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#like they can do their anti racism campaigns and stand in solidarity but this issue is bigger than football...
wax-on-canvas · 3 years
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Blackness, Diversity and Communications
For many, the year 2020 brought both challenges and victories. The novel Coronavirus monopolised news streams for the better part of the year, but the world also found itself reeling from other key events, namely - the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement following the deplorable murder of George Floyd. Since Floyd’s death, over two thousand cities and towns in all fifty states of America marched and protested police brutality. Sixty other countries also protested, and as we can see, the momentum on this movement continues to grow in 2021.
As well as the pre-existing conversation surrounding anti-black and brown racism and the lack of accountability in disciplining police violence, there are still many layers beyond this which need to be examined. Within this endemic; unjust and wholly ineffective stop and search laws, the school to prison pipeline as well as the skills and pay gap are to name a few. Now more than ever, leaders of industry are to determine whether they are to lead change or take a backseat as the world progresses, to their own detriment.
This cultural shift in perspective has been long overdue. People are looking for solution-based commentary, new ideas and new initiatives to combat injustice in all spheres of society.
Diversity and Communications
“Agencies are really being called to the carpet, and they have to wake up and stop using the excuse that they can’t find qualified minority candidates. They are there. We have to go to where these people are”
The recent Black Lives Matter movement coupled with the #BlackoutTuesday campaign has illuminated an out of touch industry. Organisations jumped at the chance to show solidarity yet many of these same organisations have been criticised for talking the talk and failing to demonstrate positive, quantifiable action. It is no longer enough to simply talk about diversity, it must be championed and actioned in our workspace and in our attitudes.
Consumers, specifically young people, can easily see through disingenuous tactics. The Communications sector itself has become increasingly diverse in some respects - 64% of professionals identify as women and with the industry average age being 28 - the sector should theoretically stand at the helm of change.
Global Communications requires global representation
For global communication leaders it is not just a ‘good idea’ to promote a diverse workforce, it is a financial imperative and it should be regarded as such. Impactful storytelling and audience insight are integral to a successful PR campaign. This is only achieved with a diversity of thought within organisations. C​ ompanies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
As well as fostering an inclusive working environment, there is a need to tackle to issues which may repel young black and brown professionals from the industry altogether. Amongst these is a lack of representation in boardrooms and higher-ranking managerial roles. It stands as a bleak indication that progression for marginalised groups is not a priority within business.
Confronting unconscious bias is but one factor within a greater strategy, seeking to dismantle unproductive and unethical workplace culture, we must also create welcoming spaces and actively seek out talent in recruitment practises.
Stagnant ideals do not bear fruit in the age of technology and transparency, and so, no organisation can grow if it does not challenge itself and its values. Focusing on amplifying black and brown voices, creating spaces and opportunity for the disabled community, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised individuals will only strengthen and solidify integrity and add much needed value to organisations.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”​ —Maya Angelou
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mrchristianaxavier · 3 years
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Sharing Isn't Always Caring: Performative Solidarity on Social Media
Online social networks like Facebook allow many people to maintain an online identity or persona. Sometimes these identities overlap with one’s authentic self. However, these identities are often created, in my opinion, to reflect an ideal version of self. Things that uphold these online identities include the sharing of pictures, articles, videos, campaigns and hashtags. Social media platforms can give individuals the power to re-shape and re-define themselves into whoever they desire to become virtually…including so-called allies and accomplices.
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As a Black Trans artist, advocate and entrepreneur, getting my content shared is a good thing. Social media content shares spread awareness, increase visibility and widen one’s audience. But sharing isn’t always caring when it’s rooted in performative solidarity. Performative allyship is when someone from a nonmarginalized group proudly professes support and solidarity with a marginalized group in a way that either isn’t impactful or that actively harms that community.
Recently, I have noticed an increasing trend where white people share content on social media from and about marginalized individuals and communities, to seemingly receive a virtual pat on the back by their peers for being a “good white person.” 
GoFundMe campaigns are shared without people donating. Petitions are shared, left to be unsigned. Articles are shared for their juicy headlines only. Hashtags supporting Black Lives are also shared, by white people who actively reap the benefits of their privilege daily and who are too afraid to defend Black Lives in front of their peers, family, friends and co-workers in real-life. The shared content only reflects their make-believe online identity. Nothing else.
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This trend excuses privileged people, especially white people (cis and trans), from making the personal sacrifices necessary to tap into the layers of the systemic issues they claim to be against. It also creates a false reality where white people feel separate and far removed from the oppressors they share articles about, such as dictators, terrorists, politicians, law enforcement and conservatives.
These types of shares are phony public declarations and stands against issues such as racism, misogyny, transphobia and anti-Blackness, that people seemingly check off a to-do list with grand satisfaction and pride. But it is nothing more than solidarity put on display for kudos, clout and rewards.
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Performative solidarity is also seen with page likes and online event invites. Event Invites created by BIPOC are more cluttered with so-called allies who are “Interested”, than those actually willing to attend. Many of these individuals are people who in real life are also unwilling to commit to dismantling the issues and causes they claim to be passionate about on social media. But the opportunity to appear anti-racist, cultured, cool, woke, diverse and intelligent is irresistible to such individuals. This is especially dangerous for BIPOC event planners, artists and entrepreneurs who depend on ticket and product sales for basic necessities, such as food, meds, clothing and shelter.
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Performative solidarity and allyship is deadly to marginalized individuals and communities. It is exploitative. It is oppressive. It is violence. Real allies and accomplices must act, not solely with social media shares, but with their wallets. They must call people out and hold them accountable in real life, including relatives and employers.  They must sacrifice their privilege and be ok with getting super uncomfortable. And most importantly, they should do something transformative and impactful that no one will ever know about or see.
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The experiences of marginalized individuals and communities are so much more than click bait and trending topics.
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nettlepatchwork...
I'm sorry, this is not a great take. XR has been criticized for encouraging protestors to get arrested, without sufficient concern about the extra risk this poses to black members. BLM protests are organized with this in mind. White protestors are asked to form "human shields." My friends who are EXTREMELY active in the climate movement also have reservations about XR for this reason... of course some - perhaps many - people are using these concerns as an excuse not to get involved in any activism. It's true that people with decry a movement as "problematic" and then sit at home doing nothing. But this post comes across as dismissing real concerns, and suggesting that black people should be willing to risk murder for actions largely organized by white people.
Thank you as ever for disagreement friend, and this is a reply I definitely want to amplify. <3
I had a wall of text written out in reply, but I don’t think it does good to post it. It’s a good response, and I don’t want to detract/distract from it by making it a conversation instead of a statement.
(But i took my meds today, so my “I just have a few thoughts...” second pass is also quite unwieldy)
The critiques I am talking about absolutely implied that activism, as a kind of nice hobby, should be inclusive as a sports club or a band and, therefore, because direct action protest carried greater risks for some people than others, it was exclusionary, and should not be done. I have not encountered the idea that direct action can be consciously better designed by marginalised people for their own needs, and that the context of participating in a white-dominated campaign might produce avoidable problems. This is fantastic (& I’m going to pass the human shield bit on). But, if this is what the other critiques meant to communicate - then that may be a failure of me to understand nuance, or of how it was written. As written, it comes out as...”you should stop doing any form of risky direct action because it excludes people, just like when the local gay book group chooses to meet in a cafe that doesn’t have a ramp”.
& this plays into what modern climate change denial looks like in Europe: “It’s happening, of course, but we can’t do anything about it”, with “do” standing in for everything from green energy, to agriculture, to car culture when you’re talking to powerful people; and then for ordinary folks, like, “of course it’s happening, but you can’t expect me to give up my three holidays abroad every year”, or whatever this looks like on a personal level. “Of course it’s happening, but you can’t expect me to risk adverse confrontations with a bigoted social system”. “Of course it’s happening, but I would prefer to stand in solidarity with marginalised people by not joining your campaign”. “Of course it’s happening, but I can’t join your campaign unless you also campaign on {these other things}”. Some of these complaints are more legit than others, but they all stem from the same sense that climate action is nice to do because we’re good people - but not real, or urgent, at all. It’s not polite to say in Europe that climate change is fake; but no one really behaves as if they believe in it either. And after a while, it does all blur into one big reason why we’re going to kick this down the road so the next government can deal with it.
It’s not positive to be grumpy about things without trying to look for a productive endpoint, so I guess my question back would be...
What can XR do to resolve this issue in future, if experienced white anti-racists and black environmentalists choose not to participate? And what effective - not just performative - steps do we need to take to increase that participation?
Decentralised volunteer campaigns are shaped by the people in the room, and succeed or fail by the efforts of people spotting things that need doing, and getting them done. If you have identified a problem, then decentralised culture relies on you not sitting on the sidelines and complaining, but taking ownership of it. So, the frustration for me is - a great many people making criticisms, which is easy, but none of them then show up at their local group branch and say “I am going to take the lead on making change”. Which is hard work!
I do not believe that a white-dominated group can be effectively anti-racist. For the culture to feel *authentically* diverse, not just nice words, you need large numbers of people there - shaping the culture, the words, the priorities - and also in leadership roles. It can’t be christmas decorations, it can’t be a performance, it certainly can’t be a room full of nice white people talking about racism. It has to be - at its core, innately, organically, rooted in the priorities and language of the minority group in question. You can’t fake a thing like that. It’s in your bones, a feeling of “home”.
I think about this a lot; but it keeps coming back to this chicken and egg. The idea of “don’t expect marginalised people to do the labour of making the space safe; make it safe, then we’ll show up” - I understand why that’s desired, but it isn’t practical. No one else is going to do it as well as people speaking from their own experiences, about their own needs.
So ultimately, if I’ve misunderstood the critique I was whining about, I’m glad to be corrected (& I’m going to talk to some of my folks about maybe getting in contact with BLM for like, some advice on running a demo); but I still don’t know how a group with a majority white presence could *ever* resolve this issue, without black participants taking the lead on our action design. And that comes back to: the importance of narratives being shared and promoted, which seem to have the effect of discouraging participation from the very people most able to resolve it.
But yeah. I sincerely welcome any resources people reading this and rolling their eyes at my bullshit have for improving on this, and especially things that have worked for other campaigns historically because, like. It isn’t just us. Alternatively, high profile environment groups built by people of colour who have a presence in Wales. And above all, of course dear readers, you looking up your local XR chapter and taking on an organising role to work on this issue.
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To: PM Justin Trudeau,
We are a group of Israeli citizens, seeking to end our government's policies of occupation, colonization, and apartheid against the Palestinian people [1]. Some of us are the descendants of Holocaust survivors. We are committed to universal principles of equality and human rights and to the struggle against any form of racism, including anti-Semitism. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian civil society call for a democratic, nonviolent campaign for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli government and against Israeli and international institutions or companies that are complicit in Israel's severe violations of international law and Palestinian human rights [2].
The purpose of the BDS campaign is to end terrible injustice and atrocities inflicted on millions of human beings - men, women and children. Just like the similar campaign targeting apartheid South Africa at the time, we, along with our partners, are pursuing justice and full equality for all people in our region - Palestinians and Jews alike. Our agenda stands in stark contrast to the racist nature of the regime in Israel [3], which practices apartheid [4] and denies basic rights to millions of human beings, as documented by some of Israel's leading human rights groups. We deplore the fact that the Canadian government continues to support such Israeli policies, via special status agreements and legitimization at international forums [5].
We welcome your recent apology for Canada’s refusal to accept Jewish refugees on board the MS St-Louis in 1939. The Canadian government must take responsibility for its past anti-Semitic conduct. However, we reject your attempt to slander the global movement for justice for the Palestinian people. Specifically, we reject your libelous statements about BDS, associating this campaign with anti-Semitism.
We join our friends at Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada [6] and other Jewish groups, in stating what should be obvious: Jews all over the world are not a monolithic block, hence we do  not speak in one voice, and do not stand together as one against the basic principles of justice and equality or against free speech. In fact, Jewish groups and activists have stood at the forefront of numerous campaigns for justice and equality throughout the world, including Canada. This includes solidarity with the Palestinian people and participation in the BDS campaign.
Furthermore, We are encouraged by the recent decision of Canada's largest student union (numbering 500,000 students) to endorse BDS [7]. We are also encouraged by the recent statement issued by 236 Canadian scholars, who "urge Trudeau to retract his wrong-spirited comments that demonize the work students, community members and activists have done." [8]
Mr. Trudeau, as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorses the use of force and settler-colonialism [9], we expect you to recognize the dividing moral line and choose: Israel's violence, occupation and apartheid or a nonviolent democratic resistance to these Israeli policies. We expect you to apologize for your libelous statement against the BDS campaign. We also expect you to end Canada's preferential treatment policy vis-a-vis the State of Israel, in view of the latter's severe violations of human rights and international law. Furthermore, we expect you to stand for fully universal principles of justice and equality in human rights.
We will continue to stand in solidarity with all campaigns against racism. This includes our solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people. Sincerely, Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within (aka Boycott from Within). (1) https://boycottisrael.info/
(2) https://bdsmovement.net/
(3) https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/7771
(4) https://www.democracynow.org/2018/10/19/btselems_hagai_el_ad_calls_for
(5) https://ijvcanada.org/challenge-can-is-occupation/
(6) https://ijvcanada.org/  
(7) https://ijvcanada.org/2018/cfs_bds/
(8) https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sarah-ghabrial/bds-anti-semitism-trudeau-holocaust_a_23590519/
(9) https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181106-netanyahu-compares-israel-to-settler-colonialists/?fbclid=IwAR3bSwQP_gZt_ei5SjbI  
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crimethinc · 6 years
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Accounts from the Fall of Silent Sam–Featuring Maya Little
As the effects of the toppling of the Confederate statue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill continue to ripple out, we’ve obtained two narratives of the night’s events. The first statement is from Maya Little, the Black graduate student who helped catalyze the revolt against the statue by participating in a sit-in against it and then, when that did not succeed, dousing it in paint and her own blood. The second is from another anonymous anarchist, who connects the victory in Chapel Hill with the events of “All Out August,” a month of resistance to fascism, prisons, police, and other manifestations of white supremacy and oppression.
Whose Streets? A Statement from Maya Little
On Monday night, August 20, 2018, students, workers, neighbors, and comrades reclaimed Chapel Hill in an ungovernable enactment of justice. We marched in our streets and the badged and unbadged racists moved out of the way. We looked out for each other and refused to yield when fascists and cops attacked our comrades. We memorialized and reawakened histories of resistance against the white supremacist institution and its followers and honored the martyred Black and Brown people in our area. People masked up in force rather than in isolation, limiting the power of fascists and police. Finally, the statue was pulled from its plinth and Silent Sam’s smirking face was buried in the dirt. For the first time, we stood taller than Silent Sam.
This victory, cathartic and much more collective than previous efforts, challenged sanitized historical production, directed the conflict against the racist university, and aligned intersections of resistance against the institution to demand action alongside the most marginalized in our community.
In focusing on reclaiming and recovering histories of Black and Brown resistance, unlike objectified, depersonalized, and passive academic histories, the protest chose targets that rendered explicit the commitments to white supremacy that UNC and Chapel Hill maintain to this day. The focus on physical spaces brought UNC’s shadowy behavior to light, challenging the university’s abuse of Black students and workers. By directing attention to the protected existence of monuments, buildings, and plaques produced specifically to honor oppressors, organizers connected these physical racist symbols to years of racist policing, gentrification, and abuse of Black and Brown workers, students, and community members. In recontextualizing these racist monuments, Black students expressed solidarity with Charlottesville and memorialized Sandra Bland and the countless people of color murdered in our area. The fact that these were physical targets also enabled activists to reimagine spaces through the recovery of resistance histories—for example, in the Hurston Hall movement, the plaques put up to honor Pauli Murray, and the planting of placards last spring detailing many of the acts of police brutality and protest in Silent Sam’s last 50 years.
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Graduate students Jerry Wilson and Cortland Gilliam explain why they will wear nooses around their necks until the statue is removed.
At every step, the university opposed activists, confiscated materials, and used surveillance and harassment to stop the recovery and rejoicing in reclamation. It remains important for the university to portray resistance as an outlier, the unusual behavior of so-called “outside agitators.” This is why Monday’s 20-foot-tall banners memorializing the many murdered by white supremacy and honoring “Those who have fought against the white supremacy UNC upholds” were a critical element, helping to create an alternate campus that empowered and brought together anti-racist protestors without chancellors, police, or city officials.
The banners not only presented a different vision—they became our own plaques, our own memorials. Students, workers, and community members carried and protected the banners, using them to create a space that police and fascists could not take back. We carried them, fought for them, and worked together to put those banners up surrounding Silent Sam.
The violence that police demonstrated in response to our protecting the banners clarified their opposition to our freedom and united people in reclaiming the area. This demonstration did not involve marginalized people acting alone or demonstrators alienated from a sense of struggle. We were connected by our resistance to the united front of cops and Confederates.
Along with other Black students, I spoke about the pain and danger of being daily abused under Silent Sam’s gaze by our university and racist visitors. This time, instead of behaving like hesitant and elevated allies, white students, workers, and comrades acted as “supportive accomplices.” As people acted together, the banners were put up and the statue taken down. Backed into a corner and afraid of our power, the university has revealed that all it really knows how to do is to repress and seek revenge.
Their racist monument was taken down in an act of community power. Now UNC chancellor Carol Folt, the cops, and city and state officials in Raleigh are scared. Along with Harry Smith, Margaret Spellings, and Haywood Cochrane, Folt issued the boldest statement that I have ever seen from the Chancellor’s Office. They promised retribution for the toppling of the statue through the use of extensive university and state funds supported by the SBI. Direct action and confrontation with the university and its police has been the only way to draw the administrators and cops out of their usual equivocating and shadowy operations to show their real colors. White demonstrators witnessed the force that the university regularly uses to crush Black dissent.
The demonstration last year, the marking of the statue with blood, and the memorialization and toppling on Monday have forced the admins and cops into a corner and now they bare their teeth. That’s good. They fear the commitment to justice that we demonstrate; thereby, they make clear what they actually care about: money and maintaining white supremacy.
Fear was also present in the announcement of the expected results of the historical commission planned for Wednesday, August 22, a microcosm of every institution in this country and the obsessive need to compromise at the expense of Black lives. In this fear and in the aftermath of seeing what ungovernability can look like, in Raleigh we saw a show of force by the state in direct opposition to justice. Valerie Johnson, the sole Black commission member, quoted MLK in the minority vote in favor of monument removal: “American history is replete with compromise. The Missouri compromise that spread of slavery, Plessy v. Ferguson. Let’s not continue compromising.”
And yet they did—the reformists acted as they always do, choosing comforts over equality. They further insult the North Carolinian Black and Brown heroes by deciding to place their statues next to the massive, suffocating monuments dedicated to the racists who murdered them. Yet only two days after Silent Sam’s toppling, the institution again met resistance. One woman stood up to read a statement against the racist statues and was immediately mobbed by police and dragged to a vehicle outside. The mere hint of dissent is beginning to frighten them more and more.
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The statue falls.
In every instance of action, whether it be the clever renaming of UNC buildings after Hitler and David Duke by students supporting Hurston Hall in 1999, the guerrilla history connecting resistances, or a crowd coming together to run off UNC police and topple a 105-year-old statue celebrating the Confederacy, we have seen clearly which side the university stands on. The university, its leadership, and its institutions do not stand with us. We want liberation, they want to push their brand. We topple white supremacy, they uphold it.
Moving forward, looking to the courageous rebellions taking place against white supremacy on a broader basis such as the national prison strike and the unrelenting demonstrations for Black lives in Chicago and Toledo, we can draw inspiration from the actions in Chapel Hill on Monday night. In recovering the histories of resistance, in taking direct action against racism, surveillance, neoliberalism, greed, and institutional power, we brought about a new togetherness and a demonstration of our own power.
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All Out August: A Statement from an Anonymous Anarchist
The actions of August 20 in Chapel Hill took place against the backdrop of a tumultuous month many have taken to calling All Out August. Starting as a joint social media and poster campaign among several informal autonomous anti-fascist networks across the so-called US and Canada, the hashtag rapidly came to stand for more than just countering far-right rallies.
This campaign became a nationwide effort encompassing several different issues—a modest attempt to present a common narrative tying together many different demonstrations, including some supporting the prison strike that began on August 21. This seems to have succeeded in addressing people beyond established anarchist and antifascist networks, strengthening popular mobilizations against various forms of fascism from Portland and Austin to DC and Chapel Hill and blurring the lines between ordinary demonstrators and those sometimes called “militants.”
The following personal reflection on a few moments of joy and determination on the streets of a sleepy Southern university town aims to highlight how this happened.
By only a few minutes after 7 pm, the entire plaza was overflowing with protestors. The energy was already palpable—the tone serious, hundreds of people silently giving the speakers their full attention. Students of color spoke of how the statue functioned as a reminder that they were not welcome on this campus, that they were not safe. Two Black students vowed to wear nooses around their necks from that day until the statue’s removal as their own reminder of what Silent Sam represents to them. Thanks to a combination of luck, determination, and uncompromising direct action, they only had to follow through on their vow for a few hours.
After a rowdy and inspiring round of speeches below the backdrop of the twenty-foot-tall gray banners that would soon shroud Silent Sam forever, the crowd was invited to march across the street to the statue. As speakers finished, they openly expressed their support and solidarity for the people who would be masking up—in defiance of North Carolina’s mask law—to help protect their identities from far-right doxxing and state surveillance. Over the microphone, we were reminded that those who dedicate their lives to fighting racism and fascism must sometimes cover their faces to protect themselves.
We pulled the freshly printed Carolina blue bandanas across our faces: three arrows pointing down alongside the words “SAM MUST FALL.” Solidarity was written across our faces. More banners appeared out of nowhere. The electricity in the crowd grew.
As soon as we crossed the street, the 10 or so cops that had been hanging around the statue attempted a show of force by targeting those who were wearing masks. They walked into the crowd, taking their authority for granted, yelling at each demonstrator clad in Carolina blue, “Remove your mask! Take your mask off!” Some pulled their masks down temporarily; the police unsuccessfully attempted to rip masks off other comrades. The police thought they had an opportunity to separate the troublemakers from well-meaning non-confrontational student protestors and went in to arrest several masked individuals. They thought this show of power could weaken us, giving them the upper hand. Not this time. This time, we wouldn’t be stopped, we wouldn’t be scared. We were more powerful than them and we knew it.
The moment the cops went in to snatch several of our comrades, dozens more came to their aid. Banners appeared between the grabbing hands of the police and the fast-moving protestors; people held tight to those who were targeted. Smoke erupted, and a human tug of war ensued. A crowd surrounded the few visibly confused officers, chanting fiercely. Of the several people the officers tried to apprehend for covering their faces, they only successfully captured one. One very large officer covered the arrestee with his entire body, and the determined crowd was unable to remove his massive weight. (The arrestee didn’t report any injuries, and only was charged with two misdemeanors). Later, we learned that a police officer only a few feet away from the confrontation had reached for his gun.
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The police were thoroughly distracted by the melee. The four gray banners were already almost entirely installed around the statue by the time they regained their bearings. Once the rowdy crowd realized it could do no more for this one comrade, people retreated to the statue, surrounded it with a ring of additional banners. During these chaotic initial moments, a lone white supremacist tried to intervene and succeeded in pulling down one of the gray banners encircling Silent Sam, but it was quickly reclaimed and the aggressor was ejected from the crowd. We were everywhere at once—unarresting our friends, removing fascists from our midst, putting up banners, chanting, moving, taking care of each other.
This moment defined the evening. The police had assumed that this crowd could be tamed. Yet as soon as we arrived at the plaza, we were a single defiant force with one goal clear before us, although none of us expected to accomplish it that very night. The students, teachers, alumni, anarchists, and community members of all kinds were together in this moment, tired of waiting for politicians to give us concessions. The crowd was diverse in age, race, and background, but that night there were none of the disagreements that have become so commonplace in demonstrations. There were no apologists demanding that we stop trying to rescue our comrades from the hands of the police. Confused by our unity and determination, the police stood back. They knew that any moves against any of us would be difficult and potentially dangerous.
Elated by our initial victory, we lost track of time surrounding the statue; it could have been moments or hours. No longer visible, Silent Sam was shrouded on all sides by a wall of gray. The words “For a world without white supremacy” waved valiantly over where Sam had stood as a threat to students of color for one hundred and five years. The other banners formed a line, creating a visual display of resistance. A few police and random fascists stood around the edges of the quad.
A distance opened, and those of us holding banners began to feel exposed to police and other attackers. At that moment, the crowd of joyous, uncompromising marchers encircled the monument, singing, dancing, chanting, and keeping our energy alive. This seemed to indicate that at least some of the demonstrators were aware that the police would target the people holding banners first in order to take out a line of defense. It would be harder to justify this if a crowd of “normal-looking” students surrounded this line with locked arms, chanting. It was becoming ever clearer that this time, no one was interested in the usual divisions around tactics that often hinder our activity.
We all stood around, unsure of our next move. We had made it to our goal quickly, surprising ourselves. We thought it was over and it seemed the crowd was about to thin out. As the night fell, the summer heat did not lift, and we were all hot and tired, yet ready for more. Some rowdy folks got on the microphone and led some new chants:
“How do you spell Nazi? “C-O-P”!” “Say no no to the po po!” “Nat Turner, John Brown, anti-racists run this town!”
Someone finally got a sound system working, playing loud political hip-hop. A small dance party ensued. Once we began to lift up our spirits again, the crowd began to move. We spilled out into the street; linking arms in a classic form of resistance and solidarity, we moved together down to the next intersection. Pink smoke rose from the crowd and we formed a ring around the intersection, still arm in arm. We all faced each other, joined together with our new friends. We stood a moment in rest, listening to the voices of students of color on the megaphone, calling out the names of the revolutionaries who came before us. There was a solidarity in the air that words can hardly describe—hundreds of strangers who had come together, done what we needed to, and now held each other up. The line between street action that is categorized as confrontational and action that is described as “non-violent” became blurred. We linked arms to hold space, to breathe and celebrate together.
As we marched, we refused to let the fascists who wanted to bait us into argument distract us; however, we did not compromise in pushing them from our ranks. This occurred over and over that night. While we would never shed tears for a bigot who got himself bloodied, the crowd was wise to use just enough force to expel these people from our ranks and no more. The straggling right-wingers didn’t pose much of an immediate physical threat; outnumbering them, screaming in their faces, and shoving them beyond an established perimeter held by banners did the trick without causing a brawl that could have distracted us from our goals. Even when it came to people deploying smoke bombs, those only seemed to appear at the right moments, to serve as a distraction or conceal activities. These tactical decisions were made in the moment, between friends and strangers alike. For a few rare hours, we knew our power.
Our celebratory moment in the street ended when shouts rang out that some people had stayed behind at the statue and were now facing harassment. There was no hesitation among the crowd to return to the site for our comrades. We came marching back, much to the surprise of the small line of police trying in vain to protect Silent Sam. They were soon surrounded by an angry crowd; some tossed empty water bottles at them. These served as warning shots, letting them know that we meant business. This was our moment, our place. Their laws and their violence meant nothing to us. They stood fast at first with fear and confusion visible on their faces. But as soon as the bottles flew, the police immediately tapped each other on the shoulder to back off in retreat.
A few lone right-wingers remained, insisting that they were “just bystanders.” In the moment, this was obvious code, as they refused to join in the protest or get out of the way. The crowd opened, offering them a path out. When they refused, they were pushed through this opening; they turned around, fists cocked, only to find a crowd of masked people confronting them, and banners quickly shutting behind to block their view of those who had just removed them. Like tattletales in elementary school, they ran to the police: “Mr. Officer! They shoved me!” Once again, we let the police know that they did not rule over us. The march down the block had renewed us and we were ready for anything.
The night was built of moments like this. Fascists repeatedly tried to stand among us to gather intelligence but were immediately identified and neutralized. We always began by telling them to leave; then people around them would begin to chant in hopes of driving them out with voices. If this was not enough, one quick push could get them out of the crowd. A banner would move into place between the fascists and the crowd, and we could shift our attention to other things. Everyone seemed to have a similar understanding that we would set our boundaries very clearly with both the police and the fascists but never let them distract us from our goal.
It must also be said that there were many other bystanders who came to watch; these people were more than welcome and some joined in. Those who had brought banners often passed them on to enthusiastic newcomers who had been observing how to use them as defensive tools against state surveillance and attacks. The media will always describe us as “an angry mob,” attempting to foment fear about the threat we supposedly pose to the community, but that’s just propaganda. The only people who were unsafe in this situation were the thinly-veiled fascists who support monuments to white supremacy and advocate for the genocide of Black people and other people of color. They should be afraid. On the night of August 20, even the police had nothing to fear as long as they didn’t try to arrest any of us. All genuine bystanders, community members, and future troublemakers are welcome to join us.
Once police and fascists were cleared from the statue, word spread that it was going to come down. A rope had materialized around Silent Sam’s neck. We all moved out of the way; despite the chancellor’s fear-mongering statement later that night, there was never any risk that the statue would fall onto any of us. We all stepped back together to see if it would fall. To be honest, for a moment, we didn’t believe it was possible. The chants that had filled the air fell silent as we all waited in anticipation.
After a few seconds of pulling to no avail, a deep metal grating noise rang out and we knew that Silent Sam would stand no more. We erupted in uninhibited joy and shrieks of delight as the statue lurched through the gray banners and fell into the dirt. All at once we were jumping, hugging, crying in disbelief. Immediately, multiple clouds of pink and orange smoke rose up; people began throwing dirt on the statue as it lay face down in the mud. Banners were unfurled once again as people danced together and embraced.
As our cheers died down and we pulled our masks from our smiling faces, the rain that had been forecast all evening finally began to fall. This perfect timing completed a night that already felt magical and surreal. It was as if the natural forces were working with us, aligned with us, and now we could cool off from the heat and begin to wash away all the pain that Silent Sam’s legacy has inflicted upon all our communities. Those struggles are far from over, but that moment was ours. The rain grew heavy; jubilant and still alight with adrenaline, we disappeared into the night.
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For those of us who have dedicated ourselves to a life of struggle towards liberation from capitalism, the state, white supremacy, and oppression in all the other forms it assumes, it’s easy to become accustomed to losing. Over the centuries of our struggle and the years of our own lives, we have experienced so many losses that we dare not count them. The powers that be rip through our communities and try to break us, yet we keep going. We lick our wounds and continue forward because that is the only direction we know how to go.
When Silent Sam made his nosedive into the dirt of the university, we remembered what it was like to win. These tiny moments are a breath of fresh air; they are the fuel that keeps the fires within us burning. It is like falling in love again after heartbreak—we know that it may not last forever, but it is worth it. It is worth everything they will try to do to destroy us, because we know what it is like to feel alive.
The joy that we felt when the statue fell is the joy we feel when we take control of our own lives. We are raised to believe that someone else will solve our problems for us, that we must rely on the police or the state to change the conditions of our existence. In North Carolina, the state has don us a favor by literally barring politicians from removing the statue, leaving direct action the only option. Once we learn what it is like to taste freedom, we never forget. Felling the statue with our own hands provided the kind of catharsis that could actually heal some of the wounds that 500 years of colonization, slavery, and oppression have left on our collective psyche.
Imagine the statue being removed by the city at a designated time by people paid to wear yellow safety vests! Would we have felt that sense of victory in that moment? Or would we have just felt a muted satisfaction, perhaps even a touch of resentment at the officials smiling smugly for the photo op, proud to benefit from the one concession they have given to the same communities that their police officers murder with impunity, harass daily, and kidnap to fill their jails and prisons? Our elation in this moment of healing is so powerful because we took it for ourselves, because we worked together as a community to establish our autonomy and self-determination. We were effective because for a few hours, we did not fight with each other. We allowed people to be confrontational, militant, and assertive without policing each other, and we eschewed any unnecessary escalation that would have distracted from our goals.
There is an argument that our success was only possible because of a police force that was not heavily invested in protecting the statue. There may be truth in this, though the police will surely deny it; but in any case, we know that our success was our own. There was a palpable affinity amongst the crowd: though strangers, we came together with a single goal, and we learned quickly how to work together. This also attests to the organizers reading the situation correctly. If a police force is not able to muster the will to act, why not take advantage of their weakness to solve a longstanding problem? We struck a blow that will ring out for a long time.
At the same time, this brings up questions about how some of the authorities might try to use the outrage surrounding monuments to recuperate our struggles into more state-approved methods of so-called social change. How will “progressive” politicians latch on to the “people power” that took down statues in Durham and Chapel Hill to bolster electoral campaigns full of empty promises, that won’t actually shake the foundations of institutionalized white supremacy?
While All Out August still isn’t over, we can begin to see its success in a multitude of ways, as combative solidarity demonstrations have kicked off in multiple cities in support of the prison strike and there are rumors that another monument somewhere else in the South could be next. The so-called “Alt-Right” that attempted to regain its previous momentum has largely failed, with pitiful showings in every city this month besides Portland. Even there, their numbers were dwarfed by the anti-fascist opposition, and they were only able to march on account of extreme violence on the part of the Portland police, who nearly killed a protestor.
One lesson we might glean from all of this is that while it is absolutely necessary to oppose the far right when they attempt to build street power, we’ve been stuck in a reactive loop for the past year. Now we are regaining the initiative. If there is a monument to white supremacy in your town—and they aren’t all Confederate statues—why not take the offensive against it now? In some cities, it has appeared that people are waiting for a far right group to make the first move, but we can see clearly from Chapel Hill that a crowd that takes the initiative can accomplish far more than just impeding a far-right group from organizing.
We must also be thinking about what comes next. All Out August has been a first step towards connecting the legacy of the Confederacy and the enslavement of human beings to contemporary struggles against prisons and police. This is a huge first step, on a national scale, but there is a long way to go. How can we make these connections with even more clarity? Not just through posters and hashtags, but with actions on the ground, with real people? How do we increase our capacity to block ICE operations and to defend those actions against fascist intervention, while connecting the fight against ICE with the fight against colonial exploitation of the land? We’ve seen glimpses of these moments in the streets—through the clouds of smoke following the fall of a statue that came down with the complicity of people who might have called masked demonstrators “troublemakers” just a year ago.
As we desire for these actions to spread, we know that our victory in the streets of Chapel Hill was the product of creativity, flexibility, and uncompromising solidarity. It does not stand alone in the fabric of history, but rests on a foundation of decades of effort. We won because we refused to fight each other, because we set the terms of how we would take the space. We won because we seized the moment and learned to work together. We won because we took the opportunity to turn our desires into action. That moment reminded us that when we build collectively, look out for each other, and take control of our lives, even a small group of people can topple giants.
We saw that even something that seems permanent and inevitable might actually be nothing more than a hunk of cheap bronze shoddily attached to a pile of concrete. It doesn’t take that much to see it come crashing down.
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Sic semper tyrannis, but for real.
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Snapchat shares new insights into how users celebrate Asian and Pacific Island Heritage Month
With Asia and Pacific Island Heritage Month now underway, Snapchat has done just that shared new research in how the users of the event plan to mark it, and also what they expect from brands and other organizations to show their support to API communities.
The API community has come under fire in recent months, with racial violence increases. It makes the event is even more important this year, and Snapchatters wants to use it as an incentive to increase their understanding of the key issues.
As explained by Snapchat:
“We have found in many Snapchatters a desire to teach themselves about API communities, and to see brands commit to fighting racial discrimination in public. Nearly 3 out of 5 Snapchatters say that brands have a responsibility to combat racism,” to condemn hatred and discrimination. “
The branding element here is important and is of course an important note for businesses active in the app.
Indeed, Snapchatters expect brands to use their voice to show solidarity with API communities.
“According to Snapchatters in Canada (46%) and the US (39%), the most important step brands can take during Asian Pacific Island Heritage Month is to speak out against anti-Asian hate crimes. Snapchatters value kindness and inclusivity. , and they want to see the same of brands. “
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It joins previous research which shows that younger audiences want to join social causes and movements, and are more willing to support brands that want to do the same.
But more than just this month, Snapchatters also wants to see more brands act outside of this period to show their support to marginalized communities.
“Nearly 3 in 5 North American Snapchatters want to see brands continue to act in support of API communities beyond May. Nearly half of Snapchatters in Canada (48%) and the US (45%) said they would like that brands are committed to supporting diversity, and they want to see more external campaigns to raise awareness. ‘
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Here are some important notes, not only from the perspective of supporting API communities, but also with regard to socially sound initiatives wider. As noted, previous research has already indicated that younger audiences are looking in different ways for their involvement, and their spending on organizations that want a positive impact, and that support for relevant causes and movements can be an important part of this. .
But right now, amid increasing attacks on the API community, the focus is on showing support and taking a stand, and it’s important that we all do what we can to ensure that all people are included and valued. feel, by showing that where possible.
Not only is it good from a business perspective, it’s better for society, and although some businesses have been reluctant to support social movements in the past, it’s becoming more and more of an expectation for young consumers.
You can read Snapchat’s full API Heritage Month report here.
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msbgumba · 4 years
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A Student Body Call To Action
For many of us, the last month has been filled with immense pain and sadness. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Christian Cooper, and George Floyd.  The racial injustices we've all been watching and reading are not unique, but have been a lived experience for Black Americans for centuries. As student representatives, we condemn the violent actions taken against black and brown bodies by the very same people who are charged to “serve and protect.” The stories of the last month have made it more evident than ever that in America, the value of your life is determined by the skin you live in. This is a truth that we here at Georgetown McDonough, and with many others across the country, refuse to let stand.
We recognize that our Black students are feeling the events of the past week more deeply and intensely. We as a Hoya community see you, stand by you, and are ready to support you. The constant news and traumatic images and videos of people who look like you being attacked, berated, and murdered can be incredibly taxing and mentally draining. Counseling and Psychiatric Services CAPS and Center for Multicultural Equity and Access CMEA are here to support your mental and emotional health.
We know that we have many allies in the community, many of whom are spurred with anger and frustration but may also be unsure of how to take action to make a tangible difference.
"It is not enough to be quietly non-racist, now is the time to be vocally anti-racist."
Below are some beginning resources on how to be an ally in the fight for racial equity and equality. While some actions are great for generating awareness, we challenge ourselves to think about what we can do on a daily basis to fight against racism.    
1. Educate yourself though listening, watching and reading. Remember: it's not the responsibility of marginalized people to educate you.  This link will be a repository for more resources as we add to them.
Anti Racism Resources: This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues. It contains Books, Movies, Podcasts, Articles, and more.
Learn Black History: These are just milestones, and thus high level, but even they are not taught in much detail in our schools growing up. Learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre: Race riots of 1921, where Greenwood, known as Black Wall-Street, was looted and burned by white rioters. For more history, check out the ‘1619’ podcast by the NYTimes
Learn the Facts about Police Brutality: Mapping Police Violence Research Shows: Of the 7666 times that a police officers killed people in the U.S. between 2013 and 2019, only 25 (0.3%) resulted in a conviction, 74 (1.0%) resulted in a charge, but no conviction, and 7,567 (98.7%) resulted in no charges whatsoever. Of those that were convicted, only 9 received 20 years+ in prison.
Trevor Noah Daily Show: Trevor shares his thoughts on the killing of George Floyd, the protests in Minneapolis, the dominos of racial injustice and police brutality, and how the contract between society and Black Americans has been broken time and time again
Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not: By Danielle Cadet
Why You Need to Stop Saying "All Lives Matter": By Rachel Elizabeth Cargyle
10 Steps to non-optical Allyship: by Mirielle Charper
26 ways to be in the struggle beyond the streets: Learn about some of the "socially acceptable" racist actions you may have unknowingly taken part in the past, and make a plan to change that behavior for the future. Check page 2 of this link for the graphic.
Obama Anguish and Action: even more ways to get informed, stay engaged, and take action.
Businesses must take action against Racism: An article that just came out in the last hour from our very own Professor Ella Washington.
2. Donate to organizations  
George Floyd Memorial Fund: official GoFundMe to support the Floyd family
Minnesota Freedom Fund: community-based non-profit that pays criminal bail and immigration bonds for individuals who have been arrested while protesting police brutality.
Black Visions Collective: a black, trans, and queer led organization that is committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence and shifting the public narrative to create transformative long term change.
Reclaim the Block: coalition that advocates and invests in community-led safety initiatives in Minneapolis neighborhoods.
Campaign Zero: online platform that utilizes research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.
Unicorn Riot: non-profit that is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues.
3. Call your Representatives; Sign Petitions
Civil rights group Color of Change launched a petition asking that all the officers involved in Floyd’s death are brought to justice. Find it here.
Or another petition: The “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org already has 8.5 million supporters. That sends a big message. Find it here.
4. Check in on your black friends, family, partners, loved ones, and colleagues and demonstrate how you will be supporting them and ask what else you can do.
"While expressions of solidarity are appreciated, in some cases it can be taxing, necessitating reliving personal traumas or reciprocating consolation. Conversations with evidenced results of action go a much longer way to the recipients of your solidarity." - Donte McCrary-Mclain and Melissa Hughes
5. For those who are feeling overwhelmed with all of this and a bit of feed fatigue, definitely take care of yourself but resist disengaging. Activism takes shape in a variety of ways.
Sometimes it’s on the front lines of a protest
Sometimes it’s asking your internship employers how you can support the advancement of marginalized communities in your workplace
Sometimes it’s staying for and leaning into the difficult and uncomfortable conversations with your fellow students, colleagues, and friends.
Sometimes it’s providing “care, joy, and connection for those hurting around you. Don’t underestimate the power of an encouraging word or giving someone a reason to smile.⁣” - Ella Washington
Regardless, it always is choosing to care, to see, to listen, and to act.
Our Georgetown MSB community is only as strong as the commitment we have to our values, and the commitment to see and support our fellow students in times of difficulty. We stand as a united front and join in the work led by so many Black organizations and people of color to create a more equitable world.
Hoya Saxa,
Leena Jube, Simmer Grewal, Lydia Kickham-Dawes, Silas Humphries, and your student leaders of SGA- Full Time and Flex, VPs of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Black MBA
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Black Lives Matter Bay Area Resources & Support
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Hi All! It’s been a long time since i’ve posted, a lot has happened these several months. BUT what’s important and why I post today is share information for: Anti-Racist Resources, Black Owned Businesses YOU can support in the Bay Area, and Organizations Grassroots and bigger who are DOING the work. All links are below. 
I’ll be compiling resources for New Mexico organizations/info in another entry.
SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY
Shoutout to @dineaesthetics for their translation of Black Lives Matter to Diné. Indigenous Peoples for Black Lives, time to stand up, make some noise, educate ourselves and challenge systematic changes. NO TIME LIKE NOW.
Rye
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Black Visions Collective
“Black, trans, and queer led social justice organization and legal aid based in MN”
https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
IG @blackvisionscollective
Campaign Zero
Nonprofit creating policy solutions to limit police interventions, improve community interaction and ensure accountability.
“Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.”
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
The Know Your Rights Camp
“Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/
Reclaim The Block
“Organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that promote community health and safety”
https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home
IG @reclaimtheblock
Anti Repression Committee 
“Please call 415-909-4NNLG if you’ve been arrested or cited during recent demonstrations in the Bay Area and would like legal or bail support”
https://antirepressionbayarea.com/
IG @antirepression_bayarea
Anti Police-Terror Project
“The Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-racial, intergenerational coalition that seeks to build a replicable and sustainable model to eradicate police terror in communities of color. We support families surviving police terror in their fight for justice, documenting police abuses and connecting impacted families and community members with resources, legal referrals, and opportunities for healing. APTP began as a project of the ONYX Organizing Committee.”
https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/
IG @antipoliceterrorproject
Oakland Rising Action
“ORA is a community led political organization, engaging in voter education and GOTV operations that encourage Oakland’s working-class, immigrant, and communities of color to think critically about voting for or against issues. “
http://oaklandrisingaction.org/
IG @oaklandrisingaction
Black Organizing Project
“The Black Organizing Project is reviving the spirit of Oakland’s Black community through relationship building, leadership development, political education and policy change.”
http://blackorganizingproject.org/
https://www.facebook.com/BlackOrgProject/
IG @blackorganizingproject
People’s Breakfast Oakland
Raising bail for black people who have been arrested across Alameda county. Meals to houseless communities in  Oakland
IG @peoplesbreakfastoakland
Black Earth Farms
“Grassroots Pan African & Pan Indigenous Farming Collective growing food in the East Bay”
IG @blackearthfarms
Color of Change
“We design campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.”
https://colorofchange.org/
IG @colorofchange
Showing Up for Racial Justice
“SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability.”
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/
IG @showingupforracialjustice
TGI Justice Project
“Helps black trans leaders inside & outside of prisons through leadership development, legal support and re-entry programs.”
http://www.tgijp.org/
IG @tgijustice
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Black Owned Restaurants in the Bay Area https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mTthE5lwqVnTCIm3iQtQXLyxwK-pc17cuCp--BhAYX8/edit#gid=0
Restaurants in the Peninsula https://thesixfifty.com/all-of-us-can-do-something-local-black-restaurant-owners-react-to-george-floyd-protests-fdbe31acc400
Black Photographers Covering Protests and Hire Photographers https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1DMDZZGSq5YLqlskIf30yM2p8G944grtHR_0zKl6MAXY/htmlview?fbclid=IwAR1LzmfJ2d0hcVceYnCwZQcjmp5LxVg867qIy4siebVj2c8SkjpxwKEw_38
Black Owned Etsy Shops https://themadmommy.com/black-owned-etsy-shops/
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Protests, Initiative Donor List, Minority Businesses, Educate Yourself, Sign Petitions: https://www.adhoc.fm/post/black-lives-matter-resources-and-funds/
USA Today List of Anti Racist Books for Youth and Adults: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/06/02/books-to-learn-more-anti-racism-adults-kids/5306873002/
Forbes Anti Racism Resource for White People https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliawuench/2020/06/02/first-listen-then-learn-anti-racism-resources-for-white-people/#5beb0d0d16ee
Understanding and Dismantling Racism Booklist for White Readers https://www.charisbooksandmore.com/understanding-and-dismantling-racism-booklist-white-readers
A Resource Guide For Anti-Racism + Being An Educated Ally For BIPOC http://theglitterguide.com/2020/05/30/resource-guide-for-anti-racism-being-an-educated-ally-for-poc/
Racial Justice Training for White Allies https://everydayfeminism.com/school/
10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship by @mireillecharper  https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/non-optical-ally-guide
Guide to Allyship https://guidetoallyship.com/
Anti Racism Resource List https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR3zVtsUtGvay2uPE6R294BFZ-O4ypqIRGXrrVmmM2Mcy4DZ4gg1G9M0rnQ&urp=gmail_link 
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Education for Liberation Network:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPc74R46Sv7cTElnDn2TVg/live?fbclid=IwAR0gl8Nhwqi8H9U_0xTel7xLv6HKE6Spr_3yGf6wNAIDEZfOauZ9CIQv2YE
Raising Antiracist Kids: Ibram X. Kendi with Derecka Purnell https://www.eventbrite.com/checkout-external?eid=107620969216&ref=eios&fbclid=IwAR1RvL9HIiUki5CXL1mJpgI8_P9mY3f0aMlY7hebmdPtscG5dDGLvyitGTs
Anti Racism Webinars in June:
PR(iSM) RESISTANCE COALITION to host a two-part webinar series focused on strategies for engaging in racial equity conversations and actionable next steps:
https://www.resistheism.org/
Two Part Webinar:
White Folks (Part I): We Have to Talk About Race Jun 24, 2020 01:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrf-itrT4oG9ExXae-6B1PZSmeOnLZCBgC White Folks (Part II): A Call to Action Jul 22, 2020 01:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrdeuspz8oG9Lhlg1RtFV9T3D3YNcOr88w
National Resource List:
Document containing Community Bail Funds, Memorial Funds, political education tools, Advice/Tips for people attending protests or using social media as an organizing tool
https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1CjZMORRVuv-I-qo4B0YfmOTqIOa3GUS207t5iuLZmyA/mobilebasic
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blushyybee · 4 years
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I don’t really use tumblr that much anymore but I want everyone who follows this account to know that this page stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black community, today, tomorrow, yesterday, and everyday. If you are ignoring what’s happening right now you need to unfollow this page.
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If you you’re unable to attend the protests happening right now (I’m unable to attend them, for instance, because I’m immunocompromised and we’re unfortunately still in the middle of a pandemic); you can still be ACTIVELY anti-racist by educating yourself, being vocal when friends/family/ people you encounter say something racist, and by donating to organizations that are aiding protestors and the Black community.
Bail funds currently circulating:
Atlanta Solidarity Fund (atlsolidarity.org)
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (brooklynbailfund.org)
The Liberty Fund NYC (libertyfund.nyc)
Philadelphia Community Bail Fund (phillybailout.com)
Peoples City Council Freedom Fund (Los Angeles) (https://t.co/nKlltd3oHH?amp=1)
Restoring Justice (Houston) (restoringjustice.org)
Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative (Minneapolis) (knowyourrightscamp.com/legal)
Richmond Community Bail Fund (rvabailfund.org)
Colorado Freedom Fund (Denver) (fundly.com/coloradofreedom)
Vegas Freedom Fund (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/vegasfreedomfund)
The Bail Project (National) (https://bailproject.org/)
Statewide Florida Bail Fund (https://t.co/5ZQaABHm49?amp=1)
Milwaukee Freedom Fund (https://fundrazr.com/mkefreedomfund?ref=ab_9oX6WX6j3eT9oX6WX6j3eT)
Minnesota Freedom Fund (https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/)
Non-profit organizations:
The official Gofundme for George Floyd’s family “was established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist his family in the days to come as they continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.” (https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd)
Black Lives Matter is an organization that is “striving towards a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive. By working vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people they, by extension, are working for freedom and justice for all people.” (https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019)
Campaign Zero is an organization that “utilizes research based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.” (https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision)
I have donated $25.00 to the Black Lives Matter movement as well as $10.00 to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund (adding screenshots just so y’all know i’m not talking out of my ass). I challenge each of you to match one of my donations to any one of this links. If you cannot attend the protests that are happening right now, I implore you to donate to organizations like these if you still wish to be active (as you should be) in the fight against police brutality, white supremacy, racism, injustice, and oppression that plagues many if not all of the institutions we have in place. It is one thing to say that you’re against these issues; repost and share what is trending on social media, but at the end of the day a post on facebook does nothing if you do not translate your words into action. This is literally the bare minimum we (white people) can do.
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yds4bds-blog · 7 years
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YBDS
Whether I become YDS Co-Chair or an At-Large member, I plan on ensuring every YDS chapter we have across the country organizes for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel on their respective campuses. YDS as the student section of DSA must be at the forefront of working on meaningful international solidarity and true intersectional work. We have the potential to do this not just through supporting Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), but providing our own organizing, skills with the understanding that repression of SJP chapters across the country is part of the general increase in repression of leftist student organizing on campus.For YDS, I want to put forth the talking points and concrete steps we need to take to achieve a successful BDS campaign on campuses across the country in continuing posts on this blog. For now, let me explain in short how it is that Israel is violating Palestinian human rights, what BDS for those who don’t know, and a summary of how YDS can champion this cause and be the socialist organization that can put a dent in longstanding American imperial policy I know we can be.
 Israel is an imperial backed settler colonial project intentionally created through the ethnic cleansing of the non-Jewish Palestinian community from what is now known as Israel proper, known first as the Nakba and continuing in various forms since, including the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, continuing today. It is an ethno-nationalist state that sees it current minority Palestinian population who survived the Nakba as a “demographic threat”, while continuously engaging in acts of military brutality against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, such as Operation ‘Protective Edge’, which murdered 2000 people in what the UN recognizes as the world’s largest open air prison, including 500 children; the administrative detention of Palestinians accused of crimes in a military court, which includes 500-700 children per year, while Israeli settlers in the West Bank are tried in a separate civilian court; 2016 being the deadliest year for West Bank Palestinian children, who were killed in military raids and unarmed protests; and most recently, how Gaza is under siege by Israel and the Israel backed Palestinian Authority, with electricity cuts and bombed infrastructure creating a medical and drinking water crisis that’s set to make Gaza unlivable by next year rather than 2020 like the UN originally predicted, as well as the de facto annexation of Jerusalem by Israel that attempted to place restrictions on Palestinian Muslims and Christians entering Jerusalem, and who have just today murdered Palestinians practicing the right to protest and civil disobedience. Israel is breaking multiple international laws every day; recently a UN report by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia was issued officially designating Israel as an apartheid state, with the head of that commission choosing to resign rather than adhere to pressure to retract the report. Israel’s apartheid wall, separate legal systems, occupation, and refusal to allow Palestinian refugees the right to return all breaks international law, and they do so with consistent US support.
 BDS is a nonviolent economic resistance movement primarily aimed at targeting corporations that profit from Israeli occupation and settlements, disrupting normalization of Zionism with speakers brought on campus, and cutting United States aid to Israel, which over the next decade is set to amount to $38 billion dollars, with the overall goal being to force Israel to start complying with international human rights law. The most notable companies are HP, Sabra Hummus, Sodastream, G4S and Caterpillar, all which have business deals with colleges throughout the country. The successful BDS campaigns we’ve seen on campuses throughout the US involve deshelving those products and passing bylaws that prohibit student funds from going towards companies or products associated with Israeli occupation. We have also seen campaigns to deplatform figures such as the ambassador to Israel from giving speeches meant to act as public relations for the Israeli state. This has been smeared as a violation of free speech even as Alissa Wise, a Jewish woman was just banned from entering Israel because of her support for BDS.
 My vision for YDS is students organizing for true liberation for all, and making the connection clear between US violence here and imperialism abroad. We are told there is no money for single payer for our children here while giving billions to Israel’s military that regularly hurts children abroad. Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) regularly trains US police officers, with the same tear gas canisters being used against protestors in Ferguson and Palestine. As socialists we must stand against ethno-nationalist states, against imperialism and for global socialism. I see YDS shutting down Israeli politicians the way we supported Richard Spencer getting shut down. I see YDS doing sit-ins in food courts until Sabra Hummus is off the shelves, passing out flyers on BDS around school, protesting their school board in ways that make contracts with HP too expensive/inconvenient to be worth it. I see us in YDS as standing against bills like the recent Senate proposal that would make BDS work a crime punishable by up to 20 years jail time and a $200,000 fine that none of the Turning Point USA nerds seem to think is a violation of free speech or the “free market”. I see us rejecting antisemitism and anti-Arab racism in this work to fight for a future in the region where Jews of all colors (there is much to fight against within Israel with how Mizrahi, Sephardic and Ethiopian Jews are treated as inferior to Ashkenazi Jews) and Palestinian Arabs can live side by side in peace. I see my role as learning about each YDS chapter and school that comes before me and helping to coordinate these actions, and working on a Palestine 101 and a BDS workshop as political education for its members and the general student body. I believe in us enough to know we won’t just pass that resolution on BDS and then do nothing with the excitement and momentum we’ve generated. We want to defend ourselves as being for the global oppressed and not just for white guys with beards in Brooklyn? This convention, let’s prove it.
Your comrade,
Rawan
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bubonickitten · 7 years
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Why do you hate white people? Just because 66% of white women voted for Trump doesn't mean ALL white women are racist. Please don't promote hate on this blog, it doesn't help anybody.
Y I K E S. I’m guessing this is about this post? Well, first off, I recommend actually reading it in full, because it specifically explains why “not all white people” is a ridiculous response to a discussion on racism and antiblackness. Nothing in that post said that all white women are responsible for Trump’s election -- but enough of them are that it’s entirely justifiable for POC to be wary of white women in general. 
Beyond that, though: 
(1) I’m white. That means it’s important for me to listen to POC on issues of race and racism, because they have those lived experiences and I do not. 
(2) White people benefit from white privilege and white supremacy. The fact that 66% of white women voted for Trump shows that they prioritized whiteness over everything else. (And I still stand by the statement that anyone who voted for Trump is a racist. Even if they don’t think of themselves that way -- because of they’re willing to overlook his blatant racism and vote for him in spite of that, it shows that at the very least they don’t care about racism as an important issue. The only substantial things Trump said during the campaign were xenophobic and racist policies -- people who voted for him, were specifically voting for that.) 
(3) There’s an extensive and ongoing history of white people prioritizing whiteness over everything else, including class, LGBTQ+ identity, gender, etc. White feminists throw POC under the bus (e.g. most of the most famous white suffragettes made antiblack rhetoric a core part of their arguments in favor of women’s suffrage); poor white people will cling to white privilege and sabotage attempts at solidarity among poor and working class people of all races (e.g. excluding POC from mainstream labor unions); etc. etc. etc. When a majority of white people prioritize whiteness over their other interests for centuries, into the present day, it’s no wonder we’re not seen as trustworthy allies, and it’s irresponsible for white people to distance ourselves from the responsibility of addressing that. 
(4) We grow up in an incredibly racist society. White people all have white privilege. White people all internalize racist ideas, and it’s important to actively, constantly check ourselves. Tbh, it’s dangerous to make a statement like “I’m not racist,” because when you take on “not racist” as an intrinsic part of your identity, you’re more likely to get defensive and refuse to listen in those circumstances where you say/do something racist and get called out on it. You have to be aware of the fact that yes, no matter how hard you work to be anti-racist, you might still fuck up -- either due to unconscious bias, or just being ignorant on a certain topic, etc. -- and it’s important to listen and learn from those instances. All white people have the potential to be racist. If you cling to the idea that you can never be racist, you’re unlikely to respond respectfully and responsibly to criticism. 
(5) Racism against white people doesn’t exist. It just doesn’t. Racism implies a power dynamic, and POC do not have structural power over white people. Full stop. 
(6) What actually doesn’t help people is burying your head in the sand about racism and white privilege. It’s socially irresponsible to pretend that white people in general and as a whole aren’t responsible for the racist society we live in. 
And honestly, all of this has been said time and time again -- and better -- by POC. 
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angelicactorres · 5 years
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Speaking Truth to Power
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Good afternoon, and thank each and every one of you that came out today as a sign of solidarity for our dear Jussie Smollett in an effort to stand against racism, homophobia, transphobia and the discrimination of all marginalized groups. My name is Angelica Torres, and I stand here as a proud Latina transgender female, advocate and activist. Now, I’m gonna be real with ya’ll, it’s cold AF today! But I’m thrilled to see all of your beautiful faces here today. I would like to begin with how I’m presently feeling, and I think most, if not all, of you can relate to this...I AM PISSED THE FUCK OFF! I am infuriated with what happened to Jussie on Tuesday morning. And keep in mind this is no isolated incident as this happens every single day to the LGBTQIA community and people of color. Jussie, who is by far one of the kindest, most generous and genuine souls that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, was targeted by 2 white supremacists, 2 terrorists, 2 modern day NATZIS! Fuck this “White Nationalist” bullshit and call them what they truly are, RACISTS! BIGOTS! HOMOPHOBES! ANIMALS! MONSTERS! A humble and beloved gay black man was beaten up by evil men, poured bleach on him and tied a noose around his neck...All while screaming “This is MAGA country!” as they brutalized him. And do you think the bigot in the white house had the decency, the cojones to condemn the actions of this heinous crime? No. But he will sit on his lazy ass tweeting about how “Evil it can be” that a bunch of MAGA hat wearing, cisgender, privileged, homophobic, racist Catholic school white boys have become “symbols of fake news”. Let’s be very clear about something...MAGA hats are in fact the modern day white hoods of the KKK! The MAGA rhetoric was built on lies, hatred, bigotry and fear. We must stop pretending and turning a blind eye to the truth...That MAGA hats are in fact a symbol of hatred. I am also enraged that just a week ago, yet another trans woman of color by the name of Candice Elease Pinky was shot at 5 times at point blank range in broad daylight outside of a convenience store in Houston by a young man of color. My heart aches for Candice and for all of my trans sisters of color that are battered and slaughtered simply for existing in public spaces. As a young trans woman, I have been harassed on the streets of New York. Complete strangers have called me a faggot, homo, sissy, tranny, freak! I've been publicly humiliated and misgendered on national television and am still haunted by that experience. I know what it feels like to fear for your life because I fear for my life, the lives of my trans brothers and sisters and my non-binary friends every day. Even now, I suffer from crippling anxiety the very moment I step outside because every single day I live with the trauma of being accosted in public for who I am. But I survived...and while I am grateful to report that both Candice and Jussie survived these hate crimes, not all of us are so lucky. Based upon information gathered by The Anti-Violence Project and The Human Rights campaign, over 2 dozen Black and Brown trans women were murdered last year alone...and those are the ones that we know of. In the past, media has dead-named trans women by egregiously using their birth names in publications and their reporting. Bigoted families have made wrongful decisions to bury their trans children as the gender they were assigned at birth instead of that child’s preferred gender identity and name. We have no way of knowing how many trans people have actually been murdered because their living relatives and the media selfishly decide to hide the true identity of the trans individuals being laid to rest. The outpouring of love, support and media attention for Jussie was phenomenal...but we need to have the same outrage, the same urgency, the same outspokenness for our Black & Brown trans sisters and our gender non-binary folks that are being beaten and brutally murdered merely for doing something we take for granted every day...walking down the street! We MUST have the same compassion and empathy for our gay & lesbian brothers and sisters that are gay-bashed. Just because these people are not celebrities does NOT make their lives any less valuable or fragile. I am calling on the media, my LGBTQIA community, cisgender heterosexual people of all races to stand the fuck up! Help us! Fight with us! Because we cannot do this alone and we should not have to do this alone. We’ve been fighting on our own for decades and it’s not acceptable for homophobia, transphobia racism and any sort of discrimination to exist in this world. For those of you that do not realize, it was 3 trans women of color that initiated and fought for LGBTQIA rights during the Stonewall Riots in 1969! Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. They fought for us to have the opportunities to stand here today as our authentic selves. Now we need ALL OF YOU to speak up on the issues that we as a community of color face every single day. We need ALL of you to use your platforms to share these stories of injustice with your friends and family and to educate others if you hear them using discriminatory words like “faggot” and “tranny”. Each and every one of you has a power inside, and that power is your voice. Utilize your voice to spread awareness and stand against injustice when you see and hear it. Do not turn your back on marginalized people that are outnumbered and may not be able to defend themselves. I beg of you to hold these people accountable. Hold yourselves accountable because your silence can lead to someone’s death. Your silence is complicity. And we as a community cannot afford the luxury of sitting idly by while racist, homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory slurs are being thrown around. When the time comes for the 2020 election, make sure you get out there and vote! It is your right and duty to vote and to research all of those who are campaigning to ensure they are representing EVERYONE, not just the folks that look like you. I’d like thank you once again for coming out to support and I will leave off with this quote from the film “Wonder Woman”. “No matter how small an act of kindness or generosity or simple positivity you put out into the world, it will make a difference. Now I know, that only love can truly save the world. So I stay, I fight, and I give, for the world I know can be.” Thank you!
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artscampaigns-blog · 7 years
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What Have I Been Up To?
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Winter is finally coming to an end, and so is the term. It’s been a busy and eventful one, so without further ado, here’s some of the things I’ve been working on.
Arts SU vs NSS
Last term, you voted to boycott the NSS. Now, the task is to spread the word. It’s not an easy one, considering that UAL is divided between 13 buildings all around London and that final year students are the ones least likely to spend a lot of time in the colleges. Luckily, we can count on some amazing students to help us get the message across. You’ve flyered, dropped banners, posted in your course groups, organised debates and invited us to speak in class (and even sent me some photos of defaced posters… Not that I told you to.) We need to keep doing this - and more.
The boycott is already having an impact nationally - recently, the House of Lords voted to cut the link between TEF and fee increases. But the fight is far from over. Pledge to boycott the NSS. Find out more about the campaign. Check out 5 better ways to give feedback. Don’t do the survey.
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Bridges not Borders
If you’re anything like me, you probably remember the morning of November 9. I woke up early, checked my phone and gasped in horror seeing that the most powerful country in the world elected a racist, misogynist, hateful orange clown as its President. With the Brexit vote still a fresh memory and xenophobic hate crime on the rise, it was an easy decision to focus this year on celebrating and supporting international students, and standing up to racism and fascism.
In January, as a response to the awfulness of 2016, we hosted Love & Rage, an exhibition about hope, unity and resistance. With our International Students’ Officer Sam, we curated a show with 14 UAL artists, alongside which we held workshops and discussions led by students and activist groups. I hope it was an inspiring and positive way to start a year.
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We were also involved in a review of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships for international postgraduate students which resulted in much bigger scholarships being offered - including maintenance costs - and changes in criteria to make them more accessible to asylum seekers.
On the week of January 27, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, I put up a spontaneous, guerilla, non-risk-assessed exhibition behind the Chelsea bar about artists and designers persecuted under the nazi rule in Germany. Let it be a reminder that fascism must be crushed by any means necessary, wherever it appears.
I am proud to see so many UAL students turn up to anti-racist and anti-Trump demos this term, including this one time after Student Council when we made placards out of pizza boxes. There was also a protest organised by students at Chelsea to show that we have zero tolerance for intolerance. Well done!
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Stay strong, keep fighting and don’t forget to punch your local nazi.
Green things
Green Week 2017 was successful as ever, with multiple events a day taking place across all UAL colleges. My personal highlights included a debate about climate activism with speakers from six different organisations, with very different perspectives, as well as artists’ talks about using creativity in campaigning. We also had swap shops, workshops, film screenings, an exhibition and the best vegan chocolate cake ever in our cafes.
As a member of the Sustainability Board and Working Group, I’ve been involved in initiatives to help UAL become more environmentally friendly. I’m not really one for league tables but let us smile for a moment at the fact that UAL went up from 61st to 36th place in the People & Planet University Green League. There’s a long way to go but we’re making progress, and pressure from students certainly helps - so keep it up!
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Money money money
For the next term, my big focus will be two projects I am working on regarding fees and costs of study. These are huge issues but that shouldn’t stop us from tackling them and I am hoping to make some serious progress on them before I leave.
I am also lobbying the university for more transparency about its budgets and hopefully we will see updated, more detailed information published on the website soon - so that you know where the money goes!
I bloody love democracy
Elections around the world have not really been going my way recently, so I have to admit I was a bit nervous before Arts SU results night. But luckily UAL students are amazing and elected some incredible people, and I cried my eyes out both because I’m leaving in a few months but also because I’ll be handing over my projects to the best successor imaginable.
Now I just gotta focus on my priorities and do the best I can until the end of June!
If there’s anything you want me to sort out or help with, drop me a line anytime.
In solidarity,
Ana x
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PS. I am running to be the Vice-President Higher Education in the National Union of Students elections. Only delegates can vote but you can give my page a cheeky like :)
PPS. I’m also involved in organising an exhibition as part of Take Back Control - an exciting, high-profile series of events about Brexit, the way forward and rebuilding communities across Britain. If you make art that could relate to these and similar themes, this is a pretty great opportunity - we expect a big audience and significant media coverage. Read more about it here.
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leftpress · 7 years
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A 10-point plan to stop Trump and make gains in justice and equality
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George Lakey | January 23, 2017
I was among the 100,000 who marched in San Francisco’s Women’s March the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration. While enthusiasm for the struggle seemed high, an important question was looming: What’s the strategic plan, as we head into the Trump era? Although there’s no simple answer, I offer this 10-point plan — fully open for discussion and debate.
1. Recognize that we represent the majority, not Trump. 


Three times more people participated in the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., than were present at the inauguration the day before. He lost the popular vote in the election. Many of his own voters admitted in exit polls that they consider him unqualified to be president. Furthermore, Trump plans to target progressive policies that polls find to be supported by solid majorities of Americans.
Trump does have strengths in addition to his brilliance in manipulating mainstream media. Key parts of the economic elite have decided that they can use him for their own goals. So, they will support him — as long as he can deliver acceleration of school privatization, for example, or the fossil fuel pipelining of America. His core voting base (the minority of a minority) may support him for a period, until his failure to deliver unrealistic promises becomes apparent.
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Even before the inauguration, he alienated significant parts of the security state that he needs to depend on. He needs a vast professional bureaucracy to carry out his will, but it has many subtle ways of thwarting him. Harry Truman famously admitted, publicly, his frustration after he was repeatedly stymied by an uncooperative bureaucracy.
Trump’s bullying is both a strength and a weakness. His style alienates many, including among his own voters, and stirs opposition.
Stopping Trump is not a slam dunk, but it is possible when he is given his due as a cagey opponent. It also helps when we decide to be strategic rather than led by fear and moral outrage, jumping from whichever tactic feels good in the moment, but has little impact. Now is the time when we can identify his pillars of support and lay plans to undermine them.
2. Strengthen civic institutions and their connections with targeted populations.
Trump will continue to turn to the age-old weapon of scapegoating to shore up his working-class base, and he’ll feel more pressure to do that as his own programs for “making America great again” fail to deliver the goods to that base — even while enriching the economic elite.
Some sanctuary cities have already made a good start by declaring their resistance to anti-immigrant moves by the federal government. Activists can reinforce these initiatives with a range of civic and religious institutions, urging them to strengthen their connections with scapegoated groups like Jews, immigrants and African Americans. The civics may not by themselves always think of this, so it may take activists within or near them to alert them to their responsibility of solidarity.
Because we are the majority, we can make full use of Bill Moyer’s four roles of social change. Consider: How can advocates, helpers, organizers and rebels strengthen their solidarity impact? Training for Change organizer Daniel Hunter brainstormed some possible moves: Advocates persuade cities and states to give drivers licenses to undocumented people. Organizers create circles of solidarity in which citizens could physically intervene — when immigrants are in danger —and surround the vulnerable ones. (The New Sanctuary Movement in Philadelphia calls this “sanctuary in the streets.”) Helpers could insist that they provide food and healthcare to people in deportation centers, and if entry is refused, collaborate with rebels to break in with food and risk arrest.
3. Play offense, not defense.  
The last time progressives in the United States faced this degree of danger was when Ronald Reagan became president. One of Reagan’s first acts was to fire the air traffic controllers when they went on strike, putting into question national air safety. Strategically, he chose “shock and awe,” and it worked – most of the U.S. movements for change went on the defensive.
Gandhi and military generals agree: No one wins anything of consequence on the defensive. I define “defensive” as trying to maintain previous gains. U.S. movements in 1980 made many gains in the previous two decades. Understandably, they tried to defend them. As Gandhi and generals would predict, the movements instead lost ground to the “Reagan Revolution” and, for the most part, have lost ground ever since.
One exception stands out: the LGBT movement. Instead of defending, for example, local gains in city human relations commissions, LGBT people escalated in the 1980s with ACT-UP leading the way. They followed up with the campaign for equal marriage and escalated again with the demand for equality in the military.
LBGT people proved that Gandhi and the generals are right: The best defense is an offense.
I hear many American progressives unconsciously talking about Trump defensively, preparing to make precisely the same mistake as an older generation did with Reagan. The LGBT’s lesson is obvious: heighten nonviolent direct action campaigns and start new ones. Instead of defending Obamacare, let’s push for an even more comprehensive health solution, like Medicare for all.
A direct action campaign is defined by a pressing issue, a clear demand, and a target that can yield that demand. Powerful social movements, even those that overthrew military dictatorships, have often been built in exactly this way.
These days, campaign design needs to take account of the recent impact of social media. Because many people have allowed social media to draw them into an isolating bubble, activists need to design campaigns that deliberately increase their base through building relationships “beyond the choir.” Increased use of training may be necessary to maximize impact.
4. Link campaigns to build movements.
Standing Rock is a current example of the synergistic and expanding effect of linking campaigns. Pipeline fights, indigenous rights, and even the role of Veterans for Peace — in raising questions about the U.S. empire — were all amplified through linking to the ongoing campaign in North Dakota.
The classic American example of campaign linkage grew from the simple act of four college students in North Carolina on Feb. 1, 1960, starting their campaign to desegregate a lunch counter. Students in other towns followed the example, and the wave of sit-ins became a movement. The movement helped grow existing organizations — for example, the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, which then started a new kind of campaign, the Freedom Rides. Multiple freedom rides were linked and further built the strength of the civil rights movement.
These campaigns did not have the American majority on their side, nor did they win all their demands, but their cumulative value forced major changes and eventually changed public opinion as well. The civil rights movement illustrates the crucial difference in mode of operation between direct action campaigns and political parties’ campaigns.
Democrats, for example, are hugely about polls and focus groups. Their power rests on current public opinion and its manipulation through electioneering and political maneuver. Even for progressive-inclined Democrats, the ability to act is tightly limited by the narrow range of current opinion (not to mention by what the economic elite is willing to allow).
Social movements, by contrast, can take stands that go beyond current opinion and wage campaigns that have transformative impact, such as women’s right to vote, gay rights and stopping pipelines. This difference helps explain why progressive Democrats habitually fight defensively, while movements are free to stay on the offensive and win. Bernie Sanders, for example, is now defensively fighting to save Medicare. By contrast, a social movement is free to launch a fight for single-payer health care. Such a struggle could threaten to split off part of Trump’s working class base and — even if it failed to fully achieve its goal – save more of Medicare.
5. Link movements to create a movement of movements.
When times are out of joint, a successful movement around one issue inspires campaigns on other issues to link and become new movements. That’s what happened the last time the U.S. took major steps toward justice. The civil rights movement begat the Berkeley Free Speech campaign and the national student movement for university reform, the draft resistance campaign and the anti-Vietnam war movement, and so on — energizing seniors, people with disabilities, mental health consumers, women, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, auto workers and many more.
With so many movements developing, A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin catalyzed the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, hoping to start linking movements into a movement of movements. They glimpsed an opportunity to amass so much power independent of the major parties that the United States could develop a counter-force to the economic elite and bring about democratic socialism. Creating an independent movement of movements was the successful path taken by the Scandinavians, and both Randolph and Rustin wanted it for the United States.
Substantial linkage, however, was not available at that time. For one thing, the U.S. economy was booming, and there wasn’t enough discontent in the white working class — let alone the burgeoning middle class — to create an opening. What’s more, racism was still too intense, although the United Auto Workers had successfully found a way forward by uniting black and white workers to fight employers in the auto industry. In the past half century, much has changed on both those dimensions.
My point is that multiple campaigns on the same or similar issues generates a movement, and that multiple movements provide the opportunity for a movement of movements. The closer we come to that point, the more pressure there is on the Democrats to co-opt us. The Republicans’ historic role is usually repression, while the Democrats’ job is to limit and control grassroots movements by pulling them into the party.
We saw that happen to the later stage of the civil rights movement and again with the Democrat-embraced health reform movement of 2007-9, when the single-payer option — and even the public option — was dropped to pass the medical industrial complex-friendly Affordable Care Act.
When a social movement is independent, it can force the Democrats to become allies instead of controllers. The civil rights movement did exactly that before 1965; we see what it can look like in the excellent film “Selma.” On a more micro level, Daniel Hunter — in his book “Strategy and Soul” — reveals how a neighborhood-based movement forced politicians to come to the campaigners, instead of the campaigners seeking help from the politicians.
Whatever our partisan sympathies, a quick look at political trends in the United States shows why movement independence is more crucial now than at any time in the last half-century.
Public alienation from the major parties – Republican or Democratic – has gone off the charts. Voters stay away from the polls, as if afraid of catching germs. The Tea Party gains more cred when it trashes the Republican Party. Donald Trump reassures his voter base by verbally attacking Congress – both parties, no less — in his inaugural address. Much of his voter base had long since left the Democratic Party because of its own betrayal of working-class interests. Black working-class voters also signaled their alienation by failing to give full support to Hillary Clinton, despite Barack and Michelle Obama’s entreaties.
Such a period of alienation is just the time for direct action campaigns that fight for progressive demands — like $15 per hour and Medicare for all — to signal independence from the politicians who bear so much responsibility for U.S. decline. Such independence appeals to the vast majority, including many Trump voters. A self-respecting movement of movements knows that the Democrats will then come to them and offer to be allies.
6. Avoid one-off demonstrations.
This political moment adds force to the sizable advantage of direct action campaigns over single demonstrations, however large. Protests are by their nature reactive. In these next years, predictably, Trump will act and progressives will react, then Trump will act again and progressives will react again. Trump, an accomplished fighter, knows that staying on the offensive is what enables him to win. Progressives, often led by people with a track record of loss, take the bait and react, over and over.
Simple protests, no matter what the issue, essentially signal to Trump that he is winning — he has manipulated us into reacting.
I realize that reactivity is a habit among many activists, and may take heroic self-discipline to avoid. An alternative is to organize a campaign, or join a campaign near you, even if the issue is not your favorite, and plunge in with full talent and energy.
7. Heighten the contrast in confrontations between the campaigners’ behavior and our right-wing opponents.
Many have noted Trump’s signals to his white supremacist and other allies that violence is an acceptable means to use against us.
This is an old story in the United States, and there’s no reason to let it throw us. Through clear nonviolent policy, like that of the Women’s March that urged against bringing anything that could be considered a weapon, we remain centered and able to attract large numbers. Some movements have made grave mistakes by responding to violent attacks in kind, losing ground on their goals as a result. Others have performed brilliantly, as did the civil rights campaigns that faced down the largest sustained terrorist organization in U.S. history, the KKK, often without protection from local law enforcement and even federal authorities.
The Global Nonviolent Action Database presents campaigns in almost 200 countries, including many nations where repressive violence was far worse than it has been in the United States. The database makes it possible to search for campaigns that faced repressive violence and to learn how they handled it. It is easy to find out, therefore, what worked and what didn’t, and to reinforce the lessons through training.
8. Aim to unite around a vision for justice, equality and freedom.
Individuals, campaigns, and movements all gain greater power and credibility through projecting a vision of what they want, as well as what they don’t want. They grow more easily, withstand attacks more easily, and have an easier time maintaining their boldness and creativity. “Protest movements” like Occupy are notoriously fragile and precarious; sustainable movements like the struggle for LGBT rights and equality have a liberating vision. The homophobes were right: We did have a “homosexual agenda!”
The good news is that on August 1, 2016, the Movement for Black Lives offered a vision that can be a draft for dialogue for many campaigns and movements. Many groups have already endorsed it. The vision is bold, substantive and so different from the present that it is even in alignment with the best practices of the Nordic countries. In that sense, it is highly practical and backed by a half-century track record. Compared with the ever volatile and shifting Donald Trump act, a rough agreement on vision by a movement of movements could enhance our credibility and divide his base.
9. Make the vision more real by extending new economy institutions and coops.
These often fly under the radar in our highly politicized discourse, so two things need to happen. People who are active in campaigns and movement development need to honor the development of economic infrastructure that reflects the values of our united vision.
Second, the new economy institutions need to brand themselves as part of the justice movement, giving up the advantages of modesty. They may find new advantages and surprising opportunities for growth. After all, a majority of Americans polled have already said they like the concept of employee-owned companies.
10. See U.S. polarization as opportunity.
Donald Trump frames U.S. polarization in ways that benefit him, trying to increase the loyalty of his base. Many progressives decry the polarization, as if their upset at its ugly manifestations will make it go away. The reality is that the polarization is fundamentally linked to economic inequality and was growing for years before Trump came forward. It is not going away. The question is how to manage our fears and learn to navigate the stormy waters.
The good news is that the greatest polarization in Scandinavian history — Nazis vs. Communists in the 1920s and ‘30s — was also the time when broad people’s movements made their breakthrough, pushed the domination of their economic elites aside and invented a new model of economic justice. The polarization did not stop them — if anything, the movements used the opportunity.
Yes, polarization is dangerous. Germany and Italy polarized when Sweden and Norway did, but went fascist. Their movements made huge mistakes, mistakes avoided by the Swedes and Norwegians. Our most recent period of great polarization in the United States was also dangerous, but the 1960s and ‘70s was our period of greatest progress since the polarized 1930s.
In short, there’s good reason to see the Trump era as an opportunity not only to stop him, but to make major gains in justice and equality. It will help to learn to turn our fear into power. We’ll also need strategy, and the humility to learn from successes of other movements that have come out ahead during hard times. It is not rocket science. If we’re willing to shift personal habits and priorities, support each other through hardship, and come together on a plan, we can win. That is our opportunity.
Related Stories on LeftPress:
► UR-FASCISM
► SHOCK DOCTRINE OF THE LEFT: A STRATEGY FOR BUILDING SOCIALIST COUNTERPOWER
► DEMOCRATIZE THE UNION: LET THE RANK-AND-FILE DECIDE!
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calacuspr · 3 years
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Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Calm & England Football Fans
Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.
HIT – CALM APP
We’ve have talked a lot recently about the importance of sports stars opening up about their struggles with mental health.
In May, we praised rugby union for standing in solidarity with its players highlighting the need to discuss mental health during Mental Health Awareness Week 2021.
But while sport seems to be doing more to support mental health issues, it’s safe to say Naomi Osaka’s decision to boycott press conferences at the French Open in June, citing the detrimental impact that they’ve had on her own mental health in the past, has caused substantial controversy in the media.
In a statement on Twitter, the world number two said: “I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros. I’ve often felt that people have regard for athlete’s mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.
“We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”
That statement wasn’t perfectly positioned nor was it well-managed, especially as it seemed to show a lack of understanding or appreciation for the role of the press.
Dismissing the role of the media in such a clumsy manner prompted a mixed response with some journalists referring to her as being a “princess” and “immature”, which have not helped her frame of mind.
THREATEN WITH EXPULSION FROM ORGANISERS
SECOND STATEMENT and quote/link relating to MH struggles
And despite admitting “timing was not ideal” when she announced her withdrawal from the French Open just days later,
One organisation who used the debate to their advantage and brought a key topic to light, recognising the pressures on the wellbeing on sports stars, was the meditation app Calm.
After Osaka was fined $15,000 for refusing to honour her contractual media obligation, Calm, the number one app for meditation and sleep, stepped in and pledged its support for Osaka’s decision to prioritise her mental health.
Calm announced on social media that they will not only be paying her fine but also matching it with a donation of $15,000 to Laureus Sport for Good, a world-leader in the sport for development sector in helping bring positive change to young people’s lives.
This was an ace of a PR masterclass from Calm, who have not only gained considerable coverage from the move but stepped up to promote an important message of protecting the mental health and wellbeing of young stars and ensuring they are resonated well within the media.
But the whole affair has highlighted that sport still needs to do a lot more to show that it can protect young stars from the mental challenges that they face, which had been Osaka’s intention from the start.
With the donation, Calm have managed to take control and achieved a moral high ground of the debate, brining the conversation back to emphasising the need to support young people with mental health issues and other disadvantages that they face on a daily basis.
Other organisations, which include some of Osaka’s sponsors like Nike, TAG Heuer and Mastercard, have also shown solidarity with her decision.
So, as much as Osaka has been criticised for failing to “do her job” as a professional athlete in the media, she has been able to bring an important topic to the forefront of people’s attention and standing up for her own wellbeing over the expectations of others.
With that, Calm seized an opportunity to bring a topic that deserves the greatest amount of attention into the spotlight, emphasising their own key messages and raising awareness for mental health support within sport.
MISS – ENGLAND FOOTBALL FANS
Since football resumed last year, most players in the Premier League have been taking the knee to highlight social inequality and racism.
Going back to the 1980s, winger John Barnes was told after scoring a superb goal against Brazil that “a ******’s goal doesn’t count” as the far right National Front were on the same flight as the England team.
Sports activism is nothing new, as we have discussed before on these pages many times, while Sky Sports has partnered with Kick It Out as well as supporting its #takeastand campaign to encourage “people across the football community to take an action or make a pledge, in the fight against discrimination.”
From the first top-flight game after the initial lockdown, Aston Villa and Sheffield United players and the match officials knelt down before kick-off.
With no fans in the stands, that tradition could take place without incident, but since fans have slowly been permitted back into stadia, murmurs of discord have occurred, with Millwall fans most vocal in their opposition to the tradition.
There was a social media blackout in May to address the trolling and abuse suffered by sports people, with Thierry Henry also deleting his profiles as a protest against the social media companies that do little to address the issues.
That discontent has turned into vociferous booing, most notably during England’s games ahead of EURO 2020, starting with the victory over Austria at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.
“We are collectively really disappointed that it happened. You have to put yourself in the shoes of a young England player about to represent his country. We are all trying to support equality and some of our team-mates and some of the experiences they have been through in their lives,
“We are totally united on it and committed to supporting each other. We feel that more than ever that we are determined to take the knee throughout this tournament.
“The players voices have been heard loud and clear and are taking their stand. Some people decide to boo and I think those people should put themselves in the shoes of those young players and how that must feel”
The booing continued as England beat Romania, also in Middlesbrough, prompting Southgate to add: “If you don't agree with the situation then you don't have to applaud or you don't have to do anything.
“But to boo your own team is a very strange response in my mind. There is an acceptance that this gesture is waning in its impact because we have been going now for a season but I think ahead of a European Championship where the games are going around the world, that moment just before the kick-off which will be shown everywhere, will have a significant impact.
“If we can affect only a handful of people then we will have made the world better for others. I think we'll affect more than a handful of people and for that reason it is worth us continuing.”
Needless to say, politicians such as Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson MP have criticised the moves, suggesting the England squad are out of touch with their own fans by supporting ‘Black Lives Matter’ which they consider to be a Marxist organisation intent on “undermining our way of life.”
Perhaps tellingly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to condemn those who boo the England team despite Kick It Out confirming that that the gesture is not aligned to any political organisation.
Clearly, there is significant prejudice that needs to be addressed in society – with football a microcosm of that. Look at the proportion of black players throughout the leagues and the lack of black managers, coaches and administrators throughout the game.
What irony that some England fans will chant “Two world wars and one World Cup” in relation to Germany and anti-IRA chanting, which is clearly political, but a number of them seem to object to actions taken by the players they support to address discrimination even though it is a cause, a movement, rather than a political affiliation.
Remember, many if not all of the black players in the England squad have experienced racism and the inability of fans to empathise with those whose shoes they have never walked in is quite staggering.
Some have mentioned that the England team are earning huge sums and so need to have a thick skin, but being a highly paid or high-profile footballer does not insulate you from racist abuse – just ask Raheem Sterling.
What irony that Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, who captained England and scored the winning goal in their win over Romania, was prompted to comment to those who continued to boo: “"It's something that we can't control, and for us we believe its the right thing to do so we're going to continue to do it.”
It will be fascinating to see how the England fans conduct themselves during EURO 2020 given their somewhat chequered reputation during past tournaments – and how will other nations’ fans behave if their players do the same?
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itsfinancethings · 4 years
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(MILAN) — When luxury fashion lined up social media posts to show solidarity with Black Lives Matters protests, brands got a whole lot of blowback.
Transgender model and actress Munroe Bergdorf jumped on L’Oreal’s #BlackoutTuesday posts to accuse the beauty brand of hypocrisy for having fired her three years ago when she complained about racism in strong language. U.S. actor Tommy Dorfman, who appears in a recent campaign for Salvatore Ferragamo, called out the Italian luxury brand for what Dorfman called a “homophobic and racist work environment.”
And ordinary Instagram followers piled on, challenging fashion houses to do more than post a black square on their virtual real estate, to instead make runways, magazine covers, boardrooms and creative studios living showcases of diversity.
Global fashion brands have faced racial backlashes in the past, notably in the wake of scandals like the Gucci knitwear recalling blackface, Prada’s Little Black Sambo bag charm and Dolce&Gabbana’s anti-Asian comments.
The U.S protests against systemic racism, which are spreading around the globe, are also putting the spotlight on the fashion world in its role as a cultural beacon, and emboldening insiders — some with lucrative deals that often assume their discretion — to speak up.
“People have the fire under their bottoms,” said Tamu McPherson, an American content creator based in Milan who collaborates with top luxury brands. “Their stories are strong and their voices are being heard. If the industry ignores them, they can be kept accountable. Everyone is sharing, and corroborating, their stories.”
McPherson has been working with luxury brands in Milan, Paris and New York since 2013, contributing to digital campaigns, story-telling and in-house diversity training.
“In seven years, I am still one of the only black people invited into those spaces. That is unacceptable,” said McPherson, who urged greater racial inclusion in a letter posted June 6 on her “All the Pretty Birds” website, in which she described the fashion industry as “steeped in racism, anti-Blackness and white privilege.”
“For years, they did not want to listen. Now they are listening because of the pandemic and the shocking murders we could all pay attention to, because there were not any distractions. This is the moment,” she said.
Ferragamo courted criticism when it responded to the protests with a post that said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.”
Dorfman shot back that people at the fashion house “have said heinous, transphobic, body phobic and racist things directly to me. I called them out every time and they promised to change.”
A person close to Ferragamo said that the brand is committed to inclusivity, noting that it features models of all colors in its runway shows. Nearly half of Ferragamo’s Fall 2020 runway models were of diverse races.
The pushback against the industry has had some early results. Bergdorf, who was sacked as L’Oreal UK’s first openly transgender model in 2017 for decrying “the racial violence of white people,” has now accepted a role as consultant on the U.K. Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board to help “influence and inform the brand.” The offer came after she highlighted the hypocrisy of the beauty company’s June 1 statement that it “stands in solidarity with the Black community, and against injustice of any kind … Speaking out is worth it.”
The Fashion Spot, which has been tracking diversity on runways and magazine covers, has reported progress since launching its surveys in 2015. The Spring 2020 season had the highest level of diversity on runways in the four main fashion cities of Paris, Milan, New York and London, at 41.5%, only to dip for the Fall 2020 shows, to 40.6%. That remains an improvement from 17% in the website’s inaugural survey for Spring 2015.
New York and London have led in diversity, while Paris and Milan tend to lag, according to the Fashion Spot’s data.
After her post, McPherson said she has gotten feedback from some brands that her appeal was being shared internally.
“The focus truly is on getting representation of Black, Indigenous and people of color integrated and hired at all levels of an organization, especially in decision-making positions and senior roles where they can advocate, educate and inform decisions,” McPherson said. “Now is the opportunity to rebuild.”
After coming under fire for designs deemed racist, both Gucci and Prada last year announced long-term strategies to both promote diverse voices that have not been properly represented in fashion, including with scholarships.
This time, the reckoning has gone to the fashion world’s highest levels. Anna Wintour has apologized in an internal email for not doing enough to elevate Black voices and publishing images and stories that have been racially and culturally “hurtful and intolerant” during her 32-year tenure at Vogue. Her comments came as Samira Nasr was named the first editor in chief of color in the 153-year history of U.S. Harper’s Bazaar.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell — the first Black woman to appear on the cover of French Vogue — is publicly calling for equal pay for models of color and more representation generally, while acknowledging that in the past she has chosen to deal privately with such issues.
“It is not something I call out, because I am personally someone who wants to rise to the challenge,” she told CNN. But she said, “in my business, it has gone on for long enough.”
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