U.S. systems of imperial oppression and domestic racial discrimination, as well as how these marginalized communities were resisting such systems.
Many of today’s zine collectives honor the traditions of previous zine movements in their own publications and collection practices.

RELATED ISSUES

1/21/2021 | Invest in new media.

6/15/2020 | Diversify your media consumption.

8/3/2020 | Stay awake.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 2/9/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/9/21

Decolonize sustainable + ethical fashion.

Sustainability is fashion’s latest trend. All over, marketing buzzwords like “ethical” and “eco-conscious” float around the likes of ads, press releases, and influencer Instagram pages. Although bringing awareness to the harmful impact of fashion’s waste is a positive note in the right direction, many seem to exclude a significant part of the discussion: the manufacturer workers, often women of color, earning significantly less than a liveable wage.

Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! As fashion week approaches, Isiah reminds us of the true cost of "sustainable" fashion. Take today as an opportunity to review where you shop for clothes and consider making more ethical decisions.

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

Shop at brands that are transparent about their labor practices. Check their websites for more information and consult lists found all over the internet.
Take your money to fashion brands that are owned by people of color. BIPOC women are exploited the most in the industry, and it’s important to support brands that understand and combat this issue.
Support and donate to organizations that combat the use of sweatshops like Fair Labor Association, United Students Against Sweatshops, and National Labor Committee.

GET EDUCATED

By Isiah Magsino (he/him)

When people think of ethical and sustainable fashion, images of white people posed in a forest or on a beach immediately come to mind. Similarly, Zara’s “Life” campaign features a white model posing with plants in various ways. When ads and campaigns center on white consumers in natural settings, this “do good” mentality is often reserved for an upper-class white audience making the scope of conscious consumerism reserved to that demographic (Restitchstance).

However, there’s a trickle-down effect of a racist system that is often overlooked. When companies exclude people of color in their advertisements, they are ultimately ignoring the fact that people of color are disproportionately affected by fashion waste and unethical practices (Restitchstance). Though many large fashion brands are pivoting to a marketing tactic that parades sustainability, they are still sourcing external textile workers from the Global South (PebbleMag). These garment workers work for 60-100 hours for as little 5,300 takas (equivalent to $63 USD) a month in hostile conditions (Fashion Revolution). The majority of these garment workers are women of color. In China, more than 70% of garment workers are women, 85% in Bangladesh, and a skyrocketing 90% in Cambodia (Fashion Revolution). In Ethiopia, H&M manufacturer workers made as little as $26 USD a month (Telegraph UK).

But, the issue is not only overseas. The exploitation of women and children of color happens in the United States, too, primarily in New York and California (Green America). Those that work in domestic sweatshops are usually immigrants from Asia and Latin American (Green America). The major retailer, Fashion Nova, was accused of paying sewers in California less than $2.77 USD in 2019 (Quartz). Collectively, they owed workers $3.8 million in back wages (Quartz).

The history of sweatshops is directly linked to global expansion. The practice began in Europe and Britain during the 1800s following the industrial revolution as manufacturers needed quick and cheap labor (glass clothing). As worker’s rights improved, companies would eventually move to Asia after World War II. European companies sought an opportunity to expand and become a global business power (glass clothing). Additionally, New York became a hotspot for sweatshops during the 2oth century. Immigrants (mostly from Eastern Europe) needed money, thus agreeing to low-wage work in sweatshops (Matterprints). Sweatshops began employing immigrants from China, Korea, throughout Southeast Asia, Mexico, Dominican Republican, and Central and South America as the original Eastern European immigrants advanced to white color jobs (Matterprints).

Nowadays, these workers cannot fight for proper worker’s rights due to their oftentimes undocumented immigrants status. As Western labor costs rise, companies are still reliant on third-world countries that do not have strict labor laws allowing large corporations to get away with sweatshop use (Matterprints). This is why the conversation about sustainability and decolonization are intertwined: the fashion industry simply cannot exist without the exploitation of people of color, mostly women and children, who are working in inhumane conditions. The conversation of sustainability must recenter itself, including the voices of people of color. Sustainability is not only a concern of material waste – but of workers’ rights. Next time a major fashion retailer prides itself in being eco-friendly, dig deeper and ask: at the detriment of whom?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Understand that, in this day and age, words like “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” are just marketing buzzwords that often leave worker’s rights (mostly equal pay) out of the equation. Fast fashion brands like Zara and H&M are guilty of this (Green America)
Women and Children of color make up most sweatshop employees and can earn as little as $26 USD a month. (Telegraph UK)
Sweatshops have historically exploited women and children of color, which is still happening in the present day. (Matterprints)

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 2/7/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/7/21

Remember César Chávez.

TAKE ACTION

In case you missed it, read last week’s article on unionization efforts at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama for specifics of how employers attempt to suppress union organizations.
Use this website to write your local representative to help pass the PRO Act, a piece of workers’ rights legislation that would ensure workers’ rights to organize without fear of retribution.
It’s hard to eat entirely ethically, but take the time to learn where your food comes from. If you can, buy fair trade foods and avoid brands like Driscoll’s that have been routinely boycotted (KSBY).

GET EDUCATED

By Charlie Lahud-Zahner (he/him)

“

¡Sí Se Puede!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

César Chávez was a Mexican-American activist known for being the head of the United Farm Workers and organizing boycotts, strikes, and fasts to improve working conditions for migrant farmworkers.
The United Farm Workers flag, featuring a black Aztec eagle and red background, has evolved to represent both workers’ rights and Latine/Chicanx identity.
By including a bust of Chávez in the Oval Office, Biden seems to be signaling a willingness to work with the Latine community.

RELATED ISSUES

9/10/2020 | Fight for fair labor.

6/29/2020 | Protect public workers.

2/4/2020 | Support the BAmazon Union.

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 2/3/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/3/21

Understand the white-presenting experience.

My mother has always taught me that I was a Black woman. My fair skin and blue eyes were, in her words, simply a product of centuries of violence on Black people and the effects of colonization. Had I been born in another era, my appearance would not have freed me from slavery, nor would it have offered me much more privelege in a world where people looked to expose “white-passing negroes.” In fact, one of my passing ancestors was hired by Macy’s and was unceremoniously dismissed when they discovered that she was Black.

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I was excited to see that Passing, a 1929 novel on the white-presenting experience by Nella Larsen, had been adapted into a movie that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend (LA Times). Nia joins us today to chat first-hand about the white-presenting experience.

Are you signed up for our 28 Days of Black HIstory exhibition yet? Camille Bethune-Brown and Shanaé Burch have curated an incredible series, and I've had the privilege to enjoy it alone for the past month. I can't wait for ya'll to see it unfold: 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

Shift your language to say “white presenting” instead of “white passing” when referring to Black people that physically look white.
Learn about the history of the “one drop rule” that allowed for the disenfranchisement and continued enslavement of Black people in America with white ancestry.
Read books like “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett and “Passing” by Nella Larsen.

GET EDUCATED

By Nia Norris (she/her)

This story has been told over and over again in pop culture since the 19th century. Initially introduced by Lydia Maria Child, the “tragic mulatto” is a character that has been explored repeatedly in literature and film. Child told the story of the light-skinned descendant of a slave-owner and a slave whose identity was discovered. She lost her white lover and her status and was subsequently enslaved (Ferris). This trope was replicated over and over again in pop culture, painting mulatto women as sexual objects, and often ending with the tortured mulatto committing suicide or losing everything due to the discovery of their “Blackness” (ThoughtCo).

We can’t talk about the “tragic mulatto” without also discussing the “one drop rule” of slavery and the Jim Crow era. In American history, Blackness was defined as having “one Black ancestor.” This rule effectively enabled America to keep the mixed-race descendants of slaves and slave owners enslaved, and to disenfranchise mixed-raced Americans from suffrage and opportunities. Whiteness is something that has largely been forced upon us through rape and colonization (PBS).

So my mother taught me to appreciate my Blackness from a very young age, in spite of me being under the illusion that it was mostly irrelevant. I have joked that she named me Imani Nia (both Swahili names and principles of Kwanzaa) so that I would have to explain to everyone upon introduction that I was biracial, despite these baby blues. However, my Blackness is, has always been, and always will be a major part of my identity. My entire family is Black and has many trailblazers in our lineage. My grandfather was a legal clerk on Brown v. The Board of Education and my grandmother was the first Black woman in Western Pennsylvania to head a major charitable organization. My great-grandmother was a union organizer.

Another problematic facet of being white-passing is society’s desire to separate us into a binary, or force us to identify one way or another. There is a pressure to identify with one group or another (NPR). White people have often told me that I am “white” because of my skin tone, and have been told that my children (who have a white father) are also white. It has been suggested to me that I raise my children as white, which I find problematic because this would require me to effectively cancel their ancestors. Instead, I will teach my children that Blackness can be found in all spectrums.

So what does white-passing look like in America today? I have largely switched to saying white-presenting as opposed to white-passing. The historical context of white-passing is rooted in violence and disenfranchisement of fair-skinned Black Americans. However, we also cannot acknowledge this without also mentioning colorism, when light-skinned Black people (and white Americans) tend to turn their internalized racism towards darker-skinned Black people. For example, there was a higher monetary value set for light-skinned slaves, and even historically Black sororities and fraternities have been known to show colorism in member selection. (Nova Southeastern University). Even today, light-skinned Black Americans are less likely to run into the same barriers as their darker-skinned counterparts (Time).

To say “white-passing” has the implication that I have the desire to pass, which is one I have never had. What’s more interesting is the desire of white Americans to claim Black ancestry, as shown by Jessica Krug and Rachel Dolezal (NBC). These women used their false claims of Black ancestry to take up spaces and procure funding that could have otherwise been for people of color, provoking a national dialogue

When examining my own identity, I have largely decided that the only identity that I need to claim is my Black identity. For a long time, I said mixed or biracial, but another Black woman explained to me, we are all mixed due the violent history of our country. This made sense to me, so I shifted my language to Black. In America, we have never been asked or expected to claim our whiteness, instead it is something that has been inflicted upon us without allowing us the opportunity to claim the benefits.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Blackness in America comes in all colors, and most Black Americans are mixed to some degree.
Historically, the term “white-passing” was used to disenfranchise Black Americans with white ancestry.
In recent years, white Americans such as Jessica Krug and Rachel Dolezal have tried to capitalize on a Black ancestry that was not theirs to claim.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

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

Rally against racist sports mascots.

Fans of the Kansas City team can often be seen wearing “war paint” and “headdresses” in addition to other caricatured aspects of Native cultures. While these acts were recently banned in the home field of Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium, all bets are off as the team and fans travel to Tampa Bay. The team itself continues to use and encourage the “tomahawk chop,” a gesture widely used to mock Native peoples, most recently in the AFC Championship.

Happy Tuesday! The Kansas City Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl, and along with it comes a national stage for appropriation and disrespect to Indigenous communities. The organization IllumiNative joins us today with some easy ways to rally for change.

Are you signed up for our 28 Days of Black HIstory exhibition yet? It's truly something special. Camille Bethune-Brown and Shanaé Burch have curated an incredible series, and I've had the privilege to enjoy it alone for the past month. I can't wait for ya'll to see it unfold: 28daysofblackhistory.com.

Also I forgot to add this yesterday – we have a new podcast episode out! Listen to me chat with the inspiring Tyree Boyd-Pates about what it means to curate Black History in this moment (iTunes and Spotify).

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

Support and uplift Indigenous organizers who are impacted by racist sports mascots. Ahead of the Super Bowl, sign Not in Our Honor’s petition.
Share resources from the IllumiNative campaign and encourage sports teams to change their names: illuminatives.org/change-the-name
Educate friends, family, and loved ones on the true history of Native mascots, their harm, and why they need to end.

GET EDUCATED

By IllumiNative

Using Native people as mascots is unacceptable. Racist sports mascots like the Chiefs, used by the Kansas City football team, should be halted.

The images, gestures, and behavior connected to Native mascots negatively impact Native peoples, particularly Native youth. Research shows that these images and actions contribute to low self-esteem, increased rates of depression, increased rates of self-harm and substance abuse, and increased discrimination in schools against Native youth.

For the second year in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs will make an appearance in the Super Bowl. For many years, Native peoples have spoken out and protested against the Kansas City team because their name, history, and fan behavior is racist. Just this week, just outside Kansas City limits, the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas voted to update the district’s non-discrimination policy – effectively banning the four schools that use a Native mascot.

While many celebrated the recent change of the Washington Football Team, who for decades used a dictionary-defined racial slur as their team name, studies have shown all Native mascots are harmful. The largest study to date on the issue of mascots, “Unpacking the Mascot Debate,” found that:

65% of Native peoples surveyed are offended by the use of the “tomahawk chop” by fans
70% are offended by the wearing of headdresses by fans
65% of Native youth are highly offended and opposed to Native mascots.

In August 2020, the Kansas City team announced they would ban red face and headdresses at their home stadium, but fans continue to use the “tomahawk chop.” Furthermore, this ban won’t apply when they travel to Tampa for the Super Bowl.

Reclaiming Native Truth, research co-led by IllumiNative founder Crystal Echo Hawk (Pawnee), found invisibility is one of the most significant barriers impacting Native peoples today. Research tells us that 72% of Americans surveyed said they know little to nothing about Native Americans. For many Americans, the only representation that they see of Native peoples comes from racist mascots, which are inaccurate, disrespectful, and a mockery of Native cultures and traditions. Read more and take action on the website.

These mascots enforce ideas of white supremacy by stereotyping Native people as savages. Dr. Stephanie Fryberg (Tulalip), a leading researcher on discrimination and mascots, at the University of Michigan, has discussed how this racist imagery impacts peoples’ psychology (Politico). She further notes that the only group that “benefits” from using these mascots are white Americans. Research shows that white people are the only group to demonstrate higher rates of self-esteem when viewing stereotypical Native mascots.

These mascots aren’t just dehumanizing. They’re rooted in white supremacist origin myths about the United States. For decades, Westerns depicted myths about this country’s founding, idolizing western settlers and showing Native peoples as violent and aggressive. These false narratives misconstrue Indigenous people as antagonists in the origin story of America. During games, fans echo these inaccurate narratives by “playing Indian.'' By dressing up in war paint and using war whoops, they reinforce the caricatures, and inaccurate depictions of Native cultures once used to justify the genocide committed against Native peoples. Bans or empty statements asking for fans not to participate are not effective in ending these traditions. It’s only by completely eliminating these mascots and names that we can mitigate these harms.

These stereotypes have real consequences for our community. Native people have the highest rates of murder by police. According to the National Sexual Violence Research Center, 45% of Native women are likely to experience both sexual and physical violence, compared to 20% of all women. Native youth have higher rates of suicide and depression. There is an epidemic of murdered and missing Native women in the country that has persisted for decades because dehumanization creates less empathy for and more othering of Native peoples. Read more about MMIW in a recent newsletter.

Ending racist mascots would help create a world where Native people are recognized as contemporary people with rich cultural traditions. There would be greater respect for our unique wisdom, harmonious relationship with the planet, and towering legacy of leadership. Achieving this goal is an essential step to ending white supremacy, for Indigenous people worldwide have been subject to genocide and erasure for centuries. We cannot advance in our struggle against racial injustice without healing these deep wounds.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Racist mascots increase negative stereotyping of Native people and create the false perception of Native people as aggressive.
65% of Native people are offended—not honored—by the use of Native mascots.
Native mascots and the fan behavior associated with the use of Native mascots impacts Native youth by lowering self-esteem, increasing rates of depression, increasing rates of self-harm and substance abuse, increasing discrimination in schools against Native students.

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 1/31/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/31/21

Respect space for Black life.

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

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

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

A few years ago, I was at a conference and remember talking to an architect who was studying the disparities of space, per square foot, that Black people are allocated compared to the white community – from affinity spaces on college campuses, square footage of houses, even the average space allotted to each person in a workplace. I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

I was overjoyed to see darryl's submission analyzing this topic further. I hope you find some insight from this too.

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.

ps – tomorrow we kick-off 28 Days of Black History, a digital curation of Black work. One work will be sent via email each evening in February. The update profile situation Mailchimp provides didn't work for half of our audience yesterday, so if you want to join in, simply add your email here: 28daysofblackhistory.com/ard Yes, I know it's annoying that I have your email and have to ask for it again. Mailchimp won't let us be great :(

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Respect space for BIPOC – including their pastimes / extracurricular activities, wellness classes, affinity groups, and spiritual circles.
For allies, ask yourself: How you can invite people into spaces where they are traditionally not welcome? How else can you ensure those spaces are preserved using your power and privilege.
Read Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit by Mary Frances Winters to further understand the harmful effects of racism.
Support therapy initiatives for the Black community, like Black Men Heal and Therapy for Black Girls.

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

Last June, demonstrators, mostly Black, peacefully marched on Capitol Hill to protest police violence (Washington Post). As demonstrators held signs and chanted slogans denouncing racial violence, they were met with tear gas and sting balls. Earlier this month, mostly white people, wearing MAGA hats and Trump clothing, broke windows and doors, and assaulted uniformed police officers before storming into the Capitol Hill building during a session of Congress (NY Times). The stark contrast between the agency granted to white people – and the limited mobility of Black lives – has harmful effects on Black people.

The daily anxiety linked to the threat of violent encounters with police can cause psychological stress. In Mary-Frances Winters’ Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit, she calls this race-based traumatic stress injury. I would argue that at the center of race-based traumatic stress injury is race-based geography--the trauma caused by the limits of Black physical space.

Controlling and limiting space is imperative to exercising power over Black lives. During slavery, enslaved Africans’ geography was confined to slave auctions, slave ships, slave quarters, and plantations. The enslaved were also falsely diagnosed with drapetomania, runaway slave syndrome (EJI.org). By limiting the physical, and mental, mobility of enslaved Africans, white supremacists were able to establish a legal society that excluded Black life.

Following slavery, racial barriers placed many formerly enslaved back on plantations as sharecroppers, sometimes working the same fields they were enslaved on (PBS). During the 1950s, as the segregated Jim Crow era came to a close, Black people managed to carve out a life in major cities across the U.S.

Despite this progress, Black communities still had limited mobility. Following the second wave of the Great Migration (1940-1970), Black people were regulated to their side of the tracks (African American Intellectual Historical Society). Laws, job ceilings, and housing covenants dictated where Black people could live and how much they could earn on their jobs. Many cities were still too racist and dangerous for Black people to travel to (for more about sundown towns, check out our previous newsletter). Living under the thumb of limited agency, and working with the understanding that, as minorities, one has to work twice as hard as a whites, is a heavy burden that can cause internalized oppression, low-self esteem, and self-doubt, among other issues (Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit).

Richard Wright’s celebrated narrative Native Son does a brilliant job detailing how limited space affects Black lives. Wright’s opus commences with the Thomas family waking up in a wooden floor kitchenette. The main character, Bigger Thomas, endures his mother singing a melody about being brave, which bothers Bigger. The thought of being a poor Black man living in a small kitchenette with his family seeps into Bigger’s psyche, leading him to question his worthiness. Bigger grows frustrated when asked by his mother if he would accept a job offer from a wealthy white family. Bigger’s anger is connected to his exclusion from white space, yet he has to rely on a white family in order to sustain a living (Native Son).

Less than a decade after the publication of Native Son, President Harry S. Truman signed the 1949 Housing Act (Truman Library). New, affordable housing seemed promising to Black families living in kitchenettes, shotgun houses, or multiple families sharing one house. But the construction of federally funded housing came with furtive forms of carceral power, such as surveillance cameras, curfews, police raids, onsite court, and metal detectors, as well as prison-like bars that covered windows, doors, and linked buildings throughout the housing projects.

Living in government-controlled spaces, which are constructed like prisons, can psychologically prepare Black people for jail. As activist and author, George Jackson writes in Soledad Brothers: “Being born a slave in a captive society, I was prepared for prison. It only required minor adjustments.” Braving oneself for life in jail leads to a combative mindset, which for Black people, places them under stereotypes of being contentious.

Also, colleges and universities have struggled with creating safe spaces for minority students. “Schools who are serious about creating safe spaces and fostering conversations around diversity need to give faculty the appropriate training and tools,” writes Emily Deruy (The Atlantic).

The lack of agency and freedom of movement Black people experience in their communities can also help explain why geography is important to gang members. Men who are locked out of jobs, stagnated at low-paying job sites, or have limited control inside their homes – as seen with Bigger Thomas – may exercise destructive ideals of masculinity outside of the home by controlling blocks, streets, parks, or entire neighborhoods. Living under the control of local, state and federal power can impel gang members to exercise patriarchal behavior through gang leadership and to exert dominance through territory (Yearning: Race, Gender and Cultural Politics).

Race-based geography is also part of the prison industrial complex (The Atlantic). Created in Rikers Island Prison in 1993 as a way for Black detainees to protect themselves from the dominant Latin Kings, New York City’s Bloods gang has morphed into one of the most widespread gangs in the United States (Public Intelligence). Today, Bloods dominate Rikers Island, but the gang employs some of the same geographical barriers on non-gang members as Latin Kings placed on them prior to the Bloods formation.

The joint effort between local, state and federal government to implement job ceilings, heavy policing, racial violence, discriminatory laws, and limited movement harms Black life and Black communities. Recently, Oakland, Calif. implemented “Slow Streets,” a program that restricts the movement of vehicles on 74 miles of residential streets, which mirrors the role infrastructure has played in upholding racism (Washington Post). “Slow Streets'' follows the disturbing historical narrative of limiting Black mobility (Bloomberg City Lab).

For months, Black people have withstood rants from Trump about Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Yet nothing that these former groups have done remotely compares to the insurrection on Capitol Hill (Washington Post). How do Black people process the unfairness in Breonna Taylor losing her life while asleep in her home, yet white rioters are allowed to run rampant on Capitol Hill?

If the U.S. was to strip these mobility limitations, spaces – such as universities, corporate America, and in the presence of police officers – would no longer hinder Black life. Freedom of agency would also close the wealth gap, which is roughly as large as it was in 1950, and build healthy relationships and trust between people of power, medical officials, and police authority (New York Times).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The daily anxiety linked to the threat of violent encounters with police can cause psychological issues.
The possibility of encountering violent police officers, discriminated against, or experiencing racial encounters can cause anger, aggression, and defensiveness in Black people.
The lack of agency Black experience in their communities can also help explain why geography is important to gang members.

7/14/2020 | Embrace your race privilege.

6/20/2020 | Support reparations.

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Nicole Cardoza 1/29/21 Nicole Cardoza 1/29/21

Abolish prison labor.

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

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

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

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

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

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

GET EDUCATED

By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

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

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

Understand inequities in child welfare.

Last summer, cities across the country were forced to address the role of law enforcement in creating unsafe spaces for its communities. Now, many are keeping the pressure on to see action. The Black Lives Matter LA chapter is addressing the intersection of law enforcement and child welfare, an often inequitable system harming the most vulnerable families (BLM LA). Today we are learning about the disproportionate representation of Black families in the child welfare system.

Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I've been learning more about the topic of child welfare because of how the landscape is shifting through COVID-19.

On one hand, remote learning, social distancing rules and budget cuts have reduced the number of opportunities for other grownups to report potential child welfare situations. Smultaneously, local leaders are advocating for reduced involvement with law enforcement in these cases – as part of efforts to reduce policing and reimagine public safety. I appreciate Nia's overview of the child welfare space and the racial disparities all the more urgent in this tense time. I hope you do, too.

We're in the final stages of bringing on our first full-time staff member, thanks to the support of our community! 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

Sign this petition from Black Lives Matter Los Angeles to remove police presence in child services investigations and #ReimagineChildSafety.
Support organizations that are focused on family reunification, and providing direct support to families such as Children’s Rights and Movement for Family Power.
Consider: How does this disparity affect child welfare resources in my community? How can I escalate an issue in a more equitable way?
Remember: child welfare can be greatly supported when you support housing, education. food and other essential services in your local community. Consider how your local organizations and mutual aid networks help reimagine child safety.

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Black children make up 33% of children in foster care, although they comprise only 15% of the total child population (National Conference of State Legislatures). They are also significantly more likely to be removed from their families for the same issues that are overlooked in cases with white children.

Initially, the child welfare system was designed to reunite previously separated families, and it excluded Black families entirely. When the stereotype of the “welfare queen” became prolific in the 1980s, the welfare system became a means of separating Black families and facilitating unnecessary transracial adoptions. Congressional acts passed in the mid-1990s limited funds to support families of origin, but left funds for adoption and foster placement uncapped, incentivizing family separation. Other acts, including the Paired with Inter-Ethnic Adoption Act, facilitated a wave of unnecessary adoptions by parents from another race (Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy).

These policies incentivize American states to adopt a more punitive approach to child welfare, directing more funds to separation than direct support to families (PBS). Funding for adoption and foster care is prioritized over directly funding families in need (PBS). The federal Title IV-E Foster Care Program offers unlimited funding to foster care placements, and limits funds for services to keep families intact (Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems).

Poverty is a predictor in the removal of children from their home, and Black parents are more likely to face poverty. (For more on racism and intergenerational wealth, check out our previous article here.) There are multiple case studies where children of color have been removed from their caregivers due to lack of money only, including a case of a family facing eviction, and a hospitalized mother who did not have someone to watch her kids.

In these instances, appropriate supports like housing assistance and respite care were not offered to the families. Instead, the children were removed from their guardians and placed in foster care. These particular case examples were categorized as “emergency removals without prior judicial authorization”, and this type of removal is particularly susceptible to racial bias (Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems). Poverty also contributes to many neglect cases: a child can be removed for being malnourished, due to the family’s food insecurity. However, it would be much less harmful to fund the family than to place the child with another family (Practice Notes).

Black parents who struggle with substance use disorders are also more likely to have their children removed than white parents with the same issue. Black mothers are 1.5 times more likely to be drug tested (or have their baby drug tested) after birth, although positivity rates are about equal in Black and white mothers (Journal of Women's Health). Additionally, incarceration disproportionately affects Black Americans, putting parents at risk of their children being placed in foster care, and their parental rights being terminated entirely (Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy).

Before the child welfare laws in the late 20th century were passed, Black families were largely barred from participating in child welfare services at all. Black children were deemed to be unwanted by white adoptive parents and were largely cared for by extended family and church networks when their parents could not care for them. The AACWA was the first legislation that included Black children in child welfare services, and supported reunification or establishing permanency efforts for children in foster care (Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy)

Similar acts also facilitated the placement of Indigenous children in the childcare system. Indigenous American children are 2.9 times more likely to be placed in foster care than white children (ABA). The Indian Adoption Act of 1958 effectively allowed the United States Government to remove Indigenous children from their homes and place them in with white families. However, in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) allowed tribal courts to intervene in child welfare placements, and required the states to place children in homes that were consistent with indigenous culture (APA). However, the ICWA has not been consistent in its implementation and a 2013 ruling allowing a white family to adopt an Indigenous child has put the law in peril (Washington Post).

The American Bar Association recommends that child services workers recognize and understand biases, as well as working directly with families to better understand their situations. They also recommend that child welfare agencies hire more diverse staff (ABA). Recent policies have shifted more towards keeping families together and to offering services to families who are struggling prior to removing children (Child Welfare). One example is community doula programs that are publicly funded to give support to parents who face poverty (DONA). Although it is clear that children should not be with abusive parents, it is still critical to consider the mitigating factors of many child welfare placements. Separating families due to poverty or racial profiling is unaccepable. It’s time to prioritize funding families directly to keep them intact and healthy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Initially, Black families were excluded from child welfare systems entirely. It wasn’t until child welfare legislation was fully developed in the late 20th century that the focus shifted to families of color.
Later, the welfare system became a means of separating Black families and facilitating unnecessary transracial adoptions.
Black children are separated from their parents at 2.2 times the rate of white children and Native American children are separated from their parents at 2.9 times the rate of white children.
More funding is directed toward foster care and adoption than to directly funding families that are in the child welfare system due to poverty.

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

Embrace multiculturalism.

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

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

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

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

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

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

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By Juan Michael Porter II (he/him)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

KEY TAKEAWAYS

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

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

9/21/2020 | Support the 1619 Project.

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