“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.
Tag: Black Feminism
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.
Jacob Blake’s Sister, Letetra Widman: “I Don’t Want Your Pity. I Want Change.”
Letetra Widman highlighted the broader impact of systemic racism around Blake’s shooting—one that the families of murdered Black Americans have been highlighting for a long, long time.
“When you say the name Jacob Blake, make sure you say father, make sure you say cousin, make sure you say son, make sure you say uncle. But most importantly, make sure you say human. Human life. Let it marinate in your mouth and your minds. A human life. Just like every single one of you all and everywhere … We’re human. His life matters.”
Conventional Ignorance: Belva Davis Confronts Violent Racism at the 1964 RNC
At the very outset of what would become an award-winning career as a TV journalist, Belva Davis confronted violent racism at the 1964 Republican National Convention, at which conservative Arizona senator Barry Goldwater was nominated for the presidency. Her memory of that daunting experience reminds us that we’ve been through change followed by backlash before.
“Day one of the convention had been tense but orderly. … Day two was starting to spin out of control.”
#1000BlackGirlBooks: A Push for Representation in Children’s Literature
As a fifth grader, Marley Dias told her parents none of the characters in the books she reads in school look like her.
Five years later, Dias’ campaign, #1000BlackGirlBooks, has filled school libraries and curriculums with more than 12,000 books that feature Black girls as the main character.
“I was sick of reading about white boys and their dog.”