Walking in the footsteps of Shirley Chisholm, the women on Higher Heights’ Chisholm 2020 list range from our first Black woman Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, to Adrienne A. Jones, the first woman and African American to serve as presiding officer in the Maryland General Assembly.
Tag: Black Feminism
What “Happiest Season” Is, What It Isn’t, and What It Could Be
Feminist film critic Aviva Dove-Viebahn offers her take on the new holiday film “Happiest Season”:
“Am I unfair in blaming Clea DuVall for her movie’s missed opportunities, for telling an opportunistic story that resembles the ones we’ve been told over and over for decades now?”
Two Teen Girls’ Mission to Change Their School’s Confederate Name to Honor John Lewis
After a summer where the U.S. confronted systemic racism, a flood of promises regarding justice came from state governments. This set the stage for Kadija Ismail and Kimberly Boateng, two young Black teens, to finally have their school renamed in honor of activist and Representative John R. Lewis, in a state with the second most Confederate-named schools in the U.S.
Black Girl Politics: Creating Space Where Black Girls’ Voices and Policy Priorities Matter
“People often assume what is best for Black girls without directly asking us for our own input on the topic.”
We REIGN Inc’s summer advocacy program is creating a space where Black girls’ voices and policy priorities matter.
Black Women to Democrats: Defend Our Rights!
“Democrats who supported the Hyde Amendment and have repeatedly traded Black women’s rights for political expediency need to listen to us now.”
Scholar Strike Aims to Highlight Racial Injustice Through Digital Teach-In
As part of an inaugural Scholar Strike, U.S. professors are withdrawing from classrooms to engage in accessible, digital education surrounding anti-Blackness and police brutality on Sept. 8 and 9.
“Baffling”: 27% of Young Black Women Were Unemployed in August
Unemployment rates for Black women between the ages of 20 and 24 rose to 26.8 percent in August—up from 25.4 percent in July.
“It’s just bananas,” says Jasmine Tucker, director of research for the National Women’s Law Center. “Other than racism and sexism, I really don’t get it.”
The Educational Value of a Black Teacher
The coronavirus is offering a chance to ‘reimagine’ education, but if the new landscape doesn’t include efforts to recruit and retain more Black teachers, reform will be a farce.
If the purpose of education reform is to boost students’ academic outcomes, reduce suspensions, raise expectations, and even recruit (less racist) teachers into the profession, research suggests that increasing the number of Black teachers should be part of any serious strategy.
‘Welcome To History’: MLK’s Legacy Lives on in March for Black Lives
Thousands of Americans of all races came from far and wide Friday on the 57th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom for a slightly different kind of march.
“For so many of us, to say that the march was empowering is to make the experience too simple, too light. To be in one place with so many Black people of different hues, religions, regional dialects standing in solidarity and single purpose was life changing. For my younger friends, it also brought to life the photos in history books.”
“Black Feminist Rants” Podcast Creates Crucial Space for Youth Activism and Reproductive Justice
“Black feminists have added three of the most important contributions to feminism: intersectionality from Kimberle Crenshaw; identity politics from the Combahee River Collective; and reproductive justice. Feminism cannot exist without reproductive justice—and the mainstream feminist movement is indebted to Black feminists and the Black feminist movement. … You cannot have a feminist movement or framework that doesn’t include and center those on the margin” says LaKia Williams, host of new podcast, Black Feminist Rants.