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Stop the diversity cash grab.
In the past year, many corporations responded to renewed attention to issues of racism and racial justice, some setting aside significant amounts of funding earmarked for distribution to groups working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and promoting the economic inclusion of Black Americans. We might wonder why it took widely-publicized murders and a nation-wide uprising for what’s typically a “drought stricken funding landscape” for diversity initiatives to change. We should also consider who actually benefits in a time when it’s “raining diversity dollars, and everyone is outside with a bucket” (Lightship). Sometimes, so-called “diversity” is actually tokenization that falls short of actually fostering inclusion.
TAKE ACTION
Encourage companies or organizations you’re part of to take concrete, material steps towards active anti-racism, even when they come with a cost.
Push back against tokenism by insisting on impactful policies and increased inclusion and diversity at all levels.
Advocate for credible DEI training led by people of color.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
In the past year, many corporations responded to renewed attention to issues of racism and racial justice, some setting aside significant amounts of funding earmarked for distribution to groups working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and promoting the economic inclusion of Black Americans. We might wonder why it took widely-publicized murders and a nation-wide uprising for what’s typically a “drought stricken funding landscape” for diversity initiatives to change. We should also consider who actually benefits in a time when it’s “raining diversity dollars, and everyone is outside with a bucket” (Lightship). Sometimes, so-called “diversity” is actually tokenization that falls short of actually fostering inclusion.
Tokenism or tokenization “results when institutions make performative efforts towards the inclusion of people from underrepresented groups to give the appearance of equity,” like appointing a few BIPOC or LGBTQ+ people to leadership positions in order to deflect critique. The only token members of a team have little power to actually effect change, and they’re moreover “often unfairly asked to speak on behalf of their entire community” (Wexner Foundation).
Token representation often doesn’t extend to the highest positions of power. Though companies supporting racial justice in the wake of the Black Lives Matter revolts “have been quick to adopt the movement’s hashtag, they don’t appear to show the same enthusiasm in their boardrooms: as of 2020, only four out of America's 500 biggest companies had a black chief executive (BBC). Despite press releases, advertisements, and internal diversity programming, the number of Black men on corporate boards of directors actually dropped in the last two years. Carey Oven of Deloitte’s Center for Board Effectiveness found that the lack of progress is due to a lack “of corporate will, rather than a lack of qualified minority candidates” (CNBC).
Many of the same successful companies that utterly failed to diversify management and board positions now contract with external DEI consultants in what is now an $8 billion industry (Forbes). Incredibly, this same tokenization happens in the diversity consulting industry, as well. White-led organizations are seeking federal and foundation grant money, jumping in line ahead of long-standing BIPOC-led groups. According to Lightship Capital, which exclusively supports companies founded by people from marginalized identities, they were approached by a white-led group to co-apply for a grant. The inquiring organization would keep 80% of the money for themselves, leaving only 20% for Lightship Capital “to do the actual, in the trenches work” (Lightship).
Instituting token representation is easy compared to actually creating the changes necessary for authentic inclusion. But actual inclusion is the only solution to systemic oppression and exclusion. There are organizations making honest attempts to change for the better, and there are DEI initiatives led by people of color with experience and skills. One, but by no means the only, is Anti-Racism Daily, which offers courses, workshops, and subscription packages for workplaces and teams (ARD).
North Coast Organics publicly posted their pay scales and demographic information for employees and management, making a commitment to equitable pay and hiring practices (Instagram). Fashion company Nisolo included a commitment to donate monthly to Black Lives Matter and Gideon’s Army of Nashville in their statement in support of Black lives (Nisolo). Sea to Sky Removal made a public commitment to “cut ties with customers, partners, and suppliers that do not share our commitment to battle racism in all its forms” (Sea to Sky).
Awaken offers diversity and inclusion workshops facilitated by a multi-racial team from a variety of professional backgrounds, from community organizers to communications specialists (Awaken). And Leesa Renée Hall has worked with thousands of people to interrupt unconscious bias with questions she first used to think through her own race, gender, religion and ancestry (Leesa Renée Hall).
What distinguishes sincere attempts to foster diversity from tokenism and cynical diversity cash grabs is that the former takes work but the latter takes the easy way out. Cutting ties with suppliers that aren’t actively anti-racist or taking the time to find a credible DEI consulting firm may cost time, energy, organizational resources, and money; promoting a single person from a marginalized group does not.
Key Takeaways
Tokenism is including one or two people from marginalized groups in order to deflect legitimate criticism.
Some organizations wish to capitalize on interest in and funding for racial justice initiatives by taking the easy way out and deploying tokenism in lieu of substantive change.
Real diversity, equity, and inclusion means changing policies and practices, even when it comes with a cost. Tokenism is easy but harmful.
Unpack stereotypes on cleanliness.
These conversations seemed harmless and amusing, but historically, the cultural conversation on cleanliness hasn’t been this casual. The notion of cleanliness has been wielded against immigrants, communities of color, and other marginalized groups to justify oppression and ostracization. Everyone is welcome to bathe however they choose, but not everyone has the privilege to talk about not bathing without the weight of racial implications.
TAKE ACTION
Consider: Where may you have heard these stereotypes before? What books, podcasts, TV shows, movies, etc. have you seen recently that perpetuate these today?
Contact manufacturers of beauty products to oppose tropes like Black skin being dirty, unattractive, or a problem to be corrected. Avoid products marketed using racist themes.
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
Recently (and why, I do not know), a series of white celebrities shared their bathing habits with the press. Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Kristen Bell said they only bathe their kids when they smell bad (People). Jake Gyllenhall noted that he finds bathing “less necessary” (Vanity Fair). Commenters were quick to note that these sentiments were shared by white celebrities, and non-white stars like Jason Momoa, Dwayne Johnson and Cardi B were quick to express their love for frequent showers and baths. These conversations seemed harmless and amusing, but historically, the cultural conversation on cleanliness hasn’t been this casual. The notion of cleanliness has been wielded against immigrants, communities of color, and other marginalized groups to justify oppression and ostracization. Everyone is welcome to bathe however they choose, but not everyone has the privilege to talk about not bathing without the weight of racial implications.
In the late 19th century, many Chinese and Japanese people immigrated to the U.S. and Canada for the gold rush, as did European immigrants. Asian immigrant labor labor was indispensable for the growth of infrastructure alongside the West Coast, but they were paid terribly compared to their white American counterparts (The Conversation).
As Chinese communities grew, white communities turned against them, fearing they would take their jobs and disrupt their quality of life. White people blamed Chinese workers for the growth of syphilis, leprosy, and smallpox. Though poverty, not race, correlates with the spread of diseases. 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” though they knew this wasn’t accurate (The Conversation). This spurred violence like an 1871 massacre of Chinese workers in L.A.’s Chinatown that led to “the largest mass lynching in American history” (L.A. Weekly) as well as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act in the U.S. and the 1885 Chinese Immigration Act in Canada. These were the first laws for both countries that excluded an entire ethnic group (AAPF).
To this day, the same hateful rhetoric fuels anti-Asian bias in response to the coronavirus.
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The outbreak has had a decidedly dehumanizing effect, reigniting old strains of racism and xenophobia that frame Chinese people as uncivilized, barbaric “others” who bring with them dangerous, contagious diseases and an appetite for dogs, cats, and other animals outside the norms of Occidental diets.”
Jenny G. Zhang in Eater
Also, consider efforts to keep Black people and other people of color out of public swimming spaces. Among the racially charged reasons made up to promote segregation was the notion that non-white people were not clean. As a result, pools practiced segregation to maintain this perception of purity. Segregated pools would have swim days for people of color only, and pools would be cleaned before white patrons returned (National Geographic). In 1951, a Little League team came to a public pool to celebrate a championship win. One player, Al Bright, who was Black, was only allowed to be in the pool sitting on a raft under lifeguard supervision so he would not touch the water (NPR). Read more in a previous newsletter.
Mexicans and Mexican Americans were also discriminated against based on false notions of cleanliness. The U.S. perpetuated this stereotype against Mexican people to fuel displacement and unfair labor practices. This sentiment was responsible for justifying an Eisenhower-era campaign that deported as many as 1.3 million undocumented workers, the largest mass deportation in U.S. history (History). The LA Times recently reflected on its role in perpetuating anti-Mexican sentiment. One headline from 1919 read “Watch the dirty Mexican newspapers in this town [...] They ought to be suppressed” (LA Times).
This was also a critical point of the Mendez v. Westminster case in 1947. In 1945, a group of parents sued four school districts in Orange County, CA, for placing their children in “Mexican Schools,” which received far fewer resources than schools for white students. In their defense, school officials claimed Latino students were dirty and carried diseases that put white students at risk. The case went to the Supreme Court, which deemed segregation of Mexican American students unconstitutional and unlawful, ending segregation in all California schools (History).
Stereotypes of cleanliness fuel other forms of discrimination: antisemitism, anti-fatness, and discrimination against disabled people, the unhoused, and those with HIV/AIDS. These tropes center whiteness – specifically the whiteness of, wealthy, able-bodied, skinny, cisgender, heterosexual people – as the definition of purity and cleanliness. To dismantle racism we have to deconstruct this narrative.
Key Takeaways
Celebrities have been sharing their bathing habits publicly, sparking a conversation on the differences in bathing habits amongst different groups
The notion of cleanliness has been used throughout history to further oppress and discriminate against marginalized communities
Stereotypes that portray marginalized groups as dirty aim to uphold the idea of the purity and cleanliness of whiteness
Release ICE detainees.
Fleeing death threats in his home country of El Salvador, Alexander Martinez entered the United States without papers two months into the Biden presidency. During his detention, he’s been shuffled between six different detention facilities while facing homophobic harrassment and abuse from guards. He remains detained despite passing initial screening for asylum. “I never imagined or expected to receive this inhumane treatment,” said Martinez. The Biden administration doubled the number of immigration detainees since the end of February (The Guardian). U.S. citizens may believe that mass detention of immigrants and asylum seekers is no longer an issue under a Democratic president. 27,000 immigrants — many detained indefinitely in overcrowded, unsanitary facilities with little access to medical care during an ongoing pandemic — might have a different perspective.
TAKE ACTION
Follow Asian Americans United, Juntos, Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), New Sanctuary Movement, VietLead, and Woori Center.
Find a local immigrant refugee organization near you, and identify the best way to support.
Contact your elected officials at the local, state, and federal level and demand that no other government institution share information with ICE. This includes school districts, local and state police, health and human services, and unemployment departments.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
When the American electorate denied President Trump a second term, it was in response to a number of outrages: the so-called “Muslim ban,” a failed attempt to construct a border wall, a bumbling response to Covid-19. Top among them was a “zero-tolerance” immigration policies that the United Nations Human Rights Council suggested “may amount to torture” (Independent). Candidate Biden rallied support in part by promising to “welcome immigrants in our communities” (Democratic National Committee). His election prompted many to share actress Idina Menzel’s sentiment when she tweeted, “My son just hugged me and said ‘mommy no more kids in cages!’ Tears of joy and tears of sadness” (Hollywood Reporter). Immigration policies and immigrant rights soon faded from front-page news.
But as Silky Shah from the Detention Watch Network reported, “His policies so far haven’t matched his campaign rhetoric” (The Guardian).
Fleeing death threats in his home country of El Salvador, Alexander Martinez entered the United States without papers two months into the Biden presidency. During his detention, he’s been shuffled between six different detention facilities while facing homophobic harrassment and abuse from guards. He remains detained despite passing initial screening for asylum. “I never imagined or expected to receive this inhumane treatment,” said Martinez. The Biden administration doubled the number of immigration detainees since the end of February (The Guardian). U.S. citizens may believe that mass detention of immigrants and asylum seekers is no longer an issue under a Democratic president. 27,000 immigrants — many detained indefinitely in overcrowded, unsanitary facilities with little access to medical care during an ongoing pandemic — might have a different perspective.
Community organizations around the country have forced significant concessions from an unjust and inhumane immigrant detention system, but they can use ongoing support to achieve justice and liberation for all immigrants. Advocates were able to push Pennsylvania’s York County Prison to stop accepting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees and secured the freedom of around 100 of those already detained. However, 200 of those already in York were transferred to other detention centers while others were deported (WHYY). Last Tuesday, a coalition of organizations including Asian Americans United, Juntos, Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), New Sanctuary Movement, VietLead, and Woori Center rallied outside the Philadelphia ICE office to demand liberty for all detainees.
“There are a lot of organizations, a coalition. We’re here because we now know that because of community pressure they freed 80-100 people,” Ivonne from MILPA told Anti-Racism Daily, describing what community organizations see as a significant but partial victory. 200 York detainees were transferred to other centers. Some were deported. “Now we want those within the center in York and those within any detention center in the U.S. to be freed.”
While immigration issues are sometimes associated solely with the Latinx community, VietLead executive director Nancy Nguyen told Anti-Racism Daily that she’s fought deportations of the Southeast refugees for ten years and that Black immigrants suffer some of the longest detentions with the least legal representation. “Obama was considered the deporter-in-chief,” she said. “The way that folks should understand it is that, yes, things got worse under Trump but Trump only drove the vehicle that Obama created… This certainly is not just a Latinx issue and it certainly is not an issue that started just with Trump.”
“There are many nefarious ways ICE gets into communities. It’s not just about detention centers. ICE is always trying to collude with the police, ICE is always trying to get into your Health and Human Services data, ICE is trying to get into schools,” Nancy said, “So in every community everywhere folks should be making sure to contact their electeds, to make sure that there are no ICE agreements with police. These are info agreements that the police or that your health department or your school districts share information with ICE,” said Nancy from VietLead. “And also donate to your local immigrant and refugee organizations that are fighting ICE on the ground.”
“Allyship” with immigrants that vanishes once one’s preferred political party gains office isn’t true solidarity. It’s using oppressed communities as a political football. There are organizations of immigrants across the country fighting for justice against a disgraceful system at great risk and against incredible adversity. Supporting them is a moral and political responsibility, especially for those with the privilege of citizenship.
“We’re different colors, from different countries, and they aren’t going to stop us,” said MILPA’s Ivonne. “We have the power to say: enough. We want everyone out. We want them with their families.”
Key Takeaways
Immigrant rights receive significantly less attention from news outlets and many members of the public now that the election is over.
In reality, the Biden administration doubled the number of ICE detainees since this February.
Immigrant organizations across the country have won victories but need resources and support regardless of who’s in office.
Destigmatize HIV/AIDS.
On the last day of Rolling Loud, a prominent hip-hop festival, rapper DaBaby became the subject of countless headlines after making insensitive, homophobic remarks at the start of his performance. Despite receiving backlash, DaBaby initially defended his statement, causing swift criticism amongst fans. His homophobic comments fed off of negative stigma against HIV-positive people. They also perpetuate the false narrative that only promiscuous gay people have HIV/AIDS. Stigma against people with HIV, homophobia, and racism are especially harmful to those with multiple marginalized identities.
TAKE ACTION
Donate to NAESM, an organization committed to the wellbeing of Black gay men.
Use the CDC’s Stigma Language Guide to avoid promoting HIV/AIDS stigma in everyday conversations.
GET EDUCATED
By Sydney Cobb (she/her)
On the last day of Rolling Loud, a prominent hip-hop festival, rapper DaBaby became the subject of countless headlines after making insensitive, homophobic remarks at the start of his performance. Despite receiving backlash, DaBaby initially defended his statement, causing swift criticism amongst fans. His homophobic comments fed off of negative stigma against HIV-positive people. They also perpetuate the false narrative that only promiscuous gay people have HIV/AIDS. Stigma against people with HIV, homophobia, and racism are especially harmful to those with multiple marginalized identities.
HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, can be transmitted through anal or vaginal sex, or sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment (CDC). Contrary to popular belief, plenty of people aside from men who have sex with men (MSM) contract HIV: “In 2019, heterosexual people made up 23% of all HIV diagnoses in the U.S. and six dependent areas” (HIV.gov). The association between HIV and same-sex sexual contact or intravenous drug use can dissuade people from getting tested or treated, even though you can contract HIV from heterosexual sex in a monogamous relationship.
Among men who have sex with men (MSM), Black men are the most highly affected group, accounting for 39% of HIV diagnoses resulting from male-to-male sexual contact (Kaiser Family Foundation). Incarcerated men who have sex with men (MSM) are especially vulnerable to HIV. Misconceptions regarding HIV/AIDS often lead people to believe that being HIV-positive is a result of negligence. This notion fails to account for how systematic factors like mass incarceration, poverty, and lack of healthcare access contribute to Black MSM infection rates.
In 2018, there were 2,272 inmates per 100,000 Black men, compared to 392 inmates per 100,000 white men (Pew Research Center). Chances of acquiring HIV in prison are high for all incarcerated Black men due to inmates’ lack of access to condoms or medicine to prevent or treat HIV. The lack of testing and treatment resources for inmates directly contributes to the amount of people who unknowingly transmit HIV to other prisoners (Prison Policy Initiative).
The American healthcare system’s sordid history of neglecting African Americans has created a sense of distrust among the Black community: “About two-thirds of medically disenfranchised Black and Hispanic people said they don't feel like the health care system treats all patients fairly” (WebMD). Black people’s fear of mistreatment in healthcare settings makes them less likely to get tested for HIV or seek treatment if they have already been diagnosed. In addition, many impoverished gay Black people have little to no opportunities to get tested regularly because employment and housing discrimination have barred them from accessing healthcare.
Society has systematically oppressed people living with HIV as well as gay Black men. The intersection of homophobia and racism makes gay Black men with HIV feel isolated and ashamed. Having two oppressed identities already makes gay Black men the subject of discrimination and social ostracism, but having HIV imposes entirely different stereotypes on them. This internalized stigma often leads to low self-esteem and makes people afraid to disclose their health status.
One in two Black gay and bisexual men is likely to become HIV positive in his lifetime (CDC). The odds are undoubtedly stacked against the Black gay male community, yet somehow they are often forgotten in the response to HIV/AIDS. Many community-based programs and organizations are so focused on supporting the gay community as a whole that they fail to acknowledge the unique struggle Black gay men face. In order to destigmatize HIV/AIDS, society must change the general attitude toward HIV-positive people. Supporting HIV-positive people ranges from ensuring Black communities have access to PrEP (Anti-Racism Daily), medication that significantly reduces a person’s risk of contracting HIV, to adjusting how we speak about the virus.
By changing our language when discussing HIV/AIDS and ridding ourselves of negative stereotypes about HIV-positive individuals— specifically gay Black men— we can make it a less taboo subject. Decreasing this taboo would benefit heterosexual HIV-positive people by minimizing their fear of getting tested or disclosing their status, and it would elimate the negative stereotypes surrounding non-HIV-positive Queer and Trans People of Color. Having open conversations about HIV/AIDS will increase awareness of its dangers and encourage people to take their sexual health seriously.
Key Takeaways
The intersection of racism and homophobia negatively influences the way HIV/AID stigma affects gay Black men.
Internalized HIV/AIDS stigma often makes people who struggle with the disease feel isolated and discriminated against.
Despite being one of the most highly affected communities, gay Black men lack resources centered around HIV/AIDS prevention and care options.
Rally for fair labor.
In July, 19 workers at Chicago fast food chain Portillo’s self-organized a seven day strike against unfairly low pay and worker mistreatment. Unlike most strikes, the workers started the work stoppage on their own with just the help of a local nonprofit, Arise Chicago. The employees who participated in the strike were all Latino, and the majority of them had been with the company for over ten years. The workers involved had been attempting to get a resolution on workplace issues with management for four years (In These Times).
TAKE ACTION
Donate to Arise Chicago, the organization that helped striking Portillo’s workers.
Learn about the connection between workers’ rights and racial justice.
Support a pay increase for fast food workers across the country.
GET EDUCATED
By Nia Norris (she/her)
Latino workers have been a part of the labor movement since its inception. My great-grandmother was a Black immigrant from Panama who worked extensively in the garment industry to improve labor standards and was also a union organizer in Africa (Jacobin). Although many of the early labor unions excluded minority workers, there are also many Latino voices who are celebrated in labor history including César Chávez and the United Farm Workers of America (History). Last month, Latino workers won another huge labor victory in the Chicago suburbs. It isn’t just coincidental that these were low-wage workers who happened to be Latino. Latino workers (particularly those who are immigrants) are disproportionately represented in dangerous jobs. Latino workers have the highest occupational fatality rate out of all groups in the United States (PRB). Racism determines who works which jobs, and under which conditions. But victories like those resulting from a historic three-week strike at a Frito-Lays plant in Topeka show that workers acting together can win (CNN).
In July, 19 workers at Chicago fast food chain Portillo’s self-organized a seven day strike against unfairly low pay and worker mistreatment. Unlike most strikes, the workers started the work stoppage on their own with just the help of a local nonprofit, Arise Chicago. The employees who participated in the strike were all Latino, and the majority of them had been with the company for over ten years. The workers involved had been attempting to get a resolution on workplace issues with management for four years (In These Times).
The final straw for the workers was that management was not replacing employees who left the company, instead expecting the remaining workers to do the jobs of two people. This created an unsafe working environment. The company was also offering only a $0.25 to $0.35 raise to employees although the company itself was not losing money to the pandemic.
Margarita Valenzuela Klein, the director of member organizing at Arise Chicago, spoke with ARD about the remarkable strike. According to Klein, “It was workers without a union who made the decision to walk out. They called on us [for our assistance] after they walked out.”
Klein said, “We explained to them under the law what their protections are, and what a certain activity means. If two or more employees decide to do something to better their working conditions, they are protected by the law. The more you do, the more protections you have.” Arise Chicago also provided the workers with media contacts for press conferences, signs that they could use to post their demands publicly, and explained “the ABCs of a picket line,” said Klein.
This worker-organized work stoppage was a huge success. Workers won raises ranging from $.1.60 to $2.60 an hour. The company also hired more workers to do the job. These results are incredible for the fast food industry, an industry that is notorious for exploiting minority workers who receive very low pay and often work in poor conditions.
A report by the Labor Center of UC Berkeley found that 73% of fast food workers in Los Angeles were Latino workers (UC Berkeley). Fast food work has always been low pay and comes with high rates of workplace harassment. COVID-19 has made conditions even worse. Fast food workers are almost never unionized, and most attempts by restaurant workers to unionize have been shut down (PBS). Food service workers have historically had very little collective bargaining power. They are often treated by their employers as disposable workers, however the COVID-19 crisis has somewhat shifted the power to the employees as employers grapple with a labor shortage that spans the entire service industry (NYT).
Latino people in the U.S. have historically been leaders in the union movement. Workers’ rights icon César Chávez facilitated the unionization of grape pickers in Delano, California in 1965 by organizing a strike that lasted for five years. This strike led to the creation of the United Farm Workers of America. Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants fleeing U.S.-sponsored Dirty Wars in their home countries (TruthOut) included veteran community organizers whose skills “revived” the American labor movement (The Counter).
This is what is so commendable about the Portillo’s strike: although it’s no secret that restaurant workers are treated poorly, these workers were able to organize and get the results that they sought. They were able to use their collective bargaining power to create a safer workplace and a badly-needed pay increase. With employers everywhere moaning that “no one wants to work anymore,” perhaps they should consider that people are no longer willing to work in poor conditions for low pay. Instead, we need to reimagine the food service industry as one that supports the humanity of its workers instead of exploiting minorities for a profit.
Key Takeaways
Latino employees are disproportionately represented in the fast food industry.
An already abusive and underpaid work environment, fast food workers have been particularly vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic and should be compensated accordingly.
All workers have certain protections through labor laws that allow them to organize for fair working conditions.
Support Haitian relief.
In Haiti too, grassroots organizations run by or connected to those most impacted need support. The Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, a hospital for underserved communities, is accepting direct donations (CHF). Locally Haiti is working to “funnel aid to in the most direct and efficient way to the local people and institutions” (Locally Haiti). The Ayiti Community Trust, run by Haitians and diaspora members, is providing resources to groups on the ground (ACT).
TAKE ACTION
Boost or donate to the Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, Locally Haiti, and Ayiti Community Trust.
If people you know want to help Haiti by donating exclusively to large NGOs, help educate them about the reasons why many on the ground oppose their practices. Encourage them to contribute to locally-rooted organizations instead.
Support local mutual aid organizations creating resilience in the face of domestic disasters like Hurricane Katrina.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
An earthquake Saturday killed over 1,500 people and unhoused thousands more in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas and only nation founded by the formerly enslaved (CNN, World Bank). Tennis star Naomi Osaka pledged prize money from an upcoming championship to relief efforts (Huffington Post). Communities are providing support through organizations from nonprofits to congregations (Local 10) .
But when prominent leaders promoted seemingly-credible organizations like the Red Cross, Save the Children, and UNICEF, former aid workers and Haitian citizens objected. “As a Haitian,” said one Twitter user, “Do Not Donate to these organizations” (MSN). Many of the organizations circulating online are entrusted with funds that do not reach the local communities in need.
After a 2011 earthquake, the American Red Cross received $500 million in donations. They planned to build 700 homes by 2013, and claimed by 2015 to have sheltered 130,000 Haitians (PBS). But according to ProPublica and NPR, four years after the earthquake, they had built just six houses across the entire country. According to the program director, “officials wanted to know which projects would generate the good publicity, not which projects would provide the most homes” (ProPublica). The project leaders were not Haitian and spoke neither French nor Haitian Creole. The non-Haitian manager of a failed project to build houses in the neighborhood of Campeche received $140,000 in compensation. The top local staff member received less than a third of that (ProPublica).
There’s a wide disparity in power between foreign nationals from wealthy countries who give humanitarian aid and its recipients. Save the Children covered up over fifty cases a year of staff child abuse (National News). Oxfam was accused of covering for its top staff in Haiti who illegally hired sex workers, some potentially underaged (BBC). Beyond abuse, the aid sector in Haiti is so large it deforms the national economy and democratic governance; the country is known as the Republic of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) (The Nation). “U.S food aid flooding the market has provided cheap food but driven many Haitian farmers off the land,” and as journalist Jonathan Katz says, “There was no way for Haitians to appeal an NGO decision, prosecute a bad soldier, or vote an unwanted USAID project out of a neighborhood… Two centuries of turmoil and foreign meddling had left a Haitian state so anemic it couldn’t even count how many citizens it had” (America Magazine). As one resident of Haiti said, “We cannot develop our country with international aid” (BBC).
This is not to say that every supporter or staff member of large charities are malicious or that they never get results. But the gulf in wealth and decision-making power between largely white-led aid organizations (The Guardian) and the people they’re supposed to help opens the door to mismanagement and abuse. This imbalance also appeared domestically during Hurricane Katrina relief. One county executive said Black residents were “treated like cattle” in relief centers (NBC News). Since it was donors and not residents who decided what was sent, there were “mismatches between the needs of victims and the supplies the Red Cross had lined up” like two truckloads of moldy cinnamon rolls and battery-operated radios without batteries (N.Y. Times).
It wasn’t the government or nonprofits who first entered New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward with support. It was a local mutual aid organization founded by a former Black Panther. “People from the community asked us to be here, and the goal for this clinic is to transition from a first-aid emergency response to a functional community-controlled primary care clinic. In other words, this is for the community in the long run and not just we're a bunch of do-gooders,” said nurse and collective member Scott Weinstein (NPR).
In Haiti too, grassroots organizations run by or connected to those most impacted need support. The Centre Hospitalier de Fontaine, a hospital for underserved communities, is accepting direct donations (CHF). Locally Haiti is working to “funnel aid to in the most direct and efficient way to the local people and institutions” (Locally Haiti). The Ayiti Community Trust, run by Haitians and diaspora members, is providing resources to groups on the ground (ACT).
In the wake of such disasters, the most important thing is to support those affected. We can’t do that responsibly unless we recognize them — not as characters in a fundraising video but actual people, many of whom are telling us that international charities are unaccountable to Haitians, that their resources are not used responsibly, and even function as an unelected government run from London or Washington. When aid directed from wealth countries marginalizes “the Haitian state, Haitian social organizations and Haitian businesses,” we are looking not at disaster relief but disaster imperialism (The Nation). We need to pay attention to communities in dire needs to find out how to truly help.
Key Takeaways
Many people want to help Haitian earthquake survivors through large organizations like the Red Cross.
Such organizations are unaccountable to the people they serve. In Haiti, they comprise a de facto government while international food aid actually harms domestic agriculture.
There are also organizations which distribute resources to local communities and put decision-making power in the hands of those directly affected.
Stop evictions.
Landlords have filed for almost half a million evictions during the pandemic (Eviction Lab), and 15 million households are late on rent, owing a collective $20 billion to landlords, are potentially at risk of being put out on the streets. These tenants are disproportionately BIPOC (Colorlines) and LGBTQ+ (Injustice Watch).
TAKE ACTION
Support ACT UP Philadelphia, or, a local organization fighting the eviction of renters and homeless encampments.
Follow and support TANC or a local organization organizing tenants.
Find a tenants union or other local organization to volunteer for eviction defense.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
Just over a week ago, the Department of Justice defended a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium on evictions (MSN), extending eviction bans instituted by both the CARES Act and the CDC last year (Congressional Research Service). Despite DoJ support, this latest moratorium is contested by a lawsuit from a group of landlords. Even if the courts rule in its favor, it’s more limited than its predecessors, only protecting tenants in areas with “substantial” levels of COVID transmission (CDC). Landlords have filed for almost half a million evictions during the pandemic (Eviction Lab), and 15 million households are late on rent, owing a collective $20 billion to landlords, are potentially at risk of being put out on the streets. These tenants are disproportionately BIPOC (Colorlines) and LGBTQ+ (Injustice Watch).
Given this problem’s immense scope, it’s tempting to adopt a wait-and-see approach. But as millions face houselessness, we need to come together — not only because the courts might rule against the moratorium but also because landlords find ways to push tenants out even when it’s illegal.
“Renegade landlords” around the country persisted in driving out tenants unable to pay rent during COVID. In Oakland, one landlord changed the locks on the Castillo-Gutierréz family’s home and tore down the property’s fence flanked by unknown men on motorcycles (KQED). Since the moratoriums only prohibit eviction for non-payment of rent, some landlords tried to “skirt the law” by issuing eviction orders citing years-old non-financial issues (Inlander). After Missouri’s Tasha Tavenner was laid off, two men attempted to rip the door of her home, leading her and her four children to camp in the woods for five weeks. A renter in Ohio had the locks illegally changed on her house and the city trash bins so that accumulating garbage would force her to “voluntarily” leave (USA Today).
“There has been quite a bit of retaliation,” said Paige of the Bay Area’s Tenant and Neighborhood Councils (TANC) when speaking with Anti-Racism Daily. In one case, a landlord repeatedly refused to fix a home’s electrical problems until they ignited a fire. “People have been having to live without a fridge or a stove because the landlord is like, if you aren’t going to pay rent I’m not going to fix anything. I haven’t seen a whole lot of consequences even though this is illegal,” they said, adding that “BIPOC are the most affected by landlord harassment.”
“Once the moratorium ends, there’s going to be a massive crisis for non-payment of rent unless we forgive all that rental debt… Evictions have been happening since the beginning of the pandemic,” Max from ACT UP Philadelphia told Anti-Racism Daily. Those already evicted from their homes face evictions from shelters for minor infractions, as well as police violently breaking up homeless encampments. “The CDC said, do not evict homeless encampments during a pandemic. The city ignored that… They evicted a bunch of people who were staying safely outdoors, put them into indoor shelters, and an outbreak started a week after that. We’re pretty sure that the outbreak that killed someone was caused by that encampment eviction.”
Countless articles lament the plight of landlords unable to collect passive income but likewise unable to throw their tenants out on the curb (CNN). One op-ed claimed that canceling rent was anti-feminist because women landlords exist (Buffalo News). But a majority of rental units are owned not by small “mom-and-pop” operations but instead by large “institutional investors” (Harvard). There’s an immense difference between losing profit and being forced to move into the family car or under a bridge. The latter, incommensurably worse possibility is the one disproportionately facing LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people.
We can’t solely depend on continued moratorium extensions. Even with the moratorium in place, rogue landlords persisted in strong-arming and terrorizing tenants out of their homes. What we can do is support community organizations on the frontlines organizing to keep us all sheltered through and beyond the pandemic.
TANC is training renters across the San Francisco Bay Area as organizers to stay in their homes and “get through this crisis, alive, together” (The Appeal). ACT UP Philly is facing down police brutality (CBS) to “demand more plentiful permanent housing for Philadelphians facing homelessness, many of whom are Black and Brown and LGBTQ+” (Philadelphia Gay News).
“It’s a collective fight against gentrification and displacement across the country,” said Paige from TANC. “Try to find a tenant union, a tenant advocacy group, and see if they’re doing eviction defenses when the sheriff arrives to evict people, to document it and show solidarity. In your own living situation, don’t let your landlord walk all over you.”
To advance racial justice and keep all of our communities housed, it’s more important than ever to support organizations building tenant power with or without the moratorium.
Key Takeaways
A lawsuit threatens a new moratorium on evictions.
Even under existing eviction bans, tenants were illegally evicted by landlords and legally evicted from shelters and homeless encampments.
Tenant organizations are addressing a problem disproportionately affecting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people.
Reject conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories are corrosive. It cuts people off from their communities, leading them down internet rabbit holes accompanied only by other true believers. Conspiracy theories can lead their believers to do terrifying things, like bringing a gun into a D.C. pizza shop to free children in a non-existent child sex ring (Salon). Though conspiracy theories can appear outlandish, they’re dangerous enough that we should confront them head-on.
TAKE ACTION
Communicate and find common ground with those exploring conspiracy theories to start to pull them out of their echo chamber.
Use Checkology to learn more about fighting misinformation and identifying credible news.
Support fact-based community organizations addressing conspiracy theory topics like Generation 5 fighting child sexual abuse and Serve Your City educating community members about COVID and distributing mutual aid in D.C.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
Last week, Trump stoked conspiracy theories that the January 6th death of Ashli Babbitt as she broke into a Capitol Building hallway had more to it than it seemed. “They know who shot Ashli Babbitt. They’re protecting that person,” said Trump. “I have heard also that it was the head of security of a certain high official, a Democrat” and not, as evidence suggests, a police officer (ABC).
Every death is a tragedy, but if you’re breaching your country’s seat of government by force, you should understand that your life may be at risk. It is unfortunate but unsurprising that Capitol Police shot an insurrectionist. No nefarious conspiracy is necessary to explain this tragedy.
Trump’s remarks are but one of a number of conspiracy theories in American political life. There’s a viral video making the rounds concerning a purported Muslim/Satanic child sex trafficking ring (Rolling Stone). This is related to the QAnon theory that President Trump is battling an international cabal of Satanic cannibalistic pedophiles. QAnon supporters were among those besides Babbitt on January 6th (ABC News). Others are now running in local elections around the country (Modesto Bee).
Conspiracy thinking is also entering traditionally left-leaning spaces. A significant group of yoga practitioners, reiki healers, and New Age psychics now loudly uphold anti-vaccine, COVID-denialist, and QAnon beliefs (L.A. Times). Illuminati theories about an all-powerful international secret society can appeal to both conservatives and those on the left skeptical of state and corporate power (Vox).
Conspiracy theories are corrosive. It cuts people off from their communities, leading them down internet rabbit holes accompanied only by other true believers. Conspiracy theories can lead their believers to do terrifying things, like bringing a gun into a D.C. pizza shop to free children in a non-existent child sex ring (Salon). Though conspiracy theories can appear outlandish, they’re dangerous enough that we should confront them head-on.
This is made more challenging by the fact that some of American history rivals the wackiest theories (The Guardian). The Central Intelligence Agency did in fact dose random American civilians with LSD, secretly observing their behavior to see if the drug could be used to brainwash prisoners (Time). A journalist at a major newspaper did report that the CIA started the crack epidemic by letting anticommunist paramilitaries fly crack cocaine into Los Angeles. That same journalist ultimately died by suicide (Sacramento Bee).
U.S. spy agencies actually financed everyone from abstract expressionist painters (BBC) to the Dalai Lama (NY Times). And oil executives did know about climate change in 1977, though they deceived the public for decades more (Scientific American).
Many of us have the sense that decisions are made outside our control. According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, a small, elite network from the same schools, churches, and fraternal organizations is able to almost exclusively “establish the governing policy agenda” in this country. “The public’s role in the policy making process in U.S. society is largely symbolic” (Psychology Today). A renowned social scientist’s analysis of American society doesn’t sound too far off from a conspiracy theory.
But real-life elite networks aren’t the Illuminati, because the powerful people in our society largely do not have to hide. C. Wright Mills didn’t have to sneak into secret underground lairs to compile his list of the American power elite: he analyzed publicly available data with academic rigor.
Though some criticism of billionaire George Soros is laden with repugnant antisemitism, it’s also true that his foundation funds pressure campaigns in 37 countries around the world (Inside Philanthropy), leading PBS to describe the philanthropist as “the only American citizen with his own foreign policy” (INCITE). Though the Pizzagate theory was 100% wrong, it is true that both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were associates of child abuser Jeffrey Epstein (Daily Beast). And child sexual abuse is horrifyingly commonly, though most often committed not by some secret organization but by someone known to the child (U.S. DVA). Actual injustices become are harder to address when connected to nonsensical or bigoted false theories.
When we look at the real facts of unjustified concentrated power and wealth, we can build movements for social and economic justice to help undo them. But when we deceive ourselves into believing that it’s not garden-variety rich and powerful people but instead all-powerful, mystical secret societies of holographic alien reptiles who control our lives (MSN), coming together to actually make change seems futile. In the latter case, all we can do is dive deeper into learning about more and more conspiracies.
To actually make a better world, we have to reject conspiracy theories.
Key Takeaways
43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.
Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.
We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.
Take action on the IPCC report.
This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a sobering report predicting that global temperatures will exceed the 2015 Paris Climate Accords’s limits in just 20 years regardless of government action. The Arctic is expected to be free of ice in the summer at least once by mid-century. In the worst-case scenario, the ocean will rise over six feet by century’s end (New Scientist).
TAKE ACTION
Review the action items below, curated in part by youth environmental activists of color.
GET EDUCATED
This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a sobering report predicting that global temperatures will exceed the 2015 Paris Climate Accords’s limits in just 20 years regardless of government action. The Arctic is expected to be free of ice in the summer at least once by mid-century. In the worst-case scenario, the ocean will rise over six feet by century’s end (New Scientist).
We’ve compiled some of our previous coverage highlighting the disproportionate effects environmental degradation has on communities of color in the United States and around the world. But our reporting also highlights that climate disaster isn’t inevitable. People are coming together to resist and transform the oppressive, extractive systems propelling the destruction of the ecological systems that sustain us all. Many of those at the forefront of these movements are from the marginalized communities who bear the brunt of climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation. As recent news demonstrates the urgency of taking action to preserve our world, these are the organizations we should all take time to support.
1. Confront Rising Temperatures
“To preserve a habitable world for all of us and our descendants may require a fundamental shift in how we produce things and structure social and international relations. In the short term, a blanket approach to environmentalism will not suffice. Even major philanthropic foundations are starting to recognize that environmental racism and climate change affect poor nations and communities of color first (AP). Supporting the leadership of these communities in opposing the destructive systems that threaten life as we know it is a human imperative.”
Take Action
Understand the impact of environmental racism.
Support frontline community organizations like Memphis Community Against Pollution and Stop General Iron.
2. Quannah ChasingHorse on Generational Change
“Back when I was ten years old, we would get about 60 fish a day in our net or fish wheel. Now we only get, like, eight, and half of them aren't good to eat because of how toxic the waters have become due to the oil and gas development up North, and the mining… So that’s why I push for advocacy. I think sometimes I’m a rude awakening because not many people accept the fact that the climate crisis affects our way of life and our future generations. I’m afraid that our future generations won’t get the opportunity to learn hands-on, just from books and pictures.”
Take Action
Donate to the Indigenous Environmental Network, an alliance of grassroots Indigenous Peoples whose mission is to protect the sacredness of Mother Earth.
“Saving the Earth isn’t a single-focus issue. Progress lies at the intersection of nearly every human rights issue. Incarceration, immigration, disability justice, global security, landback initiatives – we can’t address any of these until we are willing to analyze how climate change encourages and exacerbates each. In addition, we must understand that the brunt of the adverse impact of climate change will be felt by those most marginalized – not necessarily those that forget to recycle – creating a never-ending cycle of cause and effect. The voices most impacted are often left out of the conversation, developing policies and practices that don’t center those most harmed.”
Take Action
Join a local chapter of a youth-driven organization addressing climate change, including Sunrise Movement, Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion.
4. Anya Dillard on Effective Organizing
“I would say that racism and climate change have a lot in common. People love to debate both of their existences, people love to say how either does or doesn’t affect one group, when in reality it affects everyone in the long term. It’s interesting to think about it this way because when we think about racism, we think we’ll be good after we fix our law enforcement system and initiate a reparation system. But in reality, there are a lot of trickle-down effects of racism, and at least one of those falls under the umbrella of environmental change.”
Take Action
Donate to WeGotNext, which amplifies individual stories of adventure and activism from communities that have been underrepresented in outdoor and environmental spaces.
5. Jana Jandal Alrifai on Intersectional Change
“We don't just need to reverse climate change and the climate crisis. We need to make sure that it doesn't happen again. We have to tackle environmental racism, that everyone is not equally impacted by climate change, and that BIPOC communities often have factories and machinery located in their neighborhoods, affecting their health. Their neighborhoods are more likely to flood.”
Take Action
Sign the petition advocating for No More Empty Summits, urging the Biden administration to take more action to address climate change.
“Importantly, climate justice is a grassroots movement. Climate Justice Alliance, for example, comprises frontline organizations. Engagement centered in the communities— not top-down policies created by disengaged congressmen—is necessary. But for BIPOC activists, it can also be dangerous. Jayce Chiblow, a leader at the Canadian organization Indigenous Climate Actions, noted that while ‘Youth are leading us and taking on frontline activity,” many of them experienced violence and were arrested and removed as a result of their activism (Resilience.org). Read some profiles of Indigenous activists here.”
Take Action
Join or support climate justice organizations, such as PODER (@poder.sf), the Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, or the Center for Earth Energy and Democracy.
7. Alexis Saenz and Community Care
“Our mission is to protect land and water, and to help Indigenous youth become leaders of their communities. We are the International Indigenous Youth Council, which means we include Indigenous people from everywhere, from Mexico, from Panama, from Guatemala, all over. And the goal is to eventually have IIYC chapters across Unči Maka, Mother Earth. Initially, we were focused on frontline non-violent direct action. That's how we started at Standing Rock.”
Take Action
Follow and support the International Indigenous Youth Council.
8. Mohammad Ahmadi on Environmental Activism
“I'm hoping to leave behind a world that is not ravaged by the climate crisis. So we avoid 1.5 degrees Celsius or two degrees of warming each year. I’m just trying to leave behind a more educated population. The youth is the next generation, so if we can educate them, they will demand change from the government faster when they’re older – whether it’s climate justice, racial justice, or anything else.”
Take Action
Donate to Earth Uprising, a nonprofit organization providing resources and opportunities to support the youth climate movement.
Join Earth Uprising as an organizer by filling out this form.
Key Takeaways
43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.
Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.
We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.
Advocate for equitable gaming.
Earlier this month, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard after a two-year investigation confirmed the organization had maintained a toxic workplace environment that’s hostile to women (Polygon). The company, which has created blockbuster games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Call of Duty, initially denied allegations, causing tensions to flare with consumers and employees alike. Hundreds of employees walked out to protest the company’s response (The Verge). The details of this particular lawsuit are incendiary but certainly not unique. There’s been a persistent lack of representation and inclusivity in the video game industry since its inception which has influenced how the gaming industry has treated marginalized employees and consumers.
TAKE ACTION
Support the work of Games for Change, a nonprofit that empowers game creators and social innovators to drive real-world impact through games and immersive media.
Explore a list of accessible games for kids that portray diverse characters and stories.
Learn more about the accessibility of video games on the site Can I Play That?
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
Earlier this month, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard after a two-year investigation confirmed the organization had maintained a toxic workplace environment that’s hostile to women (Polygon). The company, which has created blockbuster games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Call of Duty, initially denied allegations, causing tensions to flare with consumers and employees alike. Hundreds of employees walked out to protest the company’s response (The Verge). The details of this particular lawsuit are incendiary but certainly not unique. There’s been a persistent lack of representation and inclusivity in the video game industry since its inception which has influenced how the gaming industry has treated marginalized employees and consumers.
Toxic workplaces contribute to the lack of representation in video games, both on and off the screen. Approximately 24% of the workforce in the video gaming industry is female (Forbes). 7% of game developers identify as Latinx, and only 2% as Black or African-American (Venture Beat). These racial disparities reflect broader inequities found across the tech industry and similarly affect the diversity reflected in the product (Fortune). It’s not just racial and gender disparities, however. People with disabilities are also woefully underrepresented in the workforce. This is particularly damaging, considering that 92% of people with impairments play video games, and there are more than 33 million gamers with disabilities in the U.S. alone (Venture Beat).
When considering gameplay, 79.2% of lead characters in games are male, over half are white, and just 8.3% of main characters in games are females of non-white ethnicities (Newsweek). Many games portray negative and outdated stereotypes of Middle Eastern people, often reducing characters to mean terrorists and blatantly appropriating language and culture (Axios). Another study notes that Black male characters are virtually always violent, which influences conscious and unconscious bias. One study indicated that players were more likely to correlate Black faces with negative words after playing a violent video game as a Black character than after playing a violent video game as a white character (TechCrunch). Often, efforts towards diversity are prompted by external calls for accountability, like adding darker-skinned representation in the Sims 4 or textured hairstyles to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Allure).
These allegations need to be addressed, especially as the gaming industry continues to grow. The U.S. video game industry grew 20% over the past year due to the pandemic and is expected to reach $30B in annual revenue by the end of the year (IGC). And video game consumption over-indexes with Black and Latinx youth; in a few years, they’re expected to be the predominant audience (TechCrunch). This audience is also at least 40% women, which shatters old stereotypes of the outdated notion of who “the gamer” is (Forbes). This diverse group of consumers deserve accessibility and to see themselves accurately represented.
Moreover, video games are increasingly creating and cultivating culture. The latest version of Animal Crossing, released last spring on Nintendo Switch, became the virtual destination for weddings, protests, and political campaigning (The Verge). Ariana Grande just went on tour virtually on the game Fortnite (The Verge). And just last week, Netflix announced that they plan to add video games to their streaming content within the next year (Bloomberg). Video games aren’t just a part of culture, they’re defining it as well – and will influence our collective perceptions of race, gender, class, and disabilities.
As consumers, we can’t necessarily change major video game hardware and software from the inside out. But the rise of direct-to-consumer goods and the creator economy does give us an opportunity to support diverse gamers. First, spend more time researching the developers behind the games that you might play right now, and you may be surprised about what you learn. Then, you can search for games created by indie, or independent, game developers on platforms like itch.io. And don’t be shy to advocate for representation within the games that you play! Sometimes, that simple action can make a world of difference.
Key Takeaways
43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.
Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.
We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.
Understand intervention.
Last month saw large demonstrations in Cuba against food and medicine shortages resulting from both “the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. sanctions” (CNN). Some participants demanded the resignation of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in heated protests where police deployed tear gas and some demonstrators threw rocks and overturned a police car. Many in the United States have rallied behind the slogan SOS Cuba to demand the American government do something, and in late July the U.S. government increased sanctions against the island (PBS).
TAKE ACTION
Learn why Black Lives Matter opposes the embargo on Cuba and help take action to end it.
Confront irresponsible calls for military invasion as a way to “help” other nations.
When considering proposed U.S. interventions, consider: What would the impact of sanctions or military actions be on everyday people, including those protesting? How might the proposed actions align with U.S. interests? Do U.S. policies create current poor conditions in the country?
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
Last month saw large demonstrations in Cuba against food and medicine shortages resulting from both “the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. sanctions” (CNN). Some participants demanded the resignation of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in heated protests where police deployed tear gas and some demonstrators threw rocks and overturned a police car. Many in the United States have rallied behind the slogan SOS Cuba to demand the American government do something, and in late July the U.S. government increased sanctions against the island (PBS).
Police violence against protestors is an unacceptable tactic used by repressive governments around the world. Fighting protestors with tear gas, a weapon banned by the Geneva Conventions (USA Today), is cause for condemnation whether it’s on the streets of Havana or Portland, Oregon (NPR). It’s natural that people around the world wish to stand with the Cuban people.
But solidarity is getting twisted into something more sinister. One surefire way to release tensions on the island would be to end the U.S. embargo. U.S. law prohibits American companies from doing business with Cuba. It punishes foreign companies who do business with Cuba. The embargo prevents Cuba from importing food production equipment and medical supplies, creating the conditions that started the protests (Al Jazeera). In June, 184 U.N. member states voted to condemn the embargo. Only Israel and the U.S. voted against (U.N.). But when American journalists and leaders talk about supporting the Cuban people, ending the embargo isn’t on the agenda.
Instead, we’re told that this is a “golden opportunity” for President Biden to “preside over the liberation of Cuba” (Local 10). But the people in the streets aren’t clamoring for a military invasion. As with protest movements in the United States, protestors have a variety of goals. Some want immediate remedies. Others support more wide-ranging reforms. Some dissidents don’t want capitalism but are instead trying to push the Cuban government to the left in favor of “socialism done from below” (Dissent). But U.S. reporting focuses almost exclusively on voices in favor of capitalist reforms.
And selective, self-interested support of certain Cuban protestors to the exclusion of others goes beyond reporting. Since 2017, USAID, a government agency partnered with the U.S. military (USAID), has funneled over $67 million to Cuban dissidents (Cuba Money Project), continuing a long history of American interference. In 1912, U.S. soldiers suppressed Afro-Cuban protests for racial justice (BBC). In the 1950s, U.S. companies controlled 90% of Cuban mines, 80% of utilities and railroads, and almost half the nation’s sugar fields. “In return, Cuba got hedonistic tourists, organized crime, and General Fugencio Batista,” the U.S.-supported autocrat who ruled the country (Smithsonian). After the Cuban Revolution, when the government nationalized American companies profiting off of the island, the U.S. launched the current devastating blockade.
If the U.S. had a sincere commitment to human rights in Cuba, it could end the embargo that cuts off much-needed supplies. It could close the torture camp it runs on the island, the Guantánamo Bay Detention Center. The U.S. could immediately do these on its own, but unlike regime change, they would not be in the U.S. government’s interests (CODE PINK).
There are human rights abuses happening in countries around the globe, including our own. France continues to pass discriminatory laws against hijab-wearers with almost half of the country considering “Muslims a threat to national identity” (Time). The United Arab Emirates incarcerates citizens for peaceful political speech and “bans political opposition” (Amnesty International). Torture is “widespread” in Kazahsztan (Amnesty) while dozens of municipalities in Poland have declared themselves “LGBTI-free zones” (Amnesty). All of these countries are strong U.S. allies. Human rights only seem to be a frontpage story when they occur in countries the U.S. government already opposes.
Cuba, and other countries the U.S. targets, have real problems. Their citizens, like those of any nation, have legitimate reasons to protest. But when we hear that the American solution is immediately to “liberate” them, we should ask if an agenda was in place long before. We should recall what happened after “liberation” of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. There were problems and protests in all three of these countries. But it’s hard to believe that many Iraqi, Afghani, or Libyan protestors found their lives better post-invasion. The U.S. government only ever cynically deployed concern for their residents’ well-being to justify actions that made it much worse. The purpose of the State Department or Pentagon isn’t to promote solidarity. It’s to promote the interests of the U.S. government and American corporations.
When we reject their self-interested war plans, we can begin to choose real solidarity, instead.
Key Takeaways
Cuban protests have led to calls for America to “liberate” the island.
The U.S. in fact created the main reason for the protests, food and medicine shortages, through an embargo condemned by almost every nation in the world.
We hear much more about human rights abuses in countries the U.S. government opposes than countries it counts as allies.
Protect access to drinking water.
The pandemic only accelerated a growing market: bottled water is a trending beverage, fueled by not just water skepticism, but a rise in health-conscious consumer habits. Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing Corporation noted that the pandemic “showed how consumers have come to depend on bottled water for healthy, calorie-free hydration and refreshment” (Beverage Marketing). But is it fair that so many people are forced to rely on buying bottled water for their well-being?
TAKE ACTION
Donate to the Lowndes County Unincorporated Wastewater Project to fund onsite wastewater systems.
Take action to stop Line 3 by sending a letter to call for a full federal environmental impact statement regarding the threats of this pipeline. Please customize the letter before sending.
Tell your senators and representatives to support federal investment in getting lead out of our drinking water.
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
The pandemic only accelerated a growing market: bottled water is a trending beverage, fueled by not just water skepticism, but a rise in health-conscious consumer habits. Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing Corporation noted that the pandemic “showed how consumers have come to depend on bottled water for healthy, calorie-free hydration and refreshment” (Beverage Marketing). But is it fair that so many people are forced to rely on buying bottled water for their well-being?
According to a survey by SOURCE Global PBC, 43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence. And this sentiment was only enforced by the onset of the pandemic. In March 2020, bottled water sales increased by 57% as people stocked up – whether preparing for water shut-offs, stockpiling in the face of uncertainty, or as a result of worsening infrastructure. 25% of Black Americans indicate that they’ve been drinking more bottled water since the pandemic started. In contrast, 62% of white Americans state they haven’t changed their consumption at all (Forbes).
This sharp difference in bottled water consumption is rooted in the systemic inequities found in access to clean water. According to environmental advocacy group, Clean Water Action, 75% of Black Americans are more likely to live near polluting facilities than the general population. In addition, Hispanic American people are twice as likely to live in communities where the drinking water violates contamination laws (Forbes). These communities are often crippled by poor infrastructure that’s only worsening due to the impact of the pandemic.
In Lowndes County, Alabama, there are dozens of residents that have septic tanks in disrepair, with no ability to connect to municipal sewer lines. As a result, raw sewage is backing up into local homes or flowing directly into open-air pits, contaminating drinking water and spreading E. Coli and hookworm. Lowndes County’s Perman Hardy spent “hundreds of hours” advocating for her community until she finally got almost $3 million pledged for wastewater treatment (AL). But a technicality at the County Commission level caused the grant money to be returned in its entirety, leaving residents without recourse (AL). Earlier this year, we also highlighted the issues that homes in Jackson, MS are experiencing; to this day, they are still undergoing boil alerts.
As a result, corporations get to profit off of skepticism and scarcity. Initially, most of the bottled water sold in the U.S. came from natural springs. But as purification processes improved and demand grew, many brands moved to selling bottled tap water collected from the plant’s local utilities provider. Today, most of the bottled water in the U.S. is actually bottled from tap water (The Guardian). When residents in Detroit started to fall behind on their utilities bills during the pandemic, their water was shut off, forcing many to buy bottled water as a fallback. But Coca-Cola, who bottles Dasani water at the company’s Detroit plant, was allowed to rack up past-due bills while they bottled and sold the same water to citizens at a 133x markup (The Guardian). Although major bottled water distributors have been lauded for donating bottled water for those in need, it’s worth scrutinizing the business practices that enable them to be that generous.
The latest infrastructure bill currently under consideration in the Senate includes $15 billion dedicated to improving water quality over the next five years, with some funds specifically allocated to “small and disadvantaged communities” (NYTimes). This bill will be the largest federal investment in clean water in our nation’s history, and designed to address some of the major infrastructure issues affecting people across the U.S. (PBS). But we also need to see more action from the federal government on creating more equity with how major companies can hoard this resource.
We also need more concerted efforts to protect the sources of our water supply, which is increasingly under threat. Consider the current initiative to stop the Line 3 Pipeline, which is expected to funnel nearly a million barrels of tar sands (one of the dirtiest fossil fuels) through Indigenous lands between Alberta, Canada and Wisconsin, trampling through untouched wetlands and the Mississippi River headwaters (Stop Line 3). If we continue to allow corporations to control our relationship to water, rather than listening to the wisdom of Indigenous people that steward our land and water, it’s likely we will have nothing left.
When we talk about the rise of bottled water consumption, the onus is often placed on the individual, blaming them for the environmental impact of all that plastic “going to waste”. Yes, we can all do our part to minimize plastic consumption, and there’s a clear environmental impact (The Guardian). But all that attention is shielding ourselves from the real issue – that significant environmental issues contribute to the consumption of bottled water, not simply caused by them. And it’s going to take significant policy work – both on the local, state and federal level – to address the underlying issues that make clean water inaccessible.
We also need to work on shifting the deep distrust that these disparities have created. My grandmother was raised in a city where they didn’t trust tap water. As a result, she didn’t encourage her children to drink water. Consequently, mom didn’t encourage it with us (while we were young, at least. Her habits have since changed). All this despite the fact that we moved to a rural environment where the water is more trustworthy. In Flint, MI, the lack of trust between residents and city leader after willful neglect during their water crisis influenced public perception of the vaccine (NBC News).
As we continue to advocate for proper infrastructure, support local individuals and organizations doing their best to provide others with clean water, and protect this precious resource. Many of these efforts are grassroots, mutual-aid driven initiatives, organized by brave people uncompromising for change. Maybe you can be that person for your community.
Key Takeaways
43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.
Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.
We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.
Brew coffee equity.
Many Americans have become enamored with local coffee shops. The domain of “spiked hair,” “postmodern baristas” (LA Weekly), these businesses are so often associated with liberal views that a small number of new coffeehouses now base their marketing around their uniquely conservative politics (The Blaze). The movement of modern, boutique “third-wave” coffeehouses — following the first wave of postwar instant coffee and the second wave exemplified by Starbucks — is even named after third-wave feminism (Tamper Tantrum). Coffeehouses can be presented as intersectional oases where open displays of bigotry are as rare as “Hate Has No Home Here” signs are ubiquitous.
TAKE ACTION
Follow and support coffee companies owned by people of color! I had an overwhelming response to submissions on Twitter – check it out.
Encourage predominantly-white coffeehouses to commit to anti-racism and support local anti-gentrification initiatives.
Support democratically-run, collectively-owned coffee farming.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
Many Americans have become enamored with local coffee shops. The domain of “spiked hair,” “postmodern baristas” (LA Weekly), these businesses are so often associated with liberal views that a small number of new coffeehouses now base their marketing around their uniquely conservative politics (The Blaze). The movement of modern, boutique “third-wave” coffeehouses — following the first wave of postwar instant coffee and the second wave exemplified by Starbucks — is even named after third-wave feminism (Tamper Tantrum). Coffeehouses can be presented as intersectional oases where open displays of bigotry are as rare as “Hate Has No Home Here” signs are ubiquitous.
However, these trends may distract from real issues of racial equity in the way coffee is produced, sold, and served. First, there are clear racial and socio-economic disparities in the industry. Wealthier people consume more coffee than the less affluent (Brandon Gaille), and coffeehouses looking to soak up some of Starbucks’ customers target “urban,” “affluent,” and “educated” consumers with an average income of $90,000 (The Motley Fool). Given that Black people are less likely to consume coffee or work in the domestic coffee industry (Roast Magazine), this means that coffee shop patrons are disproportionately white. This facilitates shocking acts of racial exclusion against non-white patrons. Two Black men were arrested waiting for a business meeting in a Philadelphia Starbucks. W. Kamau Bell was asked to leave a Berkeley coffee shop after approaching his wife, who is white (ABC 7). Santana Tapia, a transgender Latina resident of San Francisco, felt deeply unwelcome inside the expensive, largely-white coffee establishments appearing in the city where she grew up drinking nightly coffees with her family (MSN).
The affluent, largely white patrons inside gourmet coffee shops can lead to the whitening of the neighborhoods that surround them, as well. Researchers found correlations between the appearance of high-end coffeehouses and neighborhood gentrification in cities around the world (Bitter Root). One Denver shop had the audacity to declare “happily gentrifying the neighborhood since 2014” on a sidewalk sign (Washington Post). Even liberally-oriented establishments can post “Black Lives Matter” signs while doing nothing to address their role in pushing actual Black people out of the neighborhoods they move into (Truthout).
And equity issues start before coffee beans arrive to the cafe. The global coffee industry grew off the labor of enslaved people in places like Java, Haiti, Central America, and Brazil. Today, “shockingly little has changed” as the overwhelming majority of coffee producers are Black, Indigenous, and people of color living in extreme poverty. Indentured Indigenous farmworkers toil without showers, latrines, or adequate drinking water on white-owned plantations (Heifer International). Illiberal practices permeate the the supposedly liberal coffee industry: racial profiling in coffee shops, economic displacement in surrounding neighborhoods, and virtual slavery in the fields where coffee is grown.
Fortunately, people are taking action to bring true equity to the coffee world. Black-owned coffee shop owners and employees like Cafe Grumpy’s Tinuade Oyelowo in New York and Urban Grind’s Cassandra Ingram in Atlanta advocate for inclusion in coffee culture (Roast Magazine). San Francisco’s Santana Tapia helped found a worker-owned pro-queer coffee shop (MSN). Hasta Muerte is a Latinx worker cooperative that sells coffee and serves as a “sanctuary space for people of color, low-income people, and immigrants” (East Bay Express).
Camila Coddou, a former barista who advocates for equity in the industry, asks coffee owners, “Are you dropping into a community of people that don’t look like you who are losing their rights?” (Bitter Root). Community members responded to the Colorado pro-gentrification coffee shop with a boycott and protest (Washington Post). The visibility of these protests pushed local government to double the city’s affordable housing fund (Fox 31). And the Anti Gentrification Coffee Club in Memphis is a coffeehouse run to “deepen the ties in [communities of color], rather than displace them” (Cxffeeblack).
In southern Mexico, coffee plantations formerly owned by wealthy landowners are now democratically run as cooperatives by Mayan farmworkers. Though anti-Indigenous paramilitaries recently attacked the crop stored in two warehouses (ROAR), Mayan communities continue to self-organize coffee production and send it around the world, demonstrating that coffee farming doesn’t require exploitation and deprivation if those growing it are empowered.
Inequalities in the coffee industry don’t mean we have to give up drinking it. But we shouldn’t let the progressive image of coffee culture obscure real work to do in making it equitable for us all.
Key Takeaways
Independent coffee shops are known for being progressive and inclusive.
In actuality, coffeehouses can be exclusive spaces that facilitate gentrification, while much coffee is farmed by unfree workers living in poverty.
People are taking action along the supply chain from the coffee fields to the neighborhood coffee shop to make sure coffee can be good for all of us.
Center people of color in anti-racism education.
Burgeoning anti-racists have gotten their bearings by referencing the books on widely-circulated anti-racist reading lists (NBC). But as the texts on such lists reinforce, racism is a broad, enduring feature of our society and entire lives. That means that being an anti-racist isn’t as easy as simply denouncing white supremacy or reading the correct book. Because of these ongoing challenges, racist practices can seep into the very act of anti-racist education. Even white people seeking to educate themselves about race can illegitimately privilege other white voices or make arrogant demands for the labor of people of color.
TAKE ACTION
Look beyond diversity trainings and white introspection as the crucial factors in undoing systemic racism. Materially support people of color-led efforts to undo wealth disparities, mass incarceration, and state violence.
Take the initiative in thinking through ways to undo racism in your community and life. You can use resources like Anti-Racism Daily as a guide, but you can’t expect people of color to write you a personal roadmap.
Understand that anti-racism is an active, lifelong practice and that dismantling unjust systems requires commitment and personal sacrifice.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
In the past year, huge numbers of privileged people have come to understand the depths of racial injustice in the United States. Many have understood the need to take action to undo racist systems, including those that may currently benefit rather than harm them.
Burgeoning anti-racists have gotten their bearings by referencing the books on widely-circulated anti-racist reading lists (NBC). But as the texts on such lists reinforce, racism is a broad, enduring feature of our society and entire lives. That means that being an anti-racist isn’t as easy as simply denouncing white supremacy or reading the correct book. Because of these ongoing challenges, racist practices can seep into the very act of anti-racist education. Even white people seeking to educate themselves about race can illegitimately privilege other white voices or make arrogant demands for the labor of people of color.
A mainstay of the contemporary anti-racist curriculum is Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility. This book emphasizes how even liberal white people participate in racism. It also explains how white defensiveness and aversion to discussing race allow the perpetuation of white supremacy (CNN). Last spring, sales of White Fragility jumped 2264% in just two months (Forbes), becoming the fastest-selling Beacon Press release since the publisher was founded in 1854 (Slate, Beacon Press). The book, which spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list, has received both acclaim and criticism. White Fragility recommends white introspection and diversity trainings as the way to undo racism (The Bellows), though empirical evidence shows diversity trainings in isolation don’t actually work (The New Republic).
“Ultimately, the result of what she would create is a certain educated class of white person feeling better about themselves,” said John McWhorter. “You can say that all of this is a prelude to changing [racist] structures. But the question will always be, why don't you just go out and change the structures? And why do you think that you couldn't until doing this?” (NPR).
There’s also the irony of a white person deciding “the key things white people can do” about racism (CNN). DiAngelo now receives tens of thousands of dollars for each speaking engagement (Daily Mail). Few writers of color receive such attention or money as she does from her white, relatively affluent customer base (Daily Beast). Some aspiring white anti-racists promote a white author as a genius while authors of color are ignored.
The flipside to only accepting anti-racist advice from white people is arrogantly demanding it from people of color. White people sometimes expect people of color to be “patient and polite racial and cultural ambassadors.” Instead of being ignored, people of color are in this case unwillingly conscripted as unpaid anti-racism educators and coaches for the benefit of white people. “It would help if you gave specific, actionable steps we can take instead of just voicing the problem,” “teach me what to do,” “help me to be better”: though not always ill-intentioned, statements like these often put the responsibility for fixing racism back onto people of color (Medium).
As Kronda Adair says, “You expect people of color to explain to you What Is Really Going On And How To Fix It™. Guess what? We’re busy. We’re busy trying to live our lives, keep our houses clean, do good work, get good grades, play video games, go to the beach and keep mentally sane despite dealing with at least one bullshit *ist incident per day” (Kronda).
If we don’t set aside our lives to educate a white person, then we’re supposedly responsible for that person’s ignorance. “It’s a classic tool of derailing, this feigned helplessness and subtly accusatory question of, “If you don’t teach me, how can I learn?” (Implied answer: “I won’t, and it’ll be all your fault!”)” (Salon).
One frequently-recommended book from a white author won’t “fix” your racism. One instructive lesson from a person of color won’t, either. Anti-racism is a lifelong choice you make each day (Medium). It means relating to those around you and your own privileges in a different way. It means taking risk to dismantle unjust systems. It means doing your own introspection, taking your own initiative, and making your own sacrifices. It means work, and that work isn’t something that someone else can do for you.
There are many resources like the Anti-Racism Daily where people directly affected by oppression break down what that means. There are community organizations of color across this country asking for solidarity and support. Instead of imagining anti-racist education as a certification you complete or a private tutoring you contract, “think of it as continuing education or an independent studies class where you need to proactively seek out the content. Don’t ask us to provide the information for you. Instead, participate in your own education. We’ve already given you enough of our free labor. Don’t ask us for anymore” (Medium).
In the process of building a better world, we all start somewhere. As we move forward, the most important thing is to approach social change with an attitude of responsibility and humility.
Key Takeaways
Some white allies privilege white authors who center the ways white supremacy harms white people psychologically rather than the harm it inflicts on people of color both mentally and materially.
Other white allies demand explanations and personalized instructions to do better from people of color.
Anti-racism is a lifelong practice, especially for the privileged. It requires time, commitment, and sacrifice as well as personal initiative and critical thinking.
Support Asian American athletics.
Last Thursday, American gymnast Sunisa Lee won the women’s all-around title in the Tokyo Olympics. She overcame injuries and personal tragedies to win her gold medal, which means the United States is now tied with the Soviet Union for most total wins in the category (CNN). Her win has been overshadowed by her teammate Simone Biles’ decisions to withdraw from the event to focus on her mental health (CNN). As an Asian American athlete, Lee’s win was also met with outright racism.
TAKE ACTION
Follow the Asian American & Pacific Islander Athletics Alliance on Instagram and Twitter.
Follow and support the Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab.
Practice solidarity with Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
Last Thursday, American gymnast Sunisa Lee won the women’s all-around title in the Tokyo Olympics. She overcame injuries and personal tragedies to win her gold medal, which means the United States is now tied with Russia for most total wins in the category (CNN). Her win has been overshadowed by her teammate Simone Biles’ decisions to withdraw from the event to focus on her mental health (CNN). As an Asian American athlete, Lee’s win was also met with outright racism.
Replies to a SportsCenter announcement of her victory (Twitter) included, “Isnt [sic] she chinese,” “Made in China,” “You wouldn’t guess she was an American based on her appearance and name, but go USA,” and “Is is legal for someone with her name to claim to be an ‘American’? I think so, but what to [sic] the Trumplicans think?” Confused non-Asian viewers presumably comprised most of the 19,300 people who viewed an article entitled “Sunisa Lee Ethnicity” (Heavy). Lee is from St. Paul, Minnesota, born to Hmong immigrants from Laos, a community displaced by the U.S. “secret war” in the country during the occupation of Vietnam (MSNBC). But many Asian athletes in the United States find they can never be American enough.
Taiwanese-American professional basketball player Jeremy Lin famously endured racist media coverage and fan commentary while playing in the NBA (MSN). A few weeks ago, Stephen A. Smith made controversial remarks that MLB player Shohei Ohtani’s use of a translator “harms the game,” as we discussed in our piece on language justice. And last Monday, the World Archery Federation shared a video with the names of South Korean women’s archery team members written out in a “chop suey” font (Yahoo, NextShark).
Racism in sports doesn’t start at the professional level, either. Asian American kids are stereotyped as good students but poor athletes. “Asian American men are often seen as effeminate or asexual,” one report stated, while Asian American women are seen as “passive” or submissive (APA). These aren’t the characteristics that come to mind when you think of aspiring athletes. As a result, sports organizations fail to provide Asian athletes mentoring, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) kids quit sports sooner than kids of any other race, and AAPI players are “vastly underrepresented” in American professional sports (Yahoo). Seeing that there are few avenues for Asian American success in sports, parents are more likely to encourage their kids to pursue other avenues such as academics.
This is one example how the back-handed "compliment" of the "model minority myth" hurts Asian people. The model minority myth states that Asians are exceptionally hard-working, rule-abiding, and intelligent. It’s harmful because it paints Asians as a monolithic block and because it was developed as an anti-Black stereotype to be used against the Civil Rights Movement (Anti-Racism Daily). It also hurts Asian Americans, who are dissuaded from participating in sports because athletics doesn’t fit the narrative of Asians as studious nerds.
Fortunately, people are coming together to change this dynamic. This past March, the National Organization of Minority Athletic Directors and the Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab hosted a workshop exploring the intersections of Asian identity, athletics, and anti-racism (NOMAD). And in May, the Asian American & Pacific Islanders Athletics Alliance, 4AAPI, was founded to create a community for AAPI people in college athletics. “The creation of 4AAPI is long overdue in college athletics,” said 4AAPI cofounder Pat Chun. “AAPI individuals have a long and proud history of impacting college athletics and I’m proud that this community will finally have a home” (4AAPI).
Sports should be an opportunity to come together and witness athletic excellence. It's unfortunate that backwards stereotypes exclude some while souring the victories of others. The Olympics are an opportunity to reflect on the importance of changing this fact. We need to denounce racism in sports and support Asian American athletics.
Key Takeaways
Asian American athletes often face racist abuse.
At the same time, Asian American student athletes are discouraged by stereotypes and lack of support.
These attitudes are some of the many harmful consequences of the model minority myth.
Integrate the National Spelling Bee.
On July 8, 2021, Zaila Avant-garde made history as the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee (NYTimes). At only fourteen years old, Zaila became the first Black contestant to be crowned champion since 1998 Scripps winner Jody-Anne Maxwell of Kingston, Jamaica. While Zaila's monumental victory has sparked well-deserved celebration among the Black community, it has also called attention to the lack of Black representation at the national contest. Racial disparities in the spelling bee echo racial disparities in education at large.
TAKE ACTION
Donate to the American Center for Transforming Education, an institute working with state legislators and policymakers to reform the United States’s education system.
Donate to 826 National, a network of writing and publishing centers aimed at developing writing skills among students from marginalized communities.
Celebrate Zaila Avant-garde, Jody-Anne Maxwell, and every other successful, young Black speller.
GET EDUCATED
By Sydney Cobb (she/her)
On July 8, 2021, Zaila Avant-garde made history as the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee (NYTimes). At only fourteen years old, Zaila became the first Black contestant to be crowned champion since 1998 Scripps winner Jody-Anne Maxwell of Kingston, Jamaica. While Zaila's monumental victory has sparked well-deserved celebration among the Black community, it has also called attention to the lack of Black representation at the national contest. Racial disparities in the spelling bee echo racial disparities in education at large.
Only one out of eleven 2021 National Spelling Bee finalists were Black, and there have only been 2 Black prize winners since Scripps’ inaugural tournament in 1925. In contrast, there have been a total of 26 Indian American champions since 1999 and nine out of eleven finalists for the 2021 Spelling Bee were Indian American (The Hindu). The lack of diversity in the Bee is largely due to anti-Black practices upheld by the spelling bee industry for years and the United States’s unequal distribution of academic resources.
In 1925, nine publications collaborated to create the first National Spelling Bee (Long Reads). The National Bee claimed to uphold an “open door” policy regarding Black students’ eligibility to compete, but the local newspapers that sponsored the National Spelling Bee’s local qualifying competitions were not required to abide by the same rules.
In 1962, teenager George F. Jackson wrote to President John F. Kennedy requesting that the white-only spelling bee contest in Lynchburg, Virginia be open to children of color. The Black community in Lynchburg generally believed the continued segregation of the local spelling bee was an attempt to set back the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown vs. the Board of Education (Long Reads). It was not until the NAACP threatened legal action that the National Spelling Bee’ss director clarified the competition’s anti-discrimination policy.
Though local spelling bee competitions may no longer be explicitly racially segregated, racist disparities in wealth and education continue to serve the same role. “It’s now common for spellers to be coached by other past competitors,” said Dr. Puwan Dhingra, “who can charge about $200 an hour for their services” (Time). Such fees are especially prohibitive for Black families, whose average household wealth is less than $20,000 (Brookings). Zaila Avant-garde had three spelling tutors and used a preparatory computer program to assist her in learning approximately 13,000 words per day. She acknowledges that it would not have been possible without money.
Exclusion from spelling bees ties into larger disparities that block many low-income students of color from attaining higher levels of literacy. Public schools are funded locally, so low-income communities of color dealing with the aftermath of redlining and segregation are continually underfunded. One 2016 study found that “just the increased presence of minority students actually deflated a district’s funding level” (The Atlantic). “For every student enrolled, the average nonwhite school district receives $2,226 less than a white school district” (EdBuild).
Funding for library and media centers in marginalized communities has also declined for years. “In elementary schools with the highest ethnic minority populations, regardless of poverty levels, there are fewer library specialists per 100 students than low ethnic minority status” (National Education Association). Underfunded or nonexistent libraries deprive students of color from enjoying free, educational resources that could be useful for improving their literacy skills.
As a result, “18 percent of black 4th-graders scored proficient or above in reading; the figure for white 4th-graders was 45 percent. For 8th graders, the percentages were 15 and 42 percent” (Forbes). Seeing as the eldest age of eligibility for the Scripps National Spelling Bee is 15, there is clear correlation between low literacy levels among young Black students and the lack of Black spelling bee contestants.
Racially and economically diversifying the National Spelling Bee would show African American children that they are fully capable of succeeding in any space they wish to occupy. Doing this requires repairing the United States’s public school system and would allow low-income students of color to gain the necessary skills to thrive in academic endeavors like spelling bees. Organizations like 826 National are working to develop student writers in marginalized communities, filling in the gaps in an unjust educational system.
It’s only a matter of time before more African American children follow in Zaila Avant-garde and Jody-Anne Maxwell’s footsteps. We should celebrate them as we build an equitable education system that will allow us to truly integrate the National Spelling Bee.
Key Takeaways
The competitive spelling industry excluded and mistreated African American spellers for years.
Competitive spelling reforms can actually increase inequitable privileges of wealthy families.
Zaila Avant-garde’s victory at the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee will likely inspire an entire generation of young Black spellers, so it’s imperative that race and socioeconomic status don’t bar them from succeeding.
Uproot workplace racism.
On Friday, NBC reported on a Glassdoor survey, which found the primary reason workers are excited to return to their workplaces is the opportunity to socialize with their coworkers (GlassDoor). But for employees of color, workplace socialization and communication are often taxing rather than restorative. Just 3% of Black remote workers want to return to the office, compared to 21% of their white peers.
TAKE ACTION
Recognize racist microaggressions and intervene when you witness them.
Subscribe to Anti-Racism at Work, our weekly email that offers tactical ways to transform the workplace.
Consider: How do I feel about my work environment? Could my coworkers with different identities feel differently? What kind of support do I and others need? How can I practice active solidarity with the people I work with?
GET EDUCATED
By Andrew Lee (he/him)
On Friday, NBC reported on a Glassdoor survey, which found the primary reason workers are excited to return to their workplaces is the opportunity to socialize with their coworkers (GlassDoor). But for employees of color, workplace socialization and communication are often taxing rather than restorative.
When one Black web developer learned of plans to work in-person again, she thought back to the “snide remarks, almost always about race” she endured before a year of remote work. “Some of it was intentional. Most of it was. A little of it was just sort of unconscious. All of it just wears on you. I was really upset.” Rather than return to her office to face more “jokes” about affirmative action and boats back to Africa, she decided to quit (NBC).
The microaggressions faced by employees of color include bigoted jokes, backhanded “compliments,” and offensive nicknames (BuzzFeed). See our previous piece on microaggressions. The psychic toll of such exchanges mean that workplaces can feel very different for white people and people of color. 21% of white workers wish to return to the office. In contrast, only 3% of Black workers want to do the same (Future Forum).
White workers are seven times more amenable to returning to office work than their Black colleagues because “they don’t have to deal with the microaggressions we do,” said marketing and public relations specialist Crystal Lowe. “Who wants to work in the office? I’d rather clean up dog poop” (NBC).
“Working from home has provided a sense of freedom from that,” explained Joseph B. Hill, managing partner of a diversity, equity, and inclusion firm. “But what this has highlighted is that some bold and courageous conversations have to take place inside these offices to make them welcoming for Black people” (NBC). Maybe your job is considering a return to in-person work. Perhaps your job falls within the half of American jobs that can't be performed remotely (Global Workplace Analytics). In any case, the wild disparities in attitudes towards returning to the office between Black and white workers demonstrates the urgency of starting such “bold and courageous conversations” in workplaces of any kind.
We should all feel compelled to intervene when we witness microaggressions on the job, especially those that don’t affect us directly. It can be tempting to avoid responsibility by second-guessing yourself about what you witnessed. You may wonder if you heard it correctly, if you have the authority to respond, or what the negative consequences might be for you should you decide to get involved (DiversityQ). But if a workplace is good for you only in equal measure to it being harmful to your coworkers from marginalized backgrounds, you’re already involved. In each instance, we all need to question, interrupt, and denounce discriminatory behavior while supporting those against whom it is directed. Rather than creating a culture of blame, responsible bystander intervention instead “creates a culture of accountability, and one that doesn’t tolerate harassment, microaggresions, or discrimination of any kind” (Idealist).
Ultimately, rooting out workplace racism requires structural change, as well. Workers of color also face longer commutes than white workers (Grist) because of economic inequalities, housing market racism, and gentrification (Teen Vogue), so returning to work in-person requires a greater sacrifice of unpaid commuting time each week for non-white workers. In the workplace, equity may require systemic changes like labor protections for marginalized workers (The Progressive, UCLA) and initiatives to create actively anti-racist workplaces at all levels (Times Up). We should demand that the places we work view anti-racism as integral to the work itself, and we should insist on racial, economic, and housing justice in the places we live. But while we should advocate for large-scale change, we don’t need to wait for it to take action ourselves. We can look the other way in the face of workplace microaggressions, or we can instead choose to advocate for ourselves and coworkers of marginalized backgrounds. We have a collective responsibility to uproot workplace racism.
Key Takeaways
Just 3% of Black remote workers want to return to the office, compared to 21% of their white peers.
Many workers of color face racial microaggressions at their jobs from co-workers and supervisors alike.
We need to take the initiative to disrupt racial microaggressions whenever we see them, including on the job.
Advocate for Black mental health.
Over the past few weeks, prominent Black female athletes have unabashedly prioritized their mental health above expectations from competitions and fans. Naomi Osaka, the 23-year-old tennis star who is the world’s highest-paid female athlete, withdrew from the French Open after being fined for declining interviews to protect her mental wellbeing (NYTimes). Sha’Carri Richardson, a sprinter, was suspended from the USA Track & Field team for smoking cannabis while processing the grief of her biological mother’s death (The Cut). And Monday, Simone Biles withdrew from the U.S. Olympics individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health (CNN). These courageous moments only highlight how frequently the mental health of Black people – particularly Black women – is overlooked and disregarded.
TAKE ACTION
Donate to BEAM, a non-profit organization committed to the mental health of Black communities.
Advocate for culturally-responsive mental health resources for you and your colleagues where you work.
Consider: How can you use your voice to advocate for prioritizing our collective mental and physical health?
GET EDUCATED
By Ebony Bellamy (she/her)
Over the past few weeks, prominent Black female athletes have unabashedly prioritized their mental health above expectations from competitions and fans. Naomi Osaka, the 23-year-old tennis star who is the world’s highest-paid female athlete, withdrew from the French Open after being fined for declining interviews to protect her mental wellbeing (NYTimes). Sha’Carri Richardson, a sprinter, was suspended from the USA Track & Field team for smoking cannabis while processing the grief of her biological mother’s death (The Cut). And Monday, Simone Biles withdrew from the U.S. Olympics individual all-around competition to focus on her mental health (CNN). These courageous moments only highlight how frequently the mental health of Black people – particularly Black women – is overlooked and disregarded.
Compared to white people, Black people have a higher risk of developing mental health disorders because of the historical, economic, social, and political influences they’ve been systemically exposed to for decades (Columbia University). This race-based exclusion makes their community more likely to experience poverty, homelessness, incarceration, and substance abuse (Mental Health America). And these factors are known to be damaging to a person’s psychological and physical health.
Approximately 46 million individuals identify as Black or African American in the U.S., and of those people, over 16% reported having a mental illness within the past year (Mental Health America). That’s over 7 million people. These numbers have drastically increased since the video of George Floyd’s death was released. Within a week, the Census Bureau reported that “anxiety and depression among African Americans shot to higher rates than experienced by any other racial or ethnic group, with 41% screening positive for at least one of those symptoms” (Washington Post). The number of Black people showing clinical signs for anxiety or depression jumped from 36% to 41%, which means approximately 1.4 million more people started struggling with their mental health (Washington Post).
Yet in 2018, it was reported that 58.2% of Black people between the ages of 18 and 25 and 50.1% of Black adults between the ages of 26 and 49 with a severe mental illness did not receive treatment (SAMHSA). There is a “lack of trust in the medical system due to historical abuses of Black people in the guise of health care, less access to adequate insurance, financial burden, and history with discrimination in the mental health system” (Columbia University). These factors have caused Black people to feel reluctant about seeking psychiatric help when dealing with a mental illness.
In the United States, during the 1800s and 1900s, scientific racism was used as a way to justify slavery and the mistreatment of enslaved people (Counseling Today). During this time, prominent physicians and psychologists were known to discover “new” mental illnesses that only affected enslaved people. Prime examples of this were “drapetomania,” a treatable mental illness that caused Black enslaved people to flee captivity, and “dysaethesia aethiopica,” an alleged mental illness that was the proposed cause of laziness, ‘rascality’ and ‘disrespect for the master’s property’” (Counseling Today). And to treat these “illnesses,” whipping and other forms of physical abuse were recommended.
The mislabeling of mental illnesses for Black people continued well after slavery was abolished. In the 1960s “schizophrenia was described as a ‘protest psychosis’ in which Black men developed ‘hostile and aggressive feelings’ and ‘delusional anti-whiteness’ after listening to or aligning with activist groups such as Black Power, the Black Panthers or the Nation of Islam” (Counseling Today). And today, Black adults are more likely than white people with similar symptoms to be diagnosed with schizophrenia (Mental Health America). Black men, in particular, are overdiagnosed with schizophrenia. They are four times more likely than white men to be diagnosed with it and are underdiagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and mood disorders (Counseling Today).
This overdiagnosis of schizophrenia caused people to believe the Black psyche was “unwell, immoral, and inherently criminal” (Counseling Today). White society even used this belief to justify police brutality during the civil rights movement, the creation of Jim Crow laws, and mass incarceration in prisons and psychiatric hospitals (Counseling Today). Unfortunately, this old belief has negatively impacted the way people view Black mental health today.
Black adults with mental health illnesses, specifically those that involve psychosis, are more likely to be placed in jail or prison than people of other races (Mental Health America). In 2016, it was reported that the imprisonment rate for Black men was six times greater than that of white men. The imprisonment rate for Black women was nearly double that of white women (Bureau of Justice). Due to this tremendous incarceration rate, “there are more than three times as many people with serious mental illnesses in jails and prisons than in hospitals” (Counseling Today).
Rather than receiving treatment for mental illness, Black adults are punished and incarcerated for their mental health struggles. This wouldn’t need to happen if access to affordable health insurance was made available sooner. Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was introduced in March 2010, “nearly one in three Hispanic Americans and one in five Black Americans were uninsured, compared to about one in eight white Americans” (Brookings Institution). Although the ACA has helped communities of color gain health insurance, there are still 30 million people in America without insurance, and half of those are people of color (Brookings Institution).
“There's a strong relationship between socioeconomic status and health such that people at the lower end, people in poverty tend to have poorer health and tend to have fewer resources ... for dealing with the stressors of life.”
Diane R. Brown, Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and author, for HuffPost
Despite more Black adults having access to affordable health insurance, they’re still hesitant to seek help due to a lack of representation in the mental health field. Approximately 60 percent of psychologists are white, while less than two percent of American Psychological Association members are Black (American Psychological Association).
This lack of diversity among providers makes individuals doubt that therapists or psychologists will be culturally competent to treat their mental health struggles (Mental Health America). Researchers recognize that a therapist’s lack of cultural responsiveness, cultural mistrust, and potential negative views from a therapist can significantly impact the level of care and service the Black community receives for their mental health (Columbia University).
To combat this, providers have been practicing cultural responsiveness. Being culturally responsive is when a provider recognizes and understands the role culture plays in their and their patient’s life and use that understanding to adapt a treatment plan that meets their patient’s needs within their cultural framework (Columbia University).
Although mental health facilities have spent the last four decades increasing cultural awareness and cultural competency training (Counseling Today), there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure Black adults receive access to mental health services and receive adequate care. We can start by understanding how someone’s race and ancestral history impacts their mental health.
Key Takeaways
Black people have a higher risk of developing mental health disorders due to the historical, economic, social, and political influences they’ve been systemically exposed to.
Over 7 million Black adults deal with a severe mental illness.
Black people are less likely to seek psychiatric help because of a lack of trust, limited access to affordable insurance, and a history of discrimination.
Black adults with mental health illnesses, specifically those that involve psychosis, are more likely to be placed in jail or prison than people of other races.
Supporting organizing beyond nonprofits.
In many parts of the country, nonprofits are the only place to gain access to essential products and services. Sometimes, nonprofits fill in gaps in the state safety net. In other times, they work in coordination with governments to deliver necessities. Often, nonprofits organize and advocate for marginalized communities. Many of us donate time or money to these organizations because we’re compelled by the work they do to feed the unhoused, bail people out of jail, or provide vital healthcare services. We depend on nonprofits to advocate on behalf of a righteous cause or uplift the plight of a community. As we do, it’s important to understand the expanding nonprofit sector has limitations as well as strengths.
TAKE ACTION
Look into grassroots frameworks like abolition, bottom-up mutual aid, and freedom of movement across borders.
Understand the limitations of nonprofits, and support other kinds of community organizations.
Look into grassroots frameworks like abolition, bottom-up mutual aid, and freedom of movement across borders.
GET EDUCATED
In many parts of the country, nonprofits are the only place to gain access to essential products and services. Sometimes, nonprofits fill in gaps in the state safety net. In other times, they work in coordination with governments to deliver necessities. Often, nonprofits organize and advocate for marginalized communities. Many of us donate time or money to these organizations because we’re compelled by the work they do to feed the unhoused, bail people out of jail, or provide vital healthcare services. We depend on nonprofits to advocate on behalf of a righteous cause or uplift the plight of a community. As we do, it’s important to understand the expanding nonprofit sector has limitations as well as strengths.
Nonprofits are tax-exempt organizations. Unlike for-profit companies, they don’t accumulate and distribute profits to their investors or owners. Because of this, they aren’t required to pay income tax. Like for-profit companies, many nonprofits have CEOs, boards of directors, and paid staff, but often depend on grants from charitable foundations or well-off donors to cover operating expenses. Homeowners associations, chambers of commerce, and fire companies are all usually nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations, but the word “nonprofit” commonly invokes 501(c)(3)’s: charitable, service, and community organizing groups (National Council of Nonprofits, IRS).
Back in 2014, I ran an afterschool program for working-class Latinx youth for a nonprofit that provided services from immigration legal support to food distribution. As someone from a working-class immigrant family myself, it was really exciting to be able to support students coming from very similar backgrounds and I was proud to do such crucial community work.
When local police violently arrested presumed gang members with no evidence, my nonprofit’s director coordinated a town hall with the police department. The town hall was an attempt by the police department to quell the residents’ outraged questions and restore the department’s legitimacy in the community. Since many of the people we were working with had been victimized by the police, this was confusing and concerning to me and many of my coworkers.
We later found out that the nonprofit ultimately had no choice but to host the event. Much of its funding came from the city government, which insisted the police be invited to the town hall to “mend relationships” with the community. The organization ultimately had to be accountable not to community members but its funders, despite how the police had discriminated against the community we served.
Many groups have grappled with this tension. INCITE, an intersectional feminist organization, filed to become a nonprofit so they could more easily receive grants from donors and foundations. In 2004, they received a $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation which was later withdrawn when the foundation found out that that INCITE supported Palestinian rights. INCITE learned that “foundations indeed can control your organizing, and on the other hand, there are other ways to resource movements when we think outside the foundation universe” (INCITE).
INCITE ultimately decided to stop being a nonprofit and depend on financial support from their communities instead. As a nonprofit, the professionalization of activism shifted their priorities to reporting to donors instead of organizing to end violence. They found that much of their vision for change had been limited by the strings these donors attached. INCITE decided to abandon their 501(c)3 status and forego funding to focus on organizing against violence on poor, immigrant, women, BIPOC, and queer communities, whether in the U.S. or Palestine (INCITE).
Because government contracts and donor money are major sources of funding for non-profit organizations, they often need to prioritize their relationship to politicians and wealthy donors. In another example, many community-oriented Silicon Valley nonprofits deal with the effects of the housing crisis like homelessness and displacement. Confusingly, many of these same organizations support tech developments projected to make the crisis worse. Many nonprofits endorsed a new Google megacampus, hoping to benefit from generous grants the company was offering in exchange for support (KQED, CNBC). These nonprofits’ public support of a project likely to harm the communities they worked in was crucial to the development’s eventual approval by local government (San Francisco Chronicle).
The nonprofit model resources important and sometimes crucial work, but there are limitations on how much these organizations can demand structural change for a more profoundly just world. Whether it is opposing gentrification, policing, racism, incarceration or any other cause, we should uplift grassroots efforts that empower poor, immigrant, queer, and BIPOC communities with explicitly anti-racist, abolitionist, and anti-oppressive policies and practices. Organizations like INCITE that are committed to movement building are always in need of funds or promotion. A movement needs all of us. We need to support organizing beyond nonprofits.
Key Takeaways
Nonprofits have strengths but also limitations that grassroots organizations do not. Sometimes, these limitations can lead to harm the communities they serve.
Nonprofits should build collective movements to make lasting transformation.
People with direct experience of oppression should determine how resources should be allocated to undo these oppressions.
Support equitable historical preservation.
Earlier this month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NHPA) issued more than $3 million in grant funding to preserve forty Black American historic sites across the U.S (Saving Places). This funding is especially significant considering the vast racial disparity in historic sites deemed worth preserving.
TAKE ACTION
Identify a local grassroots organization in your community committed to preserving historical sites. What are they working on now? What have they protected? What have they lost?
Research to find the closest national historic preservation site to your address using this interactive map. What is it, and whose story is being told? Share your findings with a friend.
Learn more about the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
Earlier this month, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NHPA) issued more than $3 million in grant funding to preserve forty Black American historic sites across the U.S (Saving Places). This funding will help everything from capacity building to programming, ensuring these spaces won’t get lost. The sites include the Emmett Till’s funeral home in Chicago, the National Negro Opera Company in Pittsburgh, the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Ohio, and the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center in Denver. You can read a complete list here. This funding is especially significant considering the vast racial disparity in historic sites deemed worth preserving.
Since its founding, the NHPA has identified nearly two million locations worthy of preservation. The work of preservation, as a result, has generated an estimated two million jobs and more than a hundred billion dollars in private investments. However, most of the spaces identified cater to white history, not the stories of people of color. Preservation work by the federal government was started to protect Confederate battlefields, cemeteries, and burial sites after the Civil War (New Yorker). In addition, wealthier white communities disproportionately benefit from these initiatives: the areas tend to be in white neighborhoods, and the majority of the jobs go to white people (EJI). Because one of the criteria for preservation is architectural significance, the process tends to overvalue ornate buildings, not modest structures like slave cabins and tenement houses, or sites that might not have structures, like farms, slave auctions, and burial sites (New Yorker). Related: many of these preservation sites are gatekeeping lands stewarded by Indigenous communities. Learn more in another newsletter.
The civil rights movement of the past decade has accelerated efforts to maintain and preserve historic sites for people of color. Simultaneously, it’s scrutinized the number of Confederate monuments and sites currently under preservation. This is necessary work to both balance the preservation of our nation’s history and reckon with how centering the Confederacy influenced recent racial attacks and dissent. The decision to remove the Robert F. Lee statue in Charlottesville, VA sparked the deadly white nationalist riot in 2017 (Forbes). Dylann Roof named the Confederacy as inspiration for the violence he inflicted in 2015 (AJC). Images of the Confederate flag in the Capitol during the insurrection this January unnerved everyday citizens and historians alike (NYTimes). Preserving our history needs to be not just equitable but aligned with the safety and security our citizens deserve.
Broad and sweeping financial donations often get the credit for preserving historical sites, but in reality, many of the historical landmarks for people of color are preserved because of grassroots organizing by local and everyday people. Without their efforts to protect this land, it’s likely that these sites wouldn’t be here today to receive funding at all. Consider how Preservation Chicago mobilized to gather over thirty thousand signatures to protect the home of Emmett Till’s family for its use as a museum (change.org). Or how local activists have been fighting to preserve one of the nation’s largest slave auction sites from multiple developments in Savannah, GA (Savannah Now). Right now, the Bedford Church African Burial Ground Coalition is trying to protect an enslaved African burial ground from becoming a housing project (PRISM). And the Robert F. Lee statue mentioned above was finally removed earlier this year. But, the conversations were started by Zyahna Bryant, who was just 15-years-old when she started a petition in 2016 (Teen Vogue). In the absence of city, state, or federal support – and often governmental opposition – brave individuals of color have ensured their rich and diverse history won’t be forgotten.
This is especially important when considering the current baseless attack on American history happening in schools and institutions. If children won’t see these stories in their history books, it matters to have them acknowledged physically in their communities. Hopefully, institutional recognition for federal sites isn’t just a trend, but a lasting commitment to our past.
Key Takeaways
The National Trust for Historic Preservation dedicated $3 million to preserve 40 Black historic sites.
It’s often grassroots organizers who preserve historic landmarks for people of color.
As conservatives ban teaching the truth about American history, it’s more important than ever to preserve historic landmarks that highlight our shared past.