Strategies

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How the Daughters and Granddaughters of Former Slaves Secured Voting Rights for All

by Martha S. Jones | March 2019 Historian Martha S. Jones takes a look at the question of race versus gender in the quest for universal suffrage. The history of black women and the vote is one about figures who, though subjected to nearly crushing political disabilities, emerged as unparalleled advocates of universal suffrage in its truest sense.
TAGS: [Strategies] [2010’s] [History] [Politics] [Collective Action]

What Do 2020 Candidates Mean When They Say ‘Reparations’?

*Paywall Alert

by Conor Friedersdorf | June 2019
Even highly informed commentators lack a shared understanding of what the word means.  But among some influential Democratic constituencies—educated, left-of-center Brooklyn, for example—reparations is understood differently, as illustrated by a roundtable on the subject broadcast last month by a Brooklyn TV station…it clarifies the degree to which Americans discussing the subject can talk past one another or mistake how much disagreement actually exists, fueling everything from mild confusion to needless polarization.
TAGS: [Reparations] [Strategies] [2010’s] [Advocacy] [Politics]

The Story of Phillis Wheatley

by Elizabeth Warren | December 2019
Born in West Africa, Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped by slave traders and brought to New England in 1761. She mastered English, Latin, Greek and English literature at a time when enslaved people could be condemned to death for learning. By imagining she could, she became the first black woman poet to publish a book before the Revolutionary War. Using her example, we too can see a future where collectively our imaginations can be challenged to change the world for the better.
TAGS: [2010’s] [Strategies] [History] [Role Model]

9 Black Composers Who Changed the Course of Classical Music History

by Classic FM, Global Media & Entertainment Limited | June 2020
From Scott Joplin to Florence Price, the music of these brilliant composers has too long been neglected in Western classical music tradition. Classic FM recognizes some of the most famous and influential black composers. Black Lives matter now, and absolutely always.
TAGS: [Art & Culture] [2020’s] [History] [Strategies]

That Time White Slaveowners Got Reparations While Slaves Didn’t Get 40 Acres and a Mule

by William Spivey | December 2019
“It is time for us to simply realize that … when it comes to the economic gap between blacks and whites in America, it does come from a great injustice that has never been dealt with. If you did the math today, it would be trillion of dollars, and I believe that anything less than $100 billion is an insult”. Quote by Marianne Williamson on reparations.
TAGS: [Economics] [Reparations] [2010’s] [History] [Accountability] [Strategies]

Avoiding the Ruts of Injustice Within and Without

by Niyonu | October 2017
A warning that I find myself offering with greater frequency these days is “watch out to avoid the deeply cut grooves.” Rigorous and regular self-examination is required in order to identify those grooves worn ever so deeply, for they’ve become the bane of our wholeness.
TAGS: [Strategies] [2010’s] [Accountability] [Individual Change]

10 Simple Ways White People Can Step Up to Fight Everyday Racism

by Derrick Clifton | September 2014
Let’s face it: Most white people don’t like being accused of racism or hearing that they have white privilege. “Learning about the history of racial oppression in America is an important step toward understanding why many people of color have a hard time trusting white people.  For many whites, these types of accusations have nasty connotations, hearkening back to slavery, colonialism, rape, genocide, segregation, and disenfranchisement. But although it may be uncomfortable, these connotations can’t be swept under the rug,” it is no surprise that they may prefer not to deal with whites altogether.
TAGS: [Strategies] [2010’s] [Individual Change] [Accountability] [History]

Meet the New Generation of Black Climate Leaders

by Nexus Media | February 2019
Twenty-two experts and advocates talk about the struggle for racial justice in the face of rising temperatures. “Organizers and activists long relegated to the sidelines are gaining momentem – and political power – as they push for bold solutions to the greatest challenge of our time.”
TAGS: [2010’s] [Role Model] [Economics] [History] [Art & Culture] [Advocacy]
[Social Justice] [Environment] [Strategies]

19 Youth Climate Activists of Color Who Are Fighting to Protect the Earth

by Sherronda J. Brown | September 2019
Meet the black and brown teens fighting to protect their lands from industrial, military, and colonialist actions that have caused climate change. This list is not extensive and far from complete—there are many more BIPOC youths leading the fight against climate change and demanding that world leaders step-up and confront how colonialism continues to destroy the earth and Wear Your Voice highlights some of these teens.
TAGS: [Role Model] [2010’s] [POC Climate Action] [Advocacy] [Collective Action] [Environment]
[Strategies]

Anti-Racism Work is Messy: Observations from the Road

by Shay | May 2019
Too often, we conflate anti-racism, racial equity and racial justice work as being one and the same. In reality, while they are very much related, I don’t believe them to be the same. One can engage in racial equity, implicit bias or racial justice work while still dancing around the core issue of dismantling white supremacy. In fact, as we discussed at a recent board-staff retreat at my organization, equity is rapidly becoming the newest buzzword, much like “diversity” in the early 1990s. Increasingly when I hear people using it, I ask them to explain what they mean. People theoretically want equity, but without the larger framework, they are not committed to the type of systemic change that will require white people to actually give up something. And the fact is that active reallocation of resources is essential to equity.
TAGS: [Strategies] [2010’s] [White Supremacy] [Systemic Racism] [White Fragility/Tears] [Anti-Racism]