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14. Black Men

We are committed to building a Black men affirming space. We reject the over sexualization, criminalization and mass incarceration of our black boys and men. Furthermore, we are committed to dismantling the school to prison pipeline, adultification of black and brown boys, and the senseless killing of unarmed black and brown men.
https://www.buffaloschools.org/cms/lib/NY01913551/Centricity/Domain/9000/BLM%20at%20School%2014%20Principles.pdf

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Black men deserve their due. That is why we are celebrating the best of who they are at the 2 nd Annual Black Men XCEL Summit from Aug. 29-Sept 2.There is no other national event out there tailored for professional black men that is as dynamic as Black Men XCEL and we'll put money on that!

For the second year in a row, we will be linking up at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, presented by FedEx. Over the course of four days, we will host engaging sessions and timely conversations on corporate leadership, mental health and wellness, and the state of black men in professional sports.

It goes without saying that we are rooting for every black man who has changed the game from the boardroom to the pulpit and everything in between. Therefore, it's only right that this year's 2018 XCEL Award Honorees are Kenneth Chenault, chairman and managing director at General Catalyst; T.D. Jakes, bishop of Potter's House Ministries and CEO of T.D. Jakes Enterprises L.L.P.; and the incomparable U.S. Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith. We will also be celebrating our second class of BE Modern Men and all of their greatness.

If you were at the event last year you know that we party just as hard as we work on building our professional skills. Needless to say, Wyclef Jean, rapper, musician, and humanitarian; Chris Spencer; producer of Out Too Much Prods; comedians/entertainers Capone and Jonathan Slocomb; and Grammy Award-winner and producer DJ Nasty are going to bring down the house along with actor, educator, and musician Malik Yoba who will also be joining us. So, get ready for the ultimate turn up and for your stomach to hurt because that's how hard you'll be laughing! And the highly anticipated Mars Vs. Venus Challenge is going to be bigger and better. So ladies, come ready!

That's not all we have in store for the ladies; you know we've got you covered too! We will be highlighting the accomplishments and discussing the million-dollar details of black women in entrepreneurship during the Love and Money session. When we aren't on the links, we'll be painting, sipping, getting suits tailored, working out, relaxing poolside, and so much more.

So, mark your calendars and secure your ticket for a good time!

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It's Time to Celebrate Black Men and their Excellence

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Black men deserve their due. That is why we are celebrating the best of who they are at the 2nd Annual Black Men XCEL Summit from Aug. 29-Sept 2. There is no other national event out there tailored for professional black men that is as dynamic as ours and we'll put money on that!

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Lizzo talks diversity, self-confidence and femininity

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MEXICO CITY (AP) - Fresh from winning three Grammys, singer Lizzo visited Mexico City for a private concert, surprising her fans with acoustic versions of her hits and a toast with tequila.

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Beyoncé and Lamar show what it means to be ‘unapologetically black’ | CNN

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Beyoncé rocked Coachella and Kendrick Lamar grabbed a Pulitzer. But they also gave us a lesson on being “unapologetically black.”

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When I was presented with the opportunity to write about being Black, queer, and proud I was extremely ecstatic, but I knew I had the responsibility to illustrate what it's really like to be Black and queer. This means including the challenges along with the triumphs we face daily.

A common misconception people have about Black queer people is that we must always be Black first. Personally, there is no first, both identities influence me equally. Both identities shaped my life and experiences, one no more than the other. So, I would like to tell Black LGBTQ+ youth that you don't have to decide, this is your life. Live it to the best of your ability and embrace yourself always.

Growing up, I was constantly stuck in this battle with myself, knowing I was gay at a very young age, while going through the constant struggles of being a young Black male in America. It was a challenge trying to find my identity and my place in each of my communities, sometimes feeling like I sat at the outskirts of both. I had no real role models who looked like me and were queer on television, movies, or in music.

Growing up, I went on this journey of discovery alone, a reality I know many Black LGBTQ+ people face; growing up without anyone to talk about the lifestyle, feelings, thoughts, and hardships you know you will face being Black and queer.

The very first person I identified with as I grew older was James Baldwin, a creative, writer, and social justice activist who identified as gay. In a lot of ways, I saw myself in Baldwin. His work primarily explored race, sexuality, and classism in Western society. Unapologetically himself, extremely intelligent, and he rarely filtered his personality for the comfort of others. For that reason, I was drawn to everything he created, said, and took part in.

Today, I live my life free to be myself and represent others like me who were just as lost as I was. So, to me being Black and queer now means strong, compassionate, loving, creative, beautiful, and unapologetic.
Check out below to learn how these 10 GLAAD Campus Ambassadors celebrate their Black and LGBTQ identities. Ose Arheghan Ohio State University How do you identify?
I identify as gender non-binary and queer and as a Nigerian American I represent both the African and the African-American communities.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
I'm proud of my queer Black identity because of the legacy that queer Black leaders have left behind. When I look at what queer Black people like Audre Lorde and Bayard Rustin and Marsha P. Johnson did, I know that there's precedent for the advocacy and activism I see queer Black folks doing now. I'm proud of all the positive change my people have enacted in the United States and all across the globe. That sense of pride is something I've been able to share in with other queer Black folks and we're able to share in such a beautiful community.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
There's this misconception that my Black identity, my African identity, my queer identity, and my trans identity can't exist in one body. There's no inherent conflict within my identities. There's the misconception that the Black community is more homophobic or transphobic that other communities and that's wholeheartedly untrue. There have and always will be queer people in the Black community creating culture and history. I belong in both communities and there is space for me in both communities without me having to compromise any one part of my identity.
Rodney Bethea Lake Forest College How do you identify?
I identify as a gay cis Black male.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
The one thing about my LGBTQ Black Identity that I love the most is the fact that I have two large backgrounds of history to pull from. In times when I am feeling lost and not sure how to carry myself, I often refer to Black or LGBTQ+ history to reflect on those that came before me. All of the brave activists, artists and role models give me the materials to really walk in my skin with a sense of pride as they did.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
Considering there is a lot of stigma that surrounds LGBTQ+ issues within the Black community, the one thing that people miss the mark on is always thinking that sexuality and masculinity are black-and-white. A lot of people think that there is no wiggle room for sexual expression and physical presentation when you are a Black man which can be severely limiting and detrimental to one's self esteem. The fact that I can continuously play around with my sexuality and how I present myself is very freeing and what ultimately led me to come out in the first place. I can define myself as "me."
Dion Copeland University of Louisville How do you identify?
I identify as bisexual.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
I am proud that I hold two marginalized identities. Being a person of color and belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community allows me to serve as a liaison between the two communities through my work as a campus leader at the University of Louisville.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
People assume that I am gay instead of taking the time to genuinely inquire about my sexual orientation. Although I don't approve of asking such an intrusive question, I would rather be asked than have someone assume.
Mei Eyre Cascadia College How do you identify?
I identify as a queer biracial Black woman and I use they/them and she/her pronouns.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
I'm proud of my identity because I am living proof of the resilience of my ancestors. I will always appreciate the ground that has been laid by those who came before me and I'm proud to bring their hopes and dreams for the future to fruition.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
There's a clichéd assumption that Black people's interests are only limited to what's included in Black culture, and that's simply not true. Mainstream media tells a story that does not recognize the diverse interests of Black people. Nerdy fandoms and rock music are among the many interests left out of this narrative.
V Green Georgia State University How do you identify?
I identify as queer and non-binary.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
I'm proud every day because of the unique experience of my culture I get to experience as a black queer non-binary African American. I love that I'm able to create new spaces with people like me, who know my struggles and my triumphs and see me as I am first and foremost before assuming anything about me. I think that my life would be duller and altogether less worth all the effort I put into living it without the support and friendship of so many Black queer people in my inner circle and those I admire for their creative endeavors.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
I think that there's this idea about black people all being so much more homophobic than any other race and that really bothers me. Before anyone accepted me it was cisgender heterosexual black people in my community who understood me and supported me. People even outside of my family who've always pushed me when I felt like I couldn't push myself. I'm not foolish enough to say that people could never pose a danger or threat to me and my queer peers but I know that there's a lot of love in my community and I believe more than enough to accept me and anyone else for all that they are.
Briannah Hill University of Colorado-Boulder How do you identify?
I identify as everyone's favorite friendly, radical, loving, emotional, extra Blaqueer, non-binary femme.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
Me being queer and nonbinary makes me proud because, even though I have sacrificed my safety I am happy. I'm proud that my identities have given me the confidence to stand up for myself and demand respect.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
So many people get it wrong that I and many other Blaqueer/Trans folks can't be both Black and queer/trans at the same time. Also, people get it wrong that Blaqueer/trans people even exist, we exist, and we are here thriving.
Kayla Iman St. John's University How do you identify?
I identify as a queer Black woman; more specifically, bisexual. I choose to say queer before Black because my blackness is visible, my queerness is not, and both are equally important to me.
What about your LGBTQ black identity makes you proud?
What makes me proud about my LGBTQ Black identity is being able to support LGBTQ Black youth. Since being gay is still frowned upon in many Black communities, young Black gay kids are often forced into being closeted, given wrong and toxic information about sexuality or relationships, or are beaten just for stepping outside of the toxic masculinity norm. It makes me proud to be able to combat that and stand up for them. It makes me proud to be able to dispel stereotypes about what it is to be both Black and gay.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
Something people get wrong a lot about my identity or my community is they assume I'm bisexual to attract men, or that my being queer makes me less Black. None of those things are true and they are some of the things that make me angriest to hear in 2019.
AJ Lawrence Berklee College of Music How do you identify?
I am non-binary.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
I love my identity because I can carry myself, personality, and identity like a banner of victory, displaying with pride that this is who I am as a whole.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
People misunderstand that queer people and Black people are separate and isolated, they are not. They intersect and I happen to be one of those people who embody both identities.
Dane Scott Vaughn College of Aeronautics How do you identify?
I identify as a gay Afro-Jamaican man.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
LGBTQ people unfortunately have the disadvantage of being one of the only minority group not raised by their own people. To make things worse our history is rarely taught in schools, so it's left to gay youth to seek out our history. It's common knowledge that the Gay Rights Movement struggled against their oppressors (that alone made me proud to be gay and Black) but as I read more, I discovered LGBTQ icons who worked in the Civil Rights Movement like Bayard Rustin and James Baldwin. Along with inspiring me to do the work, they showed me that when it came to activism, I didn't have to choose "black first" or "gay first."
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
Due to lack of education, whether purposefully or incidentally, I think people are mistaken about what LGBTQ activist had to go through to get where we are today and what they have to go through today. We, as a community, often get accused of being "sensitive" but if there were places they could get fired, evicted, beaten or murdered for being who you are, I don't think they'd take everything so lightly.
Ryan Wagstaff Washington University How do you identify?
Black American of Afro-Latinx/Afro-Guyanese descent.
What about your LGBTQ Black identity makes you proud?
Being Black Queer makes me proud of where I am from and I know that queer people have existed in African history long before colonization. Black queer people are resilient, we lead, push change, and organize.
What do people get wrong about your identity and/or communities?
Being Black, many in my community believe that my sexuality is a choice when it is how I was born. Being gay, my community of other queer folks who are white do not speak to my racism or believe in colorblindness. Because of this colorblindness from my peers I am also vulnerable not only to homophobia from my Black community but anti-Black racism in my queer community as well. Having this intersectional identity I believe is important for my family of white LGBTQ+ to advocate not only for queer liberation but also Black liberation. Because inherently we all are a part of a larger struggle.
D'antae Johnson is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador and sophomore at Prairie View A&M University studying communications. D'antae is from Dallas, Texas.

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11 students explain what being queer, Black, and proud means to them

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When I was presented with the opportunity to write about being Black, queer, and proud I was extremely ecstatic, but I knew I had the responsibility to illustrate what it's really like to be Black and queer. This means including the challenges along with the triumphs we face daily.

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COLLEEN LONG, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ZEKE MILLER

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Biden nominates Jackson, first Black woman, to Supreme Court

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday nominated federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, the first Black woman selected to serve on a court that once declared her race unworthy of citizenship and endorsed American segregation.

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In recent years, scholars and social movements have brought the issue of mass incarceration into public consciousness in the United States. Many now know that the U.S. has the world's largest prison population, or have heard alarming figures, like an incarceration rate for Black men that is 6 times that for white men. At the same time, although crime is down, disproportionately high rates of violence continue to impact the same communities hit hardest by mass incarceration. Restorative justice brings responsible parties and survivors together to repair the harms caused by crimes, and it may offer a way out of this vicious cycle.

Ayoola Mitchell and Troy Williams came to restorative justice by different paths, but a shared commitment to healing and accountability drives their work with Insight Prison Project, a California-based organization that works with men, women and youth in prisons and jails in California and two other states. Insight Prison Project's approach to restorative justice is unique and effective, and researchers from the UW Center for Human Rights' Rethinking Punishment project are currently exploring the possibilities for implementing its restorative justice curriculum in Washington State. Mitchell and Williams shared their stories during a September 30th panel at UW, at the invitation of Prof. Katherine Beckett, the Law, Societies & Justice Program, and the Law School.

Ayoola Mitchell has lived every mother's worst nightmare-twice. In 2009, her eldest son was shot 17 times. He survived, but just over a year later her step-son, whose life she had been a part of since birth, was shot and killed. Neither of her sons' shooters were ever identified. Despite a family background in law enforcement and a career in the justice system, Mitchell's experiences with the police and medical systems left her unsatisfied. "I knew that something different had to happen," she says. "I made the decision to work harder, and [find something] to get involved with so that another mom doesn't have to bury her son, or another son doesn't pull the trigger."

At a friend's urging, Mitchell became involved in a Survivor Speaker Panel facilitated by the Insight Prison Project in San Quentin prison. As a "victim surrogate," she described how violence impacted her family in a group with incarcerated participants and facilitators. "The more I spoke the more I healed," she says. Mitchell now works as IPP's Community & Survivor Outreach Specialist.

Troy Williams joined Insight Prison Project's Victim Offender Education Group program during the twenty-five years he spent in California prisons for an armed robbery. For six of those years he participated in, and later facilitated, VOEG curriculum. "Before VOEG, I couldn't understand what victims of my crime had gone through. When people said, well you caused them to be in fear of their lives, I thought, well I've feared for my life my whole life."

Hearing from a person who had been harmed by a similar crime led Williams to both understanding and empathy. "I saw how traumatized and paralyzed her life had been as a result of her being a victim of a robbery. That's when I was able to see how my life had been paralyzed by fear." Outside of prison, Williams continues to work with IPP as a Youth Development Specialist and Trainer/Facilitator.

Restorative Justice for Social Change in Washington State

UW researchers Prof. Katherine Beckett and 3 rd-year law student Martina Kartman are studying the impacts of restorative justice practices and working to bring IPP programs to Washington State. The Center for Human Rights supported the research presented in their recent report, Violence, Mass Incarceration and Restorative Justice: Promising Possibilities, which offers a deep dive into the transformative work of the Insight Prison Project. They describe IPP's holistic curriculum, which, uniquely among restorative justice programs, is available to prisoners who are not able to interact directly with those they have harmed, thanks to surrogates like Ayoola Mitchell. IPP also takes on cases involving violent crimes-often excluded from other programs, despite evidence that restorative justice may have the biggest impact in such cases.

Even restorative justice practices that are more limited than IPP's can have a powerful impact. Studies suggest that the overwhelming majority of participants are satisfied with victim offender mediation, a staple of many programs. Researchers have also found significant reductions in both the frequency and seriousness of repeat offenses by participants. Despite these benefits, access to restorative justice remains limited -for example, few prison facilities in Washington State offer such programs.

How can communities and decision-makers in Washington State take action to advance restorative justice practices? "We need to build practical strategies to hold people accountable for harm, secure community safety, and support healing and justice for survivors," says Kartman."At the same time, we must collectively address the historical and structural violence that underpin the interpersonal harms we so quickly condemn."

"Ultimately, we need to create programs in which restorative processes and reparations serve as a substitute for incarceration," adds Professor Beckett. "These diversion programs can, and should, include cases in which violence occurred."

While recognizing the track record of success presented in Prof. Beckett and Kartman's report, Ayoola Mitchell and Troy Williams say that we shouldn't focus only on statistics about restorative justice. What's more important are the stories of lives that have been changed. "I believe in the redemption of people; I believe that nobody should be known by the worst thing that they've ever done," says Mitchell.

For Williams, restorative justice implies not just individual transformation, but social change: "In the same sense that I had to be held accountable for the wrongs that I did... the system has to be held accountable for the wrongs that it's doing."
Watch the full Sept. 30 panel discussion, "Beyond Violence, Crime and Punishment: Toward Transformative Justice" via Talking Stick TV.

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Exploring Restorative Justice Models for Washington State - Center for Human Rights

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In recent years, scholars and social movements have brought the issue of mass incarceration into public consciousness in the United States. Many now know that the U.S. has the world's largest prison population, or have heard alarming figures, like an incarceration rate for Black men that is 6 times that for white men.

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Comedy routine

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Being Black in Canada versus America | Alonzo Bodden

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Definitions

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13 Principles and Definitions for Middle High.pdf

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At Visit Seattle, we share in the pain, sorrow, and anger felt by our Black neighbors, partners, visitors, and colleagues and we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

We have made a conscious effort to share voices and stories from across our diverse community. We recognize, however, that this is not enough. While we do not pretend to have all the answers, Visit Seattle is committed to actively seeking to dismantle and eradicate the systematic and institutionalized racism embedded in our workplace and messaging and we are taking steps to support the community in hopes of change. We pledge to approach this initiative with renewed awareness and open, humble hearts.

We are taking the first step. Below, we have compiled resources and ways to support Black lives in Seattle, now at this critical moment and always.

ZOOM BACKGROUNDS: BLACK LIVES MATTER

Show your support of Black lives in your virtual meetings. Click on either of the images to the left to enlarge and download.

SHAKIAH DANIELSON
Artistic Director & Hip Hop Teacher | Northwest Tap Connection
As a race and social justice-oriented dance studio, Northwest Tap Connection uses dance to enrich the lives of students while also helping them develop self discipline and to instill self confidence.

DAVID RUA AND PRIYA FRANK
Equity Team | Seattle Art Museum
The Equity Team at Seattle Art Museum promotes inclusivity and accessibility in the arts and is a key component of SAM's participation in the city's race and social justice initiative.

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Support for Black Lives in Seattle | Visit Seattle

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We have made a conscious effort to share voices and stories from across our diverse community. We recognize, however, that this is not enough. While we do not pretend to have all the answers, Visit Seattle is committed to actively seeking to dismantle and eradicate the systematic and institutionalized racism embedded in our workplace and messaging and we are taking steps to support the community in hopes of change.

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In honor of Black History Month, the Diverse Elders Coalition is featuring stories relevant to black aging during February. A new story will be shared every Wednesday, with additional posts shared throughout the month. Be sure to visit diverseelders.org regularly during the month of February.
As a tribute to Black History Month and this year's theme, Civil Rights in America, we have pulled together quotes from various prominent African American older adults to motivate you and to help guide your life.

1. Our mistreatment was just not right, and I was tired of it. - Rosa Parks

2. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

3. If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. - Barack Obama

4. We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

5. How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver

6. Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift. - Oprah Winfrey

7. The whole world opened to me when I learned to read. - Mary McLeod Bethune

8. Whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free . . . your true self comes out. - Tina Turner

9. Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. - Harriet Tubman

10. Have a vision. Be demanding. - Colin Powell

11. In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe. - Michael Jackson

12. If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolute night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

13. Greatness occurs when your children love you, when your critics respect you and when you have peace of mind. - Quincy Jones

14. I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try. - Nikki Giovanni

15. I think education is power. I think that being able to communicate with people is power. One of my main goals on the planet is to encourage people to empower themselves. - Oprah Winfrey

16. It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of that tapestry are equal in value no matter their color. - Maya Angelou

17. It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. - Lena Horne

18. Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations. If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won't exist because you'll have already shut it out...You can hear other people's wisdom, but you've got to re-evaluate the world for yourself. - Mae Jemison

19. You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it. - Malcolm X

20. As long as there is poverty in the world I can never be rich, even if I have a billion dollars. As long as diseases are rampant and millions of people in this world cannot expect to live more than twenty-eight or thirty years, I can never be totally healthy even if I just got a good checkup at Mayo Clinic. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way our world is made. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent. We are interdependent. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

21. I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood. - Audre Lorde

22. The outside world told black kids when I was growing up that we weren't worth anything. But our parents said it wasn't so, and our churches and our schoolteachers said it wasn't so. They believed in us, and we, therefore, believed in ourselves. - Marian Wright Edelman

23. It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences. - Audre Lorde

24. You're not obligated to win. You're obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day. - Marian Wright Edelman

25. No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee and fly high. No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams. - Jesse Jackson

26. Our nation is a rainbow - red, yellow, brown, black, and white - and we're all precious in God's sight. - Jesse Jackson

27. I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. - Rosa Parks

28. Just don't give up what you're trying to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. - Ella Fitzgerald

29. One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am. - Michelle Obama

30. Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down. And trust your instincts ... good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don't hurt. They're not painful. That's not just with somebody you want to marry, but it's with the friends that you choose. It's with the people you surround yourselves with. - Michelle Obama

31. I think if we are actually going to accept our generation's responsibility, that's going to mean that we give our children no less retirement security than we inherited from our parents. - Carol Moseley Braun

32. Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated. - Coretta Scott King

33. If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. - Maya Angelou

34. Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. - Barack Obama

35. Yes we can! - Barack Obama

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video, song by will.i.am
READ OUR OTHER BLACK HISTORY MONTH STORIES: On the Shoulders of our Black Elders: Powerful Images from our Past (Black History Month: Civil Rights in America) You won't believe what I learned from our black elders (Black History Month) 10 things Black Americans should know about HIV/AIDS (Black History Month)
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35 quotes to help guide your life from famous African American older adults

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In honor of Black History Month, the Diverse Elders Coalition is featuring stories relevant to black aging during February. A new story will be shared every Wednesday, with additional posts shared throughout the month. Be sure to visit diverseelders.org regularly during the month of February.

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Dear white Seattle: Young Black leaders want to talk about racism

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Beyond the Capitol Hill protests, young activists are finding creative ways to engage more people in the fight for change.

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Reflections on Race and Disability

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In 2016, Vilissa Thompson created the hashtag #DisabilitySoWhite to shed light on the ways Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) are consistently marginalized and often silenced in disability justice spaces. Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA,) and Vilissa's battle cry rings out truer than ever before.

The ADA was a Godsend for most disabled people/ People with Disabilities (PwD). It set in place policies that required employers, schools, and public places to become accessible - Meaning, workplaces, classrooms, parks, and more would need to make accommodations to their structures and operations so as many people who had been figuratively and literally left out of these spaces could be included. The law allowed for millions of disabled people/ PwD to enter the workforce, get an education, attend events, enjoy nature, etc. However, like nearly all social movements that become established without an Anti-racism lens from the start, disparities among disabled people/ PwD along intersecting identity lines began to increase - especially along lines of race, ethnicity, and citizenship.

In a Diverse City LLC Learning Series video on Race and Disability released earlier this week, I briefly shared how my spirituality, race, and disability coalesced into a moment of singularity where my mostly White, South Jersey, public high school called a D.A.R.E. officer to remove me from school and placed me in involuntary institutionalization after a battery of investigation. There were several reasons the school cited as the basis for this reaction: My socialization didn't seem up to par, I wasn't speaking as much in class, I hid out in bathrooms and closets throughout that day, my hygiene and eating habits were not the greatest. All of these instances were likely due to intense bullying, poverty, othering by faculty and staff, and - most of all - I was an autistic kid with no insurance and therefore without support services. Fifteen years later, the moment is still fresh and throbbing in my mind. It felt like the message I got as a disabled BIPOC was: Take them to the juvenile detention center, take them to the hospital, or take them to an institution; But just get them out of here. All my guidance counselor told my mom was that I "crashed and burned."

My story is not rare. In a recent AP News Article, research from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights showed that disabled BIPOC/ PwD are disproportionately disciplined or removed from schools, and that the intersectional discrimination has "plagued education across the United States for decades." The commission went on to say that "zero-tolerance polices and school level factors like a principal's perspective are often behind the disparities," or in my case, a guidance counselor. In the commission's report, they state "Many schools, especially in low-income and urban communities, rely on policies that have students of color with disabilities removed from classrooms for even minor infractions... Students with disabilities are about twice as likely to be suspended as those without disabilities, and Black, Latino and Native American students receive harsher and longer punishments than their White peers for similar offenses."

This sort of racialized ableism - Intersectional discrimination based on racism and ableism - not only traumatizes, but can be a carpool lane on the School-to-Prison pipeline. In 2015, Black and Latinx folks made up 32% of the US population, and 56% of all incarcerated people. It is also important to mention here that the United States makes up around 5% of the world's population, and holds 21% of the world's prisoners. Intersectionally, a report from the Center on American Progress in 2016 found that people in state and federal prisons are nearly three times as likely to report having a disability, and four times as likely to have a cognitive disability like Down Syndrome, Autism, Dementia, Intellectual Disabilities, and Learning Disorders; Those in jails are four times as likely to be disabled, and six times as likely to have a cognitive disability. One in five prison inmate have a serious mental illness. And while these statistics are startling, they don't stop there. A follow-up report by the Prison Policy Initiative shared how the intersection of Race and Disability affects one's involvement with the criminal justice system on the whole. They highlight the story of an Ethiopian Deaf man who was denied an Ethiopian Sign Language interpreter, which led to six weeks of jail time for a crime he didn't commit. They also speak to the intersectional barriers to re-entry once released from prison.

All people who have a documented criminal history face incredible barriers to surviving, let alone thriving, due to legal discrimination in some of the very areas the ADA aims to protect: Access to education, housing, employment, and access to public services and spaces. The additional lenses of racism and ableism can create triple jeopardy when trying to access vocational and release planning programs, (or quadruple or quintuple jeopardy with more marginalized identities onboard like gender, class, citizenship, or sexual orientation.) T he 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium showed that, out more than 3 Million Disabled Black people/ PwD, less than one-third are employed, and the rate of employment for this intersection is decreasing in 28 states. A review of this data by RespectAbility featuring disabled, Black women speak to the multiple layers of marginalization and the importance of antiracism and intersectionality in the Disability Justice and Inclusion movement. Dr. Donna Walton shared, "The impact of the triple jeopardy syndrome cannot be overstated, as an African American with a disability, [one] can never can be quite sure if their race, gender or disability is hurting their chances for advancement. My experiences-being denied employment and facing financial planners who make false assumptions about my income status and earning potential because of my disability, for instance-prompt my suspicions that triple jeopardy is working against many African Americans with disabilities."

So, you may be asking yourself what to do at this point. Whether you are a disabled person or ally, amplify the narratives and experiences of disabled BIPOC/ PwD when you see injustice. This past month, a protest was held at the annual awards luncheon for the National Council for Independent Living to denounce racist and xenophobic comments made by their President, and amplify the narrative of those who expressed their outrage in it's wake, (Content Warning for this encapsulation by Disabled POC Activist Alice Wong.)

Which leads to the next point of what to do: If you are a Non-BIPOC disabled person/ PwD or ally - brush up on antiracism, cultural humility, Disability Critical Race Theories (DisCrit), and self-evaluate your power-over privileges. What made Bruce Darling's comments so painful was the othering and invisibilizing of disabled people/ PwD at the border being detained, becoming increasingly ill, and dying. To hold that level of power-over, to be in top leadership of NCIL and ADAPT, the co-founder of the center for Disability Rights, Inc., and encourage disabled people to lobby lawmakers on the talking point that "Democrats care more about people who are illegally in this country than their own citizens who are disabled," is incredibly cruel, racist, and xenophobic. It is why when his apology fell flat, with people following him calling for his resignation, which eventually came with a unanimous endorsement from the NCIL's Board of Directors.

These actions create both inaccessible and non-inclusive spaces for Disabled BIPOC/ PwD. The way to address some of the structural issues of this leads to my final point of what to do: Put Disabled BIPOC/ PwD in positions of leadership. Fund and support us. Fiercely defend their leadership and dismantle constructs or dismiss people and groups who refuse to respect and uphold the leadership of Disabled BIPOC/ PwD. Reflect on how you regard, communicate, and interact with us. But most importantly, don't speak for us. The latter issue I call being an "Ursula Ally," inspired by the relationship dynamic in The Little Mermaid where Ursula made a devil's bargain with Ariel to seal her voice in a locket to win the heart of her paramour, only for Ursula to use Ariel's voice to take Eric for herself. Do not use the voice of marginalized populations for clout or virtual likes. That doesn't make you woke, it just makes you an inequitable and injust person.

In the blog Tales of the Angry Negro, the anonymous author shares their experience of moderating a panel on the intersections of race and disability at the recent Netroots Nation Conference. In the middle of their panel discussion, they were interrupted by conference staff who told the group that they needed to speed along their programming so they can take the lift from the stage that was being used by one of the panelists. They were told to either end earlier or leave their panelist stranded on stage. When they pushed back, the staff loudly protested. ending their live feed, and began heckling the group until they ended. After reflecting on the situations involving Darling and others, they shared that these instances of racism, xenophobia, antiblackness, and more within the disability community "will rightly note that these events - though shocking to some - are not new thought the attention shone on them is, and that this is indicative of a disability community that marginalizes the voices of people of color and a mainstream community that equally silences disability advocacy. We as a community must come to terms with the fact that while we face discrimination, we do not have the market cornered on righteousness. We have as much as a responsibility to provide the inclusion that we demand from the mainstream community.." They went on to say, "One cannot create an inclusive community while excluding people of color or using tactics that are specifically designed to be divisive....At the same time, one cannot give a pass to leaders who blatantly violate the trust of multiple parts of our community....In this context, they would be noted as one time faux as or slip ups that are not indicative of the greater good and service that they have done or could continue to do for the community. If we do that, however we provide a justification to their actions and not only communicate the loathsome idea that the ends justify the means, but also that certain groups of individuals with disabilities are disposable in order to make justice for others."

When I turned 29, I made it a point to undergo a year of self-reflection, recalibration, and restorative justice. I made the effort to lean into my forthcoming 30th birthday as a major chronological milestone to also incorporate benchmark and goals for emotional, social, and developmental milestones. I reviewed my social narrative identity, spoke to close friends and family members about my impact, underwent a self-audit of who I was and who I wanted to be. Three years later, I still have not completed my praxis - and I never will. I encourage those who support and benefit from the ADA to do the same. I encourage those who have been at the front lines of the disability movement and have not seen Black and Brown faces there with them to do something about it. I encourage those who are sitting at tables of power, privilege and leadership who look around and do not see any Disabled BIPOC/ PwD to speak up and say something. I encourage folks to embrace the social and intersectional models of disability, and incorporate universal design and community integration into everything they do. We have come far, but we have also barely made a dent in what is left to be done so all Disabled people/ PwD can survive and thrive. Where it seems it needs to start is dismantling and deconstructing the stubborn dynamic Vilissa Thompson called out three years ago: Disability Justice and Leadership is too White!

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#DisabilitySoWhite: Reflections on Race and Disability on ADA Day - Epiphanies of Equity LLC

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In 2016, Vilissa Thompson created the hashtag #DisabilitySoWhite to shed light on the ways Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) are consistently marginalized and often silenced in disability justice spaces. Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA,) and Vilissa's battle cry rings out truer than ever before.

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The Black Lives Matter movement has changed the country and shifted conversations about police, social justice and structural racism.

Nowhere is the impact as great as it is for Black families, especially those with children. NPR spoke with five couples about how their family conversations have changed and how they try to support and inform their children in the face of police violence and racism.

The parents spoke about how painful it is to have these issues rupture the innocence of childhood, and the importance of having these discussion proactively. They say they try to model a measured optimism about the future, teaching their kids "to stand up and speak out", as one mother, Dr. Rhea Roper Nedd puts it.

She says she and her husband's message to their children right now is hopeful, despite their own misgivings about the slow pace of progress. "This is the time for us to move forward," she says. "This is the time to change."
'Exercise your right to say what you think'
When Chris and Eriade Williams decided to take their children to participate in peaceful protests near their home in Silver Spring, Md., their daughter Marley, 9, told them she was scared. Eriade, an attorney and lobbyist, had to explain that violence wouldn't be likely. Chris, who works in pharmaceutical sales, talked to both the kids - their son Hunter is 6 - about managing fear. And he told them: "These are things that we're protesting because they've never been dealt with appropriately in the past."

Marley remained skeptical, telling her parents she was afraid there would be violence or police brutality. Her parents told her, "You still have to exercise your right to say what you think about things and you can't be scared and stay in your house," recalls Eriade.

The protest turned out to be a positive, empowering experience for the children. There was no violence. Marley was interviewed by local TV and even made up a dance to go with a chant. "When they came home they were exuberant," says Eriade.

The Williams say they have a sense of relief that, after George Floyd's brutal killing, the whole nation began discussing police violence and racism. It means, they said, that as parents "we are the ones who can explain all this to our kids and that their friends in school will have a similar baseline of experience now to understand these issues better."

As Black parents, Derek and Barbara Ford knew they would have to have "the talk" about racism at some point with their sons. Chandler, who is nearly 1-year-old, is too young to understand. And for Alexander who turns 5 this month, the Fords hadn't thought of starting at such an early age. But as the Black Lives Matter protests took off in late May, they realized it was time.

Derek, a human resources manager in the oil and gas industry, says they didn't try to tackle the whole topic at once. "We talk about certain aspects that he can comprehend at this point. And then through the years, that conversation morphs" he says. They have started with storytelling and books that portray individuals with brown skin so the children will "feel comfortable in their own skin" and have a positive image of themselves.

In the future, they'll have to tackle harder issues head-on. "I mean you have to have hope, but you also have the reality that he will become a Black man; right now, he sees police officers and cops as superheroes." Derek says. "It's a shame that this frame of mind will likely change over time to where he no longer sees public servants as superheroes, but he sees them as something else."

They try to strike a balance, Barbara says, between exposing their children to the reality of racism while instilling confidence in them as individuals. "We grew up and understood that everything in life wasn't going to be fair; so we want to raise the children with a sense of reality, but we don't want to poison them and we don't want them to be blindsided by anything either."
Preparing children for the future
When Maryam Jernigan-Noesi and Mariano Noesi were expecting their first child, they recall playing a trivia game at their baby shower. They were asked what they feared most about becoming new parents.

They answered without hesitation. "We were both on the same page and it was 'the world,'" says Mariano, a national accounts manager for an environmental firm. "It was the systems created outside of our homes that were not made for him, although he'd be forced to live in them for now."

Along with the joy of having a child, says Maryam, a licensed psychologist specializing in children and adolescents, "there is an intergenerational fear about your ability to protect Black children and help keep them alive because of the pervasiveness and, frankly, the danger of racism."

The family lives in a suburb of Atlanta. Today, when they talk with their son Carter, now 4, about racism, a major goal, Mariano says, is "reducing the amount of trauma that I pass on to him. Reducing it being key because some trauma is inevitable in the life of a Black person in this country."

Their approach, says Maryam, is to start with an understanding of racial differences."We want him to first notice and appreciate human differences, not avoid or condemn what is different," she says.

From there, they are gradually introducing the history of racial injustice and the civil rights movement.

"The key is to be consistent and proactive and to not wait until there is a blatant example that we are trying to explain after the fact," says Maryam. She also gives her son room to express his feelings, like when she first explained the history of segregation to him and "he was visibly upset."

She says these early lessons paid off when he saw some footage of protests on TV and wanted to know what was going on. " And I said, well, remember Martin Luther King? You know, we're still fighting for people to be able to be treated equally."
'It's up to the next generation'
After George Floyd's killing, the Roper Nedd family who live in Silver Spring, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C. went into "protective mode" toward their two sons, Christopher and Noah, says Dr. Rhea Roper Nedd, associate director of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at the University of Maryland.

"We didn't want them to see this on TV and to internalize this," she recalls. "But then there came a point in time when we knew ... as much as we tried to protect them ... we had to start talking about it."

Husband Wilton Nedd II, an attorney, says it's imperative "for us to instill in our children that they are equal to their white counterparts in every respect but they may not be viewed that way by everyone they encounter."

They want their children to feel proud of who they are. They watch movies with strong Black characters, they enjoy and "move to hip-hop, soca, afro-beats, gospel music and Chelsey Green's violin."

"Conversations about race within the four walls of our home are intentional messages about the beauty of blackness," says Rhea.

She says they have worked to balance realism and hope in their conversations about racial justice. When they went as a family to one of the recent protests, one of their sons questioned why they were bothering when violence against Black people keeps getting repeated.

"It's hard to hear a young child at the age of ten already aware of the history of this country, of how racism has been institutionalized, and to already know that the change that is happening, it's so slow," Rhea says.

But she said they told their kids, "Things are changing. There is something about the movement and we have to be part of it."

During the protests and candlelight vigils the family attended, Wilton told his sons that as they grow up, they have a role to play "in changing narratives and outcomes in society."

"Our generation has made incremental progress but it is up to the next generation to take it even further," he says.

Both Albert and Quinetta Latham remember when their own parents had "the talk" with them years ago. And while some of the nuances have changed, Albert, a regional asset protection director for a national retailer says, the conversations they're having with their own children, Albert III, 18, and Maria, 12, are, unfortunately, familiar.

But Quinetta, a certified life coach and transformational speaker, says the Black Lives Matter movement has given the family a sense of hope. "While our 12 year old daughter might not necessarily be able to wrap her entire mind around systematic racism, both she and our son realize and understand the power and the pain that is attached to the three words Black Lives Matter."

The support for the movement is "very visible for our children to see" she says, whether it's on the news, hashtags, t-shirts, or TikTok. Albert says in the movement today he sees more allies of all races.

"We're not walking alone," Albert says. "And while these occurrences and conversations aren't necessarily new for our household I do realize... George Floyd's untimely and unfortunate death was certainly a tipping point for the nation."

But seeing repeated examples of police brutality weighs on their children, the Latham parents say. And even when they went out to protest recently, the family encountered racism and profanity from people passing by. One man in a truck deliberately blew his exhaust into the crowd. "My children looked at me in disbelief," recalls Quinetta. "We're out here trying to stand up for what's right and here's what we're still having to face."

"So you know, it's hard not to see it, it's hard not to experience it, and it's almost impossible not to fear it," she says. "For us as parents, it's important to just create a safe haven, a safe space for our children to feel they're accepted when the world rejects them. A place where they can come and be lifted when the world knocks them down."

And, when talking to their children, Albert says,"we've got to be very careful to not preach doom and gloom all the time - to not talk about the history of Black folk as starting in slavery or in the Jim Crow south; our history is much, much richer than the misfortunes that we faced."

"And so another way that we try to reduce the stress for us and our children is to make sure that we understand there's still greatness that courses through our veins."
This story was produced by Meredith Rizzo and Ryan Kellman with editing by Carmel Wroth of NPR. Design and development by Alyson Hurt of NPR.

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'Change Can Happen': Black Families On Racism, Hope And Parenting

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The Black Lives Matter movement has changed the country and shifted conversations about police, social justice and structural racism. Nowhere is the impact as great as it is for Black families, especially those with children. NPR spoke with five couples about how their family conversations have changed and how they try to support and inform their children in the face of police violence and racism.

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Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, diligent, and hard-working.

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United Nations Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (1963)

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United Nations Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (1963)

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Amid reports about gun violence, broken water mains and busted boilers in the public schools, two recent articles in The Baltimore Sun stood out like rays of sunshine. One story described an unlikely friendship between a former Baltimore City police officer and John Earl Williams, the man who shot him and killed another officer nearly 42 years ago. The other chronicled former City Councilwoman Rikki Spector's efforts to turn around the lives of two teenagers who had assaulted her.

Both stories illustrate the success of "restorative justice" - an approach that aims to repair the harm caused by a crime instead of simply punishing the perpetrator. Emphasizing accountability by offenders and healing for victims, the concept's central restorative practice is a meeting between the two parties.

This contact typically occurs only at the victim's request and with extensive preparation led by a trained facilitator. Restorative-justice practices may not substitute for incarceration for violent crimes but are part of a multifaceted response. Studies show restorative practices not only promote healing but also reduce offender recidivism, which saves the state $8 for every $1 spent, according to Lawrence Sherman, a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland.

The improbable friendship between a former Baltimore police officer and the man who shot up his squad in the 1976 "Good Friday Shooting."

Restorative justice programs prove particularly effective for juvenile offenders. Also, victims and their families are more satisfied with these programs than they are with traditional approaches to juvenile justice. And, like adults, juvenile offenders who face their victims are less likely to engage in future criminal activity.

Imagine if someone like Rikki Spector had intervened when John Earl Williams was young, helping him understand that his actions have an impact and that adults can be loving.

Around the world, restorative justice is part of the criminal justice process, usually at the parole stage for violent offenders. In Wyoming and Minnesota, state parole boards or departments of correction facilitate "victim-offender dialogues," which makes face-to-face conversation - and real healing - possible.

In Maryland, the only contact between victim and offender occurs at sentencing, when the victim describes to a judge, not to the offender, the impact of the crime. The offender can express remorse only with his or her back to the victim and only in the context of seeking a favorable sentence.

When a Baltimore city councilwoman was attacked by two teenagers in a carjacking two years ago, the crime caused a stir. But what most people didn't know is what happened next: The councilwoman became her attackers' greatest advocate.

The sole state-sponsored contact between offender and victim (or the victim's family) may occur at parole hearings, where the victim or victim's family can oppose parole. The inmate is seated so he or she cannot see the victim or victim's family. Victims don't have the opportunity to tell offenders about the damage they caused. Nor do they have the chance to hear offenders talk about their remorse. Nor are they given the chance to experience the healing power of forgiveness. Attempts by criminal justice experts to change this situation have been rejected by Maryland officials.

As Gov. Larry Hogan and Democratic leaders unveil their criminal justice agenda for this legislative session, they are understandably focused on violent crime, particularly the skyrocketing homicide rate in Baltimore. The General Assembly made a promising start two years ago by passing the Maryland Justice Reinvestment Act, designed to reduce Maryland's prison population and fund programming to reduce recidivism. Many hoped the legislation signaled a move toward smart, fair and effective criminal justice policy. But with the ink barely dry on the law, leaders in both parties now are focusing on enhanced penalties, "truth in sentencing" and delayed parole - all policies that failed in the 1980s and '90s.

This approach will not reduce crime or help victims. Restorative justice practices, on the other hand, have been shown in other states to do both. If Maryland's leaders truly care about effectively responding to crime, a move to integrate restorative practices into our criminal justice system would be a good place to start.

Jane C. Murphy is the Laurence M. Katz Professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the director of its Juvenile Justice Project. Email: jmurphy@ubalt.edu; Twitter:@familylawprof.

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Restorative justice: healing victims and reducing crime

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Amid reports about gun violence, broken water mains and busted boilers in the public schools, two recent articles in the Baltimore Sun stood out like rays of sunshine. Both stories illustrate the success of "restorative justice" - an approach that aims to repair the harm caused by a crime.

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This First Person article is the experience of Mykella Van Cooten who is a podcast producer and audio storyteller. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
For most of my life, I considered myself a Strong Black Woman. It was a source of pride. It meant I can accomplish anything. It made me feel superhuman.

Until it didn't.

That pride changed abruptly one night.

That night, I saw a huge ad - on a city bus no less - featuring a poised Black woman. She was standing, hands on hips, with her naturally curly hair framing her face. She looked confident and self-assured, and maybe even a little smug.

Then, I saw those words: "strong Black woman." Suddenly, those words smacked me in the face. They knocked the wind right out of me.

Those words, that night, started a journey I am still on now.

Scholars have studied what academics call the "Strong Black Woman (SBW) Schema." It's an archetype and identity taken on by many Black women - and passed on to generations - as a title of excellence.

It includes three key characteristics: emotional restraint, independence, and self-sacrifice where Black women often take care of others at their own expense.

But now those words are being dissected, re-evaluated and reconsidered by many Black women.

My path to becoming a Strong Black Woman started when I was about 11 years old.

"You are Black. You have to work twice as hard to succeed," my dad said.

That message never left me. It meant I had to be strong enough and have the energy to do twice as much, without complaint.

My dad says he always wanted me to become a strong Black woman, but I don't think he ever used those exact words back then. It was more that the characteristics were rewarded.

To me, those characteristics include: intelligence, athleticism, physical and mental toughness, confidence, focus, independence, excellence, resilience, and the ability to lead and take care of others

It's a lot. I know.

When a Black girl starts to experience the benefits of these traits - feeling respected, admired, confident, worthy - being a SBW can soon become more than just words. It can become an identity.

It can make you feel celebrated as a Black woman, as a woman who can represent the goodness of the Black community in white spaces - a kind of superhero.

Who doesn't want to be that?

I personally had taken on the full Strong Black Woman identity by university, where I met five other SBWs just like me.

" I would say we were always just thinking of the next thing, really focused on tomorrow," Dr. Claudia Chambers, my long-time friend and former McMaster University roommate, reminded me in a recent conversation.

We were confident, and maybe a little cocky. As a Strong Black Woman, I felt capable, resilient and relied upon. It made me feel special.

Turning point

Until that night, when I saw that huge ad on the bus, with those words: "She is a strong Black woman."

It felt like there was a demand on me that I should be strong - and nothing else. In an instant, it felt like I went from a three-dimensional person to one dimension.

So I made a decision.

No matter how much the world wants me to wear the cape of the Strong Black Woman,

I will not take it. I want to be seen as more. I want to beallowed to be more.

And I am not the only one.

At an online event by Essence Magazine last year, actor and singer Taraji P. Henson spoke out about this stereotype.

"It came as a thing to empower us, right? It became 'I'm a strong black woman' to empower us. But then as years go on, we've been ignored because of that very statement," she said. "It dehumanizes our pain. It belittles our tears.

"We're supposed to be able to watch our brothers and sons and fathers get murdered in the street, but we can take it because we're strong. And that's just not true."

So, like Henson, I'm saying "no" to being called a Strong Black Woman.

"The burnout got so bad, I was crying almost every day. I had to say "enough" - for real this time. ​​​​​​"- Mykella Van Cooten

Being an SBW isn't like being a superhero. Once you come home from fighting crime, you don't take your cape off. It's more like a skin you put on that moulds to your mind and body. You become that person - at work, with friends, with family.

I started to really consider how my own actions were reinforcing the SBW stereotype last year.

As a frontline hospital worker, I support ICU units with administrative duties. When the pandemic hit, I got the opportunity to work full-time on a COVID-19 unit. I would agree to take shifts to fill in for sick colleagues, and I would feelintense guiltif I had to say no.

I sometimes worked 11 days straight and often did 16-hour shifts. I had no idea what my body and my mind could handle. I was disconnected, on autopilot.

Until, I started breaking down.

A few hours before work, or on the drive, I would cry. The burnout got so bad, I was crying almost every day. I had to say "enough" - for real this time.

My journey to accepting my emotions, mental health challenges and physical limits began in smallsteps.

I started allowing myself to feel my feelings and express them to others. I learned what my body could do, and I keep checking in with what it needs. I ask for help. I set better boundaries on my time and mental space. I express my needs to people I care about instead of sucking things up or walking away from the relationship. The people who love me want to support me, so we talk, and make changes.

I follow in the footsteps of a wave of Instagram posters and public figures like Henson, Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Lizzo who are pushing against the constricting Strong Black Woman identity and demanding Black women's emotions, mental health and well-beingstopgoing unnoticed.

But I was worried that the man who stirred in me a determination to become a Strong Black Woman would not be okay if I gave up the asphyxiating narrowness of this identity.

So I spoke to my dad. To my surprise, he was supportive.

"It puts a tremendous burden on young Black women to kind of live up to those stereotypes" he said.

"I can still appreciate the Strong Black Woman, and appreciate the younger person saying, 'This is putting a huge pressure on me'."

He's a good one, my dad. I'm with him on this one.

About the Producer

Mykella Van Cooten is an audio storyteller and is known as DJ Em on iliveradio.com.

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FIRST PERSON | Why I refuse to call myself a 'Strong Black Woman' | CBC Radio

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This First Person article is the experience of Mykella Van Cooten who is a podcast producer and audio storyteller . For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ . For most of my life, I considered myself a Strong Black Woman. It was a source of pride.

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I came across a book recently, perspective on Restorative Justice, its potential to do good, and the dangers of perpetuating racial injustice. This collection of essays asks how race inequality plays out in Restorative Justice and explores what can be done to ensure that restorative professionals and organisations challenge rather than replicate the unequal power structures in society. Coming after Fania Davis' inspirational Colorizing Restorative Justice , which challenged my Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice , which explores how race and the US criminal justice system intersect, this new publication provides a beacon of hope and ideas for practitioners and policy-makers who are committed to social change.

As the editors suggest, if Restorative Justice does not address racism in everyday policy and practice, then Restorative Justice could itself enable discriminatory conduct, because that is the default way the justice system and society operate. This book has a distinctly North American perspective, from the role of indigenous people to the language used (the term "people of colour" is used throughout) but many of the insights rang true for me in the UK. One example is the precondition of admittance of guilt for a restorative intervention to take place, which can be a barrier to many young people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

During the last few months, the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests have led to calls for a new approach to addressing racial injustice in the criminal justice system. Alongside this, we have seen calls for alternative approaches, including restorative approaches, to provide a place for people to talk about their needs and to be listened to, and find ways to move forward, indeed, Why me? held a race hate listening forum for BAME people along these lines.

However, as Desirée Anderson states, we often reach for restorative interventions to address disciplinary or criminal issues, instead of a holistic approach. She argues that our understanding of harm, who is harmed and how to repair the harm is flawed, and that we are in danger of reinforcing structural inequality and re-traumatising individuals, whether harmed or harmer. This point is grippingly illustrated in the podcast ' Nice White Parents ' about racial inequality in US schools. 's 2018 training of Why me? offered practical and supportive ways of challenging personal and organisational prejudice by introducing reflective practice between co-facilitators and within the service.

This 20-author collection of essays offers many perspectives including intensely practical solutions, such as Sheryl Wilson's 'Calling out Whiteness', in which she sets out a series of group discussions and workshops for organisations and individuals, including questions and prompts; or Sharon Goens-Bradleys' race-conscious road map which reads like an outdoor orienteering activity and offers a clear set of steps to enrich understanding.

We have a duty to ensure, as Fania Davis comments in the preface, that Restorative justice remains relevant and that as Restorative Justice professionals and advocates, we become more skillful at identifying, navigating, and transforming racial harm. With increased demand for restorative interventions, we have a duty as organisations and practitioners to address inequality and inter-racial needs in all we do.

T his includes the recruitment of Restorative Justice facilitators from diverse backgrounds, as well as leadership commitment to equality and reflective practice throughout the organisation. To that end the team at Why me? are currently working on a broad reaching organisational strategy which we hope will address some of these issues from the 'inside out'. In 2021 we will be continuing to deliver restorative justice for marginalised groups and advocating for change for all across the criminal justice system to improve access to Restorative Justice for everyone.

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How does race inequality play out in Restorative Justice? - Why Me?

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A blog by Why me? Director Lucy Jaffé I came across a book recently, Colorizing Restorative Justice, which challenged my perspective on Restorative Justice, its potential to do good, and the dangers of perpetuating racial injustice. This collection of essays asks how race inequality plays out in Restorative Justice and explores what can be done to [...]

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To meet the challenge of navigating the current environment in which inequity and injustice are prevalent, educators need to lead with empathy and create an anti-bias environment.

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In 2001, UNESCO declared 21 May as UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. So what does that mean? Put simply, it's a chance to celebrate the cultural diversity of people around us, and find out more about what we have in common, rather than what separates us. Here are a few modest and simple ways to mark the occasion. We hope you have fun trying them out.
1. Visit an exhibition or a museum dedicated to other cultures
A casual visit to a local museum or exhibition may inspire you to create something yourself, and heighten your desire to learn about a new topic or culture. Even if you cannot make the trip to a museum, there are several virtual exhibitions you can tour. For example, you can see the British Museum's collection online, and the National Gallery has a virtual tour of 18 rooms that lets you get up close to the paintings.
2. Learn about another religion
The Dalai Lama wrote that 'finding common ground among faiths can help us bridge needless divides, at a time when unified action is more crucial than ever.' Finding out more about another religion may help you understand the multiple beliefs, cultures, traditions and histories of people in your country, and learn how these have shaped the society you live in. If you have friends of a different religion, why not ask them to tell you a little about it? And if you have children, why not teach them about world religions?

3. Plan an international movie night
You know Hollywood, and you may have heard of Bollywood - the world's biggest film industry, based in Mumbai - but have you heard of Lollywood, the thriving Pakistani film industry based in Lahore, or Nollywood in Nigeria? Many of the films coming out of these countries are gaining prominence on the international film scene. Cultures and traditions can be so vividly portrayed through cinema, and watching a film from another country provides a window on distant and faraway places. Depending on where you live, you can also easily buy or rent foreign films to stream online.
4. Listen to music from a different culture
There is perhaps no better way to experience another culture than listening to music. It is remarkable that something so subtle can provoke such deep emotional reactions. Music has a way of cutting across languages, so even if you don't understand the words, you can still hear the influence of other cultures. The internet has created a forum where music can be shared around the world, with sites such as Last.fm that allow you to discover music from every corner of the globe. Or you could listen to the British Council's Selector radio programme featuring a variety of UK music, often with strong international influences.
5. Play a game or take up a sport from a different culture (karate, cricket, pétanque...)
Playing a game or two is a great way to spread some joy around, while exercising both your brain and the rest of your body. I recently took up carrom which is a popular board game in South Asia. It's easy to grab a board, get some friends and family, and get started! Or perhaps you could take up capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines dance, acrobatics and music. You can often find a local group online, through social meeting sites like meetup.com. There is something very fulfilling about learning a completely new game, and it's a great way to make friends.
6. Invite a friend and cook traditional food
Tired of the same old boring meals? Why not get creative and try making a dish from another country? You can very easily discover exciting new corners of the world without leaving the kitchen. There is a wealth of global recipes online. You could try YouTube walkthroughs of Japanese or Indian recipes to get you started. Or you could ask a friend from a different cultural background to share their favourite family recipes.
7. Learn about traditional stories from other cultures
Reading and learning about stories from another culture is a great way to expand your knowledge of the world. Many traditional folk tales have universal themes, but at the same time, shine a light on particular aspects of another culture. So now might be a great time to delve into the storybooks and read this folk tale about a young Korean boy who never shared the stories he heard. On his wedding day, the stories wanted revenge! It will surely motivate you to learn and share a new tale.
8. Volunteer with an organisation working for diversity and inclusion
Volunteering can have a meaningful and positive impact on your community and is a fantastic way to meet people, make connections and be happier. You can never tell who you will meet or what new information you may learn, or the influence this could have on your life.
9. Learn another language
Language and culture are inseparable. Even a basic understanding of a few 'stock' phrases can show people that you care enough to communicate with them in their own language. It is relatively easy to have a go at trying a new language through the many smartphone apps such as the British Council Learn English app or through an online language exchange. You can also search online for language exchange meetings taking place all over the world.

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In 2001, UNESCO declared 21 May as UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. So what does that mean? Put simply, it's a chance to celebrate the cultural diversity of people around us, and find out more about what we have in common, rather than what separates us.

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Praduman Jain is CEO and founder of Vibrent Health, a digital health technology company powering the future of precision medicine.
Recruiting and retaining participants for clinical research - let alone those that represent diverse populations - has historically been a major challenge that negatively impacts all of us. Just the cost of losing and replacing participants in research trials can rack up thousands to millions of dollars per trial. In 2019, the average participant dropout rate for late-stage research trials was around 19.1% globally according to recent research results, up from 15.3% in 2012.

But the cost of enrolling and maintaining diverse research participants in medical research cuts deeper than wasted funds and often disproportionally excludes the most vulnerable, unrepresented members of our society. In 2014, some 86% of participants in clinical trials listed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were white. The results of a 2021 study show that white individuals accounted for 77.9% of participants in vaccine clinical trials run in the U.S. between 2011 and 2020.

Lack of diversity in clinical trials can lead to the development of drugs that only work for some people - or may even harm whole segments of the population. It also creates research conditions that ignore diverse genetic, environmental, cultural and lifestyle factors that play a key role in the development and treatment of medical conditions. For medical research to work properly, everyone must be represented.

In simple terms, good representation means good science. Leaving any segment of our population out of health research is no longer acceptable or productive - a truth the global pandemic shed a stark light on.
Meeting People Where They Are
In 2021, former National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins apologized for harm caused by systemic and structural racism that's persisted in biomedical research for 400 years, launching a new initiative known as UNITE to end these disparities. Also, under Collins' leadership, in 2018, NIH launched the All of Us research program, a million-person precision health research initiative with a focus on enrolling participants who have traditionally been underrepresented in biomedical research. And, in late 2020, the FDA issued final guidance discussing the desperate need to enhance diversity in clinical trials and inclusion in medical product development.

To address these issues, researchers and developers must find ways to use digital methods to ensure our country's diversity is reflected in health research and translated into improvements in healthcare. But what tools will allow researchers to capture a wide enough range of the population to accurately portray the country's ever-growing diversity without amplifying current inherent flaws and biases? The answer may start with meeting people where they are and creating stronger bonds with participants.

New and existing technologies that allow researchers to contact participants remotely, such as by phone and virtually on digital devices, can help increase the potential participant pool for trials with minimal cost. These technologies can also help researchers connect with underserved and underrepresented groups of people often left out of clinical research by virtue of factors like where they live, their access to or comfort using technology, disabilities, job(s) and hours of employment.

For example, a single mother working two jobs is unlikely to have the time to make face-to-face appointments or travel to contribute to research projects. And single women make up 80% of the 11 million single-parent households in the U.S. Some 13 million Americans also have more than one job.
Building Stronger Bonds
But remote and virtual technologies can make it easier for participants to engage and commit to research projects by allowing them to determine when and where they participate. Technologies such as advanced computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) systems also allow researchers to reach and maintain relationships with people who don't have access to or aren't comfortable with digital technologies, such as people without internet access and those who have limited computer skills.

By connecting remotely, research participants don't need to spend extra time or money to travel somewhere, take time off work or expend time waiting for their appointment. Results of a 2019 study show that time and financial burden were among the top reasons people from minority groups didn't participate in clinical research. Researchers also found that mistrust, fear, stigma and the communication style of researchers or staff collecting information were also listed as major critical barriers to diversity in clinical research.
Big Changes, Big Rewards
It may sound counterintuitive, but connecting with people remotely or virtually can also offer a more personal touch to research interactions that encourage participation and long-term engagement. Remote or virtual technologies that allow researchers and participants to physically speak with or see each other may foster a real-life connection that inspires more people to participate in research and be less likely to drop out of it.

Developers and researchers can also build stronger bonds with participants by incorporating tools like algorithms into data collection technologies to detect changes in behaviors that may indicate someone is at risk of dropping out of a study. Researchers can then reach out to potential dropouts and encourage them to stay in the study or address their concerns. They can also remind participants that they're contributing to something with real outcomes and potential benefits for many people, including people like themselves.

Fixing, and atoning for, disparities in biomedical research will take the collective efforts of people from every walk of life. But with national organizations starting to identify new ways to address systemic and structural problems in health research, there's more hope for positive, meaningful change than ever before.

Focusing on enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in health research can improve the quality, accuracy and usefulness of research data while cutting costs associated with finding and retaining participants. It can also help researchers obtain and maintain participant pools that are reflective of the target population they're trying to serve. The invention of new therapies for a diverse population will result in more opportunities for healthcare at large. If government authorities, researchers, technology developers and health institutions can obtain this lofty goal, it will be a win-win for us all.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

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diversity in health research is good science

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Council Post: Why Diversity In Health Research Is Good Science And Good Business

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Praduman Jain is CEO and founder of Vibrent Health , a digital health technology company powering the future of precision medicine. Recruiting and retaining participants for clinical research - let alone those that represent diverse populations - has historically been a major challenge that negatively impacts all of us.

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Introduction to Restorative Practices: An Equitable Approach

Download: Introduction to Restorative Practices_ An equitable approach

Restorative practices is an approach to build relationships within a community. Its purpose is to prevent conflict and wrongdoing and respond to wrongdoing after it occurs. This article provides an introduction to restorative practices, including implementation challenges, success stories, and tips on how to get started. By adopting positive and inclusive tools to resolve conflict and build community, schools can provide a safe environment in which all students thrive.

EXPLORING EQUITY ISSUES
Introduction to Restorative Practices:
An Equitable Approach

May 2021
Susan Villani, Ed.D.
Senior Program Associate, WestEd
EQUITY-BASED RESTORATIVE PRACTICES - NOW MORE THAN EVER
The Center for Education Equity at MAEC has developed a guide to help schools use Restorative Practices to build relationships and address conflict. For more than a year, our nation has been struggling to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing social issues that violently target people based on their identity, such as their race, gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status. By adopting positive and inclusive tools to resolve conflict and build community, schools can provide a safe environment in which all students thrive.

Restorative practices is grounded in inclusion, empathy, and community-mindedness, and provides a strong antidote to the traumas stemming from social issues and traditional, punishment-oriented conflict resolution practices. These approaches can guide students and educators to build healthy relationships and promote the well-being of their school community.

With the call for a total return to classrooms, educators and school leaders must be ready to address increased disparities and to rebuild social ties affected by ongoing and amplified traumas. Together, we can help heal this country and shape a brighter future for all students.
PART I: WHAT IS THE RESTORATIVE PRACTICES APPROACH?
"Restorative Practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities" (International Institute for Restorative Practices, n.d.).
A Mindset as Well as an Approach
Restorative practices is an approach to build relationships within a community. Its purpose is to prevent conflict and wrongdoing and respond to wrongdoing after it occurs.

Many schools choose to use restorative practices to eliminate or significantly reduce repeated and long-term student suspensions. A restorative practices approach is more than managing misbehavior. It offers a proactive strategy to create a connected, responsible school community where all members feel valued and have the opportunity to thrive.
Building Relationships
When responding to wrongdoing, restorative practices brings together everyone affected by the conflict to discuss what happened, how they were affected, and what they need to do to restore a positive relationship. Restorative practices, whether proactive or reactive, emphasizes every school member's responsibility to the community. Thus, it is a profoundly relational practice. A restorative practices approach is more than a collection of protocols and activities; it is a mindset, a belief about building and restoring community.

The driving idea behind restorative practices is that damaging behaviors cause harm and that harm needs to be repaired. A restorative practices approach involves:
1. Respecting the opinions and experiences of all individuals involved in or affected by a harmful behavior.
2. Taking responsibility for individual actions and how they harm others.
3. Repairing harm by accepting obligations to others in the community and working collaboratively to identify and follow through on solutions.
4. Reintegrating the person harmed and the person who caused harm into the community using structured and supportive processes to ensure behaviors are not repeated.
5. Valuing inclusion, honesty, empathy, responsibility, and accountability, all of which are at the core of the restorative process.
Key Restorative Practices and Processes

There are various restorative practices commonly found in schools. The following list, modified from "Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools" (Advancement Project, 2014), gathers a range of restorative practices, from simple practices that require little training to implement, to more intensive practices that require specific expertise because of the more sensitive or complex nature of students' disciplinary events.

Informal restorative practices embedded in school culture:
* Circles
* Restorative chats
* Restorative conferences
* Community conferences
* Peer mediation
* Peer juries
Implementation Challenges
Fronius et al. (2019) conducted a comprehensive literature review of some challenges of implementing Restorative Justice (a term often used interchangeably with restorative practices) in schools. These challenges are all applicable to restorative practices:
* Confusion about what qualifies as Restorative Justice.
* Lack of consensus about the best implementation models.
* Staff time and buy-in required.
* Training and resources needed.
* Teachers performing duties outside their typical job description, including conducting circles during instructional time and more time talking one-to-one with students.
* Perception that Restorative Justice is "soft on student offenses."
* Deep shift to a restorative climate could take three to five years (Evans & Lester, 2013).
* Resources needed to sustain the initiative for three to five years.
Why Alternatives to Suspensions Are Critical
Specific student subgroups are suspended more frequently. According to the U.S. Department of Education's 2014 Civil Rights Data Collection, students with disabilities are more than twice as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions as students without disabilities. Likewise, Black students are 3.8 times as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions than their White peers. The U.S. Government Accounting Office (2018) wrote that the disparities in discipline for students who are Black, are male, or have disabilities occur regardless of the type of the disciplinary action, level of school poverty, or type of public school attended.
High rates of suspensions and expulsions are often the result of zero-tolerance policies, which require school officials to apply specific, consistent, and harsh punishment when students break certain rules, regardless of the seriousness of the behavior, mitigating circumstances, or situational context.

According to U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (2014), nationwide, as many as 95% of out-of-school suspensions are for non-violent misbehaviors, such as tardiness, dress code violations, or using bad language.

Zero-tolerance policies have led to increased numbers of youth being "pushed out" of school (suspended or expelled) with no evidence of positive impact on school safety (Losen, 2014). These approaches do not deal with the root causes of misbehavior or violence, and they compromise learning time, school connectedness, and meaningful opportunities for growth. Zero-tolerance approaches also hurt teacher-student relationships.

Students who are suspended even once in ninth grade are twice as likely to drop out of school, from 16% to 32% (Balfanz, 2013). Higher-suspending schools gain no improvement in school achievement, boast higher dropout rates, and increase the likelihood that their students will enter the juvenile justice system (Losen & Martinez, 2013). There is a strong relationship between poor education and incarceration. Students who fail to finish high school are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than high school graduates. Sixty-eight percent of all men in American prisons do not have a high school diploma (Stipek, 2014).

Overall, the evidence shows the following:
* There is no research to support the claim that schools benefit from frequently suspending or expelling their students in response to non-violent and mundane forms of adolescent misbehavior.
* Research shows that frequent suspension and expulsion are associated with negative outcomes (Losen, 2011).
* There are large disparities by race, gender, and disability status when using these punishments (Losen, 2011).
* There are alternatives to suspensions and expulsions that improve student outcomes.
Two Success Stories
By 2014, California's Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) implemented Restorative Justice in nearly half of its schools. The effects over time have reduced suspensions, particularly for Black students; closed the discipline gap; and improved academic outcomes (reading levels, dropout rates, graduation rates) when compared to schools that did not implement restorative practices (Jain, Bassey, Brown, & Kalra, 2014).

RAND conducted a two-year study that examined the implementation of restorative practices in the Pittsburgh Public School District under the leadership of the International Institute for Restorative Practices . This study represents one of the first randomized controlled trials of the impacts of restorative practices on suspension rates and classroom and school climate (Augustine et al., 2018). The report found:
* Restorative practices-inclusive and non-punitive ways to respond to conflict and build community-reduced student suspension in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district.
* Restorative practices significantly reduced suspension rates of elementary grade students, Black students, students from low-income families, and female students, more than those not in these groups.
* Restorative practices did not improve academic outcomes, nor did they reduce suspensions for middle school students or suspensions for violent offenses.

Other school districts can learn important lessons on training, practice, support, and data collections from Pittsburgh when adopting a restorative practices program.
PART II: WHAT CAN WE DO?
The following recommendations were compiled from "Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools" (Advancement Project, 2014) and "Restorative Justice in Oakland Schools: Implementation and Impacts" (Jain et al., 2014):
1. Establish a team of students, parents/guardians, educators, and community members.
2. Seek input from a range of community stakeholders.
3. Allocate funding for restorative practices at the school and district level.
4. Dedicate time within the school day, such as an advisory period, to practice restorative techniques.
5. Build a greater infrastructure at the district and school levels.
6. Invest in training and coaching for all involved.
* Tier 1 involves training everyone in the school.
* Tier 2 involves training to facilitate conflict circles to repair harm.
* Tier 3 involves training to facilitate circles for youth who have been suspended, incarcerated, or are feeling unwelcome at school.

Leverage capacity by empowering a core team of expert staff/students to train the trainers.
Involve more parents by familiarizing them with restorative practices at the school and encourage their participation and support for the program.
Capitalize on the enormous potential of students to help establish the program.
Connect with other districts and schools that use restorative practices.
PART III: HOW DO YOU GET STARTED WITH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES?
Administrators and teacher leaders who want to learn more about restorative practices and bring them to their schools and districts can turn to MAEC's new publication. This guide helps schools use restorative approaches to build relationships and address conflict. Part 1 describes restorative practices and includes basic information about the specific practices and key processes. These tools help people take responsibility for their actions and repair harm when possible. They are specifically used to facilitate community building and address infractions and other incidents. Part 2 provides initial guidance for school leaders to explore and promote restorative practices. Part 3 helps school leaders manage the school-wide adoption of restorative practices. Part 4 provides resources and tools to assist with early implementation of restorative practices. There are links included with all the works cited in the reference section.

Getting Started with Restorative Practices in Schools: A Guide for Administrators and Teacher Leaders is available at: www.maec.org/restorative-practices

Disclaimer
MAEC is committed to the sharing of information regarding issues of equity in education. The contents of this paper were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
RESOURCES
* Facing History and Ourselves. "Taking School Online with a Student-centered Approach" provides strategies for teachers to build community in their classrooms. www.facinghistory.org/books-borrowing/taking-school-online-student-centered-approach.

There are also online resources for educators and students to promote their self-care and relationship building, and over 1,000 content-based resources (including lessons, videos, DVDs, PowerPoints, and teaching strategies) that center around student reflection and dialogue. www.facinghistory.org/educator-resources

* The International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP) identifies the need for restorative practices with families, the community, and the workplace. They suggest that fair process will be vital during remote working when communication is less direct and more difficult. School leaders should help staff manage stress and engage with them to get their input and share resources more often. www.iirp.edu/news/during-the-covid-19-crisis-restorative-practices-can-help. IIRP also shares circle questions that teachers can use to encourage their students to reflect and share their feelings on
the pandemic. www.iirp.edu/news/responsive-circles-for-covid-19

* The Oakland Unified School District. This school district has worked with restorative practices for many years and compiled the following resources: www.ousd.org/Page/19405
· Videos on how to lead a virtual community building circle
· Circle templates and supports
· Antiracism resources
· A slideshow on how Restorative Practices can be used to create and maintain school community virtually. https://tinyurl.com/yb59u7fj
* Living Justice Press is a nonprofit publisher for restorative justice. Their website includes free webinars, videos, posters, and other materials for sale. www.livingjusticepress.org/

* The Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety (SEL Center). Resources include briefs, guides, and a webinar to support districts and schools as they support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. One brief shares strategies of trauma-informed distance learning. https://selcenter.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/04/COVID-19-Resources-for-CISELSS.pdf

* WestEd. "Community-Care Strategies for Schools During the Coronavirus Crisis" offers guidance for educators, school staff, and school leaders to help ensure that school communities are effective, cohesive, collaborative, healthy, and sustainable while coping with the stresses of social isolation, school closures, and changes to how services are provided. The brief builds on a growing research base about school climate and culture. www.wested.org/resources/community-care-strategies-for-schools-covid-19/

* National Institute of Justice. "Creating and Sustaining Positive School Climate" describes school climate, how it is assessed, outcomes, assessments, and how it can improve. www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250209.pdf
REFERENCES
Advancement Project. (2014, March 20). Restorative practices: Fostering healthy relationships & promoting positive discipline in schools. Retrieved from
https://advancementproject.org/resources/restorative-practices-fostering-
healthy-relationships-promoting-positive-discipline-in-schools/

Augustine, C. H., Engberg, J., Grimm. G.E., Lee, E., Wang, E.L., Christianson, K., & Joseph, A.A. (2018). Can restorative practices improve school climate and curb suspensions?: An evaluation of the impact of restorative practices in a mid-sized urban school district. RAND. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.7249/RR2840

Balfanz, R., Byrnes, V., & Fox, J. (2013). Sent Home and Put Off-Track: The Antecedents, Disproportionalities, and Consequences of Being Suspended in the Ninth Grade. Paper presented at the Closing the school discipline gap: research to practice, Washington, DC.

Evans, K. R., Lester, J. N., & Anfara Jr., V. A. (2013, May). Restorative Justice in education: What we know so far. Middle School Journal, 44(5), 57-63.

Fronius, T., Perrson, H., Guckenburg, S., Hurley, N., & Petrosino, A. (2016, February).

Restorative Justice in U.S. schools: A research review. WestEd. Retrieved from
https://jprc.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/RJ_Literature-Review_20160217.pdf

Fronius, T., Darling-Hammond, S., Sutherland, H., Guckenburg, S., Hurley. N. & Petrosino, A. (2019). Restorative Justice in U.S. schools: An updated research review. WestEd. Retrieved from https://www.wested.org/resources/restorative-justice-in-u-s-schools-an-updated- research-review/

International Institute for Restorative Practices. (n.d.). What is restorative practices? Retrieved from https://www.iirp.edu/restorative-practices/what-is-restorative-practices

Jain, S.; Bassey, H.; Brown, M.A.; Kalra, P. (2014, September). Restorative Justice in Oakland schools: Implementation and impacts: An effective strategy to reduce racially disproportionate discipline, suspensions and improve academic outcomes [Report prepared for the Office of Civil Rights: U.S. Department of Education]. Oakland Unified School District. Retrieved from http://www.ousd.org/cms/lib07/CA01001176/Centricity/Domain/134/OUSD-RJ Report revised Final.pdf

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. (2016, October 28). 2013-2014 civil rights data collection, a first look: Key data highlights on equity and opportunity gaps in our nation's public schools. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/2013-14-first-look.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (2014, January 8). Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the release of the joint DOJ-ED school discipline guidance package. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/rethinking-school-discipline

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2018). K-12 education: Discipline disparities for black students, boys, and students with disabilities: Highlights of GAO-18-258, a report to congressional requesters. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/690827.pdf
Weingarten, K. (2003). Common shock: Witnessing violence every day-How we are harmed, how we can heal. New York: Dutton.

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Introduction to Restorative Practices: An Equitable Approach - MAEC, Inc.

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Restorative practices is an approach to build relationships within a community. Its purpose is to prevent conflict and wrongdoing and respond to wrongdoing after it occurs. This article provides an introduction to restorative practices, including implementation challenges, success stories, and tips on how to get started.

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BLM founder Opal Tometi. Photo courtesy of Melanin Unscripted

BLM founder Opal Tometi always intended for the diaspora to come together in fighting anti-Black racism.

The recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests have highlighted the prevalence of anti-Black racism and police brutality in every corner of the world. Activists across more than 60 countries - from Finland to South Africa - were sparked into action after the death of George Floyd, taking to the streets to push their respective governments and institutions to address systemic racism.

Since the BLM movement was founded in 2013 by Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza in the wake of George Zimmerman's acquittal for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, the organisation has grown legs and expanded globally, with Black Lives Matter organisations spearheaded by the diaspora.

Nigerian-American Tometi in particular has always had a global perspective on Black struggles. She worked as the Executive Director at Black Alliance for Just Immigration, an organisation that seeks to aid African-American and Black immigrant communities "organise and advocate for racial, social and economic justice". While Executive Director, Tometi oversaw the successful campaign to get family reunification visas for Haitians who were displaced by the earthquake in 2010. Since then, she has gone on to address the United Nations and has worked with the United Nations Global Forum on Migration.

Last month, Tometi released a video titled " Diaspora Rising". The short film, shot during Ghana's "Year of Return", was released to launch her newsletter, which seeks to "equip Africans who are newer to the diaspora... with information about the social issues of our day". Over Zoom, we spoke about the global nature of the Black Lives Matter movement and how the diaspora is working together to fight anti-Black racism.

VICE: Did you envision that Black Lives Matter would become a global movement?
Opal Tometi: When we first started Black Lives Matter, I always knew that this needed to be a global movement and that we needed more people to participate. The issues of police brutality, extrajudicial killings and anti-Black racism requires everybody to pay attention. I knew from the beginning that the project was big, that the mandate was big and that, if we use new media and technology - social media, specifically - we could get the message out there to thousands, if not millions of people. I'm extremely gratified that people have heard and are taking ownership of Black Lives Matter. People now know that in their respective industries and countries, they have the responsibility to ensure that Black people are respected, protected and affirmed.

The work of Black Lives Matter has been happening for a long time, but this particular moment feels so significant. Recently, Black Lives Matter UK raised over £1 million. What is it about this moment that feels so electric?
We are finally achieving a mass consciousness. We're seeing a widespread awareness and commitment to anti-racism that we have long needed. People are now alert and active because the pandemic demonstrated how interconnected our lives are. We finally had time to sit at home and reflect on how our society functions and whether or not it's functioning well for all of us. The overwhelming consensus was that it is not, it is insufficient - in fact, it's been unsustainable for decades, if not generations.

People have begun to engage in mutual aid and support for their neighbours. Even if people didn't have much, they were still looking out for each other. Through this, we began to see the ways in which new webs were being constructed. When you're sitting at home or living at a slower pace and you see that Black folks in your community are attacked, killed, murdered by vigilantes and by the police, you wake up, you rise to action, and you rise quickly.

We are now in a moment where people have no excuses to deny the injustice that's happening in the middle of a global pandemic. Things feel different this time because we were able to tap into a sense of our own agency, our own power and our genuine love for each other.

Seeing these uprisings across the world shows you that anti-Blackness is a global issue that needs global solutions. How do you feel like we could better organise with other global campaigners to create change, but still cater to our communities?
I always think we should be acting locally, but thinking globally, right? The truth of the matter is we are living in the age of globalisation, for better or worse, culturally, economically, politically and geopolitically. My suggestion and my hope are that people will begin to get involved at the local level, but ensure that they are part of global networks. It's important to be part of global campaigns that allow you to address issues that span across the globe in addition to assessing the local change in your community.

We don't want to live in a world where people are punished for speaking out against injustice, so it does sometimes require international pressure. It requires people's conscience in different countries supporting your campaign or your effort. We can't allow for Black people in any part of the world to be treated as though their lives don't matter. Hopefully, through the use of technology and real on-the-ground efforts, we can support transformation in societies around the world so that they reflect our aspiration.

What other global race issues should we be championing at this time, with all of the focus on Black lives at the moment?
Well, you know, the other thing I've been thinking a lot about is climate change. Anti-Black racism is global - quite literally, on a continent to continent level, we see it play out largely by the climate change impacts on the African continent. The Open Society Foundation did a report a few years ago which illuminated that, of the ten most acutely impacted countries by climate change, six are in Africa.

African countries aren't the ones polluting at the same level as those of us in the West, they aren't creating the same kind of disruption to the environment, but we are the ones who are faced with the impact. We see the floods, we see hurricanes, we see cyclones, we see people being quite literally displaced because of climate change.

We have to recognise the fact that this level of disdain and disrespect for Black people is playing out at the continent to continent level. If we are also to address climate change, we have to take a lens that addresses race and specifically protects African lives.

In what ways do you feel like colonialism still influences a lot of the issues we're fighting for today?
I think there's no way that we can disconnect what happened historically to what is present. If we know the origin of a story, we can surely predict the outcome, right? We are quite literally bearing the fruit of the legacy of colonialism, and even neocolonialism. One of the ways I think we have to begin to understand the legacy of colonialism is by looking at the way immigration is happening and why people have to migrate.

When I think about the effects of colonialism, both on the continent and the way it's played out on the lives of Black people throughout the diaspora, I can't help but think about the ways in which we're all subject to substandard living conditions, substandard education, discrimination in the workplace and so on.

So many countries have been systematically disinvested in or underdeveloped as a result of colonialism. We know that the World Bank and IMF play roles in this; structural adjustment programs leave formerly colonised countries in these very disturbing and dangerous relationships with former colonisers. This is probably the thing that worries me the most. Out of all the things that I work on, this is probably one of the most disturbing attributes of anti-Black racism.

Diaspora wars are also a remnant of colonialism. What sort of community work can we do to better remedy those factions between us?
When I was Executive Director for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, we used to engage in a programme with Priority Africa Network called African Diaspora Dialogue. Its premise was that we bring our stories and experiences into the room so that we can engage in a community dialogue. What people soon find out is that what holds all of that together has been white supremacy and the desire to divide and conquer our communities. A lot of the stereotypes that place one type of culture over another is rooted in the legacy of colonialism.

I do believe that storytelling is key. I believe that having spaces where we intentionally gather and meet with one another is important. With my platform Diaspora Rising, my hope is that this allows us to learn a bit more about each other, our respective cultures, but also understand how we are part of a larger global Black family. What does it mean for us to find some ground not just for unity's sake, but so that we can have the justice we deserve? If we are clear on the damage and harm that has happened to all of us, then we can collectively come together to fight for justice.

With separate marches like All Black Lives Matter taking place to represent Black trans lives and the LGBTQ+ community, how do we reconcile that with the rampant homophobia that exists in Black countries and communities because of colonialism?
I think it is core to Black Lives Matter that all Black people have their dignity and their rights respected. From day one we always affirmed queer folks, trans folks, immigrants, undocumented people, poor Black people, people who are in prison, those in immigration detention and beyond - that has always been central to our mandate.

We also believe that we cannot truly become free when marginalised Black communities are kept at the margins and are forgotten. We don't believe that there can be a trickle-down social justice. We believe that people on the margins must be brought centre.

We know that it's increasingly more important to step up and stand for all Black lives, including queer and trans folks and the international community have to play a role in this fight. It is fundamentally about all of our human rights, that includes folks on the continent and folks who are queer or trans.

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Black Lives Matter Was Always Designed to Be a Global Movement

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BLM founder Opal Tometi. Photo courtesy of Melanin Unscripted BLM founder Opal Tometi always intended for the diaspora to come together in fighting anti-Black racism. The recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests have highlighted the prevalence of anti-Black racism and police brutality in every corner of the world.

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"I give my students real-talk sessions ... . Many of them, as fifth graders, already have the knowledge and understanding of social justice and how society works. I don't think we give them enough credit."

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"I give my students real-talk sessions ... . Many of them, as fifth graders, already have the knowledge and understanding of social justice and how society works. I don't think we give them enough credit."

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A revolution of values for Black American families

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If we can account for the associated costs of racism to individuals, then we can begin to properly restore lost value by investing in the people who have been penalized simply for being Black.

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We believe that children have the right to participate in the world around them from birth and that adults have the responsibility to guide and facilitate their participation. We know that from a few months of age, children start to develop awareness of race.

It is our responsibility as adults who love our children to begin conversations centering anti-racist dialogue in early childhood. To effectively facilitate these conversations, it is crucial that we develop our own understandings of what it means to move from non-racist to anti-racist.

We recognize that education can act as a system of oppression. At this time, when so much of our country is in flux, we have the opportunity to deconstruct, interrupt, and revolutionize education in a way that Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) are centered instead of marginalized. By elevating the rights of marginalized communities, we elevate the standard of living for all members of our communities.

To our BIPOC families and community, we are here to stand beside you and to listen to you when and if you want to share your perspective. We acknowledge and respect that it is not your responsibility to educate our community.

To our white families and community, we want to partner with you to listen to BIPOC leaders in anti-racism education. As a school, we are in the process of adopting the following commitment statements to guide our work with input from families, community members, and faculty.

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We believe that children have the right to participate in the world around them from birth and that adults have the responsibility to guide and facilitate their participation. We know that from a few months of age, children start to develop awareness of race.

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WASHINGTON - Black women are often less likely to be associated with the concept of a "typical woman" and are viewed as more similar to Black men than to White women, which may lead to some antiracist and feminist movements failing to advocate for the rights of Black women, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

"Black women are often overlooked in people's conversations about racism and sexism even though they face a unique combination of both of these forms of discrimination simultaneously," said lead researcher Stewart Coles, a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan's Department of Communication and Media. "This 'intersectional invisibility' means that movements that are supposed to help Black women may be contributing to their marginalization."

The research was published online in the APA journal Translational Issues in Psychological Science. The study was conducted online with more than 1,000 participants from the United States who were asked whether 41 positive or negative stereotypical attributes (such as hostile, sexually promiscuous, or determined) were associated with different races or genders. Participants were told that their responses were not an admission that they believed these stereotypes so they would answer honestly.

Some participants were asked about stereotypical attributes just for men and women or for Black people or White people. Then other groups were asked about a combination of race and gender (Black women, Black men, White women, and White men). The clustering of the responses showed how Black women were viewed in relation to the other groups. The typical woman was considered to be much more similar to a typical White woman than a typical Black woman. Black women and Black men also were considered to be more similar to each other than to White women or White men.

"The operative word in defining how similar to other groups Black women are is more 'Black' and less 'women,'" the journal article noted.

The underdifferentiation of Black women from Black men may help explain why Black women face similar rates of racial disparities in traffic stops and arrests, but antiracist movements often focus on Black men in the fight against police brutality, said Josh Pasek, PhD, one of the researchers on the study and associate professor of communication studies and faculty associate in the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan.

"This is reflected both in terms of the victims of brutality who are highlighted and whose voices receive the most attention," said Pasek. "In this moment, we can see how much more attention has been paid to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd than the murder of Breonna Taylor."

Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was shot dead in February after being chased by three White men as he jogged through a neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman was shot and killed by police in her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment in March. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis in May. His death set off protests across the country.

Previous research has found that Blackness is associated with masculinity, leading to errors when categorizing Black women's gender or recognizing Black women's faces. Other studies have found that Black women and girls are more associated with threat and danger than are White women and girls.

Feminist movements that focus only on issues that predominantly affect White women without addressing racialized sexism ignore the needs of Black women, who face higher rates of police abuses, including sexual violence, Coles said. Previous research also has found that Black women experience much higher rates of domestic and sexual abuse from partners than White women, and Black women are less likely to report this violence than White women.

Feminist and antiracist movements should include Black women in leadership roles and advocate for the rights of Black women, Coles said.

"The key often starts with listening to Black women about their concerns and what their needs are and then delivering accordingly," he said.

Three out of four study participants were White, while 8% were Black, 8% were Hispanic and 5% were Asian. The responses weren't analyzed based on the ethnicity or gender of the participants because the study wasn't examining whether the participants endorsed specific stereotypes themselves.

"Previous research suggests that members of marginalized groups are aware of stereotypes of their groups," Coles said. "Thus, they would likely report the same awareness of stereotypes as would members of other groups."

Article: "Intersectional Invisibility Revisited: How Group Prototypes Lead to the Erasure and Exclusion of Black Women," by Stewart M. Coles, MA, and Josh Pasek, PhD, University of Michigan. Translational Issues in Psychological Science. Published online July 13, 2020.

Stewart M. Coles may be contacted via email.

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Black women often ignored by social justice movements

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Black women are often less likely to be associated with the concept of a 'typical woman' and are viewed as more similar to Black men than to White women.

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https://www.npr.org/2020/08/24/905515398/not-racist-is-not-enough-putting-in-the-work-to-be-anti-racist

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When the topic of racism comes up, I often think of a billboard in the small town of Harrison, Arkansas.

It was a sign promoting a white supremacist radio station called White Pride Radio. The sign's message, emblazoned next to the picture of a cute-looking white girl with a cute-looking dog, read "It's not racist to [heart] your people."

My takeaway: Even white supremacists don't want to be called racist.

Which might explain why, for people dedicated to fighting racism, simply saying you're "not racist" doesn't feel like quite enough. To effectively defeat systemic racism - racism embedded as normal practice in institutions like education and law enforcement - you've got to be continually working towards equality for all races, striving to undo racism in your mind, your personal environment and the wider world.

In other words, you've got to be anti-racist.

You may know me as NPR's TV critic. But I've also spent years exploring how systemic racism affects media and society. I've written a book about it, called Race-Baiter, and built a TEDx talk around how to talk about race across racial lines. As a Black man who speaks often on these subjects, I find race, racism and anti-racism to be things people think they know but often don't - at least, not as well as they think they do.

As the world continues to sort through a racial and civil rights reckoning kicked off by police killings of Black people like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, now more than ever, people want to know how to be anti-racist.

After talking to a few experts, I and the good folks at Life Kit have come up with a few suggestions.

Tip #1: Accept that we've all been raised in a society that elevates white culture over others. Being anti-racist will mean first challenging those notions inside yourself.

This was one of the most important takeaways from my conversation with Anneliese A. Singh, who just joined Tulane University as its first Associate Provost for Diversity and Faculty Development. She's also written a workbook on these issues called The Racial Healing Handbook.

"Everyone who lives in the United States kind of learns some form of anti-Black racism," Singh says. "I think we have to ask ourselves that question...How does anti-Black racism live within us?"

Singh calls white supremacy "white body supremacy," a term used by therapist Resmaa Menakem, as a way to emphasize how racism has a visceral, physical impact; elevating white bodies, and bringing trauma to non-white ones.

She suggests some people may even go through a process similar to the stages of grief - especially those who have privilege because of their white or light skin - when they uncover their unconscious bias and realize how extensively systemic racism affects their perspectives.

"I'm going to be in denial if I'm white or have light skin about how white supremacy works," she says. "[We'll move] through that denial into some anger...And then when we go into acceptance, I think then we can really leverage our lives to make a difference."

Tip #2: Learn the history of racism and anti-racism, especially in America, to educate yourself about the complexities of the issues you'll be confronting.

A glance at the 2020 bestseller lists reveals lots of great books on anti-racism, from Ibram X. Kendi's How to Be an Antiracistto Layla Saad's Me and White Supremacy and Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility.

Most of them note that, for white folks, anti-racism involves learning to accept that white people have a racial culture, too. I've said white supremacy's greatest advantage is that white racial culture in America is often treated like it's invisible; not directly talked about among white people, some of whom joke that they have no culture.

Singh says people of color can benefit from similar study and introspection, with a particular focus on identifying and challenging any ideas that may breed colorism or contempt for other non-white groups. She calls this dynamic of elevating whiteness among non-white people, "internalized whiteness."

One important note for white people: When people of color share their experiences with white supremacy, believe them.

"I can't tell you how many people I've seen who claim to be anti-racist and care about building anti-racist organizations," Singh says. "But when people of color speak, they're like, 'Oh, well, they're doing it wrong.' Or 'That's one (person's experience).' You have an opportunity in that moment to believe what that person is saying."

Tip #3: Seek out films and TV shows which will challenge your notions of race and culture and dive in deeply, learning to see anti-racism in new ways.

I'm probably biased, but I've always felt TV shows and films teach us how to dream about what is possible in society and what ought to be. (For example: I insist Morgan Freeman's performance as a Black American president in Deep Impact and Dennis Haysbert's turn as President David Palmer on 24 made it easier for some voters to imagine a Black POTUS when Barack Obama came around.)

So I wasn't that surprised when Justin Simien, creator of the Netflix drama Dear White People, told me viewership for his series jumped 600 percent after George Floyd's death sparked an international dialogue on anti-racism.

Dear White People centers on a group of non-white students at a mostly white, Ivy League college as they negotiate issues of identity, classism, anti-racism vs racism, homophobia and more. One poignant storyline features a young Black student, Reggie Green, who is nearly shot by a campus security guard at a party. Reggie then finds himself haunted by flashbacks of the traumatic event as well-meaning acquaintances attempt to check in on him.

Simien says the scenes with Reggie show, without lecturing the audience, how attempts to ask a Black person about racial trauma can sometimes backfire.

"The whole goal of it is for you to care so deeply about these [characters] that you don't realize you're being taught anything," he adds. "When you see that he had a gun pulled on him and he had this near-death experience, and now for the rest of the school year, everyone's coming up to him asking him, "Are you OK? Is there anything I can do?" You understand how that's not enough."

Simien suggests viewers pass up "feel good" TV shows and films showing indisputably virtuous Black people overcoming racism, often in the Jim Crow South, with help from well-meaning white people (in other words, skip screenings of The Help or .)

Well-made TV shows and films about anti-racism should be messier and much more provocative.

"You should feel challenged in some way by the piece because it's so subversive," Simien says. "[Racism is] ubiquitous and it's systemic and we can't see it...Racism lives in our collective blindspots. That's why it's so pernicious. So, there has to be a moment in the piece where you go, 'Oh! I didn't think about it like that.'"

The goal: to expose yourself to art that cuts through prejudices and stereotypes, allowing you to finally, fully see people of color.

"I had a friend put it this way," Simien says. "'We're inviting people to see us for the first time and it should break your heart that you haven't seen us yet'...That I have to interact with you through a character version of myself because I think you can't handle my daily truth. [That] should break your heart."

Tip #4: Find local organizations involved in anti-racism efforts - preferably led by people of color - and help uplift their voices and ideas.

This tip comes courtesy of Arisha Hatch, the Vice President and Chief of Campaigns at Color of Change - a civil rights organization founded in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina.

She says learning to uplift non-white voices - even those who may disagree with you - is important for white people seeking to be anti-racist.

"Part of being an ally and part of letting go of privilege is, I think, putting yourselves in situations where you may be uncomfortable," Hatch adds. "You may have a different idea, but...you're actively working to support organizers and activists who have been thinking about these systemic problems for generations."

Also, Hatch says to be an effective anti-racist, you must assess your own power - where are the spheres where you can have the most influence?

Beyond the obvious strategy of confronting family and friends who may be racist, consider this: When you sit down at a PTA meeting at your child's school, which parents do you speak with and get to know?

At work, are you considering how procedures or strategies may advantage whiteness, and are you helping to challenge them?

Are you spending money with businesses that are owned by non-white people?

If you or a relative has a rental property, are you seriously considering applications from non-white people?

These are ways you can make a difference in your own environment, where you have power. Remember, anti-racism is about pushing past knowing better and instead actively doing better.

One thing is clear: Pulling all of this off takes a lot of energy and can feel overwhelming. And it doesn't help that one way people perpetuate systemic racism in America is by encouraging others to accept the status quo and reject many anti-racist ideas as too extreme.

But there is no better feeling than really making progress on working to build a better world. And these tips offer great ideas for starting on a long and rewarding road.

Above all, Color of Change's Hatch suggests keeping one, optimistic thing in mind.

"This is what winning looks like and feels like," she says of the current drive toward racial equity in law enforcement, politics, corporate America and elsewhere. "The moral arc of history is on our side and we are getting closer and closer every day to a culture that actually embraces the beauty and creativity of Black people in our lives."
This podcast portion of this story was produced by Audrey Nguyen. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 with a greeting, your name, your phone number and a random life tip. It might appear in an upcoming episode. Or send us an email at LifeKit@npr.org.

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'Not Racist' Is Not Enough: Putting In The Work To Be Anti-Racist : Life Kit

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Even white supremacists don't like to be called racist. That's why, NPR's Eric Deggans says, "not racist" doesn't feel like quite enough. In this episode, he walks us through steps to being anti-racist - in other words, ways you can continually strive to undo racism in your world and within yourself.

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Abstract: Cultural diversity is on the rise in professional sports teams. However, surprisingly few studies have been conducted on the consequences of this cultural diversity. This paper addresses both the negative and positive effects of this phenomenon and uses the term "group diversity" to express differences in cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We address negative aspects such as prejudice and discrimination, and explain team fragmentation using ingroup-outgroup bias, social identity theory, scapegoat theory, and integrated threat theory. We also apply theories that may explain some of the positive effects of culturally diverse teams, such as cognitive resource diversity theory, the contact hypothesis, and the social categorization framework. This paper attempts to fill a gap in diversity research on professional teams not only by revealing negative and positive impacts, but also by exploring the applicability of various diversity theories in the context of sports. Such research may even help to develop strategies and techniques for methods that would assist diverse sports teams with building team cohesion and further advancing their performance.

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The Black Box of Diversity in Sports Teams: Converging Factors and Theoretical Explorations.

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Abstract: Cultural diversity is on the rise in professional sports teams. However, surprisingly few studies have been conducted on the consequences of this cultural diversity. This paper addresses both the negative and positive effects of this phenomenon and uses the term "group diversity" to express differences in cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

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Restorative justice and racial justice, it's creating something; there's nothing to restore when we've always been oppressed. This is the story of the kids in our schools-they've always been oppressed.

For the past three years, the Center for Court Innovation has run restorative justice programs in five Brooklyn high schools. All five schools are overwhelmingly Black, and all five had some of the highest suspension rates in New York City.

The programs' staff are embedded full-time in the schools. Their small offices have become outposts-where students drop in unannounced to talk about their problems. When the staff walk the halls between classes, it can feel like they're exchanging greetings with everyone they pass, stopping to check in with teachers, as much as students.

The approach has paid off. As will soon be documented by Center for Court Innovation researchers, over the project's three years, the number of incidents reported by the schools plummeted, as did suspensions. Along with improving the overall culture of a school, that goes a long way toward interrupting what is often called the school-to-prison pipeline-the relationship between suspensions and later justice-involvement.

But the project had even bigger ambitions. Restorative justice is about accountability and repairing harm. What about accountability for the system that has produced these underserved and essentially segregated schools, and then punishes the kids for reacting to that neglect?

The work was also motivated by a feeling that, with all of the buzz over restorative justice, the challenge of its insistence on everyone's humanity risks being lost-much as the radical King is often forgotten on Martin Luther King Day. For Black Americans, and for the students at these five high schools, what is there to be restored to?

To talk about why there is no restorative justice without racial justice, eight of the members of a very close-knit team sat down with host Matt Watkins for what became a very special episode of New Thinking.
The following is a transcript of the podcast:
Kellsie SAYERS: Our five schools would be classified as underserved schools, so a really high-needs population. A lot of our schools had a lot of students with high levels of IEP, so students who need additional support in order to academically thrive in a standard school.

Our schools were filled with high levels of immigrant populations, so the communities that we worked in were communities that were largely Caribbean-American communities, so a lot of first generation kids from the Caribbean, and with that, we found that our students often were living with people who weren't their birth parents.

They may have been sent to this country, and they're living with the aunt, or cousin, or friend, so not your traditional family environment. Our students often lack the kind of support that you would see in a standard family home, just because of the transient nature in which they were sent into this country.

In addition to that, these are schools who don't have the appropriate number of students to properly run a school, so most of our schools didn't have a social worker. We didn't have many guidance counselors. There weren't a lot of additional services that would be needed for the population that I just described.

Matt WATKINS: And you've got some of these schools are at a poverty level approaching 90 percent.

Kellsie SAYERS: We have schools where, overwhelmingly, our kids qualify for free school lunch. In addition to that is, because they're these underserved schools and underfunded schools, we also had issues in terms of staffing. These are schools with high teacher turnover, so you come to school one year, and 50 percent of the teachers that were here your first year of high school are gone your second year.

And with that said, because you have high turnover and you're underfunded, you have a lot of burnout for teachers. Then you have older teachers who are just on their way out, and they've been educators for 25 years, and they're exhausted from this experience, and they're exhausted from working in underserved schools, and they don't really have much to offer.

There was a lack of adults in the building who I think had the capacity to provide the kind of support this particular population needs.

WATKINS: And then there's also a problem with how "misbehavior" is responded to. These were all schools that had elevated suspension rates.

Kellsie SAYERS: One of the reasons why these five schools were identified for our intervention was that they were amongst some of the highest suspending schools in New York City. In working in the schools, we understand where that suspension came from.

You're underserved, you're understaffed, you're under-resourced. When a child is acting out and you don't have the capacity, the training, or the time to deal with it, then your result is that they have to leave the school community because I can't deal with them. I don't know how to deal with them. I don't have the resources to deal with them, so the best thing to do is to give them time away.

WATKINS: Which can though, in the same way that jail as a response to an offense can make the prior behavior worse, suspension can have the same effect.

Kellsie SAYERS: Exactly, because you're not dealing with the core concerns for why this young person is acting out. Because you feel like even if you ask why-one, you think you know why, because I think some of our schools felt some of our kids were just inherently bad, and they didn't have anything else to offer but this sort of misbehavior. Or, if you ask the question, there's nothing I can actually do about it, so there's no reason for me to ask a question that I can't actually solve.

WATKINS: You guys have now been in these schools for close to three years. Can we talk about how you went about trying to, I guess, change the culture a little bit, if that's the word?

I was struck, when I visited you guys, by how much it just was so apparent that you were all very embedded in the schools in which you were operating in. When I walked the halls with you guys, it's talking to all the students, them coming up to you, the teachers coming up to you, the principal coming up to you and saying, "Hey, I want to flag this for you."

Was that a kind of initial strategy of really showing, "Hey, we're here, we're here to stay," and getting embedded?

Kellsie SAYERS: The approach was a threefold approach for our project. It was community-building, intervention, and investment.

When I say community-building, we use the restorative process of circles to build community in the schools. At each of our schools, there was an advisory program that was developed, which was a class in which it was nonacademic where kids could sit in circle and build community with each other. And build community by talking about their lived experiences, sharing their stories, and a place to really just be themselves without the pressure of a standard academic environment.

In addition to the circles that took place in advisory, we created a bunch of voluntary spaces, which were clubs that included Girls Group, and Men in Color, and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, and a variety of just different voluntary spaces where young people could be themselves and build community with each other.

Then in addition to building community with young people, we also thought it was important for the adults to build community with each other. Sometimes that was in professional development, sometimes that was a happy hour that we organized, sometimes that was an event that we invited them to on the weekends, just so that they could build community with each other.

In terms of intervention, when that harm actually occurred in the community or when somebody was in need, then we wanted to provide the support to focus on healing and give the individuals who were experiencing this harm or this trouble the ability to process that in what was often a restorative process. Sometimes it was just a conversation. Sometimes it was a mediation using a variety of different skills.

Then the third focus of the project was just investment. We came in with capital, something that the school didn't have. With that capital, we were able to host carnivals, and pep rallies, and take the kids on trips, and provide them with food and parties and all of these things that were unavailable to them because they went to underserved schools.

WATKINS: The day I was there, one word I heard more than once was "grace." How is that a concept that we're trying to introduce into, I guess, the stories that people are telling themselves about themselves?

Xavier CORNEJO: I'll speak on that. I think grace plays a huge role in how we offer forgiveness to students, in ways that systems have just not given them, time and time again.

Grace, to me, is taking into account everything that you've lived and are living through and how that factors into the decisions you make-recognize that you're valid to make mistakes. It's okay for you to make mistakes when, let's say, you threw a pencil at a kid, or you said something out of turn, your anger took over you.

We all do that. We understand you as a human being, as a teenager. When we offer students that grace, it's a way of just recognizing your human capacity to learn.

Maxine GETZ: I think another part of it is that when the teachers are allowed to just feel isolated and feel shame, they then act harmfully towards the kids. Teachers mess up all the time, and if they're just told that it's okay and worked with through whatever they messed up on and given that grace, I think it's so much easier for them to be like, "I'm human. I can apologize to this kid. I can apologize to my co-teacher, whatever. I can apologize to myself for falling short in that moment."

You see that sometimes with specific teachers or students, who for whatever reason have learned how to treat themselves more kindly, are way more able to treat each other with that.

Yesterday, I encountered two kids who were just talking so openly about mental health struggles and therapy and all that and giving themselves the grace to be like, "I've experienced depression"-and publicly, with a whole big group of 15 kids or something-and they're like, "I've experienced depression. This is how I deal with it. This is what I've been taught to deal with it."

In a way that they were letting themselves be broken. I think that to be able to do that, someone had to have really taught them how to do that, and we don't teach them how to do that ever, and I think that that's an important part of the grace element of it is how they can model that for themselves and each other and how, without that, they don't know how to be kind to each other at all or themselves.

Mischaël CETOUTE: I think that a lot of people who go into this work have this idea that the power holder is the people with the titles-the principal, assistant principal-and the first thing that I realized was the people who the children talk to and respect were the people who are most disrespected by the established hierarchy in the school.

School safety agents, the paras, the people who serve them food, the custodians, those were the people who were able to do things and move things and tell you what's going on with X kid, because they were the closest to the kids. But those were the people who the grantees completely neglected in identifying as stakeholders.

When you come into these communities and you try to learn, as opposed to saying, "You're doing this wrong, and here's how you should be doing it," I think it opens you up and opens up the people that you're working with to actually be receptive to what you have to say.

I think our approach on day one, or at least I can say, speak for myself, my approach on day one was literally asking, "What do you need? How can I help?" And for the first year-and-a-half, that was literally just picking up trash in the cafeteria, something that none of the teachers wanted to do, something that none of the students wanted to do, but somebody needed to pick up trash in the cafeteria.

And that action of doing the thing that nobody else wants to do, doing the thing that needs to be done, I think is at the heart of what we're doing, which is paying attention to the actual human beings in front of us and what they need in that moment and long-term.

WATKINS: Well, it's a demonstration of commitment, too, right? It's communicating that message that we're here. We're going to do the shit work that nobody else wants to do if that's what needs to be done.

Mischaël CETOUTE: I think that, and I also think that it's a demonstration of humility in a really important way. When we started this project, Kellsie said something over and over that really grained into my head, which was, "We're guests in this house. This is not our house. This is not our school. We cannot just walk into these people's offices and say, 'You have to do this this way, and you're racist, and you're bad, and you're suspending too many kids.'"

Because in reality, you don't know what's going on in the house. You just got there, you are a guest. And I think that that philosophy and that orientation to focus on the needs of the real people on the ground was really helpful in us getting started in building the community and ingraining ourselves into the preexisting structure.

Quaila HUGH: I think also on that point, you asked about how we went about changing culture. Often, we forget these schools aren't all bad. It's not all terrible. There are lots of people who are working very hard to build culture.

I think something we often talk about on the team is: what is that tipping point of the teachers, or this staff in general, that are working to build a positive culture, but it's just one person here or two people here.

What we did, much like Misch was saying, is just look for where we can help and support so that there is enough energy behind it, so that other people-who maybe started with that energy and don't have it anymore-tap back in to do all the good stuff for this school.

WATKINS: Can we talk a little bit-just so that people have a concrete sense of what some aspect of the work looks like, because the work you're doing is not just about conflict resolution, for example; it's not just about finding an alternative to suspensions-but could we talk a bit about maybe a hypothetical or anonymized scenario, which, in the past, might have been responded to with a suspension, with all the attendant harms that we know about, and then what this alternative, more restorative response actually looks like in practice?

Erica WRIGHT: Specifically, in the second year of the program, my office essentially became a therapeutic office for a lot of kids. It got to a point to where, when kids were on the verge of, if they had reached their peak-maybe they got into an altercation with the teacher or something happened at home and they brought it to school with them, or they got into something with one of their friends-a lot of times our offices were the first places that they would go to, to say, "Let me tell you," you know, the kids they say, "Let me put you on," where they let you know everything what's happening with them.

Because a lot of the times what you see is that these kids don't really want to fight. They just want to be heard. They want to feel like someone is there for them. They want to feel like, "Okay, this thing happened to me, and I need to tell somebody," but when they don't have people there to listen, then it comes out in a violent or an aggressive manner, so our offices became kind of a safe space for them to come to say, "These are all of the things that happened to me."

And then we'll say, "Okay, do you want to talk to that person?" "Yeah, I'll talk to him." And so we were able to sit with them, I'll be like, "Okay, I'm going to put you in another office. Let me go pull this other student, have a conversation with this other student to get what their side of the story is," and then we could bring them together.

And this is pre-them having a fight, or even having a big altercation in the hallway, or anywhere in the school, or even outside of the school. So, a lot of the times we were able to get these situations before anything could even happen, but that was because we had built a sense of community and a sense of trust with the kids.

They knew that we were there for them, and that what happened in our office, as long as it's not anything harmful, it wasn't going to leave there, and in a lot of spaces in their life, that was not a real situation. Even at home, a lot of the kids, a lot of my students in particular, did not feel like they could talk to their parents or whoever the guardian was that they lived with.

We become like these pseudo-parents and older siblings and these guardians, essentially, for these kids. That was kind of a space that we provided them, outside of doing mediations or harm circles, anything of that sort.

Mischaël CETOUTE: And to add to that, I think another way that we did that-that was on an individual level-but at the community scale, we just amplified the efforts, like Quaila was saying earlier, we amplified the efforts that teachers were making to build positive community already.

In the second year we had a group of teachers who were veterans who wanted to do something fun for the students on the day before break. And they called it Sports Fest, and it was dividing the school into ninth and 12th versus 10th and 11th, and playing basketball and having it be a competition. And we were like, "yes, let's do it! What do you need?"

And it turns out that what they needed was a tug-of war rope, and hacky sacks, and potato sacks for their kids to do potato sack races. And Sports Fest has become a major part of the school culture. Kids look forward to it. It's a recurring thing and they've increased the times that they do it.

And it's also boosted attendance. And it's the kind of thing that, if you're only looking at suspension numbers, you're never going to think about how Sports Fest will prevent fights, Sports Fest will encourage kids to come to school, and you don't have to have it wait until someone does something.

Erika SASSON: Just to highlight that point. What we're talking about, obviously you can hear it in here, is harm reduction in a big, comprehensive, holistic way. And I want to just talk about some of the numbers that show that.

So, in one of our schools the year before we got there, there were 166 incidents and 115 suspensions. And into our third year in that same school, there are 14 incidents and the same amount of suspensions, more or less.

And it's not just about the response, again, to harm. It's about deviating a huge amount of that harm and helping these students build a muscle. A lot of the students will say to Maxine, for example, "If I don't talk to you right now, I'm going to punch somebody."

And that's, for me, gold on this project, because it means that they have built that muscle to verbalize their feeling about it without actually taking the action. And once you have that happening, someone on this team is going to talk them out of it in some way, and talk to them about something else, and help them move forward from it.

But we really want-that's the social-emotional learning that doesn't really seem to happen in these environments. And that's how you get the huge reduction in incidents and suspensions.

Omar CYRILLE: One of the more exciting things that we will see is-and this actually happened a couple of times, where we'll walk into a room and you'll see kids in a circle and they're just doing their own circle process. And we're like, "okay, we'll just step out, we'll see how they get it done."

There are times we allow students to, it goes back to having students have equity in the process, just as much as we do. And sometimes we'll not only have conversations in the office, we'll have conversations in the hallway.

We reposition ourselves to become smaller and allow the students to become bigger. Therefore, we get more information, they become more comfortable, and they feel like they can really come to us and share a number of details.

And they have their pride as well, just like anybody else. But when you don't really have enough money to purchase a bacon, egg, and cheese, you don't have enough to be able to go to the school store, and you're going to go through a nine-hour day and sit through eight to seven classes where you're being lectured at. It's not easy.

You could ask anybody on the team if they didn't have their breakfast or their coffee, how they would react to certain stressful situations. There would probably be tons of suspensions, but, in this case, firings!

So, it is coming with that understanding and realizing: I was 15 at one point, and this is exactly, I'd do the same thing that they would. But now that I do know certain things now that I am older, I can be able to give some game and be able to drop some gems for them.

WATKINS: So to pick up on the holistic aspect of restorative justice that Erica was talking about, I doubt there was a moment for any of you in this room where you were in one of the schools and suddenly realized, "Hey, what we're doing in here is actually racial justice!"

But I'm wondering in what ways doing this work in the schools made the link between restorative justice and racial justice-and the link between what students are bringing in from the outside world and into the school-started to make those links, stronger or more pertinent for you.

Kellsie SAYERS: I think that when we think about these young people and the things that they face inside of school and outside of school, it's directly linked to the history of racism in this country. So, to say that we're going to come into these schools and we're going to support these young people and we're going to invest in them, to me is inherently racial justice work.

These are Black and brown kids who are suffering the consequences of a history of racism within this country and within the larger world. Because we do have kids, a lot of our kids, their roots aren't in America, but the racism experienced by people of color in America is not any different than what they experienced back home in their countries.

So I think for me in thinking about doing racial justice work, I think it is providing these young people with the space to heal with traumas that are beyond them, that are in their bloodlines, that are things that were beyond their lived experience here.

And I think particularly in our schools, in addition to wanting to promote positive school culture and wanting to reduce discipline, I found myself doing this work as wanting to give kids the skills to be better, and to be better beyond the academic environment, but to be better for themselves, and their families, and the families they haven't had already.

Being able to build these social, emotional skills with these young people, I think is inherently racial justice work for these Black and brown kids in which investments like this aren't usually made in their communities.

Erica WRIGHT: Something that, probably a year and a half into doing this work, I was really disgruntled with this idea of restorative justice. I really didn't quite understand still what it was. And for me, I didn't understand it because in this country, the history of Black people in this country, has always been tied to oppression.

So my thing was: if Black people in this country, the history of it-slavery, and you go from slavery to the Reconstruction era, and Black Codes, and Jim Crow, all of these different things-what are we restoring to?

WATKINS: America has never been America to me, right?

Erica WRIGHT: I mean, essentially. So, thinking of this idea of restorative justice and racial justice for me, I feel like restorative justice to me is essentially getting back to humanity. And like Kellsie talked about, Erika talked about, the social-emotional learning that a lot of our kids, they don't get in schools.

And a lot of times they don't actually get in homes in their communities. So I feel like for them to sit in circle and, there's no phones in the schools and you have to talk and have conversations, it's been one of those things to where it's-you see them actually be able to come alive and be able to see their own personalities and create the people that they want to be.

So, I think for me, restorative justice and racial justice, it's creating something; there's nothing to restore here when we've always been oppressed-and this is the story of the kids in our schools, they've always been oppressed.

I had a class, and this was actually a class with students. It was a self-contained class. So, all of the students in my class all had IEPs. So, they had an educational plan. Favorite class.

And these kids literally talked about everything under the sun. And I mean, first sexual experiences, everything. And they would tell some things that me and the teacher would be like, "Uh, I don't really, like..."

But they were so comfortable with doing that with each other. And the kids would laugh. When they left that classroom, they knew that that it wasn't leaving the classroom with them and we can come back and have... We literally talked about everything.

So, the fact that these kids were so comfortable, and the teacher said that, prior to us doing circles in her classroom, she had some kids in her class who never- she'd had them for four years-they never said a word in class!

For them to go from that, to be able to share all of these things about themselves with each other. So, like I said, I think for me, it is just a matter of creating the type of community, the type of space that you want, even when everything around you is contrary to that.

Mischaël CETOUTE: I actually remember that Kellsie asked me that question of: how do I see racial justice as a part of, or in relation to, restorative justice during the interview.

And I remember telling her in that moment that I didn't think that you could extract the two from each other. I don't think you can possibly be doing restorative justice work in the world, or even America, and not be doing racial healing work, because the entire premise, as I understand it, of restorative justice is about connecting humanity, it's about this shared kinship, and the entire premise of racism is the opposite.

If you are trying to build community, then you have to address the divisions within that community. And it made me think a lot when we started this project, just about how racism was this distortion of community, and what we were seeing in the schools was the impact of that distortion.

When you tell people that they're not good enough, when you tell people that they're disconnected, when you tell them it's all "me, mine, and whatever you got going on is your problem," the result is an environment where everybody has their knives out, ready for the next person. Because if we're all in it on our own, then I got to get you before you get me.

And I think that that piece of it-what the product of racism is, is violence-I think is often lost on people because they have these insular lives in these privileged bubbles, where they get to discuss these issues from an arm's length.

In their mind, restorative justice is a fancy centerpiece, and it's a specific sequence of questions, and it's a specific sequence of seating, and it's not about the fact that there are no Black people in this room because no Black people feel welcome at Columbia University. Or no Black people feel welcome in this particular space.

For them, they're doing restorative justice because they're doing all the steps. And I feel for me, it's really important that we push back against this sort of corporatization and the mainstreaming of Indigenous practices that were originally for and by communities that were discarded.

This idea that you can be doing restorative justice work with all White people, or with all people who live in middle-class backgrounds, or with all people who went to college, and everybody there makes a certain amount of money... That's not restorative justice in my opinion, that is: we want to feel good about ourselves, so we're talking. That's not the same thing.

WATKINS: So, in terms of doing something more than just feeling good because we're talking, it occurs to me, accountability is a big concept that you hear associated with restorative justice.

But you guys don't just want this program to be about accountability for the young Black and brown students that you're working with, who are really the most powerless actors in the system.

You're trying to expand the notion of accountability-expand it into the staff, expand it into the administration, expand it into the Department of Education, which again, I mean, we're talking about deep seated problems in America. So, daunting to say the least. But how do we go about expanding this notion of accountability?

Erika SASSON: I just want to put one piece on that is that we don't really want to expand it to the staff and expand it to the administration. We want to start with the staff and start with the adults in the room. And it should be modeled then for the kids. Like that's all backwards, that we basically start and end with the kids, and we never get to the systems, and we never get to the power brokers.

If it's not there first, then the rest of it is kind of meaningless. So, I've come to this point where I've started to say: I don't want to hear about individual accountability anymore. I want to hear first about system accountability. I want to hear first about adults, adults in the room who are doing their share, and it's going to come from the kids as soon as the adults do it.

But to start with the reverse and expand up is in a way a recipe for a tweaking.

WATKINS: For the same thing happening?

Erika SASSON: For the same thing, I think so.

WATKINS: Well, so, how do you build a perch in order to change the power relations?

You have a little foothold in these Restorative Justice in Schools' classrooms you have in these high schools, these safe spaces. How do you build the perch to be able to do that?

Kellsie SAYERS: I think that that's been a huge challenge of this project. I think that we have tried in lots of ways to bring in the adults in the building to be accountable for their actions. And we've had some amounts of success with that, but I think it's incredibly difficult.

I think it's for the adults in our schools who were excited for RJ work, they were excited that kids would finally take accountability for the things that they were doing. And I think that we've struggled with holding the adults accountable. And I think that we've been able to do it on an individual level. Maybe we'll convince a teacher to apologize about something or to acknowledge a harm that they caused.

But I think we've not figured out how do you hold an entire system accountable. And I think part of it was partly the design of our project is, this was a randomized study. So, the five schools that we launched our project in, did not decide to be there. So, leadership in the school didn't decide that they believed in the principles of restorative justice and in the principles of holding everyone accountable.

So, I think that in an environment where a school is saying, "I want to sign up for RJ," maybe we would have more success with adults taking that kind of accountability. With that said, I think we had some success on accountability in the fact that we acknowledged to the young people, that it's not just you, this isn't just your fault.

And I think for a lot of our young people, that's the first time that they heard, "yeah, and they shouldn't have responded to you that way. You shouldn't cuss at your teacher, but also that was incredibly disrespectful, what happened to you in the classroom, and I want to acknowledge that."

And I think even if we weren't able to hold each of those teachers accountable, those young people being able to hear that what they're feeling and what they're experiencing is real, and it's wrong, is a powerful form of accountability that they haven't had before.

Erica WRIGHT: I also think it's a situation to where, when you think about school districts in general and you go to the headquarters, there are no children in these buildings. They're a bunch of adults. A lot of them who are much older, which is perfectly fine.

But in that sense, they never act, a lot of times they actually don't get to go to the schools. And if they do, it's to do a walkthrough, when you do a walkthrough all of the principals are going to make sure that everything is laid out so nice so that you can think that we're doing this awesome job.

In a lot of the schools that are doing really good jobs. But when you do that, you don't actually get to see what's happening. And they are going to put their best students to go and talk to the superintendent or talk to the chancellor. And of course, they're going to be like, "Oh my God, everything is like rainbows and sunshine. And like our little pots of gold," and that's not real.

So, when you have a system, or when you have a group of people, who run a system that's supposed to be for the betterment of children, but they don't actually interact with children, they don't actually work with these kids. You don't really know what they need.

And so, I think it's very difficult to change those systems because they hear about RJ, or they hear about like a particular behavior plan or something, and it's, "Oh yeah, we're going to give these to the schools! You guys are going to do that!"

But it's like, you don't actually know what these schools need. You've not actually spent time with these kids to see, this is what they need. And then, with that, you're not actually giving them the resources to be able to implement these systems into the school.

And so, in order for us to do this, and to have people in the DOE really understand, they're literally going to have to come and sit in these circles with these kids. They're going to have to actually sit in circles with each other so that they know that, "wow, okay, this is what this is. This is what this is about."

It's theoretical. It's a paper that they read, or a study that they saw or heard about, and now we're going to do it. But, it's like ... This is something that you have to do yourself. And, if you're not doing it, then how do you know that it's being done effectively, that it's being done right, that it's actually being done? And, like I said, until that happens, who knows?

Omar CYRILLE: We've looked at how to create certain processes, because we do have individuals in these buildings that are really, really great. We can use them to be able to help us as well. And, they tend to sometimes leave. And then all that work we've done just leaves with them.

And so, we've tried to create something to where, whenever we get somebody new, they can slide right in seamlessly. Therefore, we can create that culture, but not have it leave with all the people we created it with.

There are some schools that really want RJ, but they look at it as another way to restore order amongst students and not have accountability within themselves. For example, sometimes we'll get teachers come into the room about a student, but it's more-so a "can you fix this student? Can you talk to this student? And then, we'll write them a pass, and then you'll send them back."

But, I'm like, "You could probably talk to him and figure out there's something you did." Because when we talk to our students ... "This teacher yelled at me when I wasn't doing anything. This teacher cursed when I was just asking another student for a pencil."

It's just little simple things like that, that teachers are not understanding and not taking the time to ... Now, whether it's capacity, whether it's having 30 kids in your class at 8:00 a.m., and you're not able to really get any type of time, or you're not able to have anybody help out, and sometimes maybe something boils over.

Regardless, that needs to come out with that actual student, because not only have you embarrassed him in front of his or her friends, but now we don't know that you've said sorry. We don't know that this student also wants to be able to fix a relationship that they had prior to you. And, when they send him to us, we're just like, "Okay, we'll talk to the student." But, now you go back to class. What is actually fixed? Is it going to happen over and over?

Mischaël CETOUTE: I think that, if we want to get to a place of system-accountability, we have to start at the top. It cannot be a situation where the kid who throws a fit because their needs aren't being met is being punished, and the people who are systemically denying his parents a living wage, systematically denying his community of the resources that all the other communities get, they get to go home and say, "Well, we gave them a restorative justice program, so if they don't make it work, that's because they're just inherently deficient."

And it completely misses the point that there's no possible way that you can begin to heal the harm that's going on in the schools without acknowledging the harm that's happening to the principals and to the teachers who work in the schools.

When I came in, I came in as a teacher, so I was really sensitive to teacher-bashing, because that's the number one go-to for the last 20 years. And so, my approach was: I'm not going to criminalize and demonize the adults who actually show up every day, because, guess what? They're showing up every day. Yeah, they're problematic. Yeah, sometimes they say things that make me irk and think, "oh, my God, I can't believe someone said that."

But, at the end of the day, they are showing up every day, and they're not awful to every kid all the time. They're awful to some kids some of the time. And, sometimes I'm awful. I don't know what to tell you. Everybody's kind of awful sometimes.

If you start from this place of, "okay, well, what are you good at, and how do we make you better at what you're good at," then it's much easier to help the culture shift than coming from this place of, "well, here's all the places where you're deficient."

Erika SASSON: I was just going to add something, going back to the question of racial justice on this point. We're at the Center for Court Innovation. We do a lot of work in the criminal justice system and the civil justice system. That is the backdrop from which we entered into this work.

So, there's a lot of questions about interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. But, for me, personally, I'm an attorney, and I was a prosecutor right out of the gate out of law school. I just thought it was interesting that when I was practicing law, and I was prosecuting a lot of drug and gun and gang types of crimes... And, this is in our native Canada, Matt.

WATKINS: You're outing me!

Erika SASSON: This one's for you and me. We don't get to blame America on this one!

But, literally, when you're a prosecutor, most of your time you're making deals with the defense counsel, so it's not a lot about litigating in court, it's a lot about coming up with a deal. So, mostly there were a lot of Black defendants. But, every time there was a White defendant, and almost without fail, the defense lawyer would say to me, "But, if you proceed with this, this is going to ruin my client's life."

And, I was like, "Well, I met with you this morning about a different case, and you didn't say that at all. You basically never say that to me when there's a Black defendant, so what's going on here?"

I felt that when it came to Black defendants, there was just this expectation that the defense said if I gave a good deal-because I was some kind of soft prosecutor-so, if I gave you a good deal, that's as good as you're going to get, and you should really take it.

That was the kind of advice that I would see given to Black defendants all the time: "Oh, take this. This is a really good deal." But, if it's a White defendant, there is all kinds of outrage about the harm of the system, and the harm of the prosecution, and all of that.

And you cut to a decade later, and I'm walking around these public schools. Meanwhile, my child's also in public school, but in a public school that looks really different than the public schools that we're working in. And, this public school that we're working in is filled almost entirely with Black children.

It just felt to me that there's this really similar expectation, that this is as good as you're going to get, even if that's an overwhelming mediocrity, even if it's baseline neglect. It's just something that I think connects to what we see in our justice systems.

Maxine GETZ: Part of how that plays out, and connecting to the racial justice side of it, is the immediacy of, kind of like, anticipatory punishment for the kids. The act of them being in school every day and the fact of it is that they're just constantly being anticipatorily punished.

So that when they have the opportunity for a couch for the lunchroom, or a speaker, or improving the water fountains because there's so much lead in the water-the kids have the idea already that they don't deserve it because they'll mess it up, because they've been told so many times that they're the ones who are going to mess it up, when that's just a complete issue of racism.

They are children. They deserve water. They deserve a couch in the lunchroom. They deserve literally everything that the kids at the school that I went to on the Upper West Side, and the school that your kids go to, Erica...it's just assumed that they'll get.

I mean, to your point, we've talked about this: How do you restore anything that they've never had a clean water fountain in their schools? But, that's also to Omar's point that they just want to maintain order in the schools, and they just want the kids to be well-behaved because they put restorative justice programs in predominantly Black schools because they want the kids to be really well behaved, better behaved in those schools. They want them to be easier to manage.

They're not acknowledging all of the things that they have done that have made it impossible to manage yourself in that daytime because you do not have access to water. You do not have access to a bathroom during the times that you want to go to the bathroom. There's nowhere for you to just congregate and sit. There's nowhere for the teachers to congregate and sit.

Everyone's telling you that the way that you communicate with your family is not how you're allowed to communicate in school. Everyone's telling you that the things that you want to talk about or the music you want to listen to is not okay to be talking about. The way that you're keeping your hair safe in school is not okay to be doing. It just brings all that into really harsh relief when a kid is like, "We can't have a couch in the lunchroom because we'll destroy it."

When I went to visit my high school, that they just built a new building for a few years ago, and it was literally the nicest place I've ever been to. They gave tons of couches to those kids, and they give them this insane theater because they love doing their productions of The Tempest with an actual pool!

That's a public school in New York City. They did The Tempest when I was in high school, and they broke through and flooded the entire basement, I think, because of the pool.

And, they just give it again, because they're like, "Oh, you're kids, you're going to mess up," instead of being like, "You get $2,000 one time for one couch. If you fuck this up, you never get that again because we expect you to fuck it up," and without them having to say, "because you're Black kids." That's just how they assume that.

Quaila HUGH: Potentially a tangent, but thinking about restorative justice as truth-telling and storytelling, and thinking about these DOE higher-ups needing to sit in the schools and listen to the kids...

They gave them all water bottles. Every child in the DOE school system was given the Swell-fancy water bottles. And there aren't water fountains in these schools with clean water. And that's my tangent.

WATKINS: Not a tangent!

Qualia HUGH: I just think restorative justice is we need to tell the truth and hear the stories of the kids being like, "We need water, not water bottles. We want to save the environment, but we need water first before we can fill these water bottles."

Maxine GETZ: Can I just say in some schools, you only got it if you had good behavior. So, you only got the water bottle for good behavior that you couldn't use to fill up anywhere.

Mischaël CETOUTE: I'd also like to add to that most African Americans are not lactose tolerant. It is generally understood that if you are Black-

Matt WATKINS: That was my next question, actually. I can just cross that one off...

Mischaël CETOUTE: Yeah, you probably should not be drinking cow's milk. What is the only thing that they offer at lunchtime to this school where 99 percent of the children are Black? Chocolate milk and, I guess, vanilla milk?

Omar CYRILLE: Regular.

Mischaël CETOUTE: Is it regular milk?

Omar CYRILLE: I guess so.

Mischaël CETOUTE: And then, what is the only thing that actually kind of tastes good? Pizza, which is cheese. And so, when you think about just this basic level: who is the school designed for? Who decided that all these Black kids need milk at every meal, you know what I mean?

Matt WATKINS: So, you guys are nearing the end of this three-year project now, and you've just taken this trip together as a team down to Montgomery, Alabama. You visited the work of the Equal Justice Initiative, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration.

I don't imagine that it was news what you guys learned down there, but I'm wondering what the impact was of having this experience together near the end of this restorative justice project in the schools that you've been doing.

Xavier CORNEJO: Going into this work, I had the intention of learning about how to heal intergenerational trauma in communities, because it's something that I was informed about just from my lived experience in my hometown. Just recognizing how my family's history in this country is limited-it only goes back a generation or two, starting with my grandmother who came here from El Salvador.

It gave me a bit more perspective and understanding around what that intergenerational trauma looks like, but also recognizing that my struggle is connected to theirs. My community struggle is connected to the schools that I work with.

And again, I think speaking to the point that my colleagues had mentioned: restorative justice is about unification. It is about connecting to a humanness that is about a shared struggle and a shared liberation.

Quaila HUGH: For me, the trip... It made me reflect on how, obviously, we've moved from slavery to mass incarceration, and slavery is very clear-cut: you are enslaved because you are Black.

And I think the way that they are choosing to capitalize on our bodies now is far more insidious because it's like "you are being locked up because you are bad." And you clearly have a choice over being bad in ways that you don't have a choice over being Black. I think it just breaks up our community in far different ways.

And so, for me, the trip cemented that restorative justice is the only way that we're ever going to achieve any racial justice in this country because we need to continue to build our communities and keep our community strong and keep our faith strong. And I think that's going to be through restorative justice.

Mischaël CETOUTE: I think two things that were really powerful to me is, one, I had this moment where I went to Chick-fil-A right before I left, and it was the most integrated Chick-fil-A that I've ever seen. There were Black people working there, White people working there, Black people eating there, White people eating there.

And this is in Montgomery, Alabama, which, prior to, I don't know if I will be safe there. And my mom was like, "don't get in any cars with any strange White men." And I'm like, "mom, when have I ever done that?" But it was just this thing of: you won't be safe in the South. And I actually found it to be the opposite.

In my experience, I think New York city is one of the most racist cities I've ever lived in. And I think that not because people will scream n****r at you on the street, but because there's this sort of insidious liberal racism where you're constantly being told, "you should just be happy to be here. Aren't we great? Oh my God, we are doing so well."

And so, you're constantly being told how you should be appreciative of how liberal and advanced this place is, but then internally, whoa, this feels bad. I know in my soul that that is not how I feel about this interaction, and the power that you have over me is immense.

Whereas in the South, at least specifically in Montgomery, which is a majority Black city with a Black mayor and doing a lot of really progressive things about documenting the history of racism there, there was an honesty about where they had been, and an honesty about where they were trying to go, that I don't feel in New York, I didn't feel in Miami, I didn't feel that, really, in any other city that I've been to. So, I think that Montgomery, and the South in general, they've got something to say.

I'm really grateful that we took that trip together as a team, because I think that this team, for me, has been a really nice support mat where I feel I can fall into my feelings and somebody will catch me. And I think that that might not have been the case if I had gone with a different group of people or if I had gone by myself. I don't know that I would have been able to feel reenergized by it in the way that I did, as opposed to maybe demoralized.

Kellsie SAYERS: I think the trip, for me, brought up a lot of things. I think it made me think about where, as a Black community, I see us today. And I think it often feels, for me, that our generation thinks we're going to be liberated through our individual talents and gifts in a way that there isn't this larger community effort, and there isn't this investment that in order for people of color to be liberated in this country, it's going to take us working together. And it's going to take us believing in something beyond our personal gifts and talents.

And what does it mean to use restorative justice to build that kind of community again? What does it mean to use restorative justice to tell the stories of how our ancestors overcame, and that them overcoming had to do with community, and had to do with faith, and it had to do in believing that it was going to be something beyond you, and that you won't be saved solely by your gifts and talents.

And it just made me think a lot about our ability to have these conversations with young people, and to model for young people that you can invest in other people, even if they don't have the capacity to give you a lot back. So, I think a lot of the work we did in schools was just investing and we didn't expect anything back. And if people disappointed us, it was okay.

Erica WRIGHT: I've got a lot of feels. I don't even know. So, I am from St. Louis, Missouri, and I was there when the protests happened for the death of Michael Brown, and I participated in a lot of them. I took a lot of photos and was just there. That was the first time since I was a child that I saw communities come together within the city, and it was so much love.

People-the news and media-just showed, "oh, protesters are looting and all of these different things," and that was totally inaccurate. People came together and you could go down there in the morning time and never leave because they set up porta-potties, they had food-people donated food, drinks, water, Gatorade. Anything that you needed was there for you to be a part of this moment.

And so, I know that for our generation, we struggle, like what Kellsie talked about, with having that faith, because we hear the stories about what they went through during the Civil Rights Movement, and we see that we do have certain rights and we have certain freedoms.

But it's like Quaila said, and even Misch said, as far as the ways in which racism shows itself now, it's so insidious because it's like, "Imma smack the shit out of you and I'm going to hide my hand like you don't know it."

As opposed to back in the day where it was like, they served you racism on a platter. You saw it, you know what it was, you know that it smelled like shit, it tasted like shit, but you could see it and now you can't see it. I don't know what it's like to have to be walking in the street and move off of the sidewalk because a White person is coming.

But at the same time, like Misch said, I know what it feels like to be in a space where I'm not wanted. I know what it feels like to be in a space where I have to explain that I'm not here because of affirmative action. I'm here because I'm actually fucking smart and probably I know more than you do.

And so it's like, while so many things have changed, so many things are still the same. And in Ferguson, I saw the people come together for something that was so much bigger than us, but we were missing that spiritual piece so that when that dissipates, when that protest has gone there anymore, people are not necessarily still coming together because "we believe in this thing that is so bigger than us" in the ways in which, in the Civil Rights Movement, they had that.

And to know that they actually lived in a community and the ways in which now we may live, Black people, with each other, simply because segregation is still alive and real, but we're not actually living in real communities where we are taking care of each other. And essentially what we're trying to do in these schools is take care of each other in the ways in which when these kids leave their communities...

And that's not to say that none of these communities are not looking out for each other because that would be false, because they are in a lot of ways. But it's not in the way in which, like when I was a kid, if I was out in the middle of the street, my neighbors telling me to "get your ass out the street." And if you said something to them, if you got smart or you did anything, they were going to tell you, "I'm going to tell your grandmother." "Oh no, don't do that." We don't have that anymore.

And so to be there, in that space, for me it's like, I can visualize a time where Black people, actually, we lived in community with each other, and we loved each other, and we took care of each other in a way in which now we have bought into this very White American ideal that individualism... when it's like, we are a very communal people.

And I need us to get back to that. I want us to get back to that. And I feel like restorative justice is a way for us to get back to that. But we're so limited, because we're in the schools is really limited, and what does this look like for us to do this in whole communities, to bring us together?

And so, I guess, for me, Alabama brought up this idea for me that I've always been very much so about kinship. And I feel like those of us who actually really do want that, we don't actually live in the communities that raised us because we don't feel it. So, I guess I just feel like RJ is a way in which we can get back to that.

WATKINS: So, final question to put the cherry on this amazing conversation: As I said, you guys are near the end of this three years of work. Obviously, somebody can't replicate the work that you guys have been doing, and so much is based on the quality of the people in this room.

But is there advice that you would have, lessons you've learned, that you would share with people who want to try to set up something, at least, sharing in the spirit of what you guys have been trying to do in these schools?

Xavier CORNEJO: Something I would say to someone entering this work is: pay your dues. Coming into communities like the ones that we have, similar to what many of us have been saying now, Kellsie said that we are guests in these houses. And so, don't move in there expecting to be the landlord. Don't believe that you have it all figured out for people because you see it from the outside, looking in.

You have to be in community with people. You have to ask everyone, from the disempowered to the empowered, to understand what the lay of the land is.

Omar CYRILLE: One thing I would say is: don't come into the work to feel sorry for people-just get the job done.

Maxine GETZ: I think my biggest takeaway from this whole thing, agreeing with all of you, is just the importance of listening. I mean, as a White person doing this, the importance of listening and just, I don't know sh... stuff.

The way that they put restorative justice programs in predominantly schools with students of color, you've got to be thinking about how you can grapple with your own stuff so that you can show up for kids in a way that honors and celebrates daily their identities, so that I can be a White person who can talk to kids about what it's like to be Black.

Kellsie SAYERS: I'd say to do this work, you got to do it from a place of love. And I think that that requires a lot of grace. And Erica mentioned this: know when to tap out.

You've got to acknowledge your limitations and step back and say: "that's all I can give right now." And acknowledge you might've tried your best, but this just may not be for you.

Mischaël CETOUTE: First thing I would say to someone who is interested in doing RJ is to find the log in your own eye. That's obviously a reference to what Jesus says about finding the log in your eye before taking out the speck in your neighbors, but I think it works on multiple levels in that, as long as you are in community with other people, there's going to be things that you do wrong, that you have to own.

And if you can't do that piece, then no one's going to want to sit in your circle. They're going to sit in that circle and be like, "ah, last week he did this, and now he's talking all this fancy stuff about being in community and being in love-la la la, I'm not buying it."

The second thing I would say is that healing doesn't take place in isolation. And the wounds that you are trying to heal from can only really begin to breathe when you allow others to see them. And I think we live in a society that often tells us to hide our damage and to hide our wounds, and obviously it's not safe to do that with everyone. But if you find the people who you can show your wounds to, that is a huge piece in actually healing.

And the last thing I have is specifically for my White brothers and sisters: I have always recognized that I have White blood in me. I look in the mirror and I'm a Black man and I'm treated like a Black man, but I do not look like someone who is West African, from the continent.

There is a lightness to my skin, there's a lack of kink to my hair, that I can only attribute to a French slave master at some point. For me, knowing that at some point in my family's history, somebody sold their own kid is really, really paramount to understanding what slavery was about.

And so, the question that I would have for White people who are interested in doing this work is: how many slaves did your family own? If you can't look into that, then it's going to be very hard to look into the eyes of a kid who's suffering, because all you're going to see is your own guilt and your own lack of self-reflection.

Maybe your family's new to the country, you came here in the 1900s, or you've never had slaves. How have you all benefited from the White power structure that exists? That's a question that everyone should be asking themselves, but I think it's a question specifically that if you look in the mirror and you think that you're White and you feel that you are White, you really got to ask yourself a lot: How have I benefited? How have my ancestors benefited?

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New Thinking | Restorative Justice is Racial Justice

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Restorative justice is about repairing harm. But for Black Americans, what is there to be restored to? This special episode of New Thinking features a roundtable with eight members of our Restorative Justice in Schools team.

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Education

While education is often thought of as a great equalizer, it does not shield women of color from the pay gap or the wealth gap. Recent research by Demos found that the median white adult who dropped out of high school has 70% more wealth than the median Black adult with some college education. That means relying on education alone to close the pay gap will not work for women, especially Black women.

Occupational segregation

Black women are more likely to work in lower-paying service occupations (like food service, domestic work and health care assistance) than any other industry and less likely to work in the higher-paying engineering and tech fields or managerial positions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the percentage of Black women who are full-time minimum-wage workers is higher than that of any other racial group.

To make matters worse, there's an even bigger pay gap in the service industry, where women make less per week than women working full-time across all occupations. That's why a livable minimum wage is crucial to all women (who make up two-thirds of tipped workers), and especially Black women.

In addition to being overrepresented at the low-paying end of the spectrum, Black women are underrepresented at the top. Black women make up just 1% of the high-paying engineering workforce and 3% of computing. Among the few Black women who do break into these careers, discriminatory practices drive many out.

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While education is often thought of as a great equalizer, it does not shield women of color from the pay gap or the wealth gap. Recent research by Demos found that the median white adult who dropped out of high school has 70% more wealth than the median Black adult with some college education.

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What it means to be unapologetically black

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The Diversity Celebration supports and enhances Appalachian State University's mission of "accepting the responsibility to be actively involved in addressing the educational, economic, cultural, and societal needs of the changing region, state, nation, and world," by providing a venue where diverse perspectives, cultures and values are accepted, appreciated and celebrated.

Diversity is a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, which include race, ethnic origin and color, religion and creed, sexual orientation, age and ability, to name but a few. As ever evolving creatures in an ever changing world, the innumerable aspects of our humanity - all our ways of being, knowing and moving through the world - are contained in this one concept.

As human beings, we are revealed and make ourselves known to one another by infinite varieties of intelligence, language, race, values, politics, religion, national service, gender presentation, philosophy and a host of other elements common to humankind. The recognition of a common humanity is the first step in the celebration of our differences - differences that inform our cultures, our values, our minds, and all our ways of being in the world. Diversity is the chief informant of the creative life force and the central reality in our understanding and stewardship of it.

At Appalachian, diversity is recognized as essential binding agent of the interdisciplinary approach to education, as well as to the greater life experience. In an institutional culture where the full circle of human qualities is regarded with respect and where the particular gifts of every university community member are dignified by conscious recognition, human beings can thrive. The phrase, "Think globally; act locally," has inspired our national culture to better understand that the world is a multicultural society of which we are a part. The systems of the world - its governments, economies, religions and cultures - are increasingly dependent on interdependence. Differences become strengths in a collaborative effort. Collaboration is a path to peace.

All of this - and more - makes diversity something to celebrate more than once a year.

Over the years, Celebration participants have shared their thoughts about the celebration and diversity in a number of ways. Here are some of them:

Knowledge is the key to tolerance.

To gain a new perspective on the lives of others around you as well as around the world.

While 15 percent of 2015's first-year class were students from traditionally under represented groups, many of our student populations have limited experience with different cultures. Cultural celebrations foster respect and open-mindedness for other cultures.

Celebrating our differences, as well as our common interests, helps unite and educate us.

To understand other's perspectives, to broaden our own, and to fully experience and educate ourselves.

In a word, heritage.

People all around need to understand and learn to appreciate other cultures, and this is one way to accomplish that.

Through each other's diversity, we become more aware of our own. Not only do we become more aware, we gain a sense of pride for the diversity of our own culture.

Understanding people and their backgrounds is crucial to personal and community growth.

Because diversity makes the world go round!

It's energizing and thought provoking. We live in such an isolated area that we don't often reflect on the diverse people we have all around us.

To see how many different forms of music can bring happiness to groups outside of their own traditional roots.

In order to realize what varied cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles people lead outside the somewhat heterogeneous bubble of Boone. In order to relate and understand those with different social, economic, and educational backgrounds.

To help us all spend some time together--we understand and appreciate each other's cultures so much more!

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The Diversity Celebration supports and enhances Appalachian State University's mission of "accepting the responsibility to be actively involved in addressing the educational, economic, cultural, and societal needs of the changing region, state, nation, and world," by providing a venue where diverse perspectives, cultures and values are accepted, appreciated and celebrated.

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Across the country, lawmakers have enacted sweeping attacks on transgender people - particularly transgender youth. After initially focusing primarily on restroom restrictions, opponents of trans rights have switched their target to sports. This year, Arkansas went even further, passing a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. Four transgender youth and two doctors joined with the ACLU to sue the state.

Arkansas's new health care ban, scheduled to go into effect at the end of July, would not only prohibit healthcare professionals from providing or referring transgender youth for medically necessary health care, it would also allow private insurers to refuse to cover gender-affirming care for transgender people of any age. If it is allowed to go into effect, the law will have detrimental effects on the mental, emotional, and physical health of transgender people across the state.

The first court hearing addressing the constitutionality of a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth will take place on July 21. Here are five things to know about the Arkansas ban on gender-affirming care, taken directly from the personal testimonies and briefs submitted to the court.

Trans youth know what is best for them.

"[After starting hormone therapy,] I now feel a level of confidence I never knew was possible. I can easily and confidently interact with other people, whether I know them or not. My body is finally beginning to match who I am." - Dylan Brandt

15-year-old Dylan Brandt and the three other transgender youth in our case know who they are.

Dylan has sued Arkansas over a ban on health care for trans youth.

"Having access to care means I'm able to be myself, and be healthier and more confident - physically and mentally. The thought of having that wrenched away and going back to how I was before is devastating."

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos.

"Hormone-therapy treatment has been life-changing. Since starting hormone therapy, I have become genuinely happy and confident for the first time since I can remember. I can finally see a future for myself. My depression has subsided. I have not engaged in self -harm. I have become more engaged with my family and community." - Sabrina Jennen, another transgender youth relying on gender-affirming healthcare.

Parents see what gender-affirming care means to their kids.

"[After accepting Brooke's new pronouns,] it was as if a cloud lifted and Brooke's smile came back. We had a happy, bright-eyed child again, and we were relieved to see our child flourishing once more." - Amanda and Shayne Dennis, parents of 9-year-old Brooke Dennis.

Brooke has sued Arkansas over a ban on health care for trans youth.

"My hope for my future is to go to college, get a good job, and be a good role model for kids and show them that they can be brave and be exactly who they are."

Trans youth belong EVERYWHERE.

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Amanda and Shayne Dennis are just two of the many parents of transgender children who have seen the positive impact that gender-affirming care has had on their children.

"Since starting hormone therapy...she has become more engaged with her family. Treatment has made her happy, confident, and has helped her become the thriving child we love so dearly." - Aaron and Lacey Jennen, parents of 15-year-old Sabrina.

Many young people who are not trans access gender-affirming health care.

"If House Bill 1570 (the "Health Care Ban") takes effect, I will be prohibited from providing these treatments to my transgender patients because they relate to 'gender transition' but I will be able to continue providing the same treatments to my cisgender patients to help bring their bodies into alignment with their gender." - Dr. Michelle Hutchison, one of the doctors suing the state.

Across pediatric practices, cisgender youth rely on this critical care for a variety of reasons - including to treat precocious puberty and polycystic ovarian syndrome. A Harvard Medical School and Fenway Institute study found that doctors have been using these safe medications for decades for cisgender children who go through puberty too early.

"There is nothing inherently harmful about undergoing hormone treatment to sustain one's health and it is a common practice in many non-transgender patients for reasons unrelated to treatment of gender dysphoria. I regularly treat cisgender patients with the same hormone therapy that is provided to transgender patients." - Dr. Deanna Adkins.

Gender-affirming care saves lives.

"Gender-affirming care, including puberty suppression and hormone therapy, is potentially lifesaving."

That's what the Pediatric Endocrine Society made clear in their brief to the court.

"Proper gender-affirming care can mitigate a patient's clinical distress and lead to significant improvements in the overall well-being of youth and adolescents who are at risk of or have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria ... studies show that transgender adults who received appropriate treatment during adolescence had a lower incidence of lifetime suicidal ideation than those who wanted but could not obtain such treatment." - The American Academy of Pediatrics.

In light of this, it is not surprising that child and adolescent psychiatrists have attested that, should the Health Care Ban take effect, "the lives of some of our patients will be put at risk."

Laws attacking trans youth will hurt the Arkansas economy.

"If the Health Care Ban takes effect, the backlash - from consumers and businesses alike - is likely to be fierce, causing a decline in economic activity within the state. This will inflict substantial harm on amici, Arkansas businesses, and all Arkansans, because all benefit from a strong economy." - A group of businesses in a brief to the court.

This is in large part because many of the families who will be affected by the Health Care Ban are considering leaving their homes, their extended families, their communities, and even their jobs to ensure that their children are able to receive gender-affirming care.

The ban could also discourage other LGBTQ individuals and their families from moving to the state altogether, impairing:

"the ability of [Arkansas businesses] to attract and retain a diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce. As a result, it will place Arkansas' businesses at a competitive disadvantage, both domestically and on the global stage." - Liveramp Holdings, Inc. and Additional Business Organizations.

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Five Things to Know About Gender-Affirming Health Care

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Across the country, lawmakers have enacted sweeping attacks on transgender people - particularly transgender youth. After initially focusing primarily on restroom restrictions, opponents of trans rights have switched their target to sports. This year, Arkansas went even further, passing a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth.

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Ankita Ajith can recall learning about slavery, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks at her Katy, Texas, elementary school in the Houston area.

But looking back, Ajith, now a student at Northwestern University, also vividly remembers how superficial those conversations were, and how much she wishes that her predominantly white, suburban school district had given her the tools from a young age to understand America's racist past and its connection with the present.

"They taught us things that were easily digestible and sounded good," Ajith said. "It was definitely painted in the light that 'these problems are in the past,' and 'America is the land of the free' and 'everyone is equal here.' "

In July, Ajith and three of her friends testified before the Texas State Board of Education, demanding changes to the way students are taught. They are advocating for core curriculum changes in social studies - specifically American history - classes. The college students pressed the board to acknowledge the state's "deeply anti-Black, racist past as well as the oppression that continues today." To them, educators should teach significant topics like the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement with more depth and breadth. They believe that kids, no matter what grade they are in, should learn history through an antiracist lens, not only learning about the role of white supremacy and racism in history, but doing so in a way that empowers them to pursue social justice.

And they aren't the only ones advocating the adoption of such curricula. Ever since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May spurred what may be the largest social movement in U.S. history, education leaders have started to reckon with how to comprehensively teach history with an antiracism lens. Colleges are holding professional development online events for educators on how to reimagine education with racial justice in mind. And school districts are working to expand their curricula on race.

"They taught us things that were easily digestible and sounded good. It was definitely painted in the light that 'these problems are in the past' and 'America is the land of the free' and 'everyone is equal here.' "
Ankita Ajith, student at Northwestern University and graduate of Texas public schools

As education organizations and initiatives such as Teaching Tolerance, the Zinn Education Project, Black Lives Matter at School, the Pulitzer Center's 1619 Project Curriculum and others strive to give educators the tools to teach anti-bias and antiracism, educators are grappling with how to implement these resources in early grades.
Related: Students sick of 'lip service' from universities over racism
For Katie Cryan Leary, the principal of the newly opened Magnolia Elementary in Seattle Public Schools, creating an antiracist, anti-bias school can be a messy, uncomfortable journey. That's especially true in a district that, in the 19 years she's been working there, has committed to racial equity but still struggles to serve the needs of a wide range of students.

"I still see so many issues where our walk is not matching the talk," said Leary, who is white and leads a school where, she says, 62 percent of students are white.

To her, antiracism education in elementary school starts with students' awareness of themselves, of others and of how those interactions play out. She believes that social emotional learning - giving kids the tools to manage and express their feelings - is the heart of race and equity work. Developmental psychologists have called attention to the notion that children between the ages of two and four can start showing racial biases. And by the time students are in kindergarten, research shows that they show some of the same attitudes about race as the adults in their lives. Children also grow acclimated to favoring whiteness and privileged groups.

Leary uses resources from Black Lives Matter at Schools, a national movement started by thousands of educators in Seattle in 2016 that has spread to other large school districts nationwide. For the past four years, district leaders have strongly encouraged Seattle Public School educators to teach about the Black Lives Matter movement's 13 guiding principles - such as collective value, restorative justice and the empowerment of Black families - for one week in February. Some school leaders have welcomed that opportunity, and others have not, Leary said.

"When kids come to school, we have the opportunity to create a culture of school that may be different than their home culture, and really be able to expand their racial beings as antiracists."
Katie Cryan Leary, principal, Magnolia Elementary, Seattle

Additionally, throughout the year, students are exposed to a different concept every month through daily read alouds, project-based learning and classroom meetings. To help spur conversations with students about differences, race and unfairness, kindergarten to fifth grade teachers read books by writers that touch on issues of racial inequity, such as " The Day You Begin," " Ron's Big Mission" and " New Shoes."

"It's a way that we can access information and have conversations without making the white teachers the experts...," Leary said.

However, she and her teachers have found it challenging, especially since the pandemic forced teaching online, to teach students about the police brutality and other racist violence they may see in the media. The teachers are unsure how families will respond to students having those conversations, even though they have received little to no pushback about the social justice curriculum they've been using since last year.

"In our classrooms, it's a safe space where kids know and trust and are connected to their teachers," Leary said. But that's not always the case with online discussions, "so we've struggled with that and have had conversations about it as a staff, and we need to keep having conversations."

She said that as educators, creating a safe space in any learning environment is something they must take seriously.

Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher, with a group of students at her school.

Related: Experts answer your kids' tough questions about race and racism
"When kids come to school, we have the opportunity to create a culture of school that may be different than their home culture, and really be able to expand their racial beings as antiracist," she said. "We have the capacity to create antiracist kids at school, whether they live in an antiracist home or not. And we don't have that ability remotely. And so we're working as a start to find out how to do that."

Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher in Charleston, South Carolina, also believes in the importance of having open discussions with young students and not shying away from current events.

In June, with Sarah Frayer, an elementary school teacher and instructional coach in Washington, D.C., Coulter started a nonprofit organization called Reflective Pages that aims to help educators build multicultural, comprehensive curriculums in schools.

"Our children, even though they are young, they are aware of what's going on. . . . I remember like even my younger students, four or five years old, they were aware of who Trayvon Martin was and what happened to him."
Chanita Coulter, a preschool teacher in Charleston and co-founder of Reflective Pages

"Our children, even though they are young, they are aware of what's going on," Coulter said. "I remember like even my younger students, maybe like four or five years old, they were aware of who Trayvon Martin was and what happened to him."

Coulter and Frayer provide educators with information about microaggressions, implicit bias, systemic racism and other barriers that can hinder students' learning. They also talk to educators about how to successfully implement a curriculum that focuses on race and antiracism, centers Black voices and highlights Black stories and achievements. One way is to pull local Black authors into classrooms to talk about black activists and scholars.

"A lot of times people hear the word 'activism' and they might have a negative connotation to it. We try to provide enlightenment in that regard," Coulter said.

In her own classroom, she and her students sent videos and wrote letters to senators about school funding and state testing. In her preschool classroom, she said her students made signs and did a walk around to protest mass shootings during a national walk out movement.

"I think that it is important that students of color actively participate in conversations that affect their families and communities," Coulter said in an email. "Students are well aware of the social issues and sometimes have a hard time expressing their feelings and opinions."
Related: Inside one school's efforts to bridge the divide between white teachers and students of color
Coulter said when she engages in conversations with her students, they are more able to name their emotions.

"I also think it is important to acknowledge that their voices matter," Coulter said. "In order to make a difference one must first be heard."

But while more schools are getting onboard with the idea of teaching antiracism, Keffrelyn Brown, a University of Texas at Austin professor and former elementary school teacher, said she doesn't know of any school that is doing this work effectively. That's not exactly surprising, she said, because society as a whole is not doing it well.

"It's one thing to bring a person in to do a talk or even send your faculty to do workshops," Brown said. "It's another thing to say that this is deeply embedded in the work that we do. It is something that we are holding ourselves accountable for. "A vast majority of schools," she added, "are not focused on antiracism - not in a superficial way, and not in a deep and substantial way either."

Some elementary school educators and consultants, like Akiea Gross, believe that substantive, holistic antiracist work within an educational setting requires educators to think beyond academic content to their own role in systemic racism.

Early educator and Woke Kindergarten founder Akiea Gross does a read aloud to their audience of "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown. In the read aloud Gross talks about respectability politics and liberation for all children, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer and trans.

Gross, who identifies as a trans nonbinary abolitionist educator, is the founder of Woke Kindergarten, a social media community space that hosts antiracist read alouds and shares resources about antiracism and liberation for the littlest kids. Gross said that that it's problematic if educators just add antiracist curriculum.

Instead, they must start by doing some deep reflective work on the ways they've caused harm to their students and also begin the healing with families who have had bad experiences inside schools. Teachers can also work collaboratively with students to set goals and guidelines instead of simply meting out the rules.

"We are a part of the curriculum, the way that we show up, the way that we enter spaces," Gross said. Gross believes that if there is a bureaucratic chain of command in a class setting, teachers must recognize and push against keeping that certain structure.

"You can actively teach being antiracist by discussing and pointing out that hierarchy and creating more of a communal learning environment where you are creating a mutual respect between you and your kids."
Akiea Gross, education and founder of Woke Kindergarten

"You can actively teach being antiracist by discussing and pointing out that hierarchy and creating more of a communal learning environment where you are creating a mutual respect between you and your kids," Gross said.

Gross's "Woke Read Alouds" on Youtube discuss topics on antiracism that go beyond the words and pictures of the books. In the read aloud for the book "Mr. Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown, about a tiger who decides to act differently than his fellow anthropomorphic animal neighbors, Gross talks about big topics like "politics" and "rules" and who made the rules for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian people.
This story about antiracist curriculum was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
Ankita Ajith and her three college-age friends plan to keep fighting for a curriculum centered on antiracism. Since testifying before the Texas State Board of Education in early July, the college students have spoken to the board's chair and vice-chair about revisiting and reviewing the state social studies standards. Their proposed revisions will be placed on the agenda for the board's September meeting, said Nitant Patel, a friend of Ajith's who is also involved in the campaign.

"We can't afford to overlook this anymore," Ajith said. "I want to make sure that they're not avoiding teaching difficult subjects just because they are nuanced or uncomfortable to discuss."

She believes that the change they seek is now inevitable. "It's something that will happen sooner or later."

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How do you teach antiracist curriculum to the youngest students?

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Get important education news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox Ankita Ajith can recall learning about slavery, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks at her Katy, Texas, elementary school in the Houston area.

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Embracing a gender-affirmative model for transgender youth

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When transgender children get support affirming their gender identities, their mental health difficulties are reduced.

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https://www.today.com/health/health/gender-affirming-care-admiral-rachel-levine-rcna17677

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Officials in Texas this week urged that the state should halt gender-affirming care for transgender youth, going as far as to call it "child abuse." The move is a dangerous one that targets and politicizes evidence-based treatment that should be considered the standard of care, Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told TODAY.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an opinion released Monday that gender-affirming care procedures "constitute child abuse," NBC News reported. And on Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott then called for both the general public and "licensed professionals" to turn in the parents of trans kids who are receiving gender-affirming care to state officials.

"I was very concerned by the actions that were taken in Texas," said Levine, who is a pediatrician, adolescent medicine specialist and the first openly trans federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.

"Trans youth are vulnerable. They are at risk of bullying and harassment. So we need to nurture them, we need to empower them," she said. "And, critically, they need access to this evidence-based, standard of care, gender-affirming treatment. Any suggestion that that's child abuse is entirely wrong and actually egregious."

Gender-affirming care is a supportive, non-judgmental model of health care that allows patients to explore and, if they decide, to pursue medical affirmation procedures. It's recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

The guidelines for transgender health care are set by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (as well as its U.S.-based arm) and updated as experts' knowledge and understanding of the field evolves.

"The standards of care include a psychological evaluation and, if necessary, treatment and support for the young person and their family," Levine said. "It involves a medical evaluation and then considerations of medical treatment. And so, there's a guide - a standard of care - of how that medical treatment would go."

For a child who hasn't started puberty yet, "there's no medical treatment," Levine said. At that point, care would focus on counseling and taking in the considerations of the young person, their family and their school.

"At the beginning of puberty, there's a protocol of using what are called pubertal blockers," she explained. "These are medicines that are used for other conditions that can block the progression of puberty so the young person doesn't go through the wrong puberty, which can lead to lots of different psychological and physical challenges later on."

When everyone is "on board," including the therapist, the parents, and the young person, "then you can start cross-gender hormone therapy to essentially put the young person through the puberty that's consistent with their gender identity," Levine said.

"It's all very carefully done," she explained. "And sometimes the protocols are adjusted based on what the research says, just like any other medical field."

"If trans youth are supported at home and in their community, and they have access to the standard of care of gender-affirming treatment, then they have excellent mental health outcomes. They do very well mentally, behaviorally and socially," Levine explained.

"If you have youth that are not accepted by their family or their friends or their school or community and do not have access to this care, then they have significantly increased mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety and potential risk of substance use. So, this gender-affirming care is really so important for the physical and mental health of the young person."

A new study published today in JAMA Network Open found that, among 104 transgender and nonbinary adolescents between the ages of 13 and 20, access to gender-affirming care significantly reduced the risks for depression and suicide over the course of a year.

People tend to fear what they don't understand, Levine said. So "what we want to do is to make sure that these young people and their families have access to care, to educate the public about these issues of gender identity and to reassure them that this is a medical field like any other medical field."

And it's a field that "has medical professionals who are involved in this field of transgender medicine and youth transgender medicine. It has a standard of care and an evidence base that continues to evolve," she explained. "And it should not be politicized. It should not be used for political purposes."

"My message to trans youth and their families is that we see them. I see them. Our department and our secretary see them and we support them. Our President sees them and supports them. He has articulated that over the last year or more, numerous times," Levine said.

"So we will do everything we can to support and empower them to make sure that they receive the care that they need."
Related:

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Admiral Rachel Levine condemns Texas officials targeting care for trans youth

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Officials in Texas this week urged that the state should halt gender-affirming care for transgender youth, going as far as to call it "child abuse." The move is a dangerous one that targets and politicizes evidence-based treatment that should be considered the standard of care, Admiral Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health and the U.S.

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Racism in this country is nowhere near as blatant or routine as it was 50 years ago. But that doesn't mean it's gone away.

Instead, research suggests that many of us are still prone to more unconscious or "automatic" forms of racism-we can behave in racially-biased ways without even knowing it. For instance, studies show that automatic bias can cause whites to smile less, avert their gaze, and stand further away from people of color.

© Rouzes

But a new study suggests that by simply putting ourselves in another person's shoes, we can significantly reduce our unconscious biases-and significantly improve our real-world interactions with people who look different from us.

In the study, published in the June issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers showed participants a five-minute video depicting a black man named Glen and a white man named John. Both shopped in a department store, tried to buy a car, and interacted with police, but Glen clearly experienced discrimination.

Some participants were then asked to imagine Glen's perspective-what he might be thinking, feeling, and experiencing. Others were asked to imagine what thoughts and feelings they would have if they were in Glen's situation. A third group was supposed to remain objective; they weren't told to consider Glen's thoughts or emotions.

Then the researchers gave the participants' a sophisticated test that measures unconscious biases.

The results show that participants in both perspective-taking conditions were less biased than participants who were asked to be objective. What's more, it didn't seem to matter how the participants went about taking Glen's perspective: Participants who imagined Glen's thoughts and feelings showed the same reduction in unconscious bias as those who imagined how they would feel if they were Glen.

In a variation on this experiment, the researchers found that participants showed less automatic bias even when they were simply shown a picture of a black man and asked to imagine his thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Another experiment in the study showed that perspective taking did not lead participants to ignore racial inequality, as previous studies have suggested.

The study's final experiment showed that perspective taking actually improves real-world interactions between black and white people. First, participants-college students-were shown a photo of an African-American man and were asked either to take his perspective, remain objective, or were given no instructions. Then they wrote an essay about a day in his life.

Afterward, an African-American woman-who was working with the researchers but didn't know what instructions each participant had received-led participants into another room with a hidden video camera and asked them questions about their introductory psychology course; soon afterward she assessed the quality of her exchange with them.

In general, the woman felt she had more positive interactions with participants who were perspective takers. Analysis of the video also showed that perspective takers had more positive body language.

The results identify concrete social benefits of "putting oneself in another person's shoes," according to Andrew Todd, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Iowa.

"I think our work provides some much needed first steps toward identifying a practical strategy that individuals can implement during encounters with outgroup members," he says.

Still, he cautions that "it's unlikely that perspective taking is a cure-all de-biasing strategy for everyone or in every intergroup situation."

Todd says that more research is needed to determine under what circumstances, and for which people, perspective taking will be most effective in reducing prejudice.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Racism in this country is nowhere near as blatant or routine as it was 50 years ago. But that doesn't mean it's gone away. Instead, research suggests that many of us are still prone to more unconscious or "automatic" forms of racism-we can behave in racially-biased ways without even knowing it.

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MONDAY, Feb. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Black women who often encountered racism before age 20 have an increased risk of depression, new research shows.

Of the 1,600 Black women in Detroit, aged 25 to 35, who took part in the study, nearly two-thirds said they'd been subjected to some form of racism during adolescence, and more than one-third had symptoms of depression.

"Looking across the life course from adolescence through the 20s, Black women with persistently high frequency and high stress related to racism had the highest risk for depressive symptoms in adulthood than those with persistently low frequency," said study co-author Anissa Vines. She is assistant professor of epidemiology in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Vines said the findings - recently published in theJournal of Urban Health - show how damaging racism is to the mental health of young people, and "echo what other researchers have been reporting on the implications of adverse childhood experiences on health in later life."

Her team also examined whether the amount of social support that the study participants received in childhood and adulthood affected the link between racism and depression.

"Though we hypothesized the social support would buffer the effects of racism, we did not find evidence to support this," Vines said in a university news release.

The data used in the study were collected between 2010 and 2012 - before more recent events that have brought overt acts of racism to the forefront of national attention in the United States.

The researchers also pointed out that the women faced a number of challenges, from Detroit's eroding economy to high poverty rates and low educational attainment.

"The health of women living in Detroit cannot be separated from the erosion of their physical, emotional, social, economic and political environments," the study authors explained.

Even so, they added, "the importance of early-life racism seen in this single geographic area may be broadly generalizable to young Black women in other geographical settings."

The findings further highlight that racism is a public health crisis that requires urgent intervention, because it can cause lasting damage to the well-being of people of color, the study team concluded.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about racism and health.

SOURCE: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, news release, Feb. 25, 2022

Copyright © 2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Racism in Youth Leaves Black Women With Lasting Risk of Depression

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MONDAY, Feb. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Black women who often encountered racism before age 20 have an increased risk of depression, new research shows. Of the 1,600 Black women in Detroit, aged 25 to 35, who took part in the study, nearly two-thirds said they'd been subjected to some form of racism during adolescence, and more than one-third had symptoms of depression.

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"To be male, poor, and either African-American or Native-American is to confront, on a daily basis, a deeply held racism that exists in every social institution," writes  our Brookings colleague Camille Busette . "No other demographic group has fared as badly, so persistently and for so long." To meet this "appalling crisis," Camille calls for nothing less than " a New Deal for Black men. "

Creating this New Deal is one of the core priorities of the Race, Prosperity and Inclusion Initiative , directed by Camille, but also of the new Boys and Men Project launched today out of the Center on Children and Families. The elements of this New Deal will likely consist of intentional policymaking in the fields of education and training, the labor market, family policy (especially for fathers), criminal justice reform, and tackling concentrated poverty.

This is one area where it is reasonable to hope for some bipartisan action. Witness the creation in 2019 of a new Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys , charged with recommend ing policies to " improve upon, or augment, current government programs. " Th is bipartisan Commission, consisting of 19 members, will " investigate potential civil rights violations affecting black males and study the disparities they experience in education, criminal justice, health, employment, fatherhood, mentorship and violence. " The Commission is required by law to report annually and " make recommendations to improve the social conditions and provide vital guidance for Congress on effective strategies to reduce the racial disparities in education, criminal justice, health and employment. "

The legislation to create the Commission was introduced in the House by Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and s ponsored in the Senate by Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ ). This is a welcome and positive development. It will be important for the Commission to fully understand the challenges facing Black men specifically, in order to target policy appropriately. Black boys and Black men, in particular, run the gauntlet of a specific brand of racism, at the sharp intersection of race and gender .

1. Education

28% of Black men ages 25-29 had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 30% of Black women, over 40% of white men, and nearly half of white women ccording to the National Center of Education Statistics The gap is greater still at higher education levels: only half as many Black men have a Master's degree (4%) as Black women (9%), white men (8%) and white women (13%):

2. Upward mobility

Black women and white women raised by low-income parents (those in the bottom 20% of the income distribution) have similar rates of upward intergenerational mobility, measured in terms of their individual income as adults . Black men, by contrast, are much less likely than white men to rise up the income ladder , according to Raj Chetty and his team at Opportunity Insights who have crunched the numbers on 20 million Americans in the 1978-1983 birth cohorts . A third of white men raised by low-income parents end up in the top 40% of the income distribution as adults, compared to only 19% of Black boys.

3. Earnings

4. Labor force participation

5. Unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Black men have the highest unemployment rate of civilian non-institutionalized Black and white men and women over age 20 , a ccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . There was a large race gap in unemployment (independent of gender ) even before COVID-19 swept the U.S.

6. Life expectancy

7. COVID-19 death

8. Criminal justice

The case for action

These are hard facts but ones that have to be faced in order to respond to the once-in-a-generation moment of racial reckoning taking place in the U.S. right now. Policymakers should consider Black men's experience -and these select facts- through the lens of "intersectionality," a framework pioneered by Kimberlé Crenshaw for examining how identities can combine to create specific nodes of disadvantage. Intersectionality points to the need to see individuals in the context of a wide range of identities, rather than in simple binary terms, such as male or female, Black or white or gay or straight. This can highlight the position of "multiply-burdened" groups, as Crenshaw puts it .

Given the weight of evidence on the specific , and unique plight of Black men,  general p olicy recommendations  will not suffice. Breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage for Black boys and men requires first a deeper understanding the gender ing of their rac e-and the racialization of their gender-and second, a battery of specifically tailored policy interventions: a New Deal for Black Men, no less.

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Richard V. Reeves, Sarah Nzau, and Ember Smith

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The challenges facing Black men - and the case for action

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"To be male, poor, and either African-American or Native-American is to confront, on a daily basis, a deeply held racism that exists in every social institution," writes  our Brookings colleague Camille Busette . "No other demographic group has fared as badly, so persistently and for so long."

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ost bios begin, "Toni Morrison was an American writer", and indeed the nation should thank her for a body of writing that held a mirror to its soul and social order. The nation should also thank her for being unapologetically black. Without anger, apology or explanation, she moved black life from the margins of American history to the center of stories that excavated American truths. In the process, she reshaped a literature, making it more reflective of the nation that generated it.

We should be grateful to Morrison for undoing storytelling that placed whiteness and maleness at the center of American letters. Instead, she recognized that narratives formerly relegated to silenced fringes can be revelatory. In her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), an 11-year-old black girl convinced by an American world of Shirley Temple movies, Mary Jane candies and Dick and Jane primers that she needs blue eyes to be loved anchors a heartbreaking portrait of the devastation caused by personal, familial and societal rejection.

In her Pulitzer prizewinner Beloved (1987), black mothers weary of having their babies taken from them and sold - one mother willing to commit filicide rather than see her child enslaved - demand that we confront slavery's legacies at the human level and feel their full meanings.

A Mercy (2008) is an epic that through the voice of a black female slave reconstitutes the narratives of a multiracial prenational community to counter the mythohistory that whitewashed America. Rather than being exclusionary, Morrison's writing from a black place makes space for many American stories. We should thank her for an example of inclusivity that shows rooting narratives in one experience need not mean the exclusion of others.

In an interview with Paul Gilroy, Morrison once spoke of her desire to "develop a way of writing that was irrevocably black", not because of an author's race or because of its themes, but because of "something intrinsic, indigenous, something in the way it was put together - the sentences, the structure, texture and tone". She envisioned a strategy of writing stemming from the cultural traditions of a race. Across her novels she realizes this aim with nods to jazz, blues, folklore and the folk. These forms and entities made American culture American, and made her fiction incredibly expansive.

Morrison was an avid reader, and one of the things she read best was the United States. The astuteness and eloquence of her nonfiction made her one of America's keenest cultural critics. Her dissection of the ways whiteness as an ideology was ill-suited to a nation that was multiracial from the start points to how supremacist thinking only deepens cultural stratification. Her criticism reminds us that when fear becomes the state of the union, when we are encouraged to be afraid of the very diversity that makes us strong, democracy and social justice become endangered species. Playing in the Dark (1992), The Origin of Others (2017), and The Source of Self-Regard (2019) are now must-reads in a cultural moment trying to comprehend the current incarnations of supremacist ideology.

In the opening of Playing in the Dark, Morrison writes: "I want to draw a map, so to speak, of a critical geography and use that map to open as much space for discovery, intellectual adventure, and close exploration as did the original charting of the New World - without the mandate for conquest." Morrison's New World is the one that might have been, one where difference wasn't viewed as a negative but as a source of wonder. As a nation the United States may need that map now more than ever.

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Unapologetically black: the vision of Toni Morrison | Valerie Babb

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ost bios begin, "Toni Morrison was an American writer", and indeed the nation should thank her for a body of writing that held a mirror to its soul and social order. The nation should also thank her for being unapologetically black.

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On Tuesday, I was at Google's New York City office for a panel titled " Breaking Through The Noise: Making Our Voices Visible, Scalable And Impactful." For roughly 90 minutes, (founder of The Grio), (Senior VP, Chief Diversity Officer at Omnicom Group/Founder & President, ADCOLOR®), (Black Voices Editor at Huffington Post) and I spoke to the audience about our respective challenges and successes, and our thoughts about the state and direction of Black media. We each (obviously) had different backgrounds and stories, and even disagreed with certain subtopics, but we were all fully committed to and in possession of a grade of unapologetic Blackness that informs, inspires, centers, and directs the work we do.

Afterwards, I got the opportunity to finally meet , , , and in person and hang out. We toured Google's LEGOLand wing ( Yes. The New York Google office has an approximately 2000 square foot LEGOLand.), had an exceptionally Black moment in a hotel elevator involving a nice White couple who assumed I was a doorman, and ate burgers and nachos. It was a beautifully Black-ass night.

During the panel, one theme repeated throughout the night is the reality that unapologetic Blackness isn't easy. Perhaps its a bit more trendy now than it has been, historically. But we exist in a place where much of what we've been taught and most of what we encounter aims to prevent us from feeling that way, and getting to a place where you're both unscared to be your Black-ass self and embracing of that Black-ass self can be an arduous journey. A journey towards freedom and rapture, but a painful journey nonetheless.

So, how exactly does someone get there? I don't have a textbook to pull from to provide a universal answer, but I do know what has seemed to work for me.
1. Give Blackness a positive association
This is the first and most important part. In order to be unapologetically Black, you have to be proud of and unembarrassed by Blackness. And this doesn't just mean embracing yourself. It means removing negative connotations possessed with entities associated with Blackness. You can not be unapologetically Black if you still assume that if something happens to be "Black" - whether its a public university or a publication or a person - its inherently less than. Perhaps you never gave Blackness the benefit of the doubt before. Well, now you need to start.
2. Surround yourself with people connected to and in favor of unapologetic Blackness
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have parents who instilled this in me pretty early. But I recognize that many of us just haven't been around enough Black people who believe unapologetic Blackness is a thing to be desired. And, if you're attempting to get there yourself, it's vital to seek out people who are either already there or down to make the journey with you. Basically, remove all people named Taye and Stacey and from your crew.
3. Give negative infinity fucks about what White people think
Now, this doesn't mean you stop caring about what the White people you personally know and like/love think. Nor does it mean to release all basic human kindness and dignity. If you see a White person about to get hit by a truck, don't say " Man, fuck what that White dude who doesn't know he's about to get hit by a truck thinks." Say, " Hey man who happens to be White, there's a truck coming and it might hit you if you don't move."

Instead, stop crafting your thoughts and actions around what White People (collectively) might think if you thought or acted a certain way. Step outside of the White Gaze, and stay there.
4. Embrace Blackness...even Blackness that happens to be unlike your Blackness
Your Blackness can not truly be unapologetic if it cherry-picks; deciding to withhold love from other unapologetically Black people.

From " I'm In Love With Black People Who Love Being Black People. And Love Black People." Because everything said below could also be applied to the unapologetically Black journey.

Your love for Black people doesn't mean shit if it doesn't include Black women. Or Black men. Or Black homosexuals. Or Black atheists. Or Black Christians. Or Black...you get my point. If your love subjugates and discriminates, it's not love. It's vanity. Naturally, you can not love every single Black person. But while you can - and probably should - put conditions on that love based on what that particular Black person happens to do if it directly damages other people (sexual assault, murder, putting kale in the potato salad, etc) you cannot put conditions on that love based on who that particular Black person was born to be. And still claim to love us.

Of course, there are Black people who believe that making Blackness inclusive is inherently anti-Black because it "weakens" us. Whatever and whoever doesn't fit their ideal of what makes a stronger Black community - whether its feminism or atheism or being Christian or being queer - are cancers that need to be eradicated. But what they don't get is that this journey includes all of us. If it doesn't, there's no journey. No community. No love. No point.

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On Tuesday, I was at Google's New York City office for a panel titled "Breaking Through The Noise: Making Our Voices Visible, Scalable And Impactful." For roughly 90 minutes, David Wilson (founder of The Grio), Tiffany Warren (Senior VP, Chief Diversity Officer at Omnicom Group/Founder & President, ADCOLOR®), Lilly...

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/15/arts/music/music-industry-diversity-report.html

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The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 4,060 executives at six types of companies, and found 19.8 percent were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

The offices of Roc Nation, where Desiree Perez is chief executive. She is one of 10 people of color, only two of which are women, who hold uppermost leadership positions at 70 major and independent music companies, according to a new study. Credit... Renell Medrano for The New York Times

A year ago, as protests spread across the country following the murder of George Floyd, the music industry promised to change.

Major record labels, streaming platforms and broadcasters pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable donations. The diversity of the music industry itself - a business that relies heavily on the creative labor of Black artists - came under scrutiny, with calls to hire more people of color and to elevate women and minorities into management and decision-making positions.

But how diverse is the music business? The answer, according to a new study: not very.

A report by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California, released Tuesday, examined the makeup of 4,060 executives, at the vice president level and above, at 119 companies of six types: corporate music groups, record labels, music publishers, radio broadcasters, streaming services and live music companies.

Among those executives, 19.8 percent were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including 7.5 percent who were Black. Women made up 35.3 percent of the total.

Delving deeper into the numbers, the authors of the 25-page report, led by Stacy L. Smith and Carmen Lee, found that the representation of women and minorities seemed to shrink as they looked higher up music companies' organization charts.

After filtering out subsidiaries, the researchers looked at the uppermost leadership positions - chief executives, chairmen and presidents - in a subset of 70 major and independent companies, and found that 86.1 percent of those people were both white and male. The 10 people of color who held those positions were all at independents, and just two were women: Desiree Perez, a longtime associate of Jay-Z who leads his company Roc Nation, and Golnar Khosrowshahi, the founder of Reservoir, which owns music rights.

The report includes some stark findings. For example, among the 4,060 people in the study's sample, the researchers found 17.7 white male executives for every Black female one.

"Underrepresented and Black artists are dominating the charts, but the C-suite is a 'diversity desert,'" Dr. Smith said in a statement. "The profile of top artists may give some in the industry the illusion that music is an inclusive business, but the numbers at the top tell a different story."

Each year since 2018, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has tracked the artists, songwriters and producers behind the biggest hits. Again and again, it has found that women are far outnumbered by men, yet revealed some encouraging numbers for underrepresented groups: People of color have made up about 47 percent of the credited artists behind 900 top pop songs since 2012.

Yet the group's new report, called "Inclusion in the Music Business: Gender & Race/Ethnicity Across Executives, Artists & Talent Teams," and sponsored by Universal Music Group, shows that women and people of color are poorly represented in the power structure of the industry itself.

The variation across different job levels and industry sectors is notable. Black executives fared best within record labels, making up 14.4 percent of all positions, and 21.2 percent of artist-and-repertoire, or A&R, roles, which tend to work most closely with artists. Black people hold just 4 percent of executive jobs in radio, and 3.3 percent in live music.

According to U.S. census data, 13.4 percent of Americans identify as Black.

Women posted their highest executive numbers in the live music business, holding 39.1 percent of positions. But drilling down, the study found, most of those women were white. Even at record labels, where Black executives were best represented, Black women held only 5.3 percent of executive jobs.

The U.S.C. report is one of a number of efforts underway to examine the music industry and evaluate its progress in reaching stated goals of diversity and inclusion. This week, the Black Music Action Coalition, a group of artist managers, lawyers and other insiders, is expected to release a " report card " on how well the industry has met its own commitments to change.

Much of the data used in the U.S.C. report, the researchers said, came from publicly available sources, like company websites. The report suggests that a lack of participation in the study by music companies was a reason.

"Companies were given the opportunity to participate and confirm information, especially of senior management teams," the report says. "Roughly a dozen companies did so. The vast majority did not."

The authors of the report, who also include Marc Choueiti, Katherine Pieper, Zoe Moore, Dana Dinh and Artur Tofan, said they want to spur the industry toward change. The report recommends a number of steps that companies can take to make their executive ranks more diverse, including making career pathways more flexible and "fast tracking" leaders with support and mentoring.

"Our hope," Dr. Lee said, "is that the industry will come together to tackle this problem in a way that creates meaningful progress."

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New Report Paints Bleak Picture of Diversity in the Music Industry

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The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 4,060 executives at six types of companies, and found 19.8 percent were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. A year ago, as protests spread across the country following the murder of George Floyd, the music industry promised to change.

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https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/09/ce-black-mental-health

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Being a black man in America means being my brother's keeper. Being a black man in America means being my brother's keeper while keeping a distance from my brother because I don't trust him further than I can see him. It's believing the cops don't care about you. It's learning how not to doubt yourself because when you're born everyone else already does."
-Poet Prentice Powell, written following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014
Police brutality toward Black men, as exemplified by the murder of George Floyd under a White officer's knee, highlighted the particular range of mental stressors Black men experience.

For psychologists who work with, study, and support Black men, that incident and the resulting protests were an added call to find better, more effective ways of promoting Black men's mental health, said Howard C. Stevenson, PhD, director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative at the University of Pennsylvania and a national expert in helping people of color address and heal from racism.

"We should place less emphasis on whether Black men are resistant to therapy," said Stevenson, "and more on understanding the contexts in which they already feel comfortable talking about their feelings and traumas. If a Black man is able to find a treatment that is culturally responsive, that he understands, and that embraces the uniqueness of his difference, he is more likely to use that service."

There is a long way to go toward making such mental health care universal, Stevenson and others say, but psychologists are crafting several promising interventions that address issues that Black men face. Besides adaptations of individual therapy, these include community programs in barbershops and other local venues, outreach through technology and social media, and national networks devoted to facilitating Black men's mental health and well-being.

The more that systems, programs, and providers find culturally relevant ways to foster Black men's mental health-including directly addressing racial trauma and its effects-the more society will benefit, added Wizdom Powell, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut and director of the university's Health Disparities Institute.

"Interventions shouldn't be just about healing and restoring Black men, though that would be enough," she said. "We also need to think about how much talent we're hemorrhaging" by not providing Black men with the proper support. "Think of all the innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, and physicians there would be if Black men weren't being killed with impunity by police officers and if we were creating spaces for them to heal, grow, and thrive."

Statistics, realities

While Black Americans experience similar rates of mental illness as other Americans in general, there are contextual differences. For example, Black adults living below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to report serious psychological distress as U.S. adults who enjoy greater financial security, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health. As another example, depressive symptoms among Black people are more disabling, persistent, and treatment-resistant than they are among White people (Bailey, R. K., et al., Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Vol. 15, 2019).

And Black men are not receiving the help they need for these problems. For example, only 26.4% of Black and Hispanic men ages 18 to 44 who experienced daily feelings of anxiety or depression were likely to have used mental health services, compared with 45.4% of non-Hispanic White men with the same feelings ( NCHS Data Brief No. 206, 2015). When Black men do seek help and would prefer a same-race provider, it can be difficult finding Black psychologists, since they still make up only about 4% of the doctoral-level psychology workforce (though that number is growing, according to 2018 APA Center for Workforce Studies data).

At the same time, Black men's mental health is more complex than statistics or clinical diagnoses indicate, according to subject matter experts. Because of structural racism and Black men's unique history in this country, their mental health and treatment are intimately tied to factors such as implicit bias on the part of medical providers, high poverty rates, and low access to quality psychological and psychiatric services. Compared with White people, for example, Black people are less likely to receive guideline-consistent care or to be included in mental health research. They are also more likely to use emergency rooms or primary care for mental health problems because they have not received appropriate preventive services. (For a summary of these findings, see the American Psychiatric Association's fact sheet on mental health disparities among African Americans at Psychiatry.org.)

Given such factors, it is not surprising that many Black men also harbor feelings of mistrust toward medical and mental health systems, Powell added. For instance, in a study reported in Behavioral Medicine (Vol. 42, No. 3, 2016), Powell and colleagues found that everyday and perceived racism along with internalized masculinity norms influenced Black men's reluctance to seek medical help. A history of racism within psychology and psychiatry likewise plays a role, she said. For example, in 1851, physician Samuel A. Cartwright floated the idea of drapetomania, "an uncontrollable or insane impulsion to wander" among enslaved people who expressed a desire for freedom. In a similar vein, as racial protests began heating up in the 1960s, diagnoses of schizophrenia among Black men became far more common, a phenomenon highlighted by psychiatrist Jonathan M. Metzl, MD, in the book The Protest Psychosis (Beacon Press, 2011).

"Black men today might not know that specific history," said Powell, "but it lives in their spirit a little bit. And it gets transmuted into practices like withdrawing from systems, having a mistrust of systems, and feeling like systems don't have your best interests at heart."

Building blocks for interventions

Culturally competent treatments for Black men take these realities into account and, as such, share certain ingredients, say psychologists involved in this work. These include:

Addressing masculine norms: Black men are even more likely than White men to endorse aspects of traditional masculine ideology, such as the need to act tough and in control and to avoid emotional expression, research finds. According to Baron K. Rogers, a psychology doctoral student at the University of Akron in Ohio, that is because they have additional reasons beyond those of White men to assume these stances-namely, "to stave off societal pressures and oppression," he said. The idea that racial factors intersect with unhealthy masculinity norms is also highlighted in the book Cool Pose: The Dilemmas of Black Manhood in America (Touchstone, 1993) by psychologist Richard Majors, PhD, and sociologist Janet Mancini Billson, PhD. They argued that poor, urban Black men sometimes assume a stance of "aloof swagger" to defend against the harsh realities and racism they encounter in daily life, which wears away at their physical and mental health.

In fact, such internalized views of masculinity "make a lot of Black men resistant to therapy and more likely to seek informal ways of addressing their mental health through barbershops, church, religion, or talking to family members," said psychologist Erlanger "Earl" Turner, PhD, an assistant professor at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. So when a Black man does enter therapy, "it's important to tread lightly as he starts to open up and share his emotions," he said, "because if you push to discuss emotions too soon and he isn't ready, he may decide not to return." (Turner's podcast, The Breakdown With Dr. Earl, destigmatizes mental health treatment for Black men and boys in an engaging manner, using a psychological science focus.)

Jessica L. Jackson, PhD, a counseling psychologist in Houston and global diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging care lead at the mental health tech firm Modern Health, has done some of this work with Black men in settings including the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, the Harris Health System (Texas), and private practice. To help these men identify and become more comfortable with their emotions, she uses a tool called the Feelings Wheel, which labels the spectrum of emotions from the most basic to the most nuanced.

When Black men start to gain a more extensive emotional vocabulary, it provides fuel for the next stages of therapeutic work: addressing past traumas and learning how to communicate more effectively in relationships, Jackson said. She knows they are making progress when they start to bring what they have learned home-for example when they begin communicating with their partners about their feelings instead of brooding or responding with anger. "It's like they're getting unstuck," she said.

Addressing racism: Culturally competent treatment for Black men also involves directly and therapeutically addressing issues of racism, said Rogers, who is on internship at the counseling center at Penn State University.

That means making space for clients to identify racist incidents that they have experienced and the feelings that arise because of them, and, more important, to understand and work toward overcoming internalized racism. The many facets of internalized racism include believing negative racial stereotypes, adopting White cultural values while undermining one's own, and denying that racism exists, Rogers explained.

For White psychologists to work effectively with Black male clients, it is imperative that they develop a deeper understanding of racism and its impacts by keeping abreast of the latest scholarship, taking continuing-education classes, and getting training in the area. (In fact, for license renewal, several state licensing boards specifically require courses in cultural diversity.) White clinicians should also become familiar with the APA Guidelines on Race and Ethnicity in Psychology, approved by the APA Council of Representatives in 2019. Among other points, the guidelines state that psychologists should consider their own biases, privileges, and socialization in relation to race and ethnicity and work to address organizational and social inequities and injustices inside and outside of the field.

In addition, therapists should be aware that issues of racism and masculinity can intersect in complicated ways, added Rogers, who is working on a scale to identify and understand how and where these domains overlap. That scale, which has now been tested on some 600 Black men, explores what he calls "racist gender role strain"-the idea that if you endorse specific views of manhood but cannot meet them, it creates internal conflict and stress. For example, some Black men may internalize ideas that they should be good protectors, providers, or role models. But, Rogers said, "if you're in a system that oppresses you or makes you internalize these beliefs but doesn't give you access to fulfilling them, it causes stress and frustration."

In a general sense, encouraging clients to talk about racism opens the door to more fulfilling therapy overall, Turner added. "It allows clients to feel that they can talk about anything in this room," he said. "For me, that's a really important piece about having that conversation."

Addressing within-group differences: Working in culturally responsive ways with Black men also means understanding individual differences in terms of socioeconomic status, age, education, U.S. region, country of origin, belief systems, level of acculturation, sexual orientation, and more, Turner said.

On a broad scale, it is helpful to recognize that Black men born in the United States probably incorporate some version of both African-American cultural values-which emphasize the importance of extended family networks, interdependence with groups and relationships, spirituality, and flexible notions of time, for example-and Eurocentric values-which emphasize individuality, nuclear family structure, and competitiveness, Turner noted.

It is also important to understand the complex issues of intersectionality that Black gay, transsexual, and bisexual men face, said Lisa Bowleg, PhD, a professor of applied social psychology at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her research shows that gay Black men often experience racial discrimination from gay men who are not Black, for example, while bisexual Black men experience race and sexual orientation discrimination in both gay and heterosexual communities (, Vol. 68, No. 11-12, 2013).

"Any effective mental health programs need to work with these men holistically and intersectionally," she said. She also recommends focusing on these men's strengths and assets-because many of their problems arise from external factors, not internal ones-and holding therapy groups specific to the sexual orientation and race of the men served.

Clinicians also need to be aware of differences in Black men's backgrounds and countries of origin and incorporate that knowledge into therapeutic work, Turner emphasized. For example, 8% of Black people in the United States are immigrants from countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and elsewhere, and there are significant differences among them. Those who grew up in predominantly Black cultures, for example, are less likely to view themselves as inferior because they have not been exposed to historical racism in their home country. Hence, their cultural identity may serve as a buffer, he noted.

There are many other cultural differences among these groups as well. For example, Jamaicans often identify themselves first as Jamaican and tend to frame mental, psychological, and psychiatric issues as medical or spiritual conditions that need interventions from spiritual healers such as shamans, said Turner, who discusses these topics in his book Mental Health Among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice (Lexington Books, 2019).

"As a mental health practitioner, you should be aware of these different cultural and spiritual values," he said. "But you should also avoid overgeneralizing this information."

Incorporating group work: Working with Black men in group formats can also be a powerful intervention, thanks to the sense of camaraderie these groups foster. Seeing that other men have similar difficulties can make care less stigmatizing, Jackson explained.

When she was doing her postdoc at the Los Angeles VA, for example, Jackson and a colleague launched a racial trauma support group for veterans of color. That arrangement proved at least as effective as one-on-one therapy, she said.

"Even after they finished the group, the biggest feedback we received is that they continued to meet outside of that setting," Jackson said. "They became friends, and they wanted to continue. They knew they had a language [for their emotions], and they were able to use it with each other."

At Penn State, Rogers provides group trainings to students of color on how to address racial microaggressions at the time that they occur. Part of that training includes a series of questions he developed that helps students consider details of the event itself, possible responses, possible consequences and how to handle them, and how their own values and supports can serve as protective factors.

"I felt that it was important to empower students beyond just self-care-to be directly proactive," he said.

Expanding the treatment lens

Meanwhile, other psychologists are leaving standard treatment modalities and venues behind entirely and bringing interventions into communities that embrace the background, culture, and challenges of men of color, including Black men. Stevenson and Powell, for example, are both well known for their research and interventions in barbershops, which demonstrate that these central social meeting places and their staff can be powerful vehicles for encouraging healthy and help-seeking behaviors. In a similar vein, mental health advocate Lorenzo Lewis leads the Confess Project, which seeks to promote a mental health culture among boys and young men of color and their families by training barbers as mental health advocates.

Among the country's most innovative and comprehensive programs is the National Compadres Network, founded in 1988 by psychologists Jerry Tello and Ricardo Carrillo, PhD. At the time, they and like-minded providers were fed up with the mass incarceration of men of color, feeling that alternative culturally based supports and interventions were desperately needed.

"It was really just throwing men away because there was no proper therapy for them," said Tello, who is Mexican and Native American and grew up with many Black peers in Compton, California. "The therapy they received just did not fit-there was no understanding of what was really going on."

The first meeting included a small group of mental health providers, lawyers, teachers, advocates, and others who worked in communities of color. The men soon realized they had their own racial traumas to address before they could help others. After an emotion-packed gathering, "we made a commitment that we first had to recover our own sacredness as men and heal from generations of wounds due to racism and oppression," Tello said.

The group has since blossomed into a major national network that includes hundreds of providers in more than 40 U.S. cities who have worked with thousands of men of color, including a large proportion of Black men. It has satellite offices around the country and a variety of programs and trainings that cover topics including parenthood, teen fatherhood, relationships, addiction, rites of passage, acclimating to society after leaving prison, and more. Since 2011, the group has also collaborated with the Brotherhood of Elders Network, an organization that creates programs and interventions to impact the lives of Black boys and men in positive ways. Together, the organizations have launched the Healing Generations Framework, which fosters family and community healing by incorporating Indigenous, culturally based practices.

A central format for these programs is extended kinship circles, where men and boys-sometimes from multiple generations-come together to talk, share in communal ceremonies, and heal racial wounds, said Tello. The circles create a space for honest sharing about life's realities, including the internalized experiences of racism, its emotional and psychosomatic effects, and how these problems can affect members of the group as well as their community and family members.

"Black and brown people kill ourselves because we've been indoctrinated [about how bad we are] and now we believe that," said Tello. "So that woundedness is very deep."

To counter these traumas, group leaders hold that all men-like all beings-are sacred and have a sacred purpose. When men or boys have trouble believing this because of internalized self-hatred or actions they have taken because of it, program guides underscore that it is their wounds that are talking, not their authentic selves. For example, a man may confess that he has harmed his wife, taken drugs, or acted out in another way. But leaders do not chastise him. Instead, they ask him to take responsibility for his actions, and then they support him in exploring the underlying trauma and sometimes intergenerational wounds that led to those actions and drew him out of his sacredness.

Thanks to this deep, community-oriented support, members eventually see themselves more clearly and gain insights that lead to healthier behaviors, Tello said. The overall aim, he added, is to help men of color make positive choices despite their lived experiences and traumas.

"Yes, we experience racism," he said. "But the choice is, do you transform it, or do you transfer it? If you want to transform it, come sit with us. If you want to transfer it, then keep doing what you're doing."

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Being a black man in America means being my brother's keeper. Being a black man in America means being my brother's keeper while keeping a distance from my brother because I don't trust him further than I can see him. It's believing the cops don't care about you.

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"There were moments I felt like I failed her," said Joseph Yusuf, now 26, who balanced being a father with being a student at Howard University. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Joseph Yusuf had all of the anxieties of a new student when he started Howard University in 2016. Would he make any friends? Could he handle his class schedule?

But unlike other students he met, Yusuf also worried about how he'd balance college with his greatest responsibility: Jakayla, his then 3-year-old daughter.

Every day involved meticulous planning to give Jakayla time and attention, while Yusuf carried a full course load. There were trade-offs. Some days he had to stay late on campus to talk to a professor or work on a project, instead of being home to help out with bedtime.

"There were moments I felt like I failed her," recalls Yusuf, 26. "I would have to fight to get home at a certain time, pick up my daughter ... and there wasn't really anyone at school to talk to about it."

'It's a lot to juggle': College students with children are overwhelmed this school year

Colleges and universities are coming around to the realization that they are educating moms and dads, like Yusef. But comprehensive support - mentoring, community, child care and grant aid - for the nearly 5 million undergraduates who are parents is lagging. The disconnect is becoming more apparent in the experiences of Black fathers.

New research from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University found high rates of homelessness and financial instability among Black fathers in college. It builds on earlier findings from the Institute for Women's Policy Research that show Black fathers are dropping out of school at higher rates than any other student-parent group.

Although researchers say there is still much to learn about the root causes of these disparate outcomes, it is clear that Black fathers pursuing higher education are not getting adequate attention or support. While campus-based programs for student parents are broadly accessible to mothers and fathers, outreach often focuses on moms, experts say.

"Where institutions are acknowledging that they have students who are parents, most of their programs are focused on mothers," said Ali Caccavella, one of the authors of the Hope Center report. "Targeted outreach is crucial. Accessing basic needs supports has to overcome a significant amount of stigma for students to seek and accept help."

Biden administration urges colleges to use covid relief funds to meet students' basic needs

Caccavella and her team surveyed 32,560 student parents of all races in the fall of 2020, most of whom reported struggling with food or housing insecurity, but some problems were acute among Black men.

Nearly one in four Black fathers said they contended with homelessness, with barely 11 percent receiving help finding affordable housing. Two in five experienced economic setbacks like job loss, pay cuts or reduced work hours.

The survey also found stark disparities in the rates of single Black fathers relying on emergency aid or emergency housing on campus. Thirty-four percent reported using such services, compared with 69 percent of single Black mothers. Black dads also lagged behind Black moms in accessing public benefits like food and child care assistance.

"Sometimes we find there are supports that exist on campus or out in the community that student parents have no idea about, so institutions can play a role in connecting those dots," said Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder of Generation Hope, a D.C. nonprofit that helps teen parents earn college degrees.

Higher education, she said, can be an unwelcoming space for Black men, who may be further marginalized for being parents. That places the onus on institutions to have an infrastructure to keep fathers, and all student parents, from falling through the cracks, Lewis said.

With his senior year at Howard closing in, Yusuf had nowhere to live. The relationship with Jakayla's mother was volatile at the time, and he and his own mom were no longer speaking, ruling her out as an option.

"It was tough because I didn't have a job," Yusuf said. "A friend offered me a spare room, but that fell through at the last minute. I was clueless about what to do."

Yusuf said he did not trust that Howard could secure him housing, having witnessed classmates struggle with their own housing. A week before the semester began, he found a cheap apartment close to campus but didn't have enough money to pay the security deposit. After sharing the ordeal with his mentor at Generation Hope, the organization identified funding to cover the deposit and his first month of rent, Yusuf said.

Howard officials said the school encourages students to reach out for support and will find a way to help. That could mean connecting them with resources on campus, including Howard's child care center or food pantry, or making referrals to community groups. Howard had two student-led organizations for enrolled mothers and fathers, but they are no longer active, according to the university.

'A drop in the bucket': Parents in college need child care, but federal dollars fall short

Yusuf, who graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in media, journalism and film, doesn't recall any peer groups for fathers but said it would have helped combat the isolationhe felt.

There were professors who knew he was a dad, even one or two who let Yusef bring Jakayla to class when child care fell through. But a few fleeting moments of acceptance is not the same as an intentional community, he said.

To create that kind of community, Morehouse College in Atlanta surveyed its student body two years ago. Kevin Booker, vice president for student services and dean of the college, said he knew there were dads at the historically Black men's college, but there was no formal accounting of them or their needs.

The data provided a road map for the school's Fathers to the Finish Line Initiative, which provides funding for day care, transportation, groceries and unforeseen emergencies that can derail students from graduating. Participants attend workshops on parenting and receive professional development, mental health and wellness support.

Five student fathers have benefited from the program since its inception in 2021, but Booker suspects far more could use a hand. Morehouse is getting the word out through student leaders and plans to highlight the program in orientation for new students.

"There are young men that won't share that they are fathers because this is not what they intended to happen at this stage of life," Booker said. "Getting them to be open so we can help is a challenge."

Peer outreach can play a critical role in helping student fathers persist in college and navigate support services, researchers say. That encouragement has paved a path to enrollment for many participants in the City University of New York's Fatherhood Academy. The 16-week program, hosted at Hostos, LaGuardia and Kingsborough community colleges, helps unemployed and underemployed dads obtain their GED and head on to college, if interested.

"The dads build really strong bonds. When they go through the program together, they're like let's both enlist in this training program together, let's enroll [in college] together," said Maria Buck, who directs the academy. "It's a powerful connection."

While most graduates of the academy pursue employment over education, Buck said those who choose a CUNY college are met with support services designed for men of color and financial resources to help with completion.

Lewis at Generation Hope says there are a host of things colleges and universities can do to improve the experience of student fathers and mothers: End policies banning children on school grounds or ones that require freshmen to live on campus. Place changing stations in men's bathrooms or make study centers and libraries more family-friendly.

States must also revise financial aid policies that favor full-time students to the detriment of parents who must balance school and works, said Caccavella, of the Hope Center. The Education Department, she said, should also partner with institutions to ensure affordable housing is available and targeted to student parents, especially Black fathers who are twice as likely as their white peers to endure homelessness.

"We're talking about the future and success of not only these parents but also their children," Caccavella said. "A multifaceted problem - housing insecurity, food insecurity, economic insecurity - demands a multifaceted solution."

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Fathers or students: Black men in college often face a choice

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Joseph Yusuf had all of the anxieties of a new student when he started Howard University in 2016. Would he make any friends? Could he handle his class schedule? But unlike other students he met, Yusuf also worried about how he'd balance college with his greatest responsibility: Jakayla, his then 3-year-old daughter.

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"There were moments I felt like I failed her," said Joseph Yusuf, now 26, who balanced being a father with being a student at Howard University. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Joseph Yusuf had all of the anxieties of a new student when he started Howard University in 2016. Would he make any friends? Could he handle his class schedule?

But unlike other students he met, Yusuf also worried about how he'd balance college with his greatest responsibility: Jakayla, his then 3-year-old daughter.

Every day involved meticulous planning to give Jakayla time and attention, while Yusuf carried a full course load. There were trade-offs. Some days he had to stay late on campus to talk to a professor or work on a project, instead of being home to help out with bedtime.

"There were moments I felt like I failed her," recalls Yusuf, 26. "I would have to fight to get home at a certain time, pick up my daughter ... and there wasn't really anyone at school to talk to about it."

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Colleges and universities are coming around to the realization that they are educating moms and dads, like Yusef. But comprehensive support - mentoring, community, child care and grant aid - for the nearly 5 million undergraduates who are parents is lagging. The disconnect is becoming more apparent in the experiences of Black fathers.

New research from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University found high rates of homelessness and financial instability among Black fathers in college. It builds on earlier findings from the Institute for Women's Policy Research that show Black fathers are dropping out of school at higher rates than any other student-parent group.

Although researchers say there is still much to learn about the root causes of these disparate outcomes, it is clear that Black fathers pursuing higher education are not getting adequate attention or support. While campus-based programs for student parents are broadly accessible to mothers and fathers, outreach often focuses on moms, experts say.

"Where institutions are acknowledging that they have students who are parents, most of their programs are focused on mothers," said Ali Caccavella, one of the authors of the Hope Center report. "Targeted outreach is crucial. Accessing basic needs supports has to overcome a significant amount of stigma for students to seek and accept help."

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Caccavella and her team surveyed 32,560 student parents of all races in the fall of 2020, most of whom reported struggling with food or housing insecurity, but some problems were acute among Black men.

Nearly one in four Black fathers said they contended with homelessness, with barely 11 percent receiving help finding affordable housing. Two in five experienced economic setbacks like job loss, pay cuts or reduced work hours.

The survey also found stark disparities in the rates of single Black fathers relying on emergency aid or emergency housing on campus. Thirty-four percent reported using such services, compared with 69 percent of single Black mothers. Black dads also lagged behind Black moms in accessing public benefits like food and child care assistance.

"Sometimes we find there are supports that exist on campus or out in the community that student parents have no idea about, so institutions can play a role in connecting those dots," said Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder of Generation Hope, a D.C. nonprofit that helps teen parents earn college degrees.

Higher education, she said, can be an unwelcoming space for Black men, who may be further marginalized for being parents. That places the onus on institutions to have an infrastructure to keep fathers, and all student parents, from falling through the cracks, Lewis said.

With his senior year at Howard closing in, Yusuf had nowhere to live. The relationship with Jakayla's mother was volatile at the time, and he and his own mom were no longer speaking, ruling her out as an option.

"It was tough because I didn't have a job," Yusuf said. "A friend offered me a spare room, but that fell through at the last minute. I was clueless about what to do."

Yusuf said he did not trust that Howard could secure him housing, having witnessed classmates struggle with their own housing. A week before the semester began, he found a cheap apartment close to campus but didn't have enough money to pay the security deposit. After sharing the ordeal with his mentor at Generation Hope, the organization identified funding to cover the deposit and his first month of rent, Yusuf said.

Howard officials said the school encourages students to reach out for support and will find a way to help. That could mean connecting them with resources on campus, including Howard's child care center or food pantry, or making referrals to community groups. Howard had two student-led organizations for enrolled mothers and fathers, but they are no longer active, according to the university.

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Yusuf, who graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in media, journalism and film, doesn't recall any peer groups for fathers but said it would have helped combat the isolationhe felt.

There were professors who knew he was a dad, even one or two who let Yusef bring Jakayla to class when child care fell through. But a few fleeting moments of acceptance is not the same as an intentional community, he said.

To create that kind of community, Morehouse College in Atlanta surveyed its student body two years ago. Kevin Booker, vice president for student services and dean of the college, said he knew there were dads at the historically Black men's college, but there was no formal accounting of them or their needs.

The data provided a road map for the school's Fathers to the Finish Line Initiative, which provides funding for day care, transportation, groceries and unforeseen emergencies that can derail students from graduating. Participants attend workshops on parenting and receive professional development, mental health and wellness support.

Five student fathers have benefited from the program since its inception in 2021, but Booker suspects far more could use a hand. Morehouse is getting the word out through student leaders and plans to highlight the program in orientation for new students.

"There are young men that won't share that they are fathers because this is not what they intended to happen at this stage of life," Booker said. "Getting them to be open so we can help is a challenge."

Peer outreach can play a critical role in helping student fathers persist in college and navigate support services, researchers say. That encouragement has paved a path to enrollment for many participants in the City University of New York's Fatherhood Academy. The 16-week program, hosted at Hostos, LaGuardia and Kingsborough community colleges, helps unemployed and underemployed dads obtain their GED and head on to college, if interested.

"The dads build really strong bonds. When they go through the program together, they're like let's both enlist in this training program together, let's enroll [in college] together," said Maria Buck, who directs the academy. "It's a powerful connection."

While most graduates of the academy pursue employment over education, Buck said those who choose a CUNY college are met with support services designed for men of color and financial resources to help with completion.

Lewis at Generation Hope says there are a host of things colleges and universities can do to improve the experience of student fathers and mothers: End policies banning children on school grounds or ones that require freshmen to live on campus. Place changing stations in men's bathrooms or make study centers and libraries more family-friendly.

States must also revise financial aid policies that favor full-time students to the detriment of parents who must balance school and works, said Caccavella, of the Hope Center. The Education Department, she said, should also partner with institutions to ensure affordable housing is available and targeted to student parents, especially Black fathers who are twice as likely as their white peers to endure homelessness.

"We're talking about the future and success of not only these parents but also their children," Caccavella said. "A multifaceted problem - housing insecurity, food insecurity, economic insecurity - demands a multifaceted solution."

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Fathers or students: Black men in college often face a choice

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Joseph Yusuf had all of the anxieties of a new student when he started Howard University in 2016. Would he make any friends? Could he handle his class schedule? But unlike other students he met, Yusuf also worried about how he'd balance college with his greatest responsibility: Jakayla, his then 3-year-old daughter.

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Advocates for justice know that racism in the schools isn't only a product of openly racist and bigoted people. It is an institutional problem, rather than a merely individual one. As Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi has pointed out, "Anti-Black racism operates at a society-wide level and colludes in a seamless web of policies, practices, and beliefs to oppress and disempower Black communities."

"Anti-Black racism operates at a society-wide level and colludes in a seamless web of policies, practices, and beliefs to oppress and disempower Black communities."

With this understanding, Black Lives Matter at School nationally has issued four core demands to disrupt this anti-Black web of policies, practices, and beliefs in the education system. The first demand is to end "zero tolerance discipline" and replace it with restorative justice.

Black youth have been disproportionately suspended and expelled from school since the explosion of so-called zero tolerance policies modeled on the racist "war on drugs." As Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, explained in an interview:

"Many people imagine that zero tolerance rhetoric emerged within the school environment, but it's not true. In fact, the Advancement Project published a report showing that one of the earliest examples of zero tolerance language in school discipline manuals was a cut-and-paste job from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration manual."

"The wave of punitiveness that washed over the United States with the rise of the drug war and the get-tough movement really flooded our schools. Schools, caught up in this maelstrom, began viewing children as criminals or suspects, rather than as young people with an enormous amount of potential, struggling in their own ways and their own difficult context to make it and hopefully thrive."

Black students are suspended at almost four times the rate of white students nationally and Black girls are suspended at six times the rate of white girls. While Black girls make up only 16 percent of the female student population, they account for nearly one-third of all girls referred to law enforcement and more than one-third of all female school-based arrests.

Howard Zehr, a professor of restorative justice at Eastern Mennonite University, explains that punitive approaches to discipline, known as retributive justice, ask these questions:

* What rule has been broken?

* Who is to blame?

* What punishment do they deserve?

By contrast, the Black Lives Matter at School movement has called for the funding and implementation of restorative justice practices to replace retributive and zero tolerance approaches. These restorative practices are used proactively in schools to build healthy relationships, not just reactively after a conflict arises.

Some of these restorative practices include the use of peace circles, peer mediation, community conferencing, and trauma-informed approaches to teaching. Zehr explains that when conflicts do arise, a restorative justice approach asks these questions:

* Who has been hurt and what are their needs?

* Who is obligated to address these needs?

* Who has a "stake" in this situation and what is the process of involving them in making things right and preventing future occurrences?

Asking these questions holds the potential to build nurturing communities rather than to just react to disruptions of community and resort to punishment.

The second demand of the Black Lives Matter at School movement, besides reforming the use of discipline, is for schools to hire more Black teachers. Nationally, around 80 percent of teachers are white.

Additionally, there has been a dramatic displacement of teachers in recent years. As an article in Mother Jones pointed out, since 2002, "26,000 African American teachers have disappeared from the nation's public schools-even as the overall teaching workforce has increased by 134,000. Countless Black principals, coaches, cafeteria workers, nurses, and counselors have also been displaced."

The closing of schools in Black and brown neighborhoods has been one of the biggest drivers in pushing out Black teachers, who are more likely to teach at those schools.

The closing of schools in Black and brown neighborhoods has been one of the biggest drivers in pushing out Black teachers, who are more likely to teach at those schools. In Chicago, for example, in 2013, then-mayor Rahm Emanuel led the effort to close nearly fifty schools where the vast majority of students were Black and Latinx. Chicago has also lost nearly half of all its Black teachers in the past fifteen years.

The vital necessity of hiring more Black teachers was made clear in a 2017 study from American University, which found that "having just one Black teacher in third, fourth, or fifth grade reduced low-income Black boys' probability of dropping out of high school by 39 percent."

Thirdly, the movement demands that Black history and ethnic studies be mandated in every school, kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Ethnic studies is a pedagogical approach fought for and won by students, beginning in the late 1960s. But since that time, ethnic studies programs around the country have been underfunded and attacked, leaving young people increasingly vulnerable to corporate curriculums that minimize racism and Black history.

Take, for example, the textbook that fifteen-year-old Coby Burren exposed in the fall of 2015. Coby was in geography class at Pearland High School, near Houston, when he read an assigned page of his textbook and noticed something disturbing: a map of the United States with a caption claiming the Atlantic slave trade brought "millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations."

Coby took a picture of his textbook and texted it to his mother, Roni Dean-Burren, adding, "We was real hard workers wasn't we," along with a sarcastic emoji. Not only had the McGraw-Hill textbook used the term "workers," instead of "enslaved African people," but they had placed the chapter on the enslavement of Africans within a section of the book entitled "Patterns of Immigration," as if Africans came to the United States looking for the American Dream, rather than in chains at the bottom of slave ships.

This is just one example of the humiliation and dehumanization that Black students experience from corporate curriculums on a daily basis. Another common problem is that Black history is often reduced to teaching primarily about slavery, as if the African American experience can be reduced to oppression.

As Malcolm X once said: "When we send our children to school in this country they learn nothing about us other than that we used to be cotton pickers. Why, your grandfather was Nat Turner; your grandfather was Toussaint L'Ouverture; your grandfather was Hannibal." Echoing Malcolm's words, Black Lives Matter at School student organizer Israel Presley said in an interview about today's movement, "Why don't you ever teach me how we fought back, because I know my people are strong."

The power of ethnic studies to transform education has been well documented. A 2016 study by researchers at Stanford University found strong positive associations with adding ethnic studies to the curriculum: students' GPAs improved on average by 1.4 grade points, attendance rose 21 percentage points, and class credits earned increased by 23 points.

In 2018-19, Black Lives Matter at School added a fourth demand to its list: Fund counselors, not cops. Security officers and cops outnumber counselors in three of the five largest school districts in the United States.

Today, 1.7 million children go to a school in the United States where there is a police officer and no counselor-and some 14 million students attend a school where there is a cop but no counselor, nurse, psychologist, or social worker. Police are a huge drain on resources. When school districts fund police officers, they are choosing not to fund other vital support staff.

According to a 2017 ACLU report, schools in Washington State pay on average $62,000-and as much as $125,000-per full-time equivalent officer per year. This is money that could be used to increase the number of school counselors, psychologists, teachers, and other student support services. During the past twenty years, the number of police officers in schools has exploded, from only a handful to an estimated 17,000 police officers on school campuses nationwide.

And, as the ACLU states, "The rise in school policing cannot be attributed to a rise in dangerous crime in schools. Particularly in Black and brown communities, school police have historically gone well beyond addressing serious criminal activity, instead targeting perceived disorder or rowdiness."

One of the reasons for the dramatic increase of police in schools is that from 1999 to 2005, "the federal COPS program awarded in excess of $753 million to schools and police departments to place police officers in schools."

Moreover, students are not being targeted at random. A joint issue brief from the Advancement Project, the Alliance for Educational Justice, Dignity in Schools, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund revealed: "Although students of color do not misbehave more than white students, they are disproportionately policed in schools: nationally, Black and Latinx youth made up over 58 percent of school-based arrests while representing only 40 percent of public school enrollment."

Despite these glaring inequalities, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has rescinded the guidance issued by the Obama Administration directing schools to reduce racial disparities in how they discipline students.

"They'll pull you out into the hallway and they'll ask you to empty your bags, but moving too slow causes them to rush you and dump it all out on the floor anyway."

Black high school graduate Marshé Doss describes the pain and humiliation of being targeted for a "random" search by the police in school: "They'll pull you out into the hallway and they'll ask you to empty your bags, but moving too slow causes them to rush you and dump it all out on the floor anyway. And then sometimes they'll briefly check through it after they dump everything on the floor, and then they'll be like, 'OK, pack up your things and go back to class.' And for me, after they'd dumped everything, they took my hand sanitizer, and they were like, 'You're going to use it to get high and sniff it.' "

Increasingly, school discipline issues that used to be handled by administration and parents are now being treated as criminal issues to be dealt with by police officers. Take the case of a high school student in Pierce County, Washington, who was sent by school police to the prosecuting attorney on suspected charges of assault in the fourth degree for pouring chocolate milk on another student in the school lunchroom (thankfully, the prosecutor declined to file charges in juvenile court).

The United States is one of a few countries that stations police in schools, and the resulting arrests have terrible consequences for students. A first-time arrest doubles the odds that a student will drop out of high school, and a first-time court appearance quadruples the odds. Juvenile arrest also increases students' chances of future imprisonment.

The four demands of Black Lives Matter at School expose the racist narrative that lower academic outcomes and graduation rates of Black students are due to lack of motivation or the dysfunction of Black families. The four demands also stand in stark contrast to the agenda of the massive corporate education reform effort led by billionaires who attempt to disrupt, dismantle, and profit from public education.

These efforts-led most notably by Bill Gates, Eli Broad, and the Walton family (owners of Walmart)-have pursued a strategy for the schools consisting of ramping up the use of standardized testing, privatizing public education, closing schools serving Black and brown students, and opposing teachers unions.

Each of these efforts has only exacerbated the most entrenched aspects of institutional racism in the schools, and for all the money that they have poured into these initiatives, the major indicators for outcomes for Black students have not improved.

Will Black lives ever truly matter in the education system? The answer to that question will not be determined by political elites or billionaire corporate education reformers. In 1857, the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass made the observation that we must remember today if we are to achieve an emancipatory education system: "Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow . . . . The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."

The answer, then, to whether we will someday see a school system worthy of Black students lies in the hearts of educators, students, parents, and antiracist organizers everywhere who tire of inequality and rise up to strike the blow for freedom.

From Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice, edited by Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian, published December 1, 2020, by Haymarket Books and excerpted with permission. Excerpt is from the introductory chapter written by Hagopian. The book is available for purchase at https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1607-black-lives-matter-at-school.

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Advocates for justice know that racism in the schools isn't only a product of openly racist and bigoted people. It is an institutional problem, rather than a merely individual one. As Black Lives Matter co-founder Opal Tometi has pointed out, "Anti-Black racism operates at a society-wide level and colludes in a seamless web of policies, practices, and beliefs to oppress and disempower Black communities."

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The national theme of Black History Month this February is the Black family - an area of study in disciplines as varied as history, anthropology, literature, sociology and the arts. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which decides the theme each year, says the Black family has been "reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time." USC professors weigh in on Black achievements that are cause for celebration, as well as challenges that still need to be solved by all Americans.
Contact: Jenesse Miller, (213) 810-8554 or jenessem@usc.edu

Whose 'family values'?

"American legislators run their platforms on ideas of 'family values' and the 'sanctity of the family.' But support for Black families has always been excluded from these imperatives," said Alaina Morgan, assistant professor of history at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

"Black families have always occupied a precarious social position, dating back to the antebellum period when Black men and women could not be legally married, Black children were not permitted the luxury of acting as such, and Black mothers and fathers never knew when they could be shipped to a different plantation. Today, with rates of mass incarceration ripping Black men and increasingly Black women away from children and COVID-19 killing Black people at disproportionately higher rates, the Black family remains under attack."

Morgan examines institutional structures that destabilize Black families, as well as the ways Black people have attempted to strengthen their family structures, such as with religion, particularly Islam. She recently co-hosted a USC Facebook Live on the Black Family.

Contact: alainamo@usc.edu

The importance of education and understanding Black achievements

"At a time of growing awareness about racial injustice and systemic racism in the U.S., the need to understand Black history has never been more important," said Pedro Noguera, the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education.

"Throughout our history on this continent, Black people have been subjected to violence, degradation and unrelenting discrimination. Despite this adversity, we have survived and often thrived. If one thinks of just a few recent Black names in the news - baseball legend Hank Aaron, inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, director and actor Regina King and our new Vice President Kamala Harris - it is clear that despite the challenges we face, Black people continue to excel.

"Education is the key to continued Black excellence. While enormous challenges remain, due to systemic racial inequality and the corresponding racial disparities in academic outcomes and opportunities, education remains our best hope for a more just future."

Noguera is a sociologist whose research focuses on how schools are influenced by social and economic conditions and demographic trends.

Contact: pnoguera@usc.edu

COVID-19 pandemic makes it hard to celebrate

"The Black family is feeling the weight of this multilayered pandemic, which includes racial injustice," said the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement. "Right now, Black History Month feels like a cheap consolation prize for all that Black families are enduring, including suspended grief - grief that they can't actually process because there are too many deaths.

"At the same time, Black families are resilient. We will look to the narratives of our ancestors, the trailblazers and the legend makers, and we will find hope and create some new stories. We know that roses do grow in concrete, to quote Tupac Shakur. Black families are roses growing in the midst of concrete."

Smith-Pollard combines her experience as a pastor and a community leader to run programs that train pastors to take on civic engagement work.

Contact: damalism@usc.edu

How might Black families thrive?

"How might Black folks not just survive but thrive in this pandemic of COVID-19 and enduring racial inequality?" asked Lanita Jacobs, associate professor of American studies and ethnicity and anthropology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "What will become of Black communities, corridors and the prospect of communion with so much devastation, job loss, death and despair?

"What lies underneath this screaming revelation about the disparate treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters versus those who stormed the Capitol? And what of whiteness, white privilege and white supremacy at this time? Who needs to intervene? Could it be white folks and not people of color this time around?"

Jacobs researches African American women's discourse, anthropology of the body, and language and gender.

Contact: jacobshu@usc.edu

Racism continues to be a hazard to Black families' health

"For centuries, Black families have shouldered the ramifications of discrimination and structural racism," said April Thames, associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

"This is glaringly evident when examining Black-white disparities in health, health care and racial trauma. Health disparities are tied to the biological impact of racism on health as well as blocked opportunities to access to equitable and optimal health care. Historic displacement, exclusion and segregation of Black families across the country continues to be a deadly threat to physical and mental health of Black Americans."

Thames is a clinical neuropsychology who researches stress and adversity, including how racial discrimination may impact the way genes are expressed, leading to increased levels of dangerous stress hormones.

Contact: thames@usc.edu

An unknown piece of Black, and LGBTQ, history

"William Dorsey Swann was the world's first drag queen; the first documented person to use the word 'queen' to describe himself in the context of a ball or party that was described by participants as a drag," said Channing Gerard Joseph, a cultural historian and lecturer of journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. "He was as out as you could be in the 19th century. He was so out that the president of the United States knew about him. It was well-known in Washington DC, where he lived, that he was the leader of a queer community.

"Swann was born to enslaved parents in Hancock, Md. During his lifetime, he was sent to jail numerous times and faced beatings, losing a job and losing friends, all because of his effort to build a community around queerness and drag in the 19th century. My hope is that over time people could understand his contribution to creating this world and that we could all honor him by acknowledging the roots of drag in America."

Joseph is an award-winning journalist and the author of the forthcoming House of Swann: Where Slaves Became Queens, a book about the true story of a formerly enslaved African American man who became the world's first self-described drag queen.

Contact: channinj@usc.edu

What do Black families need from white families?

"Someone once said a white family in the midst of a natural disaster was 'looking for food' but a Black family doing the same thing was 'looting'," said Kimberly Finney, a clinical associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and an expert in military mental health and racial trauma.

"Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream that one day, Black Americans would be judged based on character and not skin color. This dream has not come true because the message in his dream was not for Black Americans. It was meant for the people who judge them.

"American Black families have survived slavery followed by decades of social injustice, including violent death by racist individuals or angry mobs, which continues to this day. Black families need white families to work on developing an unbiased level of awareness and accountability of unearned privilege based on skin color."

Finney is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences (practitioner).
Contact: Photo by Nechirwan Kavian on Unsplash kfinney@usc.edu

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Exploring the role of the Black family during Black History Month - Press Room

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The national theme of Black History Month this February is the Black family - an area of study in disciplines as varied as history, anthropology, literature, sociology and the arts. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which decides the theme each year, says the Black family has been "reverenced, stereotyped, and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time."

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In August of 2008, Michelle Obama delivered a speech at the Democratic Convention saying, "The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them."

Shortly after, she would officially assume the role of first lady of the United States, making her the first African American woman to ever do so.

More than a decade later, Kamala Harris wrote her own chapter in the history books when she was inaugurated as the first Black - and female - vice president.

It's trailblazers like Obama and Harris, two awe-inspiring Black women in history, who prove that perseverance and determination can lead to profound change.

While there's still a long way to go, these iconic women along with Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman and other famous females have forged a path toward progress and, in return, leave their legacies behind.

In honor of Black History Month, we've gathered a list of influential Black women, whose contributions, accomplishments and talent have not only helped shape the world, but made it a better place for all.

Elizabeth Freeman (unknown-1829)

Freeman, also known as Mum Bett, was a nurse and midwife who successfully sued Massachusetts for her freedom in 1781, becoming the first African American enslaved woman to win a freedom suit in the state. Her suit helped lead to the permanent abolition of slavery in the state of Massachusetts.

Ona Judge (1773-1848)

Ona Judge, known by the Washingtons as "Oney," was a mixed woman born into an enslaved family on Mt. Vernon and brought to Philadelphia to serve at the president's house. On May 21, 1796, a 22-year-old Ona successfully escaped her enslavement to President George Washington while he and wife, Mrs. Washington, ate dinner. She fled to New Hampshire.

Harriet Tubman (unknown-1913)

American abolitionist Harriet Tubman is best known for her efforts to move slaves to liberation in the Underground Railroad, a network of antislavery activists. Her legacy is indelible in the movement to abolish slavery, as she is documented to have made approximately 13 trips through the Underground Railroad, leading dozens of slaves to freedom and was never caught, despite a $40,000 reward for her capture.

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931)

Ida B. Wells was a prominent Black investigative journalist, educator and activist in the early civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and led a powerful anti-lynching crusade in the U.S. in the 1890s.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

Rosa Parks, a trailblazer known for her courageous participation in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, ignited the movement against racial segregation on public transit. Her defiance to give up her seat led to her arrest on Dec. 1, 1955, but led to revolutionary change. The United States Congress has since honored her as "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement."

Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

Maya Angelou has a distinct voice as a Black writer and activist. She left a legacy with her large body of work, including memoirs, poems, essays and plays. She rose to fame in 1969 after the publication of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," one of her autobiographies detailing her early years as a young Black woman.

Nina Simone (1933-2003)

Nina Simone possessed a unique raspy voice and had a massive impact on the jazz community, as well as the civil rights movement. In her early years, Simone changed her name from Eunice Kathleen Waymon, her birth name, to her new alias, Nina Simone, to disguise herself from her family while trying to forge her career in jazz as a pianist and singer. Between 1958 and 1974, Simone recorded more than 40 albums, leaving an indelible mark on music.

Audre Lorde (1934-1992)

Audre Lorde made incredible contributions to feminist literature. In her writings, she highlights her experience being a Black lesbian woman and confronts issues of racism, homophobia, classism and misogyny, giving voice to other Black female writers and activists.

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Maathai was the first Black African woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in environmental conservation. In the 1970s, she founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on environmental conservation and women's rights. She was also an elected member of Parliament and served as assistant minister for Environment and Natural Resources between 2003 and 2005.

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018)

The "Queen of Soul" was ranked No.1 in Rolling Stone's " 200 Greatest Singers of All Time " and it's been said that no one understood soul music better than Aretha Franklin. Inspiring generations of singers after her, including Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston, Franklin was also the very first female artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)

Marsha P. Johnson, born Malcolm Michaels Jr., was the first self-identified, drag queen in the U.S. She was one of the first openly gay liberation activists and a key figure in the Stonewall riots in 1969. When asked what the "p" in her name stood for, she responded, "Pay it no mind," and continued to use that phrase when asked about her gender identity.

Ruby Bridges (1954-present)

Ruby Bridges is an American activist who helped the civil rights movement in Louisiana. She was the first child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School, an all-white school in Louisiana, which she was selected to attend based on her displayed intelligence at just six years old. She also was later painted by Norman Rockwell and is now celebrated as a courageous Black woman who continued to fight for equal rights throughout her life.

Kamala Harris (1964-present)

Kamala Harris is the current and 49th vice president of the United States. She stands as the first female vice president in American history, the highest-ranking female official in US history - and is the first Black and Asian American to hold the position.

Michelle Obama (1964-present)

Not only was Michelle Obama the first African American woman to serve as the first lady of the United States, but she also continues to be a source of inspiration through her efforts to promote health and wellness for kids in America. Her story in her best-selling books "Becoming" and "The Light We Carry" encourage generations of women to dream big and never give up.

Tarana Burke (1973-present)

Tarana Burke is best known for organizing the #MeToo movement in 2006 as a means for victims of sexual violence to share their experiences with others, forming an alliance among survivors. Named Person of the Year by TIME magazine in 2017, Burke has spent her life empowering women to share their stories and fight against sexual assault with the slogan "empowerment through empathy."

Laverne Cox (1972-present)

The actress, activist and LGBT advocate is praised for her role on Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" as Sophia Burset. She was the first transgender woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any acting category, and in June 2014, Cox became the first transgender woman to appear on the cover of TIME magazine.

Ketanji Brown Jackson (1970-present)

In April 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first Black woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a young woman, she loved the law and set her sights on Harvard University. After being discouraged by a high school guidance counselor, Jackson not only graduated magna cum laude from the university, but went on to attend Harvard Law School and served as editor of the "Harvard Law Review."

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These 17 Black women are essential to our history

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Learn about these Black women who shaped history, including Kamala Harris, Maya Angelou, Aretha Franklin and Marsha P. Johnson.

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Response: How to Practice Restorative Justice in Schools (Opinion)

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Shane Safir, Jen Adkins, Timothy Hilton, Crystal T. Laura, and Mark Katz share their commentaries on applying restorative practices in schools.

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The week of February 4, 2019 was an exciting time in DC area schools. In conjunction with the start of Black History Month, Center for Inspired Teaching joined forces with Teaching for Change to implement the second annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in DC. LaTonia Smith Cokely, our Manager of Professional Development, and Mara Duquette, our Director of Program Administration, were kind enough to answer some questions about this initiative and to reflect on its importance. In a city like DC with a large Black community, it seems that Black History Month would already be a high-profile event in the school calendar. Why the heightened focus on a specific week?
Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action is designed to share, promote, and enact BLM's guiding principles to support students of color both in and out of school. The Week of Action is connected to but separate from the Black Lives Matter Movement. While Black History Month is designed to foster intentional celebration and reflection around the lives, experiences, and successes of African Americans, the Week of Action focuses on curriculum and events centered around BLM's national demands. Demands specific to the Week of Action include ending zero tolerance policies in school, mandating Black history and ethnic studies, hiring more Black teachers, and funding counselors, not cops. We're here to connect educators with resources and a community to help students examine, address, and grapple with issues of racism and discrimination that persist in their lives and communities.
Who initiated BLM in Schools and when? Does Inspired Teaching partner with other organizations in making this happen?
The Week of Action began in Seattle in 2016. It expanded to a few more cities in 2017, and in 2018, several other major cities including Washington, DC joined the movement. Last year, Inspired Teaching partnered with Teaching for Change to implement the first BLM at School Week of Action here in DC. We worked in conjunction with the national organizers and also locally. As a community movement, many different organizations and schools across the area participate, hosting events, sharing resources, and implementing lessons in classrooms throughout the week.
What were this year's curriculum guidelines?
Monday: Restorative Justice, Empathy, and Loving EngagementTuesday: Diversity and GlobalismWednesday: Trans-Affirming, Queer Affirming, and Collective ValueThursday: Intergenerational, Black Families, and Black VillagesFriday: Black Women and Unapologetically Black

However, this varied from school to school, depending on grade level and how teachers chose to engage their students. For example, this is what Inspired Teaching Demonstration School did with their elementary kids:

Monday: Screen PrintingTuesday: Trayvon Martin Memorial DayWednesday: "I Have the Right to Be a Child" Read-AloudThursday: Black Lives Matter BannerFriday: Poetry and Spoken Word Share
What kind of responses to this initiative have you seen?
Hundreds of educators in our community have endorsed this Week of Action through the efforts of Teaching for Change. Several organizations and politicians have formally endorsed it as well. In fact, DC Area Educators for Social Justice posted a full list of this year's endorsers and participating schools. So overall, we'd have to say that response to the Week of Action was extremely positive.
What powerful experiences or observations can you share from this year's Week of Action?
There are two that come to mind immediately: Speak Truth and the Open Mic.

Speak Truth is an Inspired Teaching program designed to engage students from all over DC in honest, respectful dialogue that will expose them to a diverse array of perspectives. Last year's Week of Action was the first time that we hosted an Intergenerational Speak Truth, and we did it again this year. It was a powerful evening, with both adults and students engaging in deep, thoughtful dialogue. Not often will adults truly listen to what teenagers have to say, and we were honored to give them an opportunity. Groups spoke on topics such as Kamala Harris' criminal justice record, colorism, the recurrence of blackface, and allyship (supportive association with a group to which one doesn't belong). Denisha Jones, the Director of Teacher Education at Trinity Washington University, wrote a succinct, powerful reflection about her experience at this Speak Truth event.

For the Open Mic, we partnered with Teaching for Change and the bookstore/cafe Politics and Prose to host a performance event on the theme "Ode to the Black Village." Emceed by poet and school psychologist Carl Obeng, it quickly transformed into an open sharing between students, educators, poets, and community members. A lot of the people there had attended last year's open mic and wanted to participate again. Our guests led and participated in robust conversations around the experiences of Black people and the purpose of the Black Village, which refers to a community whose mission is supporting one another as extended family while challenging the notion of a "standard" family structure. We believe this village exists both in and out of schools. We also believe that schools can foster it by hiring Black teachers and mandating curricula that include Black history and ethnic studies, expanding the Black Village, and supporting the growth and development of Black youth.

It was uniquely powerful to hear the thoughts and experiences of people from all age groups and backgrounds speaking intentionally about how to support Black students in schools. Because many adults are so removed from student experiences and school cultures, it's helpful for them to hear and discuss what students and educators go through daily - specifically those who are most impacted. Through this event, we heard from students, artists, educators, and activists who are curious and passionate about ensuring that the demands voiced during BLM at Schools Week of Action are heard and met.
What changes or improvements would you like to see for next year's Week of Action?
We want to work more closely with the DCPS Office of Equity to determine more ways we can work with them to expand usage of the curriculum and reach more teachers and students. We'd like to engage more community members in critical conversations around issues related to Black lives in DC through physical and virtual events. In the months leading up to the 2020 Week of Action, we hope to work more closely with Teaching for Change to create more opportunities for educators and community members to have these conversations yearlong as opposed to just in the first week of February. We're also looking forward to having even more of our own Inspired Teaching alumni participate by using the BLM curriculum.

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Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action: Giving Voice to the Black Village - Center for Inspired Teaching

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LaTonia Smith Cokely, our Manager of Professional Development, and Mara Duquette, our Director of Program Administration, reflect on the second annual Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in DC, implemented by Center for Inspired Teaching and Teaching for Change.

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https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/celebrating-black-women-in-medical-history?scrlybrkr=68a5e11f

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Biddy Mason was born into slavery on a Mississippi plantation. Many years later in 1855, as a mother living in indentured servitude in Los Angeles, she fought for her and her family's freedom in court and won. Biddy Mason then worked as a successful midwife and nurse. During a smallpox epidemic in the 1860s, she risked her life to care for the sick. She also delivered hundreds of babies and later became one of the first Black landowners in Los Angeles.

A leader in the movement for Black women's liberation, in 1974 Byllye Avery co-founded the Gainesville Women's Health Center and alternative birthing center in Gainesville, Florida. The center addresses racial inequalities and improves the health of Black women in that area. She has dedicated her career to confronting disparities in the health care system.

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In 1997, Donna Christian-Christensen became the first woman physician and first Black physician to serve in Congress. She served nine terms as a Representative of the Virgin Islands. She is committed to addressing issues that influence Americans' quality of life.

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Born into poverty in rural Arkansas in 1933, Dr. Joycelyn Elders was the first Black person and only the second woman to head the U.S. Public Health Service. She has published hundreds of papers on pediatric endocrinology with a focus on juvenile diabetes, including the risks that very young pregnant women with diabetes face.. She is a long-time advocate of sexual and reproductive health. In 1993, Dr. Elders became the 15th surgeon general of the United States.

As we recognize the work of the Black women on this list, we also know that there are countless other Black people who have made our lives healthier, safer, and more equitable. Let's continue to support and lift up Black women and all Black people by donating to, volunteering at, or sharing information about organizations that empower and uplift Black communities, like Color of Change, Trans Women of Color Collective, Black Girls Code, and Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Header image courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.
Tags: Black History Month

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Celebrating Black Women in Medical History

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Biddy Mason was born into slavery on a Mississippi plantation. Many years later in 1855, as a mother living in indentured servitude in Los Angeles, she fought for her and her family's freedom in court and won. Biddy Mason then worked as a successful midwife and nurse.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheilacallaham/2020/08/23/does-black-lives-matter-hinder-or-help-universal-equity-three-diversity-executives-speak-out/?sh=629300d41967

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Since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May, and the following months of riots, organizations have grappled with how best to address the resulting workplace angst. Black workers have struggled with a ' business as usual' mindset while leaders decided how to respond to the ongoing social upheaval - if at all. Those in diversity and inclusion roles were pressed for quick 'fixes'; yet, how does one fix centuries of injustice that finally erupted into societal demand for change?

Mary-Frances Winters, president and CEO of The Winters Group, Inc., a diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm, said that in the last few months, companies have urgently requested intervention. Winters, who has been working to create equity and inclusion for 36 years, knew what to do - go deep - by addressing the history of racism and its intergenerational impact in the workplace and outlining action steps for creating lasting change. And while that worked for many, she is already experiencing pullback; reducing George Floyd's death to a moment rather than the movement it demands.

In a social media update last week, Winters shared her story of a good firing.

Who was fired? She was.

The reason? The client claimed the training was too focused on the history and impact of racism against Blacks, at the expense of other marginalized groups.

Which begs the question: Does the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the current focus on Black injustice support or hinder the progress of other diversity and inclusion efforts?

"It is similar to the 'all lives matter' mindset," explained Winters, referring to the notion that all diversity issues must be addressed equally. "The problem is that Black lives have not mattered. Because of our unique history with slavery, racism related to Blacks in this country manifests differently than racism against other groups. However, anti-Black racism has been downplayed in the diversity space and lumped with other categories, which minimizes the concerns of all of the diversity dimensions."

"There's an adage that says, a rising tide lifts all boats," said Jerrell Moore, global diversity and inclusion leader at Assurant. Moore believes the Black Lives Matter movement has created broader awareness - a focus on common decency and humanity - allowing for increased opportunities to discuss inequities overall.

"We've taken the first step of hosting conversations that center the personal stories of employees most affected by systemic racism and oppression. We have found that our employees feel truly empowered when they can tell their own stories in safe and supportive spaces that encourage them to be brave and candid."

But stories of systemic inequities can create discomfort - especially among white leaders who don't feel directly responsible. Nor do they know what to do to make things better.

In her social media post, Winters recounts a recent conversation with the CEO of a major organization who expressed concerns about an upcoming training session. His direct reports were getting nervous because they didn't want to feel uncomfortable. Other leaders have asked, 'Didn't we talk about that already?'

"That's why this is a journey," she explained, indicating that people may feel uncomfortable. "This is exactly why we need to go deep, so leaders can develop the competencies to have the conversations, query and recognize the differences that make a difference."

It's why the focus on BLM should continue.

The Influence of Black Lives Matter on Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

"It's important to recognize that highlighting the challenges and inequities faced by one group does not discount or diminish the struggles of other groups," said Moore. "With the recent social unrest and the intense focus on racial issues, we have to be mindful of what sparked it - the troubling current and historical experiences of Black and African American people in America. In a lot of cases, for the first time ever, our white colleagues and friends are saying, 'Now, I see.' That is monumental."

As a result, Moore believes that now, more than ever, companies are evaluating their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. "They are asking the tough questions like, 'Are we doing enough for everyone, in a way that addresses their particular needs?' Because it is not, nor can it ever be, a one-size-fits-all approach."

"BLM helps other groups by mitigating the broad-brush approach to diversity, equity and inclusion," said Winters. "It raises awareness that the issues are different for different groups and each needs to be studied separately."

Winters pointed out other ways the movement has effected change that supports other groups.

"The use of social media as a mass mobilization effort that other groups such as #MeToo and #NeverAgain adopted is an example. Additionally, BLM indirectly helped immigration efforts as congressional democrats called for the abolition of ICE, where the use of strong language like abolition comes directly from BLM rhetoric. The BLM movement has, in effect, given other causes the permission to advocate for change in new ways by changing how we talk about and organize for justice for all."

Moore cites Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

"If we look at the underrepresented groups who have benefitted from the Civil Rights Movement, it's not hard to see how the Black American fight for justice has positively impacted other diverse groups," Moore explained. "Just this year, an important ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on LGBTQ+ rights cited the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the basis for its consenting opinion. That is the power of the Black experience in America-it informs how other groups are included and considered."

Brian Reaves, chief diversity and inclusion officer at Dell Technologies, believes the current focus serves the greater good. "The injustices in the Black community have pushed companies to re-evaluate their policies, processes and commitments to create a more inclusive workforce that better reflects the world in which we live."

The BLM Movement Must Go On

"The events of the past few months have revealed for everyone what Black people have long known to be true - that racism and socioeconomic disparity continue to create an environment of inequity and inequality for Black people in particular, and people of color overall," said Reaves. "There is no question that deliberate action needs to happen to deliver change."

Winters' writes in her forthcoming book, Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body and Spirit (Berrett Koehler; September 15, 2020), "It is paradoxical that with all the attention over the last 50 years on social justice and diversity and inclusion that we have made little progress in actualizing the vision of an equitable society."

Black Fatigue is the first book to name and describe a phenomena Black people know well: the multifaceted physical and psychological damage wrought by simply living, day by day, in a racist society.

And while it's true that any protected category under Title VII, ADEA or ADA could claim that not enough progress toward equity has been made, Winters points to the evidence from numerous studies that indicate Black people fare worse than other groups from any socio-economic indicator (e.g., workplace representation, housing, income, criminal justice system).

Personal change is slow. Organizational change is slower. Successful societal change requires a long-term movement that only ends when public support demands and achieves resolution.

Change requires holistic evaluation and response and begins with white people acknowledging their privilege while actively working to end systemic bias and inequality. Leaders need to be held accountable, organizationally and legislatively. And, as Winters writes in Black Fatigue, we must stop prioritizing white discomfort over Black comfort. "It only serves to perpetuate and accept sublime ignorance."

Moore believes change starts with the mutual respect of humanity. "When we start seeing and appreciating other human beings, who happen to be different than us, the same way we see ourselves, change can happen. We can't simply write statements and tweet our way out of inequity. To take full advantage of the awakening upon us, we must ask ourselves, how will we change to ensure no one experiences feeling this way again?"

"This is about more than a program or making a splashy hire," he added. "It's putting accountabilities in place, such as laws, regulations and corporate policies, that not only promote inclusion but also hold people of influence accountable for the lack of diverse representation. This is the start to sustainable progress."

Moore encourages everyone to ask - and keep asking -"Are we doing enough to support the movement for racial equality and equity? We need to always push and challenge ourselves to do more, so our children's children won't experience the same events generations from now."

Reaves outlines the purposeful action his company is taking to drive change. "Solving for socioeconomic disparity won't happen overnight. It will take an ongoing, never-ceasing commitment across our entire company to remove racial bias, increase representation, champion truly inclusive policies and support the Black community in and outside our four walls."

George Floyd's murder was, as Winters writes, a tipping point resulting from centuries of injustice and death. She argues the impact of a racist system is not just killing Black people; it is tearing our nation apart.

Resolution requires solidarity. It requires commitment and accountability. The actions we take to eradicate racism against Blacks will make it easier to progress change in other areas, such as gender and age equity.

If we can't get this right, what hope is there for any disenfranchised group?

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Does 'Black Lives Matter' Hinder Or Help Universal Equity? Three Diversity Executives Speak Out

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Since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May, and the following months of riots, organizations have grappled with how best to address the resulting workplace angst. Black workers have struggled with a ' business as usual' mindset while leaders decided how to respond to the ongoing social upheaval - if at all.

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The only thing I'm currently interested in being as a black lesbian is being free--free from police harassment, free from white supremacy and free from fear-- and yet these seemingly auspicious desires feel like they are slipping away from me with each terrible headline I read.

We have innocent black men, women and children being shot dead in the streets. Black transgender women receiving a life expectancy of roughly 35-years-old. An entire American city whose population is 60% African American poisoned by their governor. Young black women wrongfully incarcerated and then later found dead in their jail cells. Which leaves us having to ask if #BlackLivesMatter in the 21st century.

As a child my parents would tell my sister and I that we could be anything we wanted to be as long as we worked hard, were respectful and thoughtful. The advice they gave us some three decades ago seemed logical; but now runs contrary to our current existence.

Respectability politics won't save us, only the revolution will.

Right now in this very moment we're witnessing white supremacy's last stand and the reaction to this ferocious expression of white rage is awe-inspiring-- it's living unapologetically black.

#NaturalHairDontCare, #MelaninOnFleek, #BlackGirlMagic, #BlackExcellence, #MyBlackIsBeautiful, #PrettyPeriod, #BlackLivesMatter. These are our siren calls, our chants, our unequivocal knowing that our presence, our blackness, our love for each other and ourselves is our resistance.

It's the erasure of brazen blackness that is at the core of white supremacy--it's the aspiration to have us believe that if only we alter our behavior, bow our heads and dim our light than we would be worthy of respect. If only we wouldn't wear a hood in the rain, if only we wouldn't walk in groups, if only we wouldn't play with toy guns (in an open carry state), if only we would respect the right of the police to harass us without just cause... if only, if only, if only, we weren't so black.

Who are we to stand tall, proud, and fierce wrapped in rich melanin? Who do we think are to demand that when innocent black lives are taken their tragedy be met with unabashed justice?

These are the questions that white supremacy asks while arming its self in military gear, launching tear gas, and doing it's best to beat us into submission. To the dismay to of a system that was built to dismantle us by flooding our communities with poor education, housing discrimination, incarceration, drugs and pollution--we continue to rise and thrive.

With each protest, march, sit-in, die-in and hashtag we are refusing to go quietly into the cold dark night. We own our humanity and right to exist in this country, this world, without fear of persecution.

Our celebration of ourselves, our blackness is our liberation.

We deserve a world where little black boys and girls are able to grow up into black men and women. We deserve a world where black parents can let their children play. We deserve a world where the images we see reflect the fullness of the people that we are. We deserve our freedom not because we pull up our pants, or straighten our hair, or emulate whiteness, but because it's our inalienable right.

Until all of us are free, none of us are free. So, what does our black future hold? Our unapologetic and persistent quest for black liberation.

Resistance is our birthright and revolution is in our blood.

Illustration by Ashley Yates

This post is part of the "Black Future Month" series produced by The Huffington Post and Black Lives Matter Network for Black History Month. Each day in February, this series will look at one of 29 different cultural and political issues affecting Black lives, from education to criminal-justice reform. To follow the conversation on Twitter, view #BlackFutureMonth.

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Unapologetically Black: The Revolution Continues

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The only thing I'm currently interested in being as a black lesbian is being free--free from police harassment, free from white supremacy and free from fear-- and yet these seemingly auspicious desires feel like they are slipping away from me with each terrible headline I read.

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Working While Black: Stories from black corporate America

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We asked black employees what they they wanted their non-black coworkers, supervisors, and executives to know about inclusivity in the workplace.

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From the start, the founders of Black Lives Matter have always put LGBTQ voices at the center of the conversation. The movement was founded by three Black women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, two of whom identify as queer.

By design, the movement they started in 2013 has remained organic, grassroots and diffuse. Since then, many of the largest Black Lives Matter protests have been fueled by the violence against Black men, including Mike Brown and Eric Garner in 2015, and now George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

But it's not only straight, cisgender Black men who are dying at the hands of police. Last month, a Black transgender man, Tony McDade, 38, was shot and killed by police in Tallahassee.

On June 9, two Black transgender women, Riah Milton and Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells, also were killed in separate acts of violence, their killings believed to be the 13th and 14th of transgender or gender-non-conforming people this year, according to the Human Rights Coalition.

And in 2019, Layleen Polanco, a trans Latina woman who was an active member of New York's Ballroom community, died while in solitary confinement at Rikers Island jail.

"We are a prime target because of our Blackness, and our intersectionality of being trans adds an extra target on our backs," said Jonovia Chase, co-lead organizer of House Lives Matter, a community organization composed of sexual- and gender-minority people of color.

Chase said that although Black Lives Matter was "created by queer folks, [cisgender] privilege has taken precedent over gay and transgender people."

While Chase and other LGBTQ advocates of color clearly condemn the deaths of George Floyd, Amaud Arbuery and countless other cisgender Black men, they're also quick to call attention to other acts of violence against Black LBGTQ people that garner less national media attention.

They often point to Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, a trans woman of color, who helped kickstart the LGBTQ rights movement following the Stonewall uprising of the 1960s only to watch as many hard-fought rights and privileges benefited white gay men and women but weren't extended to people like them.

"It's another example about how the Black queer community has been in the forefront leading, however, we're not being seen or heard or valued," Chase added.

However, organizers say there are clear signs times are changing, and that Black LGBTQ voices are increasingly taking center stage in nationwide conversations about race, discrimination and police violence.

In recent weeks, people have turned out in never-before-seen numbers to support the LGBTQ community of color -- and especially Black transgender people.

Last week in Brooklyn, an estimated 15,000 people turned out for a demonstration called The Black Trans Lives Matter rally, aka "Brooklyn Liberation," making it one of the largest transgender-focused protests in history, according to the organizers.

In Los Angeles, tens of thousands more gathered in Hollywood for the All Black Lives Matter protest, intended to be inclusive and centered on LGBTQ members of BLM.

And on Juneteenth, to celebrate the day the last enslaved people were informed of their freedom, celebrations across the country sought "intersectional" celebrations of the Black experience in the United States

In Harlem, in New York City, hundreds gathered for a massive celebration of music and art intended to "lift up and center Black Queer and Trans folks" in an event co-organized by The Blacksmiths, Intersectional Voices Collective and the Wide Awakes.

"More people are also becoming educated and intentional at this moment," said Niama Safia Sandy, who's on the steering committee of The Blacksmiths, a coalition of artists, curators, culture producers and organizers committed to Black liberation and equality.

"It is just not possible to turn a blind eye away from these things any more," Sandy said.

Clad in face masks and handing out hand sanitizer, hundreds turned out to dance, sing and march along historic Black landmarks on a hot day Harlem.

Eventually, the parade-like crowd landed at St. Nicholas Park, where members of New York City's ballroom community greeted protestors with elaborate voguing performances, a dancing style born in the queer ballroom scene that has since been popularized by Madonna, Rihanna and Ariana Grande.

"It's rare that we get opportunities to come together as a Black community and specifically center the trans and queer community," said Chase, who helped organize the Juneteenth celebration in Harlem.

During one performance, model and poet Linda LaBeija, a member of the House Ballroom community, read a spoken-word poem called, "Vogue, bitch," to a thunderous crowd of more than 300 people.

"How many of those beacons of light must we lose along the way?" LaBeija asked the crowd, referring to the Black trans women who have been the victims of violence.

And as Black Lives Matter protesters continue to remember George Floyd and others killed at the hands of police, LaBeija asked, "Are you including Black trans women in that list of Black names?"

As a Black transgender woman, Deja Smith said she's learned the hard way how difficult life can be for people like her in the United States.

"It has been a struggle most of the way here," said Smith, a founding member of the Intersectional Voices Collective and director of makeup artistry for DDPRO.

"But over the last three to five years things have started to ease up, leading to this moment today where I just thought I would never see a crowd of Black, queer and trans people of like minds, getting along, and speaking to our ancestry."

Smith credits the founders of Black Lives Matter for creating space for LGBTQ voices from the start.

"It has always been part of their cultural movement," she said.

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From the start, Black Lives Matter has been about LGBTQ lives

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Two of three Black Lives Matter founders identify as queer. From the start, the founders of Black Lives Matter have always put LGBTQ voices at the center of the conversation. The movement was founded by three Black women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, two of whom identify as queer.

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Footnotes

[1] Rothstein, R. (2017) The color of law: A forgotten history of how our government segregated America. Liveright Publishing.

[3] Alexander, M. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press.

[4] Drake, S. C. & Cayton, H. R. (1945). Black metropolis: A study of negro life in a northern city. University of Chicago Press.

[5] Franklin, D. L. & James, A. D. (1997). Ensuring inequality: The structural transformation of the African-American family. Oxford University Press.

[6] Tucker, M. B. & Mitchell-Kernan, C. (Eds.). (1995). The decline in marriage among African Americans: Causes, consequences, and policy implications. Russell Sage Foundation.

[7] Edin, K. & Kefalas, M. (2011). Promises I can keep: Why poor women put motherhood before marriage. University of California Press.

[8] Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy. The University of Chicago Press.

[9] Darity, W. A. & Myers, S. L. (1995). Family structure and the marginalization of Black men: Policy implications. In Tucker, B. M. & Mitchell-Kernan, C. (Eds.), The decline of marriage among African Americans: Causes, consequences, and policy implications (pp. 263-308). Russell Sage Foundation.

[10] Coles, R., & Green, C. (Eds.). (2010). The myth of the missing Black father. New York: Columbia University Press. doi:10.7312/cole14370

[11] Boyd-Franklin, N. (2006). Black families in therapy: Understanding the African American experience. Guilford Press.

[12] Pinderhughes, E. B. (2002). African American marriage in the 20 th century. Family Process, 41(2), 269-282.

[13] Jones, J. & Mosher, W. D. (2013). Fathers' involvement with their children: United States, 2006-2010. National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov
/nchs/data/
nhsr/nhsr071.pdf

[14] Taylor, R.J., Hernandez E., Nicklett, E.J., Taylor, H.O., & Chatters, L.M. (2014). Informal social support networks of African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American older adults. In Whitfield, K.E., Baker, T.A. (Eds). Handbook of minority aging (pp.417-434). Springer.

[16] Shonkoff, J. P. & Phillips, D. A. (Eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academies Press.

[17] Hart, B., & T.R. Risley (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Paul H Brookes Publishing.

[18] Kaushal, N., Magnuson, K., Waldfogel, J. (2011). How is family income related to investments in children's learning? In Duncan, M.R., & Duncan G. (Eds.) Whither opportunity: Rising inequality, schools, and children's life chances (pp. 187-206). Russell Sage Foundation.

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Family, Economic, and Geographic Characteristics of Black Families with Children - Child Trends

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1] Rothstein, R. (2017) The color of law: A forgotten history of how our government segregated America. Liveright Publishing. [3] Alexander, M. (2010). The new Jim Crow: Mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness. The New Press. [4] Drake, S. C. & Cayton, H. R. (1945).

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Washington (AFP) - When thousands of protesters descended on Washington in the summer of 2020, many brought with them hand-written posters reading "Black Lives Matter," "Resist" -- hallmark phrases of the historic outpouring of frustration over America's slow-walking progress on racial equality.

Nearly two years later, Nadine Seiler is still working to preserve these pieces of history.

Donning a pink hat and a Wonder Woman necklace, the 56-year-old activist loads her car on a cold February day with more than 300 posters and banners and heads to the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, Maryland.

There, the pieces will be scanned and digitized -- a meticulous process she repeats every six weeks.

Protesters in 2020 had attached the signs to a temporary fence around the White House, which officials had hastily erected in June to keep out a mass of protesters who, like millions around the country and the world, gathered to express their outrage over the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The 10-foot (3-meter) high metal barriers quickly became a rallying point for the US capital's Black Lives Matter movement as well as an open-air memorial -- with Nadine as its accidental curator.

Memorial guards

"I would see the items fall to the ground or people pulling them out, so I decided along with other people to just neaten up the sidewalk and put the stuff back on the fence," Seiler told AFP.

For nearly a year, she voluntarily repaired the memorial: taping signs back together, reattaching photos of victims of police violence, and retracing anti-Trump slogans that the rain had washed away.

Seiler also regularly struggled with Trump supporters and other members of conservative groups who would come tear down the activists' artwork.

She said a particularly devastating day was October 26, 2020, when "anti-BLM people" came to Washington for the confirmation hearing of Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

"They came to the fence and they destroyed it," Seiler recounted. "They destroyed almost everything, except probably 10 items."

Along with a handful of other volunteers, Seiler then decided to watch over the memorial day and night, camping out in the nearby square which the city's Democratic mayor had renamed "Black Lives Matter Plaza."

"People felt compelled to come to DC to put their stories on this fence and I felt compelled to protect their voices," she said.

Unemployed and devoting all her time to guarding the memorial, Seiler explains that during that time she struggled to pay her mortgage and almost lost her home in Waldorf, Maryland, near Washington.

"If we hadn't been there, the whole thing would have fallen apart because it wasn't built to be a permanent structure," said Karen Irwin, 46, an activist from New York who also volunteered to protect the memorial.

'Capture the feelings'

Across the United States, other initiatives have sprung up to preserve pieces from the historic social movement.

In Minneapolis, George Floyd's cousin, Paris Stevens, co-founded the "George Floyd Global Memorial" in October 2020 to safeguard the different "offerings" and artwork placed at the intersection where he was killed.

"We have over 3,000 art pieces: billboards, letters, different pieces of art murals," Stevens told AFP.

"It's really important to make sure that we are telling our story the way that we want to tell the story," she said.

Advised by an archivist, Seiler had herself photographed and methodically collected more than a thousand pieces in January 2021, after the inauguration of Joe Biden and a few months before the White House's temporary fence was taken down.

At least 600 items have already been digitized by a laser scanner at the Enoch Pratt Library, which is collaborating on the project with Washington's public library.

"These items tend to be something that would be used for an afternoon or during a specific time of protests and then thrown away," notes Jodi Hoover, the head of digital resources at Enoch Pratt.

"To be able to capture the feelings, the things that people were thinking about at this particular time during an enormous social justice movement, is really amazing," she adds. "It does feel like recording history."

Once the digitalization is done, probably by this fall, Seiler and Irwin plan to donate their collection to different associations, museums, or interested businesses.

"We want it seen," says Seiler.

She adds that they have already given some pieces to the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the site of a deadly race riot in 1921 which just marked its 100th anniversary.

"It's important to prove to people that history will remember your voice," insists Irwin.

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'History will remember your voice' -- meet the women preserving Black Lives Matter art

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Washington (AFP) - When thousands of protesters descended on Washington in the summer of 2020, many brought with them hand-written posters reading "Black Lives Matter," "Resist" -- hallmark phrases of the historic outpouring of frustration over America's slow-walking progress on racial equality. Nearly two years later, Nadine Seiler is still working to preserve these pieces of history.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-families-torn-apart-slavery-worked-find-one-another-rcna16124

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Throughout slavery, Black family units were in constant danger of disruption, and those in bondage had no control over the structure of their families, let alone their lives.

But the Reconstruction era, which followed the Civil War and the end of enslavement, was a pivotal turning point in history for African Americans and their families.

In the latest episode of the MSNBC podcast "Into America," journalist Trymaine Lee visits the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., to get an exclusive look at the exhibition "Make Good the Promises: Reconstruction and Its Legacies." During the interview, he speaks with Spencer Crew, the curator of the exhibit and the emeritus director of the museum, to help tell the story of Reconstruction through the Black perspective.

During Reconstruction, from 1865 to 1877, 4 million previously enslaved Black people worked to establish themselves in their new independence. Three new constitutional amendments, Crew said, "changed the nature of citizenship in this country." The end of slavery also gave the opportunity for African Americans to reconnect with family members displaced over generations. Families would travel to nearby plantations and farms, while also placing advertisements in newspapers in hopes of being reunited with their long-lost loved ones.

"What was interesting is that after the Civil War, there's a lot of movement of African Americans around the country," Crew said. "Well, in fact, what they're doing is trying to reconnect family members - trying to find people that were lost."

Churches also became conduits for people to find their families through word of mouth. In addition to helping reunite lost loved ones, Black churches established schools to promote education and later became arms of the civil rights movement. Furthermore, as a foundation of faith and stability in the community, the churches gave Black people hope in the midst of difficult circumstances.

"Faith is what brings the community together with faces," Crew said. "Faith gives you the kind of attitude and worldview in which you can forgive others for the kind of terrible things that they do and to move forward."

Although the process of reuniting families proved difficult and sometimes impossible, the Black family unit strengthened as a "very strong institution" that was stabilized within the next generation, said Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton professor emeritus of history at Columbia University.

He said many people tried to reconnect with family members through the Freedmen's Bureau, an agency established by the federal government as a resource for formerly enslaved people. However, this system often proved unsuccessful because there was no real record of what happened to separated family members, he said.

"There were tragic results, because people were unable, in many cases, to locate family members," Foner said, "or they face these problems where somebody may have remarried after 10 years of separation."

Many Black families were also separated by far distances, making it difficult for family members to travel and find them.

During Reconstruction, an important part of strengthening the family unit was through marriage. African American couples married under slavery participated in legal ceremonies to make their relationships recognizable by law. This showed that the sanctity of marriage and the closeness between husbands and wives, as well as their children, was very important, Crew said.

Reunited families also had desires of acquiring land to establish communities and create generational wealth.

"The key thing in having land is having control over your own economic destiny," Crew said, "and usually the first concern is your family. How do I take care of my family, my immediate family, and then my larger family? So that community building is an important part of the process."

After Reconstruction, one of the ways African Americans were able to buy land was from those willing to sell it to them. In many cases, Black people who had land were renting it from a landowner, who required payment at the end of the year. Despite these challenges, according to Crew, about 15 percent of rural land in the United States during 1900 was owned by Blacks, compared to less than 1 percent now.

New disruptions arose with the Great Migration - the movement of over 6 million African Americans from the South to Northern and Western cities and states - which had a destabilizing effect on families, and is associated with issues relating to unemployment, low wages and poor housing conditions, Foner added.

Black families continue to experience financial disparities. According to 2019 data provided by the Survey of Consumer Finances from the Federal Reserve Board, the median wealth of white families is four to six times greater than the median wealth of Black families, based on data analyzing the Black and white wealth gap in middle- and older-aged families. While wealth increases with age for all families, the report also found that substantial wealth gaps between white and Black families persist throughout the lifecycle.

While Foner said he believes it's important to preserve all history, African American history has often been sidelined and ignored for much of the nation's past. He also said understanding the Black experience, including the inequalities and prejudices that Black people were subjected to, is crucial to understanding the disparities in the nation.

"That's the explanation why there's such a gap in wealth," he said, "or a gap in life expectancy, or gap in, you know, other educational attainment or other divisions between Black and white in this country. You need to know the history to understand how the United States got into the divisive situation it's in today. Without history, there's no way of understanding the society we live in right now."

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How Black families, torn apart during slavery, worked to find one another again

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Throughout slavery, Black family units were in constant danger of disruption, and those in bondage had no control over the structure of their families, let alone their lives. But the Reconstruction era, which followed the Civil War and the end of enslavement, was a pivotal turning point in history for African Americans and their families.

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https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/black-women-architects-and-designers

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10 Black Women Changing the Architecture and Design Space

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Find out how they’re repaving the landscape for future generations to follow

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To continue reading please register or login to your OHW+ account.

After fans booed players for taking a knee at the weekend, Millwall Football Club has vowed to work with anti-racism charities to be 'a force for good'. Six months after employers voiced their initial support for the Black Lives Matter movement, how can they turn their words into action, asks Esther Langdon. The reaction by Millwall football fans as they booed players for taking a knee this weekend - at the first game to be attended by spectators after weeks of lockdown restrictions - shows that we are far from eradicating racism in society. Yet six months ago, the anti-racism protests which ensued from George Floyd's killing in May 2020 felt for many like a real turning point in tackling racism, not just in the US but across the globe.

Before this, many businesses had shied away from taking a stance so directly and publicly on matters in the news, including racism - but not this time. There was a proliferation of public statements of outrage at the killing and public commitments to do better. Many businesses felt that doing nothing this time was not an option and the view that "silence is complicity" was expressed. As we move into 2021, the need for employers to take a stand in these global conversations will continue, and likely intensify. How have the symbolic gestures of outrage against racism made in the summer progressed into meaningful action, and what happens when the conversation becomes difficult?

Taking a stand

Much of the force from the statements made over the summer came from seeing businesses taking a clear stand, even at risk of offending, or losing customers. Fast forward to Christmas, and the way in which one of

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Black Lives Matter: How to turn empathy into action

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To continue reading please register or login to your OHW+ account. After fans booed players for taking a knee at the weekend, Millwall Football Club has vowed to work with anti-racism charities to be 'a force for good'.

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Since George Floyd's murder by the police in Minneapolis on May 25 th, protests have erupted across the US and spread around the world. As demonstrations continue with no end in sight, many have noted that they are the " broadest in U.S. history." After so many weeks of sustained and sometimes disruptive activism, it is impossible to ignore the fact that these protests are different.
RACIAL DIVERSITY
One of the defining characteristics of this heightened contention is the diversity of the participants themselves. Since the beginning of June, my research team and I collected data from protesters in Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC. Across all of the cities and four different days of action, the diversity of this movement is noteworthy. Looking at the data, we find 54% of protest participants to be White. These demographics are particularly noteworthy since they are so much more ethnically and racially diverse than the large-scale protests that were seen as the hallmark of progressive activism against President Donald Trump and his policies, which I document in my recent book, American Resistance.

In fact, these protests are more diverse than the March for Racial Justice in fall 2017, as well as the previous moments of protest in the Black Lives Matter movement and the Civil Rights Movement. As sociologist Doug McAdam remarks while looking back over his career studying social movements, " We have never seen protests like these before, in turnout, perseverance, and the ethnic and racial diversity of those participating. "
THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONS
The increased diversity of the crowds in the streets is a very good sign for racial equity in our country. It is due, in part, to progressive groups mobilizing their constituents to join the protests in solidarity. As part of American Resistance, I studied the resistance groups that channeled the outrage in the streets into activism around the mid-term elections in 2018.

In recent weeks, those same Resistance groups have sent out messages of solidarity to their networks. They even encouraged progressive activists to join the protests by providing an onramp to the site that coordinated the actions in honor of the holiday celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the US on June 19th: Juneteenth.

Although these progressive groups have not always focused specifically on the issue of racial justice in America, they have contributed to the turnout in the streets by providing information and opportunities for their networks to be White allies and join the struggle for racial equity as individuals and through organizations.
THE PARTISAN DIVIDE
The shift in support for racial equity can also be seen in public opinion data that have been collected since the protests began after George Floyd was murdered in late May. Pew Research finds that, " two-thirds of U.S. adults say they support the movement," including the majorities of Black, White, Latinx, and Asian Americans. These findings are particularly strong for people who identify as Democrats. Our data collected in the streets during these protests also shows a partisan divide in who is turning out to participate, with the overwhelming majority of protesters (80%) identifying as Left-leaning.

Given the partisan divide in perspectives on participation in the protests, there are limited opportunities to channel the outrage in the streets into political gains at the national level using the political levers of legislation or executive order. Instead, the best opportunities for social change happening within the current political system is through the upcoming election in November.
MISSION: ELECTION 2020
Surveys with activists in the streets show that they are eagerly awaiting the 2020 election. Our data find unanimous support for candidate Joe Biden. Beyond voting for a Presidential candidate who is more likely to support policies related to racial equity, there is evidence that the 2020 election will improve representation in the government by electing more progressive candidates of color.

Despite the many reminders of inequality in 2020, the push for racial equity is clearly gathering momentum. Protesters, progressive groups, and candidates demanding justice and fairness together are a powerful force for social change that has potential to make some serious progress in 2020.
Dana R. Fisher is a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland. Her most recent book is American Resistance, which was published by Columbia University Press in November 2019.

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The diversity of the recent Black Lives Matter protests is a good sign for racial equity

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Since George Floyd's murder by the police in Minneapolis on May 25 th, protests have erupted across the US and spread around the world. As demonstrations continue with no end in sight, many have noted that they are the " broadest in U.S. history."

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues.
Dear Fellow Educators,

I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great. We juggle planning and grading; we strive for our students to show academic growth; and perhaps, most importantly, we push ourselves to create inclusive classrooms where our students can do more than become just founts of knowledge -- spaces where they can grow in empathy and compassion towards one another. At times, these lofty aspirations can feel daunting. But I wholeheartedly believe that if we truly want to see a better, more just world, the work begins now -- and with the children that we teach each and every day in our classrooms. After all, they'll eventually be the citizens, artists, innovators, and policy makers of tomorrow. So we must ask: will we be complacent and let them continue down the current paths of injustice we see within our country or will we empower them to blaze new trails of growth, healing and justice?

How do we start on a new path?
Such a goal, or even moral responsibility begs many questions, mainly: How can it be done?

The reality is that the work of promoting empathy and tolerance begins the moment we, ourselves, are ready to face it and tackle it with as much passion as we put towards improving their scholarship. It starts when we as educators are willing to lean into the difficulty and discomfort of social teaching and embrace the complexities that surround topics like race, equity and social justice in 2020. Children need far more than academic prowess to succeed in the world. It's our job to help them navigate social situations and to dismantle the systems that make it difficult for students to understand and show love and respect towards one another.

Accept implicit bias to create change
First and foremost, before we can confront intolerance with children, we must confront it within ourselves. For me, being a member of the LGBTQIA community and in an interracial marriage, I believed that I completely understood the challenges of being a member of a marginalized group and that I wasn't capable of subscribing to painful stereotypes. This thinking stayed the same until I began participating in training with my colleagues where I listened to the experiences of other educators, and even shared my own. It's imperative that we learn from one another, collaborate on solutions, and most importantly, take the time to engage in necessary conversations around racism and the inequities that exist in America's education system. I now accept and better understand implicit bias because, whether we like it or not, we live in a world that feeds us harmful and often dehumanizing ideas and generalizations about specific groups. So we must recognize and dismantle our own unconscious biases because they affect our perceptions of our students. Dismantling these falsehoods (or at least noticing that they exist and working towards undoing them) gives us the ability to break down the cycles and systems that discriminate against and oppress many of our students.

Normalize diversity to thrive in a multicultural world
After beginning the work within myself and accessing valuable resources, I spent much of this past school year with the notion that we cannot simply celebrate diversity, but we must also normalize it. Normalization for children helps them grow into adults who accept and thrive in a vibrant, multicultural world rather than fear it or resist it. We can hope that children who are taught how to be open-minded, collaborative, and accepting become adults who possess these same characteristics. When multiculturalism is recognized and prioritized in our classrooms during children's most formative educational years, naturally the ability for them to empathize and practice anti-racism is done sooner than later in their lives. It's unacceptable for college or the workplace to be the first space where a person faces, learns about and works alongside someone of a different race, sexuality or belief system.

Change thinking and remove ingrained systems
Making the commitment towards equity and anti-racism at school involves a shift in thinking, changes in practice and removing policies and systems that create barriers. Our journey is one of continual growth, learning and improvement. As a first step, we can actively diversify our storybooks, read-aloud texts, and canons of literature to reveal the lives of Asian, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ, Jewish, Latinx and Muslim characters. We can acknowledge annual holidays outside of the Christian tradition. And we can evolve our teaching practice to include digging into (rather than avoiding) open conversations when we witness bullying and microaggressions; validating the opinions and emotions of students when they experience both the joys and trials of their individuality; participating in different alliances and student unions for the students that don't feel represented within the school community at large; talking to our students and families about their school experiences; communicating with school administrators about improving school policies around equity and providing teachers opportunities for continued professional growth and learning.

Expand diversity learning throughout the year
The best part of this work is that it's not "seasonal," but rather all-encompassing. Specifically, the teaching of Black history must not start and end in the month of February and should not be limited to the topics of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, just as Asian, Latinx, or LGBTQ history is not linked to an isolated month of the year or to one notable individual within that specific culture. Further, the best education around these cultures highlights the historical obstacles, but more importantly, the joys and triumphs too. Similarly, it doesn't have to exist apart from your academics as a separate entity -- it can be intentionally woven into your academic lessons to both supplement and enrich them. Always consider and offer your students alternatives to the prevailing, dominant narrative because this is often the white narrative which sometimes carries incorrect notions of supremacy that are tied to systemic racism.

To achieve equitable systems in the world, start in the classroom
With all of this in mind, I accept and do this work the best that I can and with as much energy and fidelity as I can bring given the highs and lows of a typical school year. Even with the challenges, I would argue that if we want equitable systems in the world, we must create equitable systems and conditions in our classrooms first. Intentionally becoming a better model, initiating more anti-racist interaction, and creating room for all of your students to bring something personal and valuable to the table are easy ways to get the changes started. We must accept that we as teachers are agents of change in the minds of students, parents, colleagues and the community. I've seen how even a small shift in our practices can make a monumental difference. We as teachers must own our impact, embrace this work and break away from the systems that diminish the diverse students we serve. With that power, I invite you to join me so that we can know better, be better and do better by all of our students together.

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prioritizing empathy and anti-racism in schools

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Prioritizing Empathy and Anti-Racism in Schools | PBS Education

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues. Dear Fellow Educators, I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great.

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Scrolling through a list of famous scientists, it's pretty obvious science has a diversity problem. Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, Stephen Hawking - notice a pattern?

It's important to remember that not all scientists are white men - others just don't make it into our textbooks nearly as often as they should. Here are 10 Black female scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and healthcare professionals everyone should know about.

Marie Maynard Daly

Marie Maynard Daly was an influential biochemist and the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Chemistry in the US. Born in 1921, Daly completed her undergraduate degree at Queens College, her master's at New York University, and her PhD at Columbia University. She then worked with Quentin Deming on arterial metabolism, exploring the links between high cholesterol, clogged arteries and increased risk of heart attacks. She also worked on protein synthesis and the chemistry of histones.

Wangari Maathai

Patricia Bath

Patricia Bath is an inventor and ophthalmologist. Born in 1942, Bath grew up in Harlem, New York, studied Chemistry at Hunter College, and completed her medical training at Howard University. She then worked at the Harlem Hospital Center, focusing on finding treatments for blindness and other visual impairments. In 1988, Bath patented a probe that used a laser to quickly and painlessly remove cataracts. Bath also wrote about higher rates of blindness among African Americans and co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.

Shirley Ann Jackson

Elizabeth Anionwu

Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu is a British nurse and professor at the University of West London. Born in Birmingham in 1947, Anionwu had a turbulent childhood and spent 9 years in care. When she was 16, she left school and started working as a school nurse assistant. Later, she continued her education to become a nurse. In 1979, she set up the first UK sickle cell centre. Throughout her career, Anionwu has advocated for minority communities affected by genetic disorders and campaigned for the work of 19th-century nurse Mary Seacole to be recognised.

Alexa Canady

Francisca Okeke

Mae Carol Jemison

Kathleen Okikiolu

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a British space scientist and science communicator. Born in London in 1968, Aderin-Pocock completed her undergraduate degree in Physics and her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. She then spent 3 years working for the UK Ministry of Defence, before going back to academia, where she worked on a high-resolution spectrograph for the Geminin telescope in Chile. Throughout her career, Aderin-Pocock has been passionate about outreach and science communication. She has presented numerous BBC TV programs, including In Orbit and The Sky at Night.

-

Finally, while it's important to celebrate the incredible achievements of Black female scientists such as these, it's also important to remember that the lack of diversity in science is a result of much more than just underreporting. White male scientists dominate more than just our textbooks. Globally, women account for less than 30% of all employees working in scientific research and development. In the US, Black women make up 6.4% of the population but less than 2.5% of science and engineering employees.

We need to do more than just recognise the contributions of women and underrepresented minorities to the scientific community. We need to make it easier for others to follow in their footsteps.

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10 Black female scientists everyone should know about

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Scrolling through a list of famous scientists, it's pretty obvious science has a diversity problem. Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, Stephen Hawking - notice a pattern? It's important to remember that not all scientists are white men - others just don't make it into our textbooks nearly as often as they should.

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a bust of marsha p. johnson went up near the stonewall inn as a tribute to the transgender activist - cnn

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A bust of Marsha P. Johnson went up near the Stonewall Inn as a tribute to the transgender activist

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Visitors to New York's Christopher Park this week were greeted by the bust of Marsha P. Johnson, stoic yet softly smiling. It evokes a famous photograph of Johnson, beaming with a crown of brilliant blooms strewn through her hair. It was the work of a group of enterprising artists and activists.

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Black women in the legal world celebrate Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic Supreme Court nomination as a ‘victory’ for all Americans

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“It’s the American dream of coming from moderate means as a child and working really hard and being successful,” a law professor told Insider.

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Louis 🤬

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Louis 🤬

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues.
Dear Fellow Educators,

I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great. We juggle planning and grading; we strive for our students to show academic growth; and perhaps, most importantly, we push ourselves to create inclusive classrooms where our students can do more than become just founts of knowledge -- spaces where they can grow in empathy and compassion towards one another. At times, these lofty aspirations can feel daunting. But I wholeheartedly believe that if we truly want to see a better, more just world, the work begins now -- and with the children that we teach each and every day in our classrooms. After all, they'll eventually be the citizens, artists, innovators, and policy makers of tomorrow. So we must ask: will we be complacent and let them continue down the current paths of injustice we see within our country or will we empower them to blaze new trails of growth, healing and justice?

How do we start on a new path?
Such a goal, or even moral responsibility begs many questions, mainly: How can it be done?

The reality is that the work of promoting empathy and tolerance begins the moment we, ourselves, are ready to face it and tackle it with as much passion as we put towards improving their scholarship. It starts when we as educators are willing to lean into the difficulty and discomfort of social teaching and embrace the complexities that surround topics like race, equity and social justice in 2020. Children need far more than academic prowess to succeed in the world. It's our job to help them navigate social situations and to dismantle the systems that make it difficult for students to understand and show love and respect towards one another.

Accept implicit bias to create change
First and foremost, before we can confront intolerance with children, we must confront it within ourselves. For me, being a member of the LGBTQIA community and in an interracial marriage, I believed that I completely understood the challenges of being a member of a marginalized group and that I wasn't capable of subscribing to painful stereotypes. This thinking stayed the same until I began participating in training with my colleagues where I listened to the experiences of other educators, and even shared my own. It's imperative that we learn from one another, collaborate on solutions, and most importantly, take the time to engage in necessary conversations around racism and the inequities that exist in America's education system. I now accept and better understand implicit bias because, whether we like it or not, we live in a world that feeds us harmful and often dehumanizing ideas and generalizations about specific groups. So we must recognize and dismantle our own unconscious biases because they affect our perceptions of our students. Dismantling these falsehoods (or at least noticing that they exist and working towards undoing them) gives us the ability to break down the cycles and systems that discriminate against and oppress many of our students.

Normalize diversity to thrive in a multicultural world
After beginning the work within myself and accessing valuable resources, I spent much of this past school year with the notion that we cannot simply celebrate diversity, but we must also normalize it. Normalization for children helps them grow into adults who accept and thrive in a vibrant, multicultural world rather than fear it or resist it. We can hope that children who are taught how to be open-minded, collaborative, and accepting become adults who possess these same characteristics. When multiculturalism is recognized and prioritized in our classrooms during children's most formative educational years, naturally the ability for them to empathize and practice anti-racism is done sooner than later in their lives. It's unacceptable for college or the workplace to be the first space where a person faces, learns about and works alongside someone of a different race, sexuality or belief system.

Change thinking and remove ingrained systems
Making the commitment towards equity and anti-racism at school involves a shift in thinking, changes in practice and removing policies and systems that create barriers. Our journey is one of continual growth, learning and improvement. As a first step, we can actively diversify our storybooks, read-aloud texts, and canons of literature to reveal the lives of Asian, Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ, Jewish, Latinx and Muslim characters. We can acknowledge annual holidays outside of the Christian tradition. And we can evolve our teaching practice to include digging into (rather than avoiding) open conversations when we witness bullying and microaggressions; validating the opinions and emotions of students when they experience both the joys and trials of their individuality; participating in different alliances and student unions for the students that don't feel represented within the school community at large; talking to our students and families about their school experiences; communicating with school administrators about improving school policies around equity and providing teachers opportunities for continued professional growth and learning.

Expand diversity learning throughout the year
The best part of this work is that it's not "seasonal," but rather all-encompassing. Specifically, the teaching of Black history must not start and end in the month of February and should not be limited to the topics of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, just as Asian, Latinx, or LGBTQ history is not linked to an isolated month of the year or to one notable individual within that specific culture. Further, the best education around these cultures highlights the historical obstacles, but more importantly, the joys and triumphs too. Similarly, it doesn't have to exist apart from your academics as a separate entity -- it can be intentionally woven into your academic lessons to both supplement and enrich them. Always consider and offer your students alternatives to the prevailing, dominant narrative because this is often the white narrative which sometimes carries incorrect notions of supremacy that are tied to systemic racism.

To achieve equitable systems in the world, start in the classroom
With all of this in mind, I accept and do this work the best that I can and with as much energy and fidelity as I can bring given the highs and lows of a typical school year. Even with the challenges, I would argue that if we want equitable systems in the world, we must create equitable systems and conditions in our classrooms first. Intentionally becoming a better model, initiating more anti-racist interaction, and creating room for all of your students to bring something personal and valuable to the table are easy ways to get the changes started. We must accept that we as teachers are agents of change in the minds of students, parents, colleagues and the community. I've seen how even a small shift in our practices can make a monumental difference. We as teachers must own our impact, embrace this work and break away from the systems that diminish the diverse students we serve. With that power, I invite you to join me so that we can know better, be better and do better by all of our students together.

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prioritizing empathy and anti-racism in schools

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Prioritizing Empathy and Anti-Racism in Schools | PBS Education

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Will we as educators blaze a new trail or continue on the paths of injustice? An open letter to my colleagues. Dear Fellow Educators, I don't have to tell you, the demands on us are great.

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yet I wonder why people are so scared of my blackness

I hear the footsteps and chants of my ancestors marching before me

I can see the light they move toward at the end of the tunnel

We want the racial tension in this country to be put to rest

We are unapologetically black

I pretend that I can read people's minds

and feel sympathy for those who can only reach the surface level of my iceberg

When I touch my hair, I'm literally running a hand through my roots,

holding onto a past that will never be forgotten

I worry too much about what life in America will be like for my future kin

I cry tears of admiration for the people who have fallen, so I could rise up

They are the reason why I am unapologetically black

I understand how the justice system works against us

I say the government needs to be fixed

I have a dream of leaving a mark on history

I try to show people the beauty of equality

I hope someday they will love us the same way I love them

And understand that I am unapologetically black

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yet I wonder why people are so scared of my blackness I hear the footsteps and chants of my ancestors marching before me I can see the light they move toward at the end of the tunnel We want the racial tension in this country to be put to rest

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Re: "  'We've been here before': Fatal shooting underscores longtime problems at Seattle's Third and Pine " [Feb. 28, Law & Justice]:

An increased police presence and arrests to reduce crime in Seattle may be essential, but we need to go further by reforming the criminal-legal system that meets offenders when they arrive at jail. As a physician working in homeless communities, I have witnessed firsthand the myriad harms caused by our ineffective criminal-legal system, not only for those entangled in it but for all of us.

For decades, we have inequitably enforced laws and then subjected to an exclusively punitive system those people entangled in our criminal-legal system while we do almost nothing to address the root causes of crime. This results in distressingly high and inequitable rates of incarceration while the safety and livability of our city declines.

We need to pivot to a restorative justice system emphasizing rehabilitation. Vandalism, shoplifting and violent crime are absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped. These are also often symptoms of early life trauma, disconnection from work and community, and decades of failed drug policy with resultant organized criminal elements that we systematically fail to address. Our current strategy is not only inhumane and immoral, it isn't working. We can and must do better.
Nancy Connolly, MD, Seattle

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Restorative justice: Root causes of crime

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Re: "  'We've been here before': Fatal shooting underscores longtime problems at Seattle's Third and Pine " [Feb. 28, Law & Justice]: An increased police presence and arrests to reduce crime in Seattle may be essential, but we need to go further by reforming the criminal-legal system that meets offenders when they arrive at jail.

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https://www.provost.pitt.edu/anti-black-racism-history-ideology-and-resistance-final-course-syllabus

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Anti-Black Racism: History, Ideology, and Resistance (PITT 0210) — Final Course Syllabus | Office of the Provost | University of Pittsburgh

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PITT 02101 Credit Required Course University of Pittsburgh View Frequently Asked Questions about the course »

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https://socialjusticebooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/beyond-heroes-contents.pdf

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Recent protests about racism and police violence point to the fact that racism has institutional and systemic roots and expressions, reflecting non-inclusive societies.

Whether or not we admit that racism is systemic, we must ask ourselves why it is still a concern in such a multiethnic country as Canada. Isn't it the role of schools to promote values of equity, living together, justice and democracy?

In fact, the prevalence of racism across Canada, including the inadequacy of Canadian responses to demands for Indigenous justice, may be partly attributed to failures of our educational systems that reflect larger policy approaches to managing diversity.

Approaches

Despite the existence of formal and legal discussions about diversity, our schools have not escaped implicit racist assumptions embedded in cultural debates related to identity and nationalism.

(Shutterstock)

In Québec and other provinces there are efforts to develop policies and plans to integrate immigrant students and support the well-being of all students.

But schools are not necessarily fulfilling their roles helping educate a public that understands the advantages of diversity as a source of innovation, creativity and economic prosperity.

Immigrants continue to contribute to the growth of Canada's population: Between 1991 and 2006, the proportion of foreign-born people in Canada's population increased to 19.7 per cent from 16.1 per cent, and with this immigration is also increasing racialized and religious diversity.

However, in western countries the question of immigrants' integration and adherence to the values of the host societies remains a dilemma.

When it comes to diversity, different countries have different approaches. Whether in majority English-speaking provinces or in Québec, no one has succeeded in fixing the problems of inequity, social injustice, racism or discrimination.

Multiculturalism

The policy of multiculturalism, first developed in 1971 in response to rising francophone nationalism in Québec, as well as increasing cultural diversity across the country, recognizes the possibility for all ethnic groups to conserve their cultural heritage. Multiculturalism was institutionalized federally from 1982 onwards through both legal and policy developments, and provinces followed suit with their own respective policies.

These policies don't acknowledge that there is a dominant English-language culture or identity in Canada. They encourage respect for diverse cultures and dialogue among different groups.

The Canadian Multiculturalism Act acknowledges the expression and manifestation of different cultures in Canadian society and encourages the social, cultural, economic and political institutions of Canada to be both inclusive and respectful of multiculturalism, which has implications for schools, universities and public spaces.

Inter-culturalism

Québec has opted for inter-culturalism, which considers that the major culture is the culture of the French-speaking majority in Québec. The model aims to defend the province's francophone heritage. It focuses on finding a balance that emphasizes integration and interaction and promoting a common culture that respects rights and diversity.

Thus, many laws and measures have been issued to strengthen and make official the use of the French language in the province.

Inter-culturalism is not yet defined in an official act in Québec. However, a statement of immigration and integration policy, "Let's Build Québec Together," issued in 1990, set out measures relating to the choice of a society whose common language in public life is French, inviting all individuals to integrate and contribute to social development.

Impact on education systems

Schools that are uncritically operating in either multicultural or inter-cultural policy frameworks tend not to develop clear and fair systems that actively affirm the rights of immigrant, racialized, Black and Indigenous students.

This means that such schools are not, in practice, valuing students' languages, cultures or racialized identities. When it comes to language, imposing monolingualism at schools and depriving students of their mother tongue are considered phenomena of assimilation.

In the same way, ignoring minority and immigrant students' cultural values in the curriculum and in daily practices of the classroom marginalizes them.

While some teachers, schools or boards may undertake such efforts, if government policies and plans don't also follow suit, structural inequalities across school systems will continue.

(Shutterstock)

Québec research

In research I conducted in Québec about how teachers can support immigrant students, I found that that teachers indicate that their schools celebrate cultural diversity through activities throughout the school year, and that the administration and other teachers are engaged in efforts to recognize diversity.

Yet the same interviews revealed that teachers are often left with no choice but to deal with challenges particularly facing immigrant students such as language barriers, academic challenges, cultural shock or social integration without sufficient support or training. And many teachers are struggling to meet their immigrant students' needs.

Although some teachers try to adjust their practices, I found that schools in general risk stressing more folkloric and superficial responses to social integration, because there is no real effort being made in the schools' curriculum or through teachers' knowledge or understanding of the real issues facing their students.

Insufficient: Celebrating diversity

Recognizing diversity in our society will be ineffective unless this diversity is considered an asset for schools as they reconsider their values and goals. It is insufficient for schools to celebrate diversity.

Instead, schools should examine how to create a democratic environment for teaching and learning and adapt their curriculum with a critical multicultural approach that embraces anti-racist curriculum aiming to improve students' learning experiences.

This can be accomplished by discussing forms of racism, colonialism and other issues related to students concerns, by raising awareness, empowering students to think critically and speak up for their rights. This education will surely impact white students who speak the dominant language of instruction by giving them responsibilities to break the silence and be engaged in a process of change.

It would also mean different plans and goals for supporting students so that students from Black, racialized, Indigenous and immigrant communities find equal opportunities for academic success and their rights and identities would be affirmed.

In this way, all students would be better equipped to participate in and understand today's diverse society.

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Celebrating diversity isn't enough: Schools need anti-racist curriculum

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Recent protests about racism and police violence point to the fact that racism has institutional and systemic roots and expressions, reflecting non-inclusive societies. Whether or not we admit that racism is systemic, we must ask ourselves why it is still a concern in such a multiethnic country as Canada.