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2020-11-22
I Lip Read Badge
My ‘I Lip Read’ badges are still available. £3.75 including postage. DM me if you would like one or a few. They have really helped with people’s awareness. Once all this rubbish mask business is over these badges will be a good addition to a denim jacket or rucksack. #deafawareness #deafcommunity #deafacademy #ilipread #deafandproud #deafandcovid #selfhelp #makepeopleaware #dontstrugglealone #lipreadermask #lipreader #deafculturesorority -
2021-03-01
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Vaccinations
When we say end violence against our elders, this means demanding accessible, equitable and culturally responsive healthcare services for them. Here are some community-based resources who have been doing this work: @pacificislandercovid19 @picawashington @empoweredpi Thank you Seattle Times for amplifying how COVID and inequitable health care services impact our communities in Washington. The impacts are detrimental and NHPI communities are impacted at disproportionate rates. Check out the entire article @seattletimes. Some things this article highlights - vaccine services provided need to be inclusive of different cultural lifestyles and practices, lumping Asian and NHPI data together invisiblizes NHPI needs, there is a great need to bring community-based groups to the table to build accessible systems and solutions. (Image description: a carousel of 9 slides from an article by Seattle Times. 1. A front page article that reads to fight covid-19 with vaccines, native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Washington first need to be seen. 2. A quote in simple black text that reads "that is one of the things that we continue to think about How do we honor those that have passed during the pandemic? Our elders have so many stories, so much knowledge and they're essentially the wisdom keepers of our culture" seia Said. 3. The numbers tell the devastating story. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up about 1% of Washington state's population but account for 2% of cases in the state according to the State department of health native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have the highest average rate of any race and ethnicity in the state at $7,132 per 100,000 people and also lead in deaths per 100,000 with an average of 151 as of February 21st, according to the UCLA Center for health policy research" Captions continues in comments. #InSolidarity #AAPIWomenLead #COVID19 -
2021-03-10
Justice for Angelo Quinto
Tonight AAPIWL joined Angelo Quinto's family + community, the incredible organizers of @justiceforangeloquinto, Civil Rights Attorney @johnburrislawfirm , the mother of Oscar Grant- Rev. Wanda Johnson, @justice4steventaylor grandmother, @robbonta, Cat Brooks @antipoliceterrorproject, Antioch's elected officials, and hundreds of community members from all over the Bay Area to celebrate Angelo's 31st birthday. Tonight we all learned that Angelo was well loved by his family in Antioch and in the Philippines. His family talked about how amazing and special he was, and they were proud that he wanted to pursue his passions in art. We learned more about the powerful community that will continue to support the Quinto family in their fight for Angelo. Thank you again to the organizers for this beautiful celebration and vigil, for uplifting Angelo and his family, the call for solidarity, the need for mental health resources, demanding the end of police violence and the need for accountability for Angelo and the countless men who were also murdered by the Antioch Police Department while having a mental health crisis. We will continue to fight with you all. #JusticeForAngeloQuinto #JusticeForAngeloJusticeForAll #AAPIWomenLead #InSolidarity #StopAAPIHate -
2021-03-13
Love Our Communities
There are different events happening today - thanks to the organizers across the US for your work. We’ve been learning alongside LA in particular - THANK YOU to all of the organizations + individuals who’ve been working SO hard to make today happen. We love our communities + we are building collecting power. Hope you join this movement. #InSolidarity @ccedla NAME CHANGE: In an effort to amplify our message of solidarity, we are no longer using “Stop Asian Hate” in the title for this event. CCED recognizes that the emphasis on hate crimes limits the scope of the conversation, implying these attacks are merely isolated racist attacks + that policing is the solution. Hate crime legislation funds surveillance but does not actually change the material realities that working class Asian Americans live in. Anti-Asian violence is tied to the collective struggle of BIPOC under white supremacy. We’ve provided some reading materials in our link in bio for folks to learn further! . . Join our communities THIS SATURDAY 3/13 @3:30PM @jamuseum in Little Tokyo (in person or via livestream!) for “LOVE OUR COMMUNITIES: BUILD COLLECTIVE POWER”--a grounding, healing space in the wake of anti-Asian Violence. Meet, collaborate, and build with grassroots organizations doing direct work in Los Angeles Asian American communities. Artwork by Cynthia Yuan Cheng @cynthiaycheng Organized by: Chinatown Community for Equitable Development @ccedla Ktown4BlackLives @ktown4blacklives Tuesday Night Project @tnproject Nikkei Progressives @NikkeiProgressives Sunday Jump @thesundayjump API Equality LA @apiequalityla Kabataang maka-Bayan / Pro-People Youth @kmb_la Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA) Palms Up Academy @palmsupacademy J-Town Action and Solidarity @jtown.action.and.solidarity Hosted by: The Japanese American National Museum @jamuseum **Masks required. Double masking encouraged. Social Distancing required per CDC Guidelines** ADA accessibility + streaming details to be announced. Check out the FB Event Page @ccedla link in bio. [image description - more info on @ccedla page at comments] -
2021-03-15
I'm Ready 2020
We are building out our work beyond social media. Until we can share more details, here are some notes from the #ImReady2020 “Hope, Healing, Accountability” convening we held last year, which included community organizers, healing practitioners, youth leaders, teachers, scholars, legal experts, and more. Thank you to everyone who continues to share their wisdom about why this moment is happening + for doing the work to demand resources + to build accountability structures across all of our communities. We honor the work community members, including organizers and educators - do every single day to create change + to take care of our communities. . . #IMREADY2020 @aapiwomenlead works every day to make sure our progressive communities are highlighted, informed, held and organized. Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander women and girls, gender non-conforming communities have BEEN here surviving + resisting CENTURIES of white supremacy, colonial violence. We have been leading in solidarity with all BIPOC communities- even when we keep getting erased. We will stay at it. Here are a few notes from yesterday. Videos to come. . . . Posted @withregram • @aapiwomenlead We can’t be happy enough with today’s news!!!! Thank goodness for all the organizers that worked so very hard to change the administration! AND we finished our first day of the #IMREADY2020 conference, “Hope, Healing, Accountability.” We learned about the history of militarization, colonization, police violence and war against our communities. And we learned about the ways that AAPI women and girls - across the gender spectrum, queer communities, and youth have always been at the forefront of liberation work. We will stay at this work to transform this place. For today - we celebrate. . . . (image description - image 1: there is an increase in hate violence against Asians through the trump administration and COVID. but will this violence end with this new regime? -Dr. Mimi Kim #IMREADY2020; captions continued in comments] #aapiwomenlead #insolidarity -
2021-03-16
We Are Not Your Jokes, Your Vacation Spots, of Your Toys
To all of our community members who are hurting and angry, please take time and space. Be easy on yourselves and each other. We will do the same. To our teammates, thank you for checking in. We are grateful. Please continue to work with us + each other to end violence against Asian and Pacific Islander women, girls and gender non-conforming communities. Tonight we are talking about the Asian women massage parlor workers who were killed - but we work for all of us. In solidarity. To everyone else, we hold the entire racist and misogynist system + culture accountable (and that’s only the tip of the iceberg). We are not your jokes, your vacation spots, or your toys. Take care, community. We need you. End this violence. In pain and outrage, AAPI Women Lead [retweet- @jennyyangtv Asian women are your punchlines Sex workers are your punchlines Kung flu is your punchline You fucking did this] #aapiwomenlead #intersectionalfeminism #insolidarity -
2021-03-20
If This Ain't the Energy You're Coming At
Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch Repost from @hownottotravellikeabasicbitch • If this ain’t the energy you’re coming at: — •Anti-Blackness •Stolen land •Asian hate crime •Deportations •Kids in cages •US imperialism •Islamaphobia •Anti-Semitism — Then I don’t want it. — If you can’t see how all these movements are connected & how every attack on one of us is an attack on us all, then I can’t help you. It’s only unity for me. — Speech by Isabel Kang from @krclaorg, originally posted on @aapiwomenlead. -
2020-04-15
That fleeting moment of Solidarity
In those first few weeks of lockdown I just remember a feeling of solidarity with my neighbors. We were all separate, all isolated, but all working toward the same goal. Throughout our neighborhood people had written with chalk on the sidewalk, we took walks every day and saw painted rocks, teddy bears sitting in windows, art and signs of hope and comfort. For a homeschool art lesson I had my sons do chalk splatter painting on our driveway and then taught them about Jackson Pollock. I wrote lyrics to Bob Marley songs and drew pictures of rainbows on the sidewalk. We baked bread, cinnamon rolls, all things warm and cozy. Our family was together in a special way, we appreciated the time together. We went on hikes and fished in the backyard pond and although there were zoom appointments and conference calls, life was moving at a slower more relaxing pace. We were hopeful and confident that by doing the right thing we were saving lives. -
2021-01-26
The 2021 Social Justice Outlook
NEW YEAR. NEW SOCIAL JUSTICE OUTLOOK. 2020 will be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide civil unrest spurred by killings of unarmed Black men and women by police officers. With a new president in office, what will social justice look like in 2021? Get your questions ready and join the conversation tonight at 7:30 p.m. on NBC 6 Voices with Jawan Strader on the NBC 6 Facebook and YouTube pages. -
2021-03-16
Surge in Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
As the U.S. continues its battle against COVID-19, it is also battling a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. A recent report found that hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities surged by nearly 150 percent in 2020 —even as the number of overall hate crimes fell. Stephanie Sy looks at how the violence has marred one community, and how they are coming together in its wake. -
2020-12-29
FOX 35 takes a look at the past year as we get closer to 2021.
FOX 35 takes a look at the past year as we get closer to 2021. -
2020-04-22
Understanding the Corona Virus Through the Lens of Racial and Social Justice
The Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy and the Social Justice Initiative host a conversation on the Coronavirus Pandemic through the Lens of Racial and Social Justice. Moderated by Barbara Ransby from the Social Justice Initiative, panelists include Dr. Linda Rae Murray, Aislinn Pulley from Chicago Torture Project, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez, Ald. Jeanette Taylor, Detention Watch Network's Gaby Viera and Reyna Wences from Organized Communities Against Deportations. This program was edited by CAN TV -
2021-01-28
Sacramento Unites for Social Justice During a Pandemic
After the murder of George Floyd people hit the streets demanding justice for him and many others who have died at the hands of public officers. After many days of protests, riots and military intervention, the Sacramento community proves to be a strong band of citizens, business owners and political leaders who have each other's back. -
2020-05-06
Zoom Meeting/ Social Justice During the Pandemic
Join us for a dynamic discussion on how organizing and social movement tactics and methods are changing in the COVID-19 era of physical distancing. Participants will learn what the priorities of social justice networks and organizations are, and how they have changed in the time of Coronavirus. We will also discuss what leaders in the field have been learning about power building in light of these changes. Participants include: LaTosha Brown, Founder, Black Voters Matter Fund (https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org...) George Goehl, Director, People’s Action (peoplesaction.org) Michelle Miller, Co-Founder and Co-Director, coworker.org (info@coworker.org) Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School (Moderator) This event is part of the Democracy and Justice During Pandemic virtual series. -
2021-03-18
Illistration by Pauline C. Cuevas
During the pandemic, hate crimes against the AAPI community have significantly increased. Our people had been unjustly blamed by previous leadership for the virus, and little hateful comments here and there have now grown into full blown terrorist actions. THIS is why words matter. THIS is why leadership matters. I urge you to speak up, stand up and be an ally to the Asian community-- especially for our elders. We are hurting, angry and scared, but the future can be a brighter one if we stick together. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to make this piece for @calendow. I've noticed my own fear and uncertainty during these times. I worry for my kids and my family, but being able to use my art to shine a light during these dark times gives me courage. We can do this together. #ProtectOurElders #StopAAPIHate #AAPI #AsianAmerican #PeoplePower #Solidarity #RiseUp #womenshistorymonth #filipinaartist #sandiegoartist -
2020-11-09
Biden thanks his gay, straight, transgender supporters
Joe Biden credits the LGBTQ community while appreciating the "broadest and most diverse" coalition of support ever seen in a successful campaign for President. Swipe up in our stories for more. -
03/14/2021
Trisha Vaughn Oral History, 2021/03/18
Trisha Vaughn is the CPT Supervisor for a large Bay Area community hospital. In her spare time, Trisha hosts a podcast with her daughter, is an avid writer, and she is starting a small apothecary business to sell her skin care creations. In the oral history interview, Trisha shares how she has navigated through Covid-19 in both her personal life, and as an essential worker. She reflects on staying motivated and helping the people in her life stay motivated thought these hard times. Trisha describes how the social injustices and civil unrest in response to police brutality during the pandemic has affected her and those around her and about how the urgency of the pandemic has overshadowed the injustices faced by people of color across the nation. -
2021-03-17
Heavy hearted and defeated
The rise of anti-Asian crimes has been a focal point of my predominantly Asian and Latinx community, and has increased to a point where our local police are trying to send out messages of reassurance and solidarity. But this isn’t something that comes out of nowhere. It has been bubbling under the surface as long as Asian Americans have lived in this country. The Chinese Exclusion Act, barring Asian citizenship, miscegenation laws, land laws, internment camps, the murder of Vincent Chin, hate crimes against Southeast Asian refugees, the stereotypes, the cheap sitcom jokes and potshots, the dual embrace and distaste of the so-called “model minority.” A year ago, as COVID-19 began to infect our everyday life even prior to shutdown, many of my students recounted racism they faced at the grocery store or other public places, as Asians were made the scapegoat of the pandemic. This racism was not happening in the Midwest, it was happening in diverse Southern California. How many times this year have I had the conversation with students, family, and friends about the otherness that is associated with being Asian in America? As half of an interracial marriage with an Asian partner, I have seen first hand the comments. Going to Disney World and having my husband joke that he had seen one and a half Asians that week, himself and my daughter - and seeing the stares. Comments from Disney World or airport employees who stared at us and said in a off putting tone, “you must be from California or Hawai’i,” to which I shot back with “why, because we’re so happy and relaxed?” They didn’t crack a smile. Or my husband’s best friend, who in medical residency in Kansas City was approached in a Panera Bread with a man saying “whaaa, you want to fight Bruce Lee” and being asked by his medical resident roommates to translate Ninja Warrior for them because he “knows Chinese” (he’s third generation Japanese American). The friend in grad school in Michigan who, while walking down the street, was met by women who held the corners of their eyes and chanted “ching chong, ching chong.” Never once has anyone repeated the question “where are you from” when I tell someone I am from California. My Asian American husband is always asked at least twice. Also from California, when he responds to the simple question of where is he from with “California,”there is always the tone change and the slowed down, “No, where are you FROM?” Because the underlying, uncomfortable reality is that apparently if you’re Asian, you can’t be “from” America. Your identity is forever a hyphen. But this was not part of the public conscience until recently. With the rhetoric of leadership that continually blamed China for COVID-19, using ethnically offensive names, the acts of racism my students were experiencing in March have evolved into full fledged violence and crime, peaking yesterday with a shooting. Here we are in another moment when COVID-19 has uncovered the ugliness that lies beneath the surface in a country that calls itself a democracy. A country where the police spokesperson tried to explain away the targeted murder of eight Asian women yesterday by saying the Caucasian male shooter was having a “bad day.” No justice, no peace sounds hollow when you wonder if there ever will be either. -
2020-06-24
Imagine being this fearful and demeaning to the community you're sworn to protect
"At the end of the day, if we live in the city, that means we have to shop where criminals that we arrest also shop,"MPD Police Union Director Sgt. Anna Hedberg responded in an interview with WCCO when asked if officers should live in the neighborhood they police. "And I don't know about you, but I don't want to go to Cub Foods with my two beautiful little girls and run into somebody that I've arrested for sex assault, shooting somebody, using heroin." Imagine being this fearful and demeaning to the community you're sworn to protect. -
2020-07-07
2020 can feel like a nonstop spectacle of grief and exhaustion led by a menacing villain.
2020 can feel like a nonstop spectacle of grief and exhaustion led by a menacing villain (think of the bad guy from @disneyaladdin) . One thing that helps me break free from this is taking a moment, putting on my favorite song, and dancing like no is watching. (think of the bad guy from @disneyaladdin) . One thing that helps me break free from this is taking a moment, putting on my favorite song, and dancing like no is watching. -
2020-07-19
This is What My Community Looks Like
“This is what my community looks like. We are a community and we support all the families that are here.” - Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, at Mother's March (6/12/20) -
2020-08-03
Food Service Workers Rally For Justice
"Businesses always like to emphasize the family aspect of working in their space. However, they fail to recognize we can choose who we want to dedicate our time and energy to. Because even family can be toxic and unsuitable for our livelihoods. To be transformative in this industry, it shouldn't be 'here is 50% off your meal 'or 'pizza for working with us for 10 hours today'. Instead they should talk about how we can be a community. Cause in a community, we protect, we listen, engage, act justly, we care, and we work to be better." Brenda Montes, Waitress, Rival House Sporting Parlour Restaurant Opportunities Center of Minnesota is demanding these collective protections for restaurant workers: Worker health and safety to come before profitability and customer expectations Livable and equitable wages for all staff across the industry: no more wage theft Cultural & structural change in the industry that fosters equity, inclusion, dignity for all workers Visit @rocmn612 for more information or to get involved. Photos from Food Service Workers Rally For Justice, July 28, 2020 -
2020-08-21
Justice for Justin
"No one believed my story back then. I have an abundance of support now, where I didn't have none before. So I prayed for this day and prayed for each and every last one of you that's out here with me today. Saint Paul Police, your days of silencing me are over with. It's over with. To all the police in Minnesota and around the world. Your days of hurting our people are over with." - Toshira Garroway (@toshira_nicole ), Justin Teigen's fiance and mother to his child. Justin was found dead in a recycling center after an encounter with the St. Paul Police (SPPD) eleven years ago. His family is demanding the MN Attorney General Keith Ellison (@repkeithellison) opens an investigation into his death. Photos from Justice for Justin, August 19, 2020 -
2020-08-19
George Floyd Memorial Zone
"The next thing I'm pissed off about is 38th and Chicago. I'm tired of Chicago. Why is not Floyd? When we were protesting at the beginning, what we said was 38th and Floyd." - Huda Yusuf (@justaskhuda) On August 6th, Minneapolis city employees informed community members and business owners they were planning to remove barricades surrounding the George Floyd Memorial Zone. This area extends in a four block radius and contains the site where Floyd was murdered by police on May 25th. The city's phased reopening has since been postponed to an undetermined future date. Community members have released a list of 24 demands before the area can open again for normal vehicular traffic. This includes recalling Mike Freeman (Hennepin County Attorney), ending qualified immunity, investing $400,000 in a youth jobs program, and firing four Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officials in leadership positions. Link in bio to the full list of demands. Photos from Sit-In at George Floyd Memorial, August 17, 2020 -
2020-09-12
Candlelight Vigil Held at the Say Their Names Cemetery for George Floyd's Extended Family
Last night, a candlelight vigil was held at the Say Their Names Cemetery for George Floyd's extended family. Family members of Justin Teigen, Paul Castaway, and Demetrius Hill were also present to share stories of how they were killed at the hands of law enforcement. -
2020-09-19
University of Minnesota Students Rallied
University of Minnesota students rallied yesterday to demand President Joan Gabel (@joan_gabel) create a Campus CPAC (Civilian Police Accountability Council) composed of elected students and community members to oversee the campus police department. In August, the University hired Cedric Alexander, a former police officer and director at the Department of Homeland Security to lead an internal review of the UMPD. Yesterday's protesters marched through campus as incoming freshmen moved into housing. -
2020-09-29
The Oromo Community in Minnesota is Demanding the United States Help
The Oromo community in Minnesota is demanding the United States help bring an end to political violence and restore human rights in Ethiopia. In recent weeks, the country's Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has jailed his political opponents and temporarily shut down the country's internet access. Abiy also indefinitely postponed Ethiopia’s general elections which were scheduled to occur this month. -
2020-11-05
DC activists and community hosted a day of artistic expression demanding every vote is counted
With the Presidental election looming over the city, DC activists and community hosted a day of artistic expression demanding every vote is counted. Towards the event's conclusion at Black Lives Matter plaza, DC police and Health Department warned the organizers that they were in violation of a local health code that does not allow for food and aerosol spray cans to be within a specific distance from each other. After a tense standoff, the police retreated after the activists started to assemble for a potential escalation. -
2021-01-12
Activists Give St. Paul Mayor List of Demands
On Sunday, activists and community members hand-delivered a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's home signed by over 500 constituents and 25 local organizations demanding the city stop evicting people from encampments during inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is asking city officials to meet these requests: ➡️ Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues ➡️ Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic ➡️ Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing ➡️ Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium ➡️ Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center -
2021-01-25
Voices for Ethnic & Multicultural Awareness (VEMA) Gathered to Honor Estavon Elioff and Eddie Uti
Voices for Ethnic & Multicultural Awareness (VEMA) and community members gathered to honor the lives of Estavon Elioff and Eddie Uti from the Iron Range region of Minnesota. Elioff was a 19-year-old Latinx male who was shot and killed while unarmed by Sheriff's deputies in Mountain Iron, MN last year. There is an active investigation into his death by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Eddie Uti was a 29-year-old Samoan father of two from Hibbing, MN found dead in 2020. His last known contact was with the Itasca Sheriff's department. A medical examiner’s report revealed he died from a drowning after being “found floating near the shore of Pokegama Lake.” -
2021-02-28
Transphobia
From Drew Arrieta: Dolores "Lola" Gonzalez was an employee at a South Minneapolis Cub Foods for seventeen years. After asking management at the location to act on ongoing transphobic and discriminatory harassment received from co-workers and customers, she was dismissed from her position on February 17th. Yesterday, community members and customers rallied to show support for her and condemn Cub Foods for upholding transphobia. -
2021-03-02
George Floyd Square Artists
From Drew Arrieta's post: On Sunday, George Floyd Square held space for black creatives to showcase and celebrate their creative excellence. The Twin Cities hands-down has one of the best spoken word and poetry communities. Thanks to @b_tulloch + @siriuslymarie + @toussaintmorrison for putting on this event. -
2021-03-04
Pipeline Actions
From Drew Arrieta's post: Activists and community members are taking part in a series of actions in Minnesota this week to stop Line 3 construction. The replacement pipeline will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands - one of the most carbon intensive forms of energy - daily from Canada to Wisconsin. Almost 30 years ago, the current Line 3 pipeline ruptured in Grand Rapids, MN, spilling 1.7 million gallons of oil onto the frozen Prairie River. It is the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history. On Tuesday, a letter was delivered to management at multiple Chase locations signed by 41 Indigenous women supported by over 150 organizations requesting they stop providing financing to Enbridge, the company which operates and is building the pipeline. -
2021-03-09
Oral History with a Rural Church Pastor
Abstract: Josh Colson grew up in Southern Illinois. He attended Welch College, earning a BS in Christian Ministry and an MA in Theology. Additionally, he is currently a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, pursuing an MTS. Mr. Colson is currently the pastor of Brandon’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. The church is part of a small rural community, being in one of the smallest counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, Mr. Colson is the Faith Representative for the community health board. In this interview, Mr. Colson recounts the effects COVID-19 has had on his duty as a member of the clergy, his congregation, and his community. -
2021-03-09
Justice for George Floyd
From Drew Arrieta: As court proceedings for the trial of Derek Chauvin were underway, hundreds of community members, activists, and students demanded justice for George Floyd outside the courthouse. Judge Cahill, who is overseeing the trial, yesterday said he would proceed with the jury selection despite a dispute on the potential reinstatement of a third-degree murder charge that could potentially delay the case. The prosecution criticized the judge's decision, arguing the lack of clarity on charges when selecting a jury risks the case being thrown out on appeal. -
2021-03-10
Artists decorate COVID-19 masks to raise $13,500 for LGBTQ charity
Artists in Baltimore were encouraged to create and donate masks to be auctioned off. 40% of the profits from the masks went to local artists while the remaining amount went to Baltimore Community Foundations" LQBTQ fund. The fund supports numerous LGBTQ organizations in Baltimore such as peer counseling, suicide prevention, and health services. -
2021-03-01
Former Sacramento Firefighter Accuses Department Of Hostile Work Environment
From the article: Jaymes Butler is one of two African-American captains within the Sacramento Fire Department. He says he’s not surprised by Lewis’s allegations. “Do I believe it? Yes, I do believe it. Because this is what happens when you don’t recruit a diverse department,” Butler said. The Sacramento Fire Department is made up of roughly 700 personnel and nearly 70% of them are white men. “Once the experiences he shared became known to the administration they started an investigation with the city’s Equal Opportunity Employment officers. We strive to have a department the mirrors the community we serve. Knowing that we can do better,” department spokesperson Keith Wade said. -
2021-03-06
A Niche Online Community of Writers
It feels a little strange to be sharing this on this platform since it’s not typically on the hobbies-to-try lists. It’s roleplaying. It’s like acting, but with writing. Instead of on your own, it’s with a partner, a community, and so on. I’ve been roleplaying for over five years now, and I’d always find solace in joining the community of writers. If one group didn’t work out, there was always another that was a quick search away. I started because I wanted to live vicariously through my characters. Everyone has different reasons for doing this, and a common one is just to escape from real life. With the pandemic, it’s easy to see people cling onto this hobby if they already had it or wanted to start. There’s been a lot of escapism behaviors during the pandemic, and this is easily one of them. What I noticed, however, was many of those groups closing their doors. Some long-running communities with likely a hundred different writers just stopped because they couldn’t find joy in it anymore, it got too hard to manage, or otherwise. I’ve also seen a great deal start brand new groups only to close down within a month, or not even get to open (one of which closed due to the group manager getting covid-19). As a result, these writers have been left “homeless” in a way, because now they have lost their safe haven to get creative and use the groups as their stress-relief. I’m sharing this because I know many roleplayers wouldn’t even share this hobby with others who don’t share it. I feel like it’s a niche that’s neglected in the mainstream world. I also think this is a part of fandom culture that doesn’t get talked about because it’s so common nowadays that we’ll simply assume that it’ll always be there; that we’ll always know without any context. -
2021-02-25
Jewish Melbourne
As a Yiddish teacher the plague year was marked by a shift to online teaching. Of course this involved inconveniences and accomodations but mostly I was so grateful to have a job that meant I got to stay in contact with people throughout 2020. In classes I worked hard to support students in a difficult time, but also found myself energised and reassured by the regular social contact they provided. I've chose two pictures of my classes - one, a kids class featuring members of my family and the other, a screenshot from one of my long running classes at the Kadimah. The kids class was often fairly chaotic on zoom, marked by kids disappearing, scribbling on the screen or more interested in making faces in the camera than anything else. But it still represented a weekly engagement with Yiddishkayt for these kids, who all live in the North of Melbourne and attend state schools. The image I chose of one of my adults class is from a night when there was a blackout in my street - all the lights went off and my connection cut out. I realised though that I could teach using my phone for internet - it just meant sitting in the dark! I remember a strong feeling of "the show must go on" in a time when so much else was uncertain it was important to me that every Monday evening was the same - Yiddish class with my longtime students. Throughout lockdown students have been so patient and understanding of everything that has had to change and even now as I am extremely over teaching online I am honestly so grateful for what they've given me - meaninful, interesting, engaging work and social contact! We should all be so lucky. -
2020-04-04
Mural by Navajo graffiti artist, Ivan Lee
This photo is included as part of an article about the Navajo Nation's fight against COVID-19. -
02/19/2021
Janice Simone Simon Oral History, 2021/02/19
Silver Linings Oral History with Janice Simone Simon -
2021
Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health
COVID-19 TASK FORCE ON RACISM & EQUITY. The site looks at the science and humanity behind the Covid-19 Pandemic through a social justice lens. -
2020-10-23
Social justice as a foundation for democracy and health
From article: Jennifer Prah Ruger uses the covid-19 pandemic to show the importance of countries implementing a justice framework for health and equality. This article is part of a collection launched at the World Health Summit, 25-27 October 2020, Berlin, Germany. Funding for the articles, including open access fees, was provided by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to the Council on Foreign Relations, support from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung to the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. -
2020
COVID-19 - Racial Equity and Social Justice Resources
The Fundamental Equity Tools website has resources and tools for people looking to get involved with social justice issues surrounding Covid-19. -
2021-02-18
The Immorality of Being Happy in a Pandemic
As a student who goes to a very tight knit Catholic College, nothing has split the community on campus quite like this. The issue comes with balancing the benefits of an in person education with maintaining a healthy social life compounded by inconsistent rule enforcement. From my perspective, there is a scale for how seriously people follow the COVID protocols, on one end there are people who religiously follow every rule, and on the other, people who go at great lengths to break them and think nothing of going to a packed club. The student body sits everywhere in between these two poles. The difference in opinion causes the people who follow the rules to resent the people who break the rules. They see it as reckless and selfish that some students hold their interests in a higher regard than the well being of their classmates. The people who break the school’s quarantine were tired of never leaving their dorm and argue that college is meant to be fun and if you have to bend the rules to see friends that's acceptable. I’ve seen these disagreements split dorm rooms, best friends, sports teams and classmates. Without a common area to communicate our differences we are only left to passive aggressively hate through social media. Very often people's views on following the “Community Care Covenant” depends on how convenient it is to them. It is very easy to condemn off campus partiers when it is a Thursday night with no plans to go out and a lot of homework to do. It becomes just as easy to mock the frivolity of the rules when your friends are going out and leave you with the option of being lonely or finding enjoyment. I have been both amused and exasperated to see some of my acquaintances with strong liberal views condemn Trump and anti-maskers on all platforms for refusing to accept the sound science of social distancing and covering one's mouth. Then not even an hour later they will post from the same account a picture of them at a two-hundred person house party, drink in hand, and not a mask in sight. As if them claiming their intentions are pure makes their actions irrelevant. I have seen this every weekend and am dumbfounded with the lack of self awareness some people show. In the name of honesty I will admit that I feel this contradiction personally. I scroll through my phone and get jealous and annoyed by posts of my college peers in large groups, without masks, clustered together. Unfortunately, even though I agree with all the social distancing precautions things change when I have the opportunity for fun. One year into having almost every single conversation being with the same eight people, I long for the college experience. As much as I dislike going against rules that I personally agree with there is no end in sight to this pandemic. Besides, I rationalize, my friends and I are all healthy and would not purposefully endanger elders. So despite people like me self-righteously shaking our fists and quarantine breakers, I do feel strong temptations to do so. For example, I had not seen my girlfriend in weeks and the new relationship we had started was dying due to long distance. Do I break protocol by taking her on a date and spending time with her? Yes, I did. When friends I had not seen since first semester freshman year asked me my second semester sophomore year to join them for drinks. Do I follow the rules and stay in my dorm watching television, or do I go into junior year with more than two friends? There is a huge culture of hypocrisy at all levels, whether it be the students or the school itself. The school, sadly, is not innocent of responsibility for some of these divisions. The school refuses to allow men and women to visit each other in their dorms, but as the saying goes “out of sight out of mind” as the athletic teams and others have off-campus parties just a mile away the school would have to be fools not to notice. My friends and I are not allowed to play basketball in the gym. But if we are out of the public eye in a secluded part of campus, fifty people can play pick up sports. Sure the campus police will not break up bonfires in the woods and won’t bat an eye when several packed cars leave campus at the same time but four people can not eat lunch together. Most people seem to be concerned about covering their own behinds rather than any sort of actual safety. To conclude, this is not an easy time for anybody. There have been plenty of tough decisions to make and things are not so black and white as campus rules would like to believe. Having fun is hard work in COVID America. The social pressures at this school continue to weigh heavily on those who do their best to do the ‘right thing’. Like I said earlier, there is a large scale of where people's beliefs over COVID policy lands, but I think I can speak for college students everywhere when I say, I cannot wait for this to return to normal. -
2020-09
Socially Separated Sandwiches
During the fall of 2020, a local homeless shelter was unable to offer beds to people in need during the COVID pandemic due to space and resource restrictions. It was hard to witness these organizations meant to help people also need extra love and help during the pandemic whether it be for medical, physical, or financial reasons. In response to the need, my church was able to step up to make sandwiches that the shelter could hand out to the people living on the streets that they were unable to serve at the time. We wore masks, took extra safety precautions, and socially distanced in an assembly style line outside in the church parking lot where we made packages of chips and sandwiches. While working together to make the sandwiches for the homeless shelter, I was reminded that we are still a community even when we cannot be together in the same ways we were before the pandemic. Finding pockets of community in the turbulent pandemic has been a blessing and chance for me to truly appreciate those around me and think of different ways that I can reach out to the community and be a part of it despite the circumstances. Distance did not have to mean silence and stillness. People were able to help in any way possible. If they were unable to help make the sandwiches, they prayed for the mission or donated money for the supplies. People shared what they could and came together when it mattered the most. This story highlights how even in times where we stayed apart to remain safe, we were still able to come together in another way to support each other. Communities didn't have to disappear during the pandemic, and this is just one example of their power to persevere in dark times. -
2021-02-10
A year of Zoom church
We are approaching a year of dealing with COVID-19. Our little Presbyterian congregation has been worshipping by Zoom during this time. Zoom Palm Sunday; Zoom Easter; Zoom Advent and Christmas. We are preparing for Zoom Ash Wednesday as we live through our second COVID Lent. How do you do Ash Wednesday over Zoom? We will impose ashes on our households or by ourselves, as we hear “From dust you came, and to dust you shall return.” The PCUSA sent advice about what kinds of ashes are appropriate. Burned candle wicks, outdoor dirt, or even house dust were all deemed OK. This letter, with ashes from last year’s Palm Sunday palms, came from one of the church elders. It speaks to the longevity of the pandemic and its disruption. It also speaks of all the little things that individuals have done to keep our traditions in some form and keep our community connected to each other and to our communal rituals. -
2021-02-07
Super Bowl Sunday on a Balcony
Super Bowl Sunday on the balcony. Some occupants who live in an apartment across the way from us brought out a huge t.v. onto their balcony and have people over to sit outside on the balcony to watch the Super Bowl. This is a pure and precious moment. -
2021-01-30
Round Valley Indian Tribes, COVID testing and welfare checks
This is a webpage hosted by the Round Valley Indian Tribes to present COVID-19 testing information (downloadable flyer), procedures to follow to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and a form to request assistance related to COVID-19 impacts. -
2020-06-19
The Dangerous Luxury of Claiming You've Rejected Society
Early in the pandemic, a man I knew died of Covid-19 in an overwhelmed hospital. I kept thinking he might not have died if the hospital had been better funded. Then I remembered he had once insisted to me that he lived outside society. I saw a sad connection: hospitals and public health in general were underfunded because too many people felt they did not share a common society with others. More thoughts about Covid and community started flooding my mind. Eventually I pulled these thoughts together in a short essay.