Archive

There are currently two TV shows airing that are about and written by Native Americans.Today's action is to read this article about these two TV shows, Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, and to watch an episode from one of them, if you are able.

As many people charged with looting during last summer's protests are still in prison and awaiting trial, it's important to examine the racial politics of what kinds of property destruction are considered looting and what kinds are not. Today's action is to read an article in Time Magazine about this topic. From the article: "The history-shaping actions of white people are rarely remembered as looting, even when they have involved seizing goods by force, whereas the word is freely applied when those doing the seizing lack power."

Noname is a rapper and activist who has started a book club with members inside and outside carceral facilities. We previously shared her book club for anyone who didn't already have an anti-racist book club to attend. Each month, the book club sends copies of that month's books to prisons around the US. Funds from the book club will also go to starting a library of free radical books in Chicago. If you are able, today's action is to donate to the book club's Patreon.

Today's action is to read about activist Brittany Micek and her organization Meditating for Black Lives. Her organization is a reminder that processing trauma and taking care of your mental health is an important part of any activism.

In May, we shared an action to write to your representatives to oppose proposed laws calling for harsher penalties for protestors. Today's action is to read this article about the disturbing trend of laws protecting drivers that hit protestors. If you're from a state that has passed one of these laws (Iowa, Florida, Oklahoma) or a state where one of these laws is pending (Washington, New Jersey, Tennessee), consider contacting your representatives voicing your opposition against these laws.

November is Native American Heritage Month. As the Native Governance Center states, "Indigenous people are still here, and they’re thriving." In honor of that, here are some Native American creators you can follow.

It is likely that Gabby Petito's death was related to domestic violence. Race and class play a part in domestic violence statistics, with Black and Indigenous women being the most vulnerable to domestic violence. Today's action is to read this article about the intersection of race and domestic violence.

Philadelphia will soon become the first major city in the US to ban traffic stops for trivial code violations that do not pose a risk to public safety. Stopping drivers for tinted windows, missing tail lights, license plate issues, and other low-level offenses will no longer be permitted once the mayor signs the new city-council-passed Driving Equity Bill into law next week. According to the Philadelphia Defenders Association, "43% of Philadelphia residents are Black, but Black people make up 72% of the drivers pulled over for alleged motor vehicle code [violations]. After [being] stopped, Black drivers are twice as likely to be searched, but 35% less likely to be found with contraband." A new investigation by The New York Times found that "over the past five years, police officers have killed more than 400 drivers or passengers who were not wielding a gun or a knife, or under pursuit for a violent crime — a rate of more than once a week." This is a huge step forward to addressing racial disparity in policing. You can read more about the bill on CNN.

Prison Renaissance is an organization using "art and community to create a culture of transformation to end cycles of incarceration."They publish zines, poems, essays, fiction and non-fiction pieces, video, and other visual art that centers the voices of incarcerated people in our conversations about criminal justice reform. Today's action is to check out the Get Involved section of their website or make a donation to support their work.

In response to violence and over-policing at Southwood High School in Shreveport, La., a group of five fathers created "Dads on Duty" to act as community liaisons, patrol the campus and provide care and oversight for the kids at school. Their children's local high school went from 23 student arrests in the span of three days for fighting to no violent incidents on campus since they started the program over a month ago. This is what police abolition can look like. Today's action is to read their story and share it with your network.

As we work to move toward prison abolition in the future, today's action is to check an episode of Ear Hustle, a podcast about "the daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration." From their website:

"Launched in 2017, Ear Hustle was the first podcast created and produced in prison, featuring stories of the daily realities of life inside California's San Quentin State Prison, shared by those living it. Co-founded by Bay Area artist Nigel Poor alongside Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams — who were incarcerated at the time — the podcast now tells stories from both inside prison and from the outside, post-incarceration."

Founded in 2019, The Last Prisoner Project is committed to freeing all of the estimated 40,000 individuals currently incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes in the United States. Its work brings together cannabis industry leaders, lawyers, criminal and social justice advocates, and policy and education experts to bring about cannabis criminal justice reform. Given the vast racial disparities in marijuana arrests and convictions, this is anti-racist work. Today's action is to check out the Take Action page on their website to learn more about how you can support their mission via letter-writing campaigns, petitions, donations, and social media graphics to share with your community.

Today's action comes from "Stories From Palestine" on Instagram. Netflix just introduced an influx of Palestinian-focused films and documentaries on their streaming service last week. Check out the list on their recent post and choose one film or documentary to watch this week.

Last week we shared resources to learn more about the colonial history of U.S territory, Puerto Rico. Today, despite the destabilizing presence of multiple natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes in the last few years and looming massive debt, Puerto Rico has managed to become the most vaccinated place in America. Today's action is to read this CNN article explaining how they did it and what the United States can learn from their success.

Today's action is to learn more about how the city of Evanston, Illinois is making good on an intiative to provide reparations to Black residents who experienced housing discrimination.

From the article, "In March, after two years of research, proposals and community meetings, Evanston’s city council voted 8-1 to launch a 'Restorative Housing Program.' The application period began on Sept. 21. In November, 16 applicants will receive $25,000 each in housing reparations....The first payments, totaling $400,000, are part of $10 million Evanston has pledged over a decade to begin repairing the damage caused by official city policies."

Evanston and other cities investing in reparations serve as an important example for other communities, and also make the case for more broad federal legislation.

As focus on abolition gains momentum, so do many common misconceptions surrounding the ideology. Today's action is to read and share this thread from Patrisse Cullors, who debunks myths like "abolition means lawlessness and chaos" with helpful clarifications.

As we approach peak Spooky Season, today's action is to watch and share this video where six women share costumes that co-opt their cultures, how they define cultural appropriation, and how it impacts them on a personal level.

As a follow up to Tuesday's email where we shared Abolitionist Futures reading list, today's action is to look at your daily life and relationships and consider in what ways you can practice "everyday abolition".

This link includes a sample chapter of the book Abolishing the Police (an Illustrated Introduction) to help you identify how you might be upholding carceral culture in your daily life, alternatives to punishment when responding to harm, and practical skills to contribute to community safety. Keep in mind this note from the author: "This work takes ongoing practice. It is not something we can attend one training session on or read one article about and then know how to respond or address every situation."

As the US Supreme Court is in the process of deciding which cases to take up in this term, Native communities are watching closely to see if they will accept Brackeen vs. Haaland. This case is a challenge to The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) on the surface, but stands to threaten tribal sovereignty and the power of Native people to protect their cultures. Cherokee writer Rebecca Nagle provides a detailed history of this case and it's far-reaching implications in season 2 of her podcast, This Land. Today's action is to begin listening to episode 1 of the eight episode series, and if you've already listened, share it with others.

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court announced two rulings without any noted dissents which uphold qualified immunity, the court-created doctrine that essentially shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations—like the right to be free from excessive police force—for money damages. The rulings came out a few weeks after Congressional negotiations to tighten police practices collapsed at the end of September.

These events serve as a reminder that the police and prison systems are are continually upheld by our institutions, and that the fundamental transformative nature of abolition has far greater potential to solve the problems of poverty, crime, and violence. Today's action is to review this reading list assembled by Abolitionist Futures and continue efforts to broaden your understanding and involvement in the movement. Consider setting up an abolition reading group using the set up guide and resources to facilitate an ongoing a dialog in your community.

Today's action is to listen to writer, organizer, and Netflix's VP of Inclusion Strategy Darnell Moore and filmmaker/writer dream hampton share an intimate conversation as part of On Being's 'Future of Hope' series. Moore and hampton reflect on belief/hope, community, leadership, the origins of today's abolitionist movement, and the role of their work/creativity at this stage of their lives in this cultural moment. A transcript is also available at the link.

Even though Puerto Rico is legally part of the US as an incorporated territory, US history classes don't cover much about Puerto Rico. Today's action is to read this essay by Puerto Rican activist Alexandra-Marie Figueroa Miranda about Puerto Rico's colonial history and how that history continues to affect it today.

You might have heard opponents of bail reform arguing that it adversely affects public safety to release people that are awaiting trial. Here's a study that shows that releasing people pre-trial doesn't increase crime. It uses data from four states, as well as nine cities and counties, before and after the adoption of pretrial reforms, to conclude that in most cases there was a neutral to positive affect on public safety.

Today's action is to listen to this npr podcast episode (or read the transcript) about how fat phobia is linked to anti-Blackness, both in its origins and in its manifestations today.

Today's action is to read this article about how reporting on crime affects public opinion and policy on policing and incarceration. As a result, nuanced coverage of crime (instead of sensationalist) is a racial social justice issue.

This month is Filipino American History Month. In honor of that, today's action is to read this article about the first Asian American settlement in the US, a Filipino fishing village established in what is now Louisiana, in 1763.

As another example of why prisons and the police should be abolished, today's action is to read this article about how 10 Black children in Tennessee were arrested for being bystanders at a fight, which is not actually a crime that it is legal to arrest people for. In fact, the judge in the article had illegally jailed children about 1500 times during her career, and continues to serve as judge today.

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, today's email is about Land Back. We've covered land back in a few previous emails as well. Today's action is to read this and this article about , if you're wondering what kinds of practical actions you can take towards giving Indigenous land back. Even though these articles are from a Canadian magazine, the principles outlined apply to any country built on Indigenous occupied territory.

Today's action is to listen to NPR podcast, CodeSwtich's recent episode, "What Does It Mean To Be Latino? The 'Light-Skinned Privilege' Edition." From the show notes:

"Maria Garcia and Maria Hinojosa are both Mexican American, both mestiza, and both relatively light-skinned. But Maria Hinojosa strongly identifies as a woman of color, whereas Maria Garcia has stopped doing so. So in this episode, we're asking: How did they arrive at such different places? To find out, listen to our latest installment in this series about what it means to be Latino."

Today's action is to watch this Democracy Now! interview with human rights lawyer Derecka Purnell, discussing her new book, "Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom." You can find info on where to purchase the book and see Derecka on tour on her website.

Today's action is to read this Washington Post expose on Tommy Marcus, an Instagram influencer who raised over $7 million in August to help fund evacuation flights for Afghan civilians fleeing Taliban rule. Dubbed "Operation Flyaway" by Marcus and the non-profit leaders he partnered with, they committed to spending every dollar raised on the intended cause, but as of today, no Afghans have been evacuated on flights chartered by their initiative. The Post found that Operation Flyaway spent $3.3 million on flights that were canceled, for which it has not received refunds.

In 1951, doctors at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore took cell samples from Henrietta Lack's, a black woman suffering from aggressive cervical cancer, while diagnosing and treating her disease. They gave some of that tissue to researchers without her consent, who later discovered that the cell were "immortal," able to reproduce and survive under almost any condition. Later named HeLa cells, this discovery helped scientists produce remedies for several diseases, including the first polio vaccine and the recent COVID vaccines.

Yesterday it was announced that the descendants of Henrietta Lacks are suing the pharmaceutical company Thermo Fisher Scientific, which has made billions of dollars in profit off the HeLa cell line and demanding reparations and the intellectual property of those cells. Today's action is to learn more about Henrietta Lacks' story in this s.

It's October, and spooky season has officially begun! Today's action is to check out this list of 30+ Halloween children's books featuring diverse characters curated by Charnaie Gordon of Here Wee Read. If you're interested in purchasing any of the titles listed in the article, please do so via Here Wee Read's storefront on Bookshop.

In 1912, Charles and Willa Bruce purchased beachfront property in Southern California and turned it into a resort open to Black customers. In 1924 the property was seized by the city through eminent domain and absorbed into Manhattan Beach. Last week Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill passed by the state legislature allowing for the return of the property, now valued at $75 million, to the descendants of the Bruce family. As of today, no formal apology has been issued to the Bruce family from LA County. You can learn more about their story in Architectural Digest.

Last week Canada held its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a national holiday honoring victims and survivors of its residential school system. The holiday was celebrated just one day after a Canadian court dismissed a legal challenge from the federal government and upheld a 2016 ruling calling for billions of dollars in compensation to First Nations children removed from their families and placed into state welfare. Today's action is to read this BBC article to learn more about Indigenous foster care in Canada and why reform is needed.

Today's action is to read about two recent examples of land being returned/transferred to indigenous control. The first, 172 acres known as Blues Beach in Mendocino, California, ownership was transferred to a non-profit consisting of three local tribal governments, the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo, Round Valley Indian Tribes, and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo. The second (much larger) example, Australia's Daintree Rainforest — a World Heritage Site and one of the oldest rainforests in the world — was returned to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people in a formal ceremony last week after negotiations lasting four years. The combined area of more than 395,000 acres will be managed jointly with the Queensland government before before being passed entirely to indigenous control.

Content Warning: Suicide and Self Harm

As Latinx heritage month continues, today's action is to take time to learn about the Latina teen suicide epidemic that has grown over the past decade. Actress and author Dani Fernandez shares several articles and her personal experience in this thread and offers resources for teens in crisis.

Yesterday marked Orange Shirt Day, an annual event started in Williams Lake, BC, Canada to commemorate, witness, and honor the healing of survivors of Residential Schools in the Cariboo Region, and since then it has aimed to open the doors to a global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools.

In honor of Orange Shirt Day, Indigenous-led grassroots organization Rising Hearts is hosting a virtual Remembrance Run, which you can still support and participate through this weekend (the event runs through October 3rd). If you are physically able, you can register to run, walk, or bike in solidarity, and then post photos and view results on the event page. If you'd like to participate or support in other ways, you can sponsor a runner donation, purchase a shirt or sticker, or share this event with your community. Additional educational context and resources are provided on the event website.

The Color of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share the Color of Change values, and holding them accountable to communities.

Today's action is to get involved with their efforts to mobilize voters in preparation for November elections, particularly in critical locations like Minneapolis, where voters will decide whether or not to amend Minneapolis’ city charter and adopt a public health approach to public safety. You can sign up to participate in text banking to raise awareness on this ballot measure, and on a local level ask your politicians to sign this to reject political donations from the Fraternal Order of Police.

Content Warning: Sexual Assault

Earlier this week, R. Kelly was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking, a decision that should have come decades ago. Today's action is to read this article featuring the voices of Black women who share their perspectives and questions about whether this conviction represents a shift toward better treatment of Black women victims of sexual violence.

From the article:

In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, today's action is to listen to this podcast (or read this article) to learn about a US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals case, Mendez v. Westminster, that predated Brown vs. Board of Education in the fight for integration in US public schools. The Mendez family, along with other Latino families, brought a class action lawsuit against four Orange County school districts that had separate schools for white and Mexican students.

Sylvia Mendez, who was at the center of the 1947 case as a young student, speaks about her memory of this experience and shares her thoughts on the current times and reflected, "we are more segregated now than we ever were" -- calling for younger generations to advocate against the "de-facto" school segregation taking place today.

Today's action is to get to know artist, abolitionist, author, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Patrisse Cullors-Brignac and support her work. Here are some ways to do this:

• Read her 2018 book,

Today’s action is to read this article about how the gender binary and colonialism are linked, through interviews with Black and indigenous non binary and two-spirit people.

Ten days ago, we shared a letter signed by 300 activists urging the US to stop deportation of Haitian asylum seekers. Since then, horrifying photos have been released of asylum-seekers being chased on horseback by US border patrol. Today's action is to read this article by Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat about the long history of the US's mistreatment of Haitian asylum seekers. The article also explains the history of US government intervention in Haitian politics that has created a situation that Haitians are forced to flee from. From the article, "Immigrants are fleeing the violence that the United States is bringing to them.”

Today's post is a demonstration of how more diverse representation isn't the same as equity. The Instagram account bachelordata analyzed the most recent season of the Bachelor, which had the franchise's first Black male lead and the highest percentage of contestants of color. Despite the season having the highest percentage of contestants of color, these charts show that the most screen time is still devoted to the white contestants.

Two days ago, we shared an article and post about the disparity of effort devoted to location missing persons of color compared to white missing persons. Today's action is to read about and spread the word about Jelani Day and Daniel Robinson, two Black young men who have been missing for a couple months and who haven't yet been found. As Day's mom states in the article, after her son didn't get the same attention after being missing for longer, we're "not arguing that Petito deserves less but that [Jelani] deserves more."

Today's action is to read about disaster capitalism—the pattern of developers seizing land that has been evacuated after a national disaster and using it for commercial interests. Examples include New Orleans becoming the city with the most privatized school district, post-Katrina. The article also mentions that on a global scale, the countries most vulnerable to the effects of disaster capitalism are ones that have a history of colonization.

Today's action is to read about the disparity in effort and attention devoted to finding missing people of color. Destini Smothers, a 26 yar old Black woman, was found 4 months after being reported missing, after law enforcement conducted no searches to find her. A report by the Wyoming's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force showed that 21% of Indigenous people reported as missing take longer than 1 month to find. Only 11% of white people take longer than 1 month to find.

Today's action is to read this post about how Muir Woods National Monument in California changed its signage to contain a land acknowledgement and also to call out the role of Indigenous land management in preservation of the woods. Even though the goal is to give indigenous land back, land acknowledgement in state and national park signs is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, more state and national parks follow.

In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, today's action is to check out this NY Times list featuring 11 Latinx authors and their works on Latinx life. Consider buying one of the books and reading it this month.