theroot--2020-09-24--Black Authors Will Be the Standouts at This Year’s (Virtual) National Book Festival

In 2001 , when the Library of Congress ’ inaugural National Book Festival kicked off in Washington , D.C. , some 50 award-winning authors , illustrators and storytellers peopled the pop-up tents on the East Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to read excerpts of their work , sign their books and interact with fans .
That was September 9 .
Two days later , our national sense of normalcy and security were toppled by the 9/11 attacks .
Now in the festival ’ s milestone 20th anniversary year , we ’ re collectively confronting another crippling tragedy—this one interminable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on American ’ s health and stability—but festival organizers have chosen to pivot , not cancel .
Instead , the 2020 National Book Festival , from September 25–27 , will be an online experience for book lovers and literary enthusiasts .
Books are a source of joy , Marie Arana , literary director of the Library of Congress , explains to The Root—and if folks ever needed a jolt of joy , it ’ s right now .
Organizers chose to focus on authors who can offer some reassurance in a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festival is ‘ American Ingenuity.
’ Ingenuity is when you ’ re in survival mode and you do the right and the smart thing .
Somehow , you ’ re resilient enough to prevail , right ?
That ’ s ingenuity , ” Arana says .
“ So that ’ s really our position—uplift everybody and say , ‘ Look , things may be rough .
We ’ re reckoning a number of things that haven ’ t gone right and should be better .
But look at these smart , ingenious authors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
Not only about the imagination but also the concrete information they ’ re giving us.
’ So that ’ s the spirit with which we ’ re building the festival.
” The energy and buzz of being there live and in person will be missed—authors are kind of like rock stars to the thousands of people who love their work .
Black writers like Lalita Tademy , Wil Haygood and Kwame Alexander have been highlights in previous years but 2020 , just by default , calls for a more bold , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Voices , ” one of three scheduled tracks , to guide festival-goers through author talks , panel discussions and interviews that represent a diverse range of storytelling perspectives .
Of the 124 authors participating in the festival , 25 percent are Black .
Arana had already started extending invitations when 2020 turned into the year that it is , after which she became even more intentional in representing people who needed to be heard in a time like this .
Jessica and Parker Curry , the mom-and-daughter co-authors of Parker Looks Up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Craft , winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award for his graphic novel New Kid , will discuss their children ’ s books in pre-recorded videos that will be available to watch starting on Friday , September 25 .
Jason Reynolds will talk about his bestselling Stamped : Racism , Antiracism and You and Tomi Adeyemi will thread her first book to her second , Children of Virtue and Vengeance .
“ It ’ s remarkable to me because I ’ ve been in book publishing for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needle move so distinctly toward publishing Black voices , all of it is sort of amplified by the fact that we have had two major publishing houses hire Black American women to the highest position in their publishing company , ” Arana notes .
“ There is a kind of recognition among the authors themselves about where we are in history .
How far have we pushed it ?
How much are we held back ?
” Since its first year , participation in the National Book Festival has blossomed from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2001 to more than 200,000 attendees and 175 authors in 2019 .
Arana is optimistic that the festival ’ s online accessibility will allow people who haven ’ t been able to travel to Washington , D.C. to experience the spirit of the event this year—albeit from afar , via the world wide web—and keep the momentum of attendance going .
Pre-recorded presentation videos for children and teens will be released at 9 a.m .
ET on Friday , September 25 , and will be available on-demand on the festival ’ s website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and YouTube .
Author presentation videos on other stages will be available at 9 a.m .
ET on Saturday , September 26 .
The schedule will also include interactive live Q & A sessions with select authors—check under “ Live Events by Stage ” and “ Live Events by Day ” to confirm dates and times .
Registration is required to attend the events .

In 2001, when the Library of Congress’ inaugural National Book Festival kicked off in Washington, D.C., some 50 award-winning authors, illustrators and storytellers peopled the pop-up tents on the East Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to read excerpts of their work, sign their books and interact with fans. That was September 9. Two days later, our national sense of normalcy and security were toppled by the 9/11 attacks.
Now in the festival’s milestone 20th anniversary year, we’re collectively confronting another crippling tragedy—this one interminable and even more deadly in its seven-month siege on American’s health and stability—but festival organizers have chosen to pivot, not cancel. Instead, the 2020 National Book Festival, from September 25–27, will be an online experience for book lovers and literary enthusiasts. Books are a source of joy, Marie Arana, literary director of the Library of Congress, explains to The Root—and if folks ever needed a jolt of joy, it’s right now. Organizers chose to focus on authors who can offer some reassurance in a time of turmoil.
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“The theme for the festival is ‘American Ingenuity.’ Ingenuity is when you’re in survival mode and you do the right and the smart thing. Somehow, you’re resilient enough to prevail, right? That’s ingenuity,” Arana says. “So that’s really our position—uplift everybody and say, ‘Look, things may be rough. We’re reckoning a number of things that haven’t gone right and should be better. But look at these smart, ingenious authors and the creative things they can teach us. Not only about the imagination but also the concrete information they’re giving us.’ So that’s the spirit with which we’re building the festival.”
The energy and buzz of being there live and in person will be missed—authors are kind of like rock stars to the thousands of people who love their work. Black writers like Lalita Tademy, Wil Haygood and Kwame Alexander have been highlights in previous years but 2020, just by default, calls for a more bold, responsive design. Arana created “Hearing Black Voices,” one of three scheduled tracks, to guide festival-goers through author talks, panel discussions and interviews that represent a diverse range of storytelling perspectives. Of the 124 authors participating in the festival, 25 percent are Black. Arana had already started extending invitations when 2020 turned into the year that it is, after which she became even more intentional in representing people who needed to be heard in a time like this.
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Jessica and Parker Curry, the mom-and-daughter co-authors of Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment, and Jerry Craft, winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award for his graphic novel New Kid, will discuss their children’s books in pre-recorded videos that will be available to watch starting on Friday, September 25. Jason Reynolds will talk about his bestselling Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You and Tomi Adeyemi will thread her first book to her second, Children of Virtue and Vengeance.
“It’s remarkable to me because I’ve been in book publishing for a long, long time and to see the needle move so distinctly toward publishing Black voices, all of it is sort of amplified by the fact that we have had two major publishing houses hire Black American women to the highest position in their publishing company,” Arana notes. “There is a kind of recognition among the authors themselves about where we are in history. How far have we pushed it? How much are we held back?”
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Since its first year, participation in the National Book Festival has blossomed from a modest 25,000 attendees and 40 authors in 2001 to more than 200,000 attendees and 175 authors in 2019. Arana is optimistic that the festival’s online accessibility will allow people who haven’t been able to travel to Washington, D.C. to experience the spirit of the event this year—albeit from afar, via the world wide web—and keep the momentum of attendance going.
Pre-recorded presentation videos for children and teens will be released at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, September 25, and will be available on-demand on the festival’s website, the Library of Congress’ website and YouTube. Author presentation videos on other stages will be available at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 26. The schedule will also include interactive live Q&A sessions with select authors—check under “Live Events by Stage” and “Live Events by Day” to confirm dates and times. Registration is required to attend the events.


theroot--2020-09-25--Black Lives Matter Shirts Banned at Ohio School District for Being 'Controversial'

Man , nothing seems to offend white folks more than a simple appeal for a better , more inclusive world .
If you needed proof of that outside of The Root ’ s comment section , then take a look at Dublin , Ohio , where teachers were told by district officials to remove their shirts with inclusive messages because they were “ controversial.
” WSYX reports that Dublin City Schools issued their ban after teachers at Dublin Scioto High School were photographed wearing shirts with the phrases “ Black Lives Matter , ” “ Science is Real , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wow .
Those , uh , those really are some controversial statements .
A decent amount of students and parents have spoken out against the decision to ban the shirts .
“ I beg you to reconsider removing those shirts from those teachers ’ backs .
There is someone in that school who needs to see it .
If they don ’ t see it , it may be the end of their life , ” said one parent at a school board meeting discussing the matter .
Sama Ben Amer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School , told WSYX that she ’ s been subjected to racist remarks by students in the district ever since she was in the first grade .
“ Little comments about my appearance or why my mom was wearing a scarf on her head , ” Ben Amer said .
She added that anytime she would bring up the comments to the district , she would be ignored .
While Ben Amir disagrees with the district ’ s decision to ban the shirts , she wasn ’ t necessarily surprised .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have never seen our district do something as bold as that , to be honest , ” Ben Amer said .
“ I think their decision set the wrong example for students who do not experience the realities of marginalized people.
” Over the summer , Ben Amer launched a petition that calls for more diversity among the DCS staff , mandatory sensitivity training for district employees and the hiring of diversity officers .
So far , the petition has reached 2,500 signatures .
The district has said that while students will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teachers doing so violates its policy on “ controversial issues.
” I really fail to see what ’ s controversial about shirts that send the messages of “ stop killing Black people , ” and , “ Hey , the stuff we ’ re teaching you in 3rd-hour science ?
It ’ s real !
” Then again , I ’ m not white .
District Superintendent Dr. Todd Hoadley gave WSYX a , well , interesting explanation behind the decision to ban the shirts .
“ Love is love should be very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this out as a statement on gay marriage .
I ’ ve also had people email me saying that statement is related to pedophilia.
” I don ’ t know who , other than maybe homophobes , is conflating “ love is love ” with pedophilia but sure , Jan .
Despite this move , Hoadley is steadfast in his assertion that the district is making the right steps when it comes to social justice and the district plans to update the board on those steps during its next meeting on Sept. 28 @

Man, nothing seems to offend white folks more than a simple appeal for a better, more inclusive world. If you needed proof of that outside of The Root’s comment section, then take a look at Dublin, Ohio, where teachers were told by district officials to remove their shirts with inclusive messages because they were “controversial.”
WSYX reports that Dublin City Schools issued their ban after teachers at Dublin Scioto High School were photographed wearing shirts with the phrases “Black Lives Matter,” “Science is Real,” and “No Human I s Illegal.”
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Wow. Those, uh, those really are some controversial statements.
A decent amount of students and parents have spoken out against the decision to ban the shirts. “I beg you to reconsider removing those shirts from those teachers’ backs. There is someone in that school who needs to see it. If they don’t see it, it may be the end of their life,” said one parent at a school board meeting discussing the matter.
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Sama Ben Amer, a s enior at Dublin Scioto High School, told WSYX that she’s been subjected to racist remarks by students in the district ever since she was in the first grade. “Little comments about my appearance or why my mom was wearing a scarf on her head,” Ben Amer said. She added that anytime she would bring up the comments to the district, she would be ignored. While Ben Amir disagrees with the district’s decision to ban the shirts, she wasn’t necessarily surprised.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the shirts . I have never seen our district do something as bold as that, to be honest,” Ben Amer said. “I think their decision set the wrong example for students who do not experience the realities of marginalized people.”
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Over the summer, Ben Amer launched a petition that calls for more diversity among the DCS staff, mandatory sensitivity training for district employees and the hiring of diversity officers. So far, the petition has reached 2,500 signatures. The district has said that while students will be allowed to wear similar shirts, teachers doing so violates its policy on “controversial issues.”
I really fail to see what’s controversial about shirts that send the messages of “stop killing Black people,” and, “Hey, the stuff we’re teaching you in 3rd-hour science? It’s real!” Then again, I’m not white.
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District Superintendent Dr. Todd Hoadley gave WSYX a, well, interesting explanation behind the decision to ban the shirts. “Love is love should be very simple but, again, people pull this out as a statement on gay marriage. I’ve also had people email me saying that statement is related to pedophilia.”
I don’t know who, other than maybe homophobes, is conflating “love is love” with pedophilia but sure, Jan.
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Despite this move, Hoadley is steadfast in his assertion that the district is making the right steps when it comes to social justice and the district plans to update the board on those steps during its next meeting on Sept. 28.


theroot--2020-09-24--Make the Most of Your Alone Time With a Satisfyer Pro 2

For a short time , you can get a Satisfyer Pro 2 for a decent $ 50 !
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ that will suck the shit out of your clitoris and has so many modes of @ @ @ @ @ writers , Jolie Kerr , says it best : Satisfyer Pro 2 delivers a very @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s designed to stimulate the clit and nothing else , although you can @ @ @ @ @ it .
It is not , however , an insertable toy and should only be @ @ @ @ @ not an especially versatile toy , and doesn ’ t strike me as a great @ @ @ @ @ it is very , very good at what it does .
Basically , if oral @ @ @ @ @ like to get off , Satisfyer Pro 2 will make you very , very happy @ @ @ @ @ $ 50 , so make sure you grab this and get off before it ’ @ @ @ @ @ was updated with more information on 9/24/2020 .

Ignacia on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

Satisfyer Pro 2 | $50 | Adam & Eve
For a short time, you can get a Satisfyer Pro 2 for a decent $50! It’s an oral sex simulator that will suck the shit out of your clitoris and has so many modes of pleasure. One of our writers, Jolie Kerr, says it best:
Satisfyer Pro 2 delivers a very specific experience; basically, it’s designed to stimulate the clit and nothing else, although you can certainly explore other areas with it. It is not, however, an insertable toy and should only be used externally.While it’s not an especially versatile toy, and doesn’t strike me as a great candidate for couples play, it is very, very good at what it does. Basically, if oral sex is the way you like to get off, Satisfyer Pro 2 will make you very, very happy.
The Satisfyer is only $50, so make sure you grab this and get off before it’s gone!
This post was updated with more information on 9/24/2020.


theroot--2020-09-24--Black Physicians to Independently Test the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines

The oldest organization of Black physicians has vowed to independently vet the safety and effectiveness of any potential COVID-19 vaccine .
According to CBS News , the National Medical Association ( NMA ) is tracking the data due to fears that political motivations could outweigh safety concerns when it comes to a vaccine .
“ This is about ensuring safety for Operation Warp Speed .
We ’ re really doing this to be a source of trusted information for our physicians and our community , ” Dr. Leon McDougle , president of the NMA , told CBS News .
Operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s endeavor to quickly develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine .
Infectious disease and immunization experts comprise the NMA ’ s task force .
According to McDougle , the task force will be “ reviewing the available data to help ensure appropriate evidence exists , and that in clinical trials diversity is represented , in order for us to speak to the safety and allocation within the African American community.
” A vaccine typically takes several years to develop , and the Trump administration ’ s push to have a vaccine out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to concerns that standard regulatory practices will be disregarded .
The NMA isn ’ t the only group that has voiced its concerns about a potential vaccine .
Bill Gates , founder of Microsoft and philanthropist , has said that the Trump administration ’ s mishandling of the pandemic could erode public confidence in a potential vaccine .
Historical atrocities and years of receiving sub-par treatment has , understandably , led Black Americans to be more distrustful of the medical system than w hite people .
History is littered with examples of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experimental operations on enslaved Black women between 1845 and 1849 by Alabama surgeon J Marion Sims .
There ’ s also the notorious 40-year study by the Public Health Service and the Tuskegee Institute , in which nearly 400 Black men with syphilis were misled about being treated .
The study was found to be “ ethically unjustified ” and participants were awarded $ 10 million in an-of-court settlement in 1974 , according to an account by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
McDougle cites recent events as shaking his faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began in May , when the CDC issued a directive that allowed doctors to test asymptomatic people from “ racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected by adverse COVID-19 outcomes — currently African Americans , Hispanics and some American Indian tribes , ” only for them to remove any mention of race three days later .
Prior to the pandemic , the CDC had been “ looked at worldwide as being the gold standard , but there are things that keep happening and people don ’ t have good explanations , ” McDougle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerned by questionable moves the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has made , such as authorizing the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine and convalescent blood plasma on COVID-19 patients .
“ There ’ s concern about some of these decisions being politicized , ” McDougle said .
“ It even impairs the ability to complete the clinical trials appropriately.
” The FDA in particular has come under criticism for its mixed messages and backtracking .
They authorized the use of hydroxychloroquine in March only to revoke it in June , citing “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious side effects.
” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn was accused by critics of overstating the benefits of using convalescent blood plasma to treat coronavirus .
Hahn would backtrack his comments on its effectiveness the next day .
“ There seems to be political influence and it ’ s disturbing , ” McDougle said .
“ We want to help provide some clarity with the mixed messages out there.
” When asked by CBS News to comment on these mistakes , the FDA pointed to comments Hahn made before Congress on Wednesday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that every one of the decisions that we have reached have been made by career FDA scientists and based on science and data , not politics , ” Hahn said .

The oldest organization of Black physicians has vowed to independently vet the safety and effectiveness of any potential COVID-19 vaccine.
According to CBS News, the National Medical Association (NMA) is tracking the data due to fears that political motivations could outweigh safety concerns when it comes to a vaccine. “This is about ensuring safety for Operation Warp Speed. We’re really doing this to be a source of trusted information for our physicians and our community,” Dr. Leon McDougle, president of the NMA, told CBS News. Operation Warp Speed refers to the Trump Administration’s endeavor to quickly develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine.
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Infectious disease and immunization experts comprise the NMA’s task force. According to McDougle, the task force will be “reviewing the available data to help ensure appropriate evidence exists, and that in clinical trials diversity is represented, in order for us to speak to the safety and allocation within the African American community.”
A vaccine typically takes several years to develop, and the Trump administration’s push to have a vaccine out by the end of the year has led to concerns that standard regulatory practices will be disregarded. The NMA isn’t the only group that has voiced its concerns about a potential vaccine. Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, has said that the Trump administration’s mishandling of the pandemic could erode public confidence in a potential vaccine.
Advertisement Advertisement
Historical atrocities and years of receiving sub-par treatment has, understandably, led Black Americans to be more distrustful of the medical system than w hite people.
From CBS News:
History is littered with examples of medical mistreatment of Black Americans, including experimental operations on enslaved Black women between 1845 and 1849 by Alabama surgeon J Marion Sims. There’s also the notorious 40-year study by the Public Health Service and the Tuskegee Institute, in which nearly 400 Black men with syphilis were misled about being treated. The study was found to be “ethically unjustified” and participants were awarded $10 million in an-of-court settlement in 1974, according to an account by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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McDougle cites recent events as shaking his faith in a potential vaccine. His skepticism began in May, when the CDC issued a directive that allowed doctors to test asymptomatic people from “racial and ethnic minority groups disproportionately affected by adverse COVID-19 outcomes — currently African Americans, Hispanics and some American Indian tribes,” only for them to remove any mention of race three days later.
Prior to the pandemic, the CDC had been “looked at worldwide as being the gold standard, but there are things that keep happening and people don’t have good explanations,” McDougle told CBS News.
Advertisement
McDougle is also concerned by questionable moves the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made, such as authorizing the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine and convalescent blood plasma on COVID-19 patients.
“There’s concern about some of these decisions being politicized,” McDougle said. “It even impairs the ability to complete the clinical trials appropriately.”
Advertisement
The FDA in particular has come under criticism for its mixed messages and backtracking. They authorized the use of hydroxychloroquine in March only to revoke it in June, citing “ongoing serious cardiac adverse events and other serious side effects.”
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn was accused by critics of overstating the benefits of using convalescent blood plasma to treat coronavirus. Hahn would backtrack his comments on its effectiveness the next day.
Advertisement
“There seems to be political influence and it’s disturbing,” McDougle said. “We want to help provide some clarity with the mixed messages out there.”
When asked by CBS News to comment on these mistakes, the FDA pointed to comments Hahn made before Congress on Wednesday. “I want to assure you and emphasize that every one of the decisions that we have reached have been made by career FDA scientists and based on science and data, not politics,” Hahn said.


theroot--2020-09-24--Racism Cost America $16 Trillion Over the Last 20 Years, Bank Finds

For years , researchers have attempted to quantify the cost of racism and discrimination in the United States , whether it be by analyzing wage gaps , disparities in incarceration , or lost economic mobility across generations .
This week , a new study by Citigroup focused on the specific costs of discrimination to the American economy— $ 16 trillion , all in the last two decades .
As NPR reports , the stunning amount of lost GDP is based on an analysis of four different kinds of racial gaps : lending practices to Black business owners , wage disparities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to higher education .
Discriminatory lending to Black entrepreneurs made up the largest share of this number—a total of $ 13 trillion in lost revenue , with 6.1 million lost jobs because of the lack of equal capital given to Black businesses .
The second-highest sum came from wage gaps .
The U.S. economy lost another $ 2.7 trillion merely because Black people are not paid equally to their non-Black peers .
A lack of access to housing credits created another $ 218 billion in lost revenue , and a loss between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lifetime earners comes as a direct result of discrimination in accessing higher education , reports NPR .
To get a handle on how big this sum is—the country ’ s entire GDP for 2019 , which was considered a good economic year , was $ 19.5 trillion .
The coronavirus pandemic , a health disaster that has killed 200,000 Americans , is estimated to cost the United States $ 8 trillion—half of the estimated cost of racial discrimination .
And these numbers are only part of what we can measure .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost of mass incarceration or police brutality , both of which disproportionately extract wealth from Black communities .
Commenting on the report , Citigroup vice-chairman Raymond J. McGuire wrote that the bank has “ a responsibility to address current events and to frame them with an economic lens in order to highlight the real costs of longstanding discrimination against minority groups , especially against Black people and particularly in the U.S. ” The report also included recommendations to address these problems , including implementing salary history bans , decoupling healthcare from employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to expand healthcare access for its citizens ) , guaranteeing wages , incomes and jobs , and implementing tax reforms .
According to Citigroup , if the government successfully tackles discrimination in the four areas the bank studied , the United States economy would see a $ 5 trillion boost to its economy over the next five years alone .

For years, researchers have attempted to quantify the cost of racism and discrimination in the United States, whether it be by analyzing wage gaps, disparities in incarceration, or lost economic mobility across generations. This week, a new study by Citigroup focused on the specific costs of discrimination to the American economy—$16 trillion, all in the last two decades.
As NPR reports, the stunning amount of lost GDP is based on an analysis of four different kinds of racial gaps: lending practices to Black business owners, wage disparities, housing credits, and lack of access to higher education. Discriminatory lending to Black entrepreneurs made up the largest share of this number—a total of $13 trillion in lost revenue, with 6.1 million lost jobs because of the lack of equal capital given to Black businesses.
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The second-highest sum came from wage gaps. The U.S. economy lost another $2.7 trillion merely because Black people are not paid equally to their non-Black peers.
A lack of access to housing credits created another $218 billion in lost revenue, and a loss between $90 billion and $113 billion in lifetime earners comes as a direct result of discrimination in accessing higher education, reports NPR.
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To get a handle on how big this sum is—the country’s entire GDP for 2019, which was considered a good economic year, was $19.5 trillion. The coronavirus pandemic, a health disaster that has killed 200,000 Americans, is estimated to cost the United States $8 trillion—half of the estimated cost of racial discrimination.
And these numbers are only part of what we can measure. For instance, it is harder to quantify the cost of mass incarceration or police brutality, both of which disproportionately extract wealth from Black communities.
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Commenting on the report, Citigroup vice-chairman Raymond J. McGuire wrote that the bank has “a responsibility to address current events and to frame them with an economic lens in order to highlight the real costs of longstanding discrimination against minority groups, especially against Black people and particularly in the U.S.”
The report also included recommendations to address these problems, including implementing salary history bans, decoupling healthcare from employment (a move that would require the government to expand healthcare access for its citizens), guaranteeing wages, incomes and jobs, and implementing tax reforms.
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According to Citigroup, if the government successfully tackles discrimination in the four areas the bank studied, the United States economy would see a $5 trillion boost to its economy over the next five years alone.


theroot--2020-09-24--KN95 Face Masks Aren't Sexy, but Safety Is and This 5-Pack Is Just $12

I ’ m so proud of you for still wearing a mask , it ’ s super cool of you .
But do you need an upgrade or maybe something a little more heavy-duty ?
Or maybe you just want to put your mind at ease with something a smidge more protective ?
Grab five of the KN95 masks from Amazon right now for just $ 12 .
These are industry-standard which means they are supposed to filter 95 percent of particles .
That is just about as good as you can get .
So the mask obviously doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or spreading something but if you wear it correctly it still drastically reduces the likelihood .
These are also great if you ’ ve got severe allergies or asthma and protect against pollen , dander , and whatnot .
The KN-95 isn ’ t made for clinical environments not that you ’ re performing surgery with these but they will definitely protect you and others against what is currently out there .
Not all heroes wear capes , but they do wear masks .
So thank you .
This deal was originally posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ updated by Quentyn Kennemer with new information on 9/24/2020 .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

80-Pack: KN95 Masks | $14 | SideDeal | Use Code KINJAFS
I’m so proud of you for still wearing a mask; it’s super cool of you. But do you need an upgrade or maybe something a little more heavy-duty? Or have you decided to start layering a KN95 under a cloth mask? Or maybe you just want to put your mind at ease with something a smidge more protective? Whatever your reason, you can grab an 80 -Pack of KN95 Masks over at SideDeal for just $14 right now.
These are industry-standard, which means they are supposed to filter 95 percent of particles. That is just about as good as you can get. So the mask obviously doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of catching or spreading something, but if you wear it correctly, it still drastically reduces the likelihood of doing so. These are also great if you’ve got severe allergies or asthma and protect against pollen, dander, and whatnot. The KN95 mask isn’t made for clinical environments (not that you’re planning to perform surgery with these), but they will protect you and others in everyday environments against what is currently out there. Not all heroes wear capes, but they do wear masks. So, thank you for doing your part!
These masks have a metal bridge for keeping your mask snug, and the masks in each box are wrapped up in eight packets containing five masks each, so you can keep a pack in your car, at your door, in your garage, in your purse— wherever you might need to keep some on hand.
If you’ve read a few of our pieces on SideDeal before and you like what you’ve seen, they offer a $5 monthly fee to get free shipping on all of your orders, no matter how many. That membership also gets you free shipping at MorningSave, Mediocritee, and Meh . Otherwise, shipping is $8 per order.
This deal was originally posted by Sheilah Villari in August 2020 and was updated with new information on 8/26/2021.


theroot--2020-09-24--New Hampshire State Rep Says It's OK to 'Burn and Loot' Houses With Black Lives Matter Signs

A New Hampshire state representative is the latest white man to piss a bunch of people off because he couldn ’ t help but be his racist self .
The Concord Monitor reports that earlier this week , Rep. James Spillane told his followers on Facebook , “ If you see a BLM sign on a lawn , it ’ s the same as having a porch light on at Halloween .
You are free to burn and loot that house.
” The New Hampshire Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Spillane as a result of the post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been deleted from Spillane ’ s page .
Sean Locke , Director of the Department of Justice ’ s Civil Rights Unit , has said that his office has received multiple complaints regarding Spillane ’ s post .
Locke wrote a letter to state House Speaker Steve Shurtleff that said “ members of the public who support the Black Lives Matter movement have expressed fear that they may become targets of violence as the result of Rep. Spillane ’ s post.
” Shurtleff said the Facebook post was an “ incitement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Staters in jeopardy , ” and called for Spillane ’ s immediate resignation .
Jordan Thompson , a founder of Black Lives Matter Nashua and local organizer for the ACLU of New Hampshire , also believes that Spillane should resign .
“ Remarks like these indicate a total lack of decency and respect for Black lives , ” Thompson said in a statement .
“ This is yet another example of what we mean when we say New Hampshire is not innocent .
It is incumbent on all of us to be honest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Granite State.
” Spillane , a Republican up for reelection this year , is serving his fourth term representing Candia , Deerfield , and Nottingham in the state House .
He ’ s also the co-chair of the House Republican Alliance , a caucus within the legislature .
He has yet to comment or apologize for his remarks .
This is not the first time that Spillane has garnered controversy .
In 2010 , he was convicted of DUI and reckless conduct and once more in 2018 for driving with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s still managed to keep his job as a lawmaker .

A New Hampshire state representative is the latest white man to piss a bunch of people off because he couldn’t help but be his racist self.
The Concord Monitor reports that earlier this week, Rep. James Spillane told his followers on Facebook, “If you see a BLM sign on a lawn, it’s the same as having a porch light on at Halloween. You are free to burn and loot that house.” The New Hampshire Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Spillane as a result of the post.
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As of Thursday, the post has been deleted from Spillane’s page. Sean Locke, Director of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit, has said that his office has received multiple complaints regarding Spillane’s post. Locke wrote a letter to state House Speaker Steve Shurtleff that said “members of the public who support the Black Lives Matter movement have expressed fear that they may become targets of violence as the result of Rep. Spillane’s post.”
Shurtleff said the Facebook post was an “incitement of violence that put the lives of Granite Staters in jeopardy,” and called for Spillane’s immediate resignation. Jordan Thompson, a founder of Black Lives Matter Nashua and local organizer for the ACLU of New Hampshire, also believes that Spillane should resign.
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“Remarks like these indicate a total lack of decency and respect for Black lives,” Thompson said in a statement. “This is yet another example of what we mean when we say New Hampshire is not innocent. It is incumbent on all of us to be honest about the reality that white supremacy exists in the Granite State.”
Spillane, a Republican up for reelection this year, is serving his fourth term representing Candia, Deerfield, and Nottingham in the state House. He’s also the co-chair of the House Republican Alliance, a caucus within the legislature. He has yet to comment or apologize for his remarks.
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This is not the first time that Spillane has garnered controversy. In 2010, he was convicted of DUI and reckless conduct and once more in 2018 for driving with an open container. Despite all this, he’s still managed to keep his job as a lawmaker.


theroot--2020-09-24--Victims of Kenosha Protest Violence File Lawsuit Against Facebook, Militia Members and Kyle Rittenho

Victims of Kenosha Protest Violence File Lawsuit Against Facebook, Militia Members and Kyle Rittenhouse

While Republican politicians , right-wing media and much of conservative America join hands in singing the praises of a minor charged with first-degree murder in connection with two homicides after he allegedly crossed state lines and killed people with a gun he couldn ’ t legally carry , victims of the violence in Kenosha , Wis. , that night , including the partner of one of the two protesters who died from their gunshot wounds , filed a lawsuit against Facebook , Kyle Rittenhouse and leaders of local militia groups .
The five-count civil complaint filed late Tuesday in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowered right wing militias to inflict extreme violence and deprive Plaintiffs and protestors of their rights ” by providing a platform for the groups to recruit members and plan violence .
It also accuses alleged shooter Kyle Rittenhouse , a follower of the fringe anti-government group “ boogaloo , ” and the “ commander ” of the self-described militia group Kenosha Guard of being part of a violent conspiracy to violate the constitutional rights of four Black Lives Matter protesters , including the partner of a man killed during the protests .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of abetting the violence in Kenosha , centers on the night of Aug. 25 , when a Black Lives Matter protest in the Wisconsin city descended into violence .
The main offense the plaintiffs cite in pointing the finger at Facebook for facilitating militia group meetings is the 455 times Facebook users reported a Kenosha Guard event page that urged people to arm themselves and come to the city to get involved in whatever the hell it is militia groups do in the 21st century .
According to a Facebook employee , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all event reports that day ” and yet no immediate action was taken against the page .
In fact , NBC News reports that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ’ s own words were quoted against him in the lawsuit—filed as McNeal v. Facebook , Inc.— pointing out that he admitted the failure to remove the page was an “ operational mistake.
” “ In other words , Facebook received more than 400 warnings that what did happen was going to occur , ” the lawsuit reads .
“ Perhaps the worst part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that it all could have been prevented.
” The plaintiffs are asking the court to impose an injunction on Facebook that would prohibit the platform “ from violating its own policies that are designed to prevent violence , ” NBC reports .
According to BuzzFeed , other people named in the lawsuit include Ryan Balch—who said in a Facebook post that he took on a “ tactical advisement ” role with a group of militia members that included Rittenhouse—and Kevin Mathewson , the “ commander ” of the Kenosha Guard and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ planned , orchestrated , implemented , and took steps in furtherance of a conspiracy designed to threaten and terrorize US citizens , which ultimately resulted in murder and violence.
” The complaint says that at the hands of militia members , the four plaintiffs were “ terrorized , assaulted , harassed , and placed in so much fear when facing the business end of military-grade assault rifles that they determined it was too dangerous to continue to protest.
” Outside of the injunction , it ’ s unclear what specified damages the @ @ @ @

While Republican politicians, right-wing media and much of conservative America join hands in singing the praises of a minor charged with first-degree murder in connection with two homicides after he allegedly crossed state lines and killed people with a gun he couldn’t legally carry, victims of the violence in Kenosha, Wis., that night, including the partner of one of the two protesters who died from their gunshot wounds, filed a lawsuit against Facebook, Kyle Rittenhouse and leaders of local militia groups.
From BuzzFeed:
The five-count civil complaint filed late Tuesday in a Wisconsin federal court argues that Facebook “empowered right wing militias to inflict extreme violence and deprive Plaintiffs and protestors of their rights” by providing a platform for the groups to recruit members and plan violence. It also accuses alleged shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, a follower of the fringe anti-government group “boogaloo,” and the “commander” of the self-described militia group Kenosha Guard of being part of a violent conspiracy to violate the constitutional rights of four Black Lives Matter protesters, including the partner of a man killed during the protests. The suit, the first to accuse Facebook of abetting the violence in Kenosha, centers on the night of Aug. 25, when a Black Lives Matter protest in the Wisconsin city descended into violence.
The plaintiffs are Hannah Gittings, whose partner was among those Rittenhouse allegedly killed; Christopher McNeal, a Black man and longtime resident of Kenosha; Nathan Peet, a Kenosha resident who attempted to assist one of the people allegedly killed by Rittenhouse; and Carmen Palmer, a Black woman who traveled to Kenosha from Milwaukee with her kids and a church protest group to march against racial injustice.
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The main offense the plaintiffs cite in pointing the finger at Facebook for facilitating militia group meetings is the 455 times Facebook users reported a Kenosha Guard event page that urged people to arm themselves and come to the city to get involved in whatever the hell it is militia groups do in the 21st century. According to a Facebook employee, those flags “made up 66% of all event reports that day” and yet no immediate action was taken against the page.
In fact, NBC News reports that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s own words were quoted against him in the lawsuit—filed as McNeal v. Facebook, Inc.— pointing out that he admitted the failure to remove the page was an “operational mistake.”
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“In other words, Facebook received more than 400 warnings that what did happen was going to occur,” the lawsuit reads. “Perhaps the worst part of this organized deprivation of rights and dignity is that it all could have been prevented.”
The plaintiffs are asking the court to impose an injunction on Facebook that would prohibit the platform “from violating its own policies that are designed to prevent violence,” NBC reports.
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According to BuzzFeed, other people named in the lawsuit include Ryan Balch—who said in a Facebook post that he took on a “tactical advisement” role with a group of militia members that included Rittenhouse—and Kevin Mathewson, the “commander” of the Kenosha Guard and its page admin, who the suit says “planned, orchestrated, implemented, and took steps in furtherance of a conspiracy designed to threaten and terrorize US citizens, which ultimately resulted in murder and violence.”
The complaint says that at the hands of militia members, the four plaintiffs were “terrorized, assaulted, harassed, and placed in so much fear when facing the business end of military-grade assault rifles that they determined it was too dangerous to continue to protest.”
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Outside of the injunction, it’s unclear what specified damages the lawsuit is seeking.


theroot--2020-09-24--Black Spoken Word Artist Becomes 1st Ever Poet to Win America’s Got Talent

As a poet and spoken word artist myself , I can appreciate someone with a wicked pen game and great delivery .
In fact , I am not the only spoken word artist and poet on The Root staff .
Perhaps you ’ ve heard of Michael Harriot , our resident Wypipologist , master race-baiter and the last real Negus alive .
Try not to cry as you watch him perform “ The Top Secret Recipe for Aunt Phyllis ’ Fried Chicken.
” And then there is Zack Linly , the champion roaster of racists everywhere .
Listen to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t have many videos performing spoken word , but I do have a video of myself performing the “ For the D ” challenge , so that ’ s what you get today .
On Wednesday night , 27-year-old Brandon Leake became the season 15 winner and the first-ever spoken word artist to take home the big prize on America ’ s Got Talent .
Leake is also the first spoken word artist to appear on the show , and during the two-hour season finale , he said “ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
For an art form that has not been on the mainstream ever to have a chance to win ‘ America ’ s Got Talent ’ is bigger than anything , ” CNN reports .
For his win , Leake will receive $ 1 million and will headline a future AGT show in Las Vegas .
The boy got talent , OK ?
Here ’ s a poem he performed for his daughter .
Here ’ s a poem he performed dedicated to his absent father .
Here ’ s one he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jacob Blake and George Floyd Yes , America ’ s Got Talent—and that talent is Black people .

Monique Judge on The Grapevine, shared by Monique Judge to The Root

As a poet and spoken word artist myself, I can appreciate someone with a wicked pen game and great delivery.
In fact, I am not the only spoken word artist and poet on The Root staff.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Michael Harriot, our resident Wypipologist, master race-baiter and the last real Negus alive. Try not to cry as you watch him perform “The Top Secret Recipe for Aunt Phyllis’ Fried Chicken.”
And then there is Zack Linly, the champion roaster of racists everywhere. Listen to him speak on his experience with therapy.
I don’t have many videos performing spoken word, but I do have a video of myself performing the “For the D” challenge, so that’s what you get today.
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On Wednesday night, 27-year-old Brandon Leake became the season 15 winner and the first-ever spoken word artist to take home the big prize on America’s Got Talent.
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Leake is also the first spoken word artist to appear on the show, and during the two-hour season finale, he said “This is a huge win for the spoken-word community. For an art form that has not been on the mainstream ever to have a chance to win ‘America’s Got Talent’ is bigger than anything,” CNN reports.
For his win, Leake will receive $1 million and will headline a future AGT show in Las Vegas.
Advertisement
The boy got talent, OK?
Here’s a poem he performed for his daughter.
Here’s a poem he performed dedicated to his absent father.
Here’s one he did about Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Jacob Blake and George Floyd
Yes, America’s Got Talent—and that talent is Black people.
Good job, Brandon.


theroot--2020-09-24--Why the Democratic Party Needs Thugs

Why the Democratic Party Needs Thugs

In the sweltering August heat of Ferguson , Mo.
, less than a stone ’ s throw from where Officer Darren Wilson had pumped six bullets into the body of Michael Brown Jr. , I clenched the rock-tossing hand of a 19-year-old kid I had met a few hours earlier .
A few feet away , a multifarious conglomerate of long gun-wielding cops , Missouri state troopers and actual soldiers stood ready to use any means necessary to suppress any unrest .
Earlier that day , this same kid described how Ferguson cops terrorized young Black men in the neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was ready to start some shit .
I reminded him how he complained about “ the media ” describing protesters as “ thugs.
” I pointed to one woman in a wheelchair and said that he was putting everyone in danger , begging him not to toss the first stone .
I explained how the authorities and the media would ascribe his actions to all the peaceful protesters .
“ Like that shit matters , ” he replied with eyes full of water and desperation .
“ Can ’ t you see ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We stood there for a second ... or a minute ... or forever , with my hand around his wrist , his frustration in his palm .
A millisecond before I decided to let his arm go , a brick sailed over our head , into the armed brigade .
As they began marching toward us , we both bolted .
I paused to put on a gas mask and spotted him through the noxious fumes .
Perhaps he was only checking his surroundings but I could swear that he was staring directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rock .
As he disappeared into the smoke and chaos , I ran away knowing the world would ignore the hundreds of peaceful protesters and attribute this civil unrest to “ thugs.
” I , on the other hand , am a reasonable man .
Nearly two years later , two Department of Justice civil rights investigations forced the Ferguson , Mo .
City Council to accept a consent decree implementing new use-of-force policies , deescalation training and restructuring the municipal court system .
Darren Wilson was never brought to justice but the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was evidence that reasonable people can collectively force change .
... Or maybe it was the thugs .
To be fair , a Black man with any modicum of thuggery in him would never have made it as far as Obama .
Black non-conformists scare white people .
And unlike George W. Bush , who was a hapless Tupperware container filled with his family ’ s leftover privilege , Obama didn ’ t have a bona fide gangster who had his back like Vice President Dick Cheney .
Barack didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at any potential sign of buckery like senior adviser Karl “ Ride-or-Lie ” Rove , Donald “ Da Desert Stormer ” Rumsfeld , Attorney General John “ the Mass Incarcerator ” Ashcroft and even Condoleeza “ Gangsta Boo ” Rice .
And , as a reasonable man with a Democratic Party averse to tearing da club up , when it came time for Obama to appoint a Supreme Court justice in 2016 , instead of engaging in a political knife-fight with the Republican Party , he instead nominated Merrick Garland , a reasonable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and toes and a judicial record that was as moderate as it was unremarkable .
As soon as Machiavellian Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell obstructed Garland ’ s nomination , outraged progressives begged Obama to pull out the chopper and make a recess appointment .
But Obama responded with reason , avoiding a heated court battle in the federal courts that weren ’ t packed with Obama appointees even though the Democratic Party controlled the Senate six of Obama ’ s eight years in office ( Harry Reid , finally invoked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama one year to appoint federal judges ) .
The Democratic Not-So-Ruff Ryders also refused to use the debt-ceiling fight as leverage a month after Garland ’ s appointment was tossed into political purgatory .
It wasn ’ t that the Democratic Party was afraid to go toe-to-toe with Republican obstructionists .
Democrats pride themselves on governing with a sense of compassionate practicality .
And , like most practical , compassionate Americans , they avoid conflict , as opposed to the conservative Killmongers on the other side of the aisle who long for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Challenge Day .
But that challenge shit is over .
Trump ’ s the king now .
And now , in the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s untimely passing , Democratic historical revisionists are pointing to the hypocrisy of the GOP after it burgled Garland ’ s Supreme Court seat .
What the GOP did to Merrick Garland is shameful .
It was wrong .
Anyone who purports to believe in the Constitution should regret doing it ( as if the GOP is capable of feeling shame , regret or ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have conveniently left out one part in their recounting of the Democratic fight for Garland ’ s nomination : Instead of kicking in the door , waving the four-four , the Democrats acquiesced to Republican bullying by nominating a wet dishrag of a moderate whom they hoped conservatives would deem acceptable .
Then , they didn ’ t use any means necessary to get him confirmed .
They didn ’ t use a single mean !
And perhaps the Democrats ’ biggest misstep in the Garland fiasco was when the party concluded : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ na win anyway ?
” Well , that worked out fine , didn ’ t it ?
The Democratic Party ’ s lack of intestinal fortitude on this issue will reverberate for generations .
But this is not just about the Supreme Court .
It is about the party ’ s lack of ambition as a rider for their base who elected them ...
The Democrats ’ incessant deference to tradition and political practicality affects Black people more than it affects white people .
White Georgians ’ votes weren ’ t disproportionately tossed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because white voting rights weren ’ t dismantled by Shelby v. Holder .
White people weren ’ t the ones being disproportionately killed by police when Cory Booker introduced a police reform bill five years before Breonna Taylor , George Floyd or Jacob Blake wound up on the end of a police gun barrel .
White people weren ’ t being targeted by the war on drugs when the Democratic Party leaned on Black lawmakers to sign the 1994 crime bill .
They weren ’ t the victims of sentencing disparities when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive .
They could ’ ve ended the filibuster in 2009—when they had control of the House , Senate and the presidency—instead of letting GOP opposition to the Affordable Care Act erase any notion of a public option .
African Americans are the ones who are most impacted by that decision because the states that refuse the Medicare expansion are disproportionately Black .
Former Rep. John Conyers pushed for a bill to study reparations every year from 1989 until the day he died .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white families already have 10 times the wealth of Black families .
Can you imagine if the Democratic Party did as much for its Black constituency as the Republican Party does for its white base ?
Sure , we have the Squad ( Ayanna Pressley , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib , not the Flipmode Squad ) .
But aside from Maxine Waters , no one is willing to throw hands with the GOP .
The Democratic Party desperately needs a few unapologetic junior mafias like the Tea Party or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell Mitch McConnell obstructionists and fraidy-cat Amy Klobuchar moderates to “ move , bih , get out the way !
” Instead , they ’ re moving mealy-mouthed moderates to the front of the line like Amy “ Fraidy Cat ” Klobuchar and Pete “ Swaggerless Obama ” Buttigieg .
How are these mayonnaisian motherfuckers gon na fight for Black people when they ’ ve spent their entire careers avoiding any confrontation with the Boogey monsters of racism ?
That ’ s why we need some real Gs who squeeze first and ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s how most of these so-called “ progressives ” pass . )
The Democratic Party needs some thugs .
There ’ s a story about an idealistic young guy who saw all the stories about Chicago and figured he could be the one to change things .
So he moved there with a few of his homeboys , who were also activists .
They tried to meet with the mayor , the city council and other power brokers to explain to them that the economic conditions caused all of the crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them Distraught , the guy wondered to himself : “ What if I got all of the thugs together ?
” So this crazy dude scheduled a meeting with all of the gang leaders .
But when they showed up , one of the guy ’ s homeboys said , “ I don ’ t know why he wants to work with all these thugs.
” The thugs overheard it and left .
But the guy wasn ’ t done .
He scheduled another meeting with the thugs , and when they showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gangstas to start working in their community , and they did !
The guy eventually organized a march and the gangsters walked alongside him .
When the white people saw this , they got so mad that they threw rocks and bottles .
One even hit the leader of the march in the head but the thugs didn ’ t even retaliate .
When Chicago ’ s mayor saw how this guy who wasn ’ t even from Chicago had gotten the thugs on his side , he agreed to meet with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board met with him and they all agreed to an economic agenda .
They were lying , though .
They never created an economic plan .
They never fixed the city ’ s Black housing crisis .
They really just wanted to get this crazy dude out of town .
And , as soon as the guy left , Chicago ’ s mayor created a gang task force that eventually arrested all of the gang leaders on trumped-up charges .
Instead of waiting on the city , the Black Panther thugs started a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nurses to provide free healthcare .
The gangs joined in with the Panthers and called a truce .
They formed a political organization that funded candidates .
They convinced businesses in Black neighborhoods to hire Black people .
The Vice Lords got hundreds of thousands of dollars and built youth centers all over the city .
The Rockefeller Foundation gave them a $ 275,000 grant .
The U.S. Department of Economic Opportunity gave the Blackstone Rangers $ 957,000 to set up a youth project .
But then someone killed the man who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with the FBI , killed the Black Panther leader , Fred Hampton .
Then all of the gang leaders ended up in jail , many of them on trumped-up charges .
The U.S. even reportedly framed one of the leaders for a terrorist plot .
But if you ever ate free breakfast at school , remember , the thugs did that .
If you ever went to a free clinic in a poor neighborhood , thugs started that .
If you wonder why the Chicago housing projects discrimination was dismantled , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ever wondered who Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about when he wrote : Well , there was no “ Pueblo.
” He was talking about some teenagers he met in 1966 during his Chicago campaign who helped him fight for economic change .
Some of them would become the most powerful men in the country .
Kenneth “ Goat ” Parks was once the president of a group founded by Edwin “ Pepalo ” Perry that is now known to some as the Almighty Vice Lord Nation .
Even Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most peaceful human beings who ever walked the face of the Earth knew that if he wanted to get shit done : You need a few thugs .

He had a rock.
In the sweltering August heat of Ferguson, Mo., less than a stone’s throw from where Officer Darren Wilson had pumped six bullets into the body of Michael Brown Jr., I clenched the rock-tossing hand of a 19-year-old kid I had met a few hours earlier.
A few feet away, a multifarious conglomerate of long gun-wielding cops, Missouri state troopers and actual soldiers stood ready to use any means necessary to suppress any unrest. Earlier that day, this same kid described how Ferguson cops terrorized young Black men in the neighborhood where Mike Brown died. Now he was ready to start some shit.
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I reminded him how he complained about “the media” describing protesters as “thugs.” I pointed to one woman in a wheelchair and said that he was putting everyone in danger, begging him not to toss the first stone. I explained how the authorities and the media would ascribe his actions to all the peaceful protesters.
“Like that shit matters,” he replied with eyes full of water and desperation. “Can’t you see? They gon’ kill us anyway.”
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We stood there for a second...or a minute...or forever, with my hand around his wrist, his frustration in his palm. A millisecond before I decided to let his arm go, a brick sailed over our head, into the armed brigade. As they began marching toward us, we both bolted. I paused to put on a gas mask and spotted him through the noxious fumes. Perhaps he was only checking his surroundings but I could swear that he was staring directly at me.
Then he threw his rock.
As he disappeared into the smoke and chaos, I ran away knowing the world would ignore the hundreds of peaceful protesters and attribute this civil unrest to “thugs.”
Advertisement
I, on the other hand, am a reasonable man.
Nearly two years later, two Department of Justice civil rights investigations forced the Ferguson, Mo. City Council to accept a consent decree implementing new use-of-force policies, deescalation training and restructuring the municipal court system.
Advertisement
Darren Wilson was never brought to justice but the peaceful protests had partially worked. It was evidence that reasonable people can collectively force change.
...Or maybe it was the thugs.
Barack Obama was a reasonable man.
To be fair, a Black man with any modicum of thuggery in him would never have made it as far as Obama. Black non-conformists scare white people. And unlike George W. Bush, who was a hapless Tupperware container filled with his family’s leftover privilege, Obama didn’t have a bona fide gangster who had his back like Vice President Dick Cheney. Barack didn’t have a crew who was willing to knuck at any potential sign of buckery like senior adviser Karl “Ride-or-Lie” Rove, Donald “Da Desert Stormer” Rumsfeld, Attorney General John “the Mass Incarcerator” Ashcroft and even Condoleeza “Gangsta Boo” Rice.
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And, as a reasonable man with a Democratic Party averse to tearing da club up, when it came time for Obama to appoint a Supreme Court justice in 2016, instead of engaging in a political knife-fight with the Republican Party, he instead nominated Merrick Garland, a reasonable, affable white man with a mouth and toes and a judicial record that was as moderate as it was unremarkable.
As soon as Machiavellian Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell obstructed Garland’s nomination, outraged progressives begged Obama to pull out the chopper and make a recess appointment. But Obama responded with reason, avoiding a heated court battle in the federal courts that weren’t packed with Obama appointees even though the Democratic Party controlled the Senate six of Obama’s eight years in office (Harry Reid, finally invoked the nuclear option in late 2013, giving Obama one year to appoint federal judges).
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The Democratic Not-So-Ruff Ryders also refused to use the debt-ceiling fight as leverage a month after Garland’s appointment was tossed into political purgatory. It wasn’t that the Democratic Party was afraid to go toe-to-toe with Republican obstructionists. Democrats pride themselves on governing with a sense of compassionate practicality. And, like most practical, compassionate Americans, they avoid conflict, as opposed to the conservative Killmongers on the other side of the aisle who long for the opportunity to take the throne on Challenge Day.
But that challenge shit is over. Trump’s the king now.
And now, in the wake of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s untimely passing, Democratic historical revisionists are pointing to the hypocrisy of the GOP after it burgled Garland’s Supreme Court seat. What the GOP did to Merrick Garland is shameful. It was wrong. Anyone who purports to believe in the Constitution should regret doing it (as if the GOP is capable of feeling shame, regret or...well, anything). But progressives have conveniently left out one part in their recounting of the Democratic fight for Garland’s nomination:
They didn’t fight!
Instead of kicking in the door, waving the four-four, the Democrats acquiesced to Republican bullying by nominating a wet dishrag of a moderate whom they hoped conservatives would deem acceptable. Then, they didn’t use any means necessary to get him confirmed. They didn’t use a single mean! And perhaps the Democrats’ biggest misstep in the Garland fiasco was when the party concluded: “Why fight when Hillary is gonna win anyway?”
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Well, that worked out fine, didn’t it?
The Democratic Party’s lack of intestinal fortitude on this issue will reverberate for generations. But this is not just about the Supreme Court. It is about the party’s lack of ambition as a rider for their base who elected them...
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Black people.
The Democrats’ incessant deference to tradition and political practicality affects Black people more than it affects white people. White Georgians’ votes weren’t disproportionately tossed in the trash during the 2018 midterms because white voting rights weren’t dismantled by Shelby v. Holder. White people weren’t the ones being disproportionately killed by police when Cory Booker introduced a police reform bill five years before Breonna Taylor, George Floyd or Jacob Blake wound up on the end of a police gun barrel.
Advertisement
White people weren’t being targeted by the war on drugs when the Democratic Party leaned on Black lawmakers to sign the 1994 crime bill. They weren’t the victims of sentencing disparities when they conceded to GOP senators who refused to make the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive. They could’ve ended the filibuster in 2009—when they had control of the House, Senate and the presidency—instead of letting GOP opposition to the Affordable Care Act erase any notion of a public option. African Americans are the ones who are most impacted by that decision because the states that refuse the Medicare expansion are disproportionately Black. Former Rep. John Conyers pushed for a bill to study reparations every year from 1989 until the day he died. But the party never made it a priority because white families already have 10 times the wealth of Black families.
Can you imagine if the Democratic Party did as much for its Black constituency as the Republican Party does for its white base?
Advertisement
Sure, we have the Squad (Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, not the Flipmode Squad). But aside from Maxine Waters, no one is willing to throw hands with the GOP. The Democratic Party desperately needs a few unapologetic junior mafias like the Tea Party or the Freedom Caucus who are willing to tell Mitch McConnell obstructionists and fraidy-cat Amy Klobuchar moderates to “move, bih, get out the way!”
Instead, they’re moving mealy-mouthed moderates to the front of the line like Amy “Fraidy Cat” Klobuchar and Pete “Swaggerless Obama” Buttigieg. How are these mayonnaisian motherfuckers gonna fight for Black people when they’ve spent their entire careers avoiding any confrontation with the Boogey monsters of racism? That’s why we need some real Gs who squeeze first and ask questions last. (Politically speaking, that’s how most of these so-called “progressives” pass.)
Advertisement
The Democratic Party needs some thugs.
Someone had a rock.
There’s a story about an idealistic young guy who saw all the stories about Chicago and figured he could be the one to change things. So he moved there with a few of his homeboys, who were also activists. They tried to meet with the mayor, the city council and other power brokers to explain to them that the economic conditions caused all of the crime, but no one would listen to them
Advertisement
Distraught, the guy wondered to himself: “What if I got all of the thugs together?”
So this crazy dude scheduled a meeting with all of the gang leaders. But when they showed up, one of the guy’s homeboys said, “I don’t know why he wants to work with all these thugs.” The thugs overheard it and left.
Advertisement
But the guy wasn’t done.
He scheduled another meeting with the thugs, and when they showed up, he apologized. He convinced the gangstas to start working in their community, and they did! The guy eventually organized a march and the gangsters walked alongside him. When the white people saw this, they got so mad that they threw rocks and bottles. One even hit the leader of the march in the head but the thugs didn’t even retaliate. When Chicago’s mayor saw how this guy who wasn’t even from Chicago had gotten the thugs on his side, he agreed to meet with the leader. Then the real estate board met with him and they all agreed to an economic agenda.
Advertisement
They were lying, though.
They never created an economic plan. They never fixed the city’s Black housing crisis. They really just wanted to get this crazy dude out of town. And, as soon as the guy left, Chicago’s mayor created a gang task force that eventually arrested all of the gang leaders on trumped-up charges.
Advertisement
But something weird happened.
He couldn’t stop the thugs!
Instead of waiting on the city, the Black Panther thugs started a free breakfast program. They convinced doctors and nurses to provide free healthcare. The gangs joined in with the Panthers and called a truce. They formed a political organization that funded candidates. They convinced businesses in Black neighborhoods to hire Black people. The Vice Lords got hundreds of thousands of dollars and built youth centers all over the city. The Rockefeller Foundation gave them a $275,000 grant. The U.S. Department of Economic Opportunity gave the Blackstone Rangers $957,000 to set up a youth project.
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But then someone killed the man who started it all. Then the cops, along with the FBI, killed the Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton. Then all of the gang leaders ended up in jail, many of them on trumped-up charges. The U.S. even reportedly framed one of the leaders for a terrorist plot.
But if you ever ate free breakfast at school, remember, the thugs did that. If you ever went to a free clinic in a poor neighborhood, thugs started that. If you wonder why the Chicago housing projects discrimination was dismantled, thugs did that.
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And if you’ve ever wondered who Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about when he wrote:
I am thinking now of some teenage boys in Chicago. They have nicknames like “Tex,” and “Pueblo,” and “Goat” and “Teddy”...I met these boys and heard their stories in discussions we had on some long, cold nights at the slum apartment I rented in the West Side ghetto of Chicago.
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Well, there was no “Pueblo.”
He was talking about some teenagers he met in 1966 during his Chicago campaign who helped him fight for economic change. Some of them would become the most powerful men in the country. Kenneth “Goat” Parks was once the president of a group founded by Edwin “Pepalo” Perry that is now known to some as the Almighty Vice Lord Nation.
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Even Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most peaceful human beings who ever walked the face of the Earth knew that if he wanted to get shit done:
You need a few thugs.


theroot--2020-09-24--Report Finds North Carolina Threw Out Black Voters’ Mail-In Ballots at Twice the Rate of White Voter

Report Finds North Carolina Threw Out Black Voters’ Mail-In Ballots at Twice the Rate of White Voters in 2018

Voter suppression isn ’ t a new phenomenon .
But as the country lurches toward a November election in which President Donald Trump has flatly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he lose , concerns over the integrity of the voting process are as high as they ’ ve ever been .
Adding to those concerns is a new joint analysis from ProPublica and WRAL News finding that Black voters in North Carolina had their mail-in ballots rejected at twice the rate of the state ’ s white voters in 2018 .
And thus far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on par with the rates from 2018 .
Across all minority groups , the report found , “ voters were nearly twice as likely to have their mail-in ballots rejected compared to white voters.
” But the rejection rates were highest for Black voters , for whom 14 percent of their mail-in ballots were rejected .
For white voters , the rejection rate was 6.3 percent .
“ In total , 40 percent of rejected ballots were submitted by voters who identify as Black or African American , Indian American or Alaska Native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or ‘ other , ’ ” ProPublica writes .
And rural counties in North Carolina , a swing state , were just as susceptible to this disparity as urban ones .
More than 6,000 ballots were rejected by North Carolina election officials during the midterm elections .
The rejection rates of mail-in ballots were especially high in the northeast corner of the state , bordering Virginia .
Those counties have the highest share of Black residents , ” writes ProPublica .
These disputes over legal ballots—particularly mail-in ones—are a top concern for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , many more Americans are expected to mail in their ballots this year .
According to ProPublica , the state ’ s election officials predict that up to 40 percent of North Carolina ’ s voters will vote by mail .
If the current disparities hold up , that could have tremendous implications for Democrats across the ticket .
Black voters comprise 46 percent of Democratic voters in the state , which is expected to be another hotly contested battleground in the presidential election .
The report wasn ’ t able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black voters have been so disproportionately affected : election officials say they don ’ t even have access to data about ethnicity or race when they are reviewing the validity of ballots .
“ We don ’ t even look at it from this point of view .
We just look to see if they followed all the rules , ” Seneca Nicholson , chair of the Vance County Board of Elections , told ProPublica .
In 2018 , those rules included “ valid ” voter signatures , as well as witnesses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballot .
Some election experts speculated that , because Black voters have historically been less likely to vote by mail , they may have been more likely to make mistakes .
But no one appears to be telling these voters that their votes have been tossed .
Election officials across the board expressed surprise at the analysis ’ findings and noted that they often try to reach out to voters to correct problems with their ballots before rejecting them .
However , when ProPublica and WRAL contacted a number of Black voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the outlets that this was the first time anyone had raised issues with their forms .
They were unaware their votes hadn ’ t counted .
North Carolina isn ’ t the only state being scrutinized for the way it has rejected votes .
A report from earlier this month found that Georgia wrongfully purged 200,000 voters from its rolls , many of them in the Atlanta Metro Area , where Black people make up 32.4 percent of the population .
The recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair elections .
With a 6-3 conservative majority , some voting rights advocates fear further erosion of voting protections , building upon the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 , in which Ginsburg , alongside Justices Stephen Breyer , Elena Kagan , and Sonia Sotomayor were in the dissenting minority .
It is one thing to urge Black people to vote .
But any such effort would be in vain if their votes won ’ t even be counted .

Voter suppression isn’t a new phenomenon. But as the country lurches toward a November election in which President Donald Trump has flatly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he lose, concerns over the integrity of the voting process are as high as they’ve ever been.
Adding to those concerns is a new joint analysis from ProPublica and WRAL News finding that Black voters in North Carolina had their mail-in ballots rejected at twice the rate of the state’s white voters in 2018. And thus far, the rejection rates for 2020 have been on par with the rates from 2018.
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Across all minority groups, the report found, “voters were nearly twice as likely to have their mail-in ballots rejected compared to white voters.” But the rejection rates were highest for Black voters, for whom 14 percent of their mail-in ballots were rejected. For white voters, the rejection rate was 6.3 percent.
“In total, 40 percent of rejected ballots were submitted by voters who identify as Black or African American, Indian American or Alaska Native, Asian, two or more races, or ‘other,’” ProPublica writes. And rural counties in North Carolina, a swing state, were just as susceptible to this disparity as urban ones. More than 6,000 ballots were rejected by North Carolina election officials during the midterm elections.
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The rejection rates of mail-in ballots were especially high in the northeast corner of the state, bordering Virginia. Those counties have the highest share of Black residents,” writes ProPublica.
These disputes over legal ballots—particularly mail-in ones—are a top concern for voting rights advocates. Due to the coronavirus, many more Americans are expected to mail in their ballots this year. According to ProPublica, the state’s election officials predict that up to 40 percent of North Carolina’s voters will vote by mail.
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If the current disparities hold up, that could have tremendous implications for Democrats across the ticket. Black voters comprise 46 percent of Democratic voters in the state, which is expected to be another hotly contested battleground in the presidential election.
The report wasn’t able to give a conclusive answer as to how Black voters have been so disproportionately affected: election officials say they don’t even have access to data about ethnicity or race when they are reviewing the validity of ballots.
Advertisement
“We don’t even look at it from this point of view. We just look to see if they followed all the rules,” Seneca Nicholson, chair of the Vance County Board of Elections, told ProPublica.
In 2018, those rules included “valid” voter signatures, as well as witnesses to sign and provide their own addresses to the ballot. Some election experts speculated that, because Black voters have historically been less likely to vote by mail, they may have been more likely to make mistakes.
Advertisement
But no one appears to be telling these voters that their votes have been tossed. Election officials across the board expressed surprise at the analysis’ findings and noted that they often try to reach out to voters to correct problems with their ballots before rejecting them.
However, when ProPublica and WRAL contacted a number of Black voters who had their ballots rejected, some told the outlets that this was the first time anyone had raised issues with their forms. They were unaware their votes hadn’t counted.
Advertisement
North Carolina isn’t the only state being scrutinized for the way it has rejected votes. A report from earlier this month found that Georgia wrongfully purged 200,000 voters from its rolls, many of them in the Atlanta Metro Area, where Black people make up 32.4 percent of the population.
The recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has also created new urgency around free and fair elections. With a 6-3 conservative majority, some voting rights advocates fear further erosion of voting protections, building upon the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, in which Ginsburg, alongside Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor were in the dissenting minority.
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It is one thing to urge Black people to vote. But any such effort would be in vain if their votes won’t even be counted.


theroot--2020-09-24--With Help From Ayanna Pressley and Anita Hill, Me Too Launches Its First Survivors’ Agenda Summit

In the three years since the Me Too movement entered mainstream discourse , much progress has been made—namely , belated focus upon long-alleged , and in some cases , now-convicted predators , and the beginning of a reframing of the way in which we acknowledge and speak about the spectrum of sexual abuse , from harassment to assault .
For Tarana Burke , who coined Me Too as a hashtag and built a now-global movement , it ’ s only the beginning , as she is taking a multipronged approach to the transformation of our communities , communication , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the experiences of survivors of sexual violence .
“ I think this moment demands a lot of things that we have not been accustomed to before , but one thing that we are accustomed to is tenacity—and resilience , ” the founder of ‘ me too.
’ International told me in August , during our conversation for The Root Institute .
“ Our folks figure out [ how to ] make a way , recreate , create new when we have to .
And so , I think that that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment .
But it also requires us to not stop.
” With that—and forward momentum—in mind , tonight Burke and a multi-racial coalition penned the Survivors ’ Agenda open the first-ever Survivors ’ Summit , a three-day event centering the voices and needs of survivors , many of whom are also activists and advocates .
The full schedule for the three-day program is now live on the Survivors ’ Agenda site and registration is open now .
The summit launches on Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m .
ET with an “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chair of the Hollywood Commission , and Brandeis University professor Anita Hill ; Fatima Goss Graves , president and CEO of the National Women ’ s Law Center ; Mónica Ramírez , founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women ; youth Indigenous activist Breana Brave Heart , and Prentis Hemphill , founder of the Black Embodiment Initiative .
Rep. Pressley ( D-Mass . )
will close the summit on Sunday as its keynote speaker .
Other featured guests will include : A Long Walk Home co-founder Tillet ; cultural worker Aishah Shahidah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) ; gymnast Maggie Nichols ; and Angie Jean-Marie of TIME ’ S UP , who will welcome Saturday ’ s guests .
Also appearing will be representatives from advocacy organizations Futures Without Violence , Healing to Action , Know Your IX , Center for American Progress , the Women ’ s March , The National Network to End Domestic Violence , and more—and of course , Burke herself .
A Survivor ’ s Summit Youth Track will also take place on Saturday , spearheaded by Girls for Gender Equity and led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage this initiative in critical and transformative conversations , ” says Me Too , adding that the track “ will feature panels centering on Black girls ’ healing and liberation , the importance of centering youth experiences in movements and organizing , the power of healing and self-love , and more.
” Burke ’ s commitment to the safety and success of Black girls is steadfast ; on the Sept. 15 anniversary of the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham , Ala. , that killed four Black girls in 1963 , she joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Black Girl Freedom Fund .
Recognizing that currently , philanthropic organizations only donate $ 5.48 per woman or girl of color in the United States , the initiative aims to raise $ 1 billion over the next 10 years to “ mobilize investments ‘ in the brain trust , innovation , health , safety , education , research , and joy of Black girls and their families.
’ according to a statement provided to The Glow Up .
Burke was joined in this effort by co-founders Tillet , Goss Graves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grantmakers for Girls of Color and author/filmmaker of PUSHOUT : The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools ) , LaTosha Brown ( founder of the Black Girls Dream Fund organized by the Southern Black Girls & Women ’ s Consortium ) , Joanne N. Smith ( Founding President and CEO , Girls for Gender Equity ) , Scheherazade Tillet ( co-founder , with her sister , Salamishah , of A Long Walk Home ) and Teresa C. Younger ( President and CEO , Ms. Foundation for Women ) .
The coalition launches via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( # 1Billion4BlackGirls ) , which included signatories Ciara , Beverly Bond , Marley Dias , Kamilah Forbes , Melissa Harris-Perry , Valerie Jarrett , Luvvie Ajayi Jones , Rashida Jones , Jurnee Smollett , Gabrielle Union , among others , and read , in part : At this very moment , Black Lives Matter has emerged as our nation ’ s largest political movement and racial justice is receiving unprecedented philanthropic support .
And yet , Black girls and young women still remain adultified , victimized by violence , and erased from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which they continue to risk their lives .
We , Black women , and Femmes activists , artists , educators , organizers , and philanthropists , have come together at the historic time to call attention to the fact that Black girls in the United States are in crisis .
From discrimination in education and healthcare to sexual assault and policing , the lives and livelihoods of Black girls and young women are notably absent in the public narratives , policies , and justice movements most crucial to addressing inequality and racial trauma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justified structural violence against Black women and girls are being used to subjugate all of our communities .
Black women ’ s and girl ’ s voices , visions , and experiences are essential and necessary for the liberation of all Black people .
Together , these two initiatives have the same aim : the upliftment and protection of Black femmes across America and beyond .
As Me Too reminds us , “ envisioning a world without violence doesn ’ t have to be a figment of our imagination ... it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power.
” Registration is open now for the Survivors ’ Summit .

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

In the three years since the Me Too movement entered mainstream discourse, much progress has been made—namely, belated focus upon long-alleged, and in some cases, now-convicted predators, and the beginning of a reframing of the way in which we acknowledge and speak about the spectrum of sexual abuse, from harassment to assault. For Tarana Burke, who coined Me Too as a hashtag and built a now-global movement, it’s only the beginning, as she is taking a multipronged approach to the transformation of our communities, communication, the upliftment of Black girls and femmes, and the experiences of survivors of sexual violence.
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“I think this moment demands a lot of things that we have not been accustomed to before, but one thing that we are accustomed to is tenacity—and resilience,” the founder of ‘me too.’ International told me in August, during our conversation for The Root Institute. “Our folks figure out [how to] make a way, recreate, create new when we have to. And so, I think that that’s what we’ve seen in this moment. But it also requires us to not stop.”
With that—and forward momentum—in mind, tonight Burke and a multi-racial coalition penned the Survivors’ Agenda open the first-ever Survivors’ Summit, a three-day event centering the voices and needs of survivors, many of whom are also activists and advocates.
Advertisement Advertisement
Per a release:
The Summit will amplify the voices of survivors of sexual violence with panels that will highlight a range of topics including workplace sexual harassment, restorative justice, incorporating #metoo in schools, queer and trans perspectives on surviving abuse and violence, and much more. Also: Don’t forget about our powerful plenary speakers who will include beloved ‘Squad’ member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, advocate and Brandeis University professor Anita Hill, Summit co-host and ‘me too.’ founder Tarana Burke, and many more.
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The full schedule for the three-day program is now live on the Survivors’ Agenda site and registration is open now. The summit launches on Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. ET with an “Opening Plenary Panel” featuring advocate, Chair of the Hollywood Commission, and Brandeis University professor Anita Hill; Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center; Mónica Ramírez, founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women; youth Indigenous activist Breana Brave Heart, and Prentis Hemphill, founder of the Black Embodiment Initiative. Rep. Pressley (D-Mass.) will close the summit on Sunday as its keynote speaker.
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Other featured guests will include: A Long Walk Home co-founder Tillet; cultural worker Aishah Shahidah Simmons (NO! The Rape Documentary); gymnast Maggie Nichols; and Angie Jean-Marie of TIME’S UP, who will welcome Saturday’s guests. Also appearing will be representatives from advocacy organizations Futures Without Violence, Healing to Action, Know Your IX, Center for American Progress, the Women’s March, The National Network to End Domestic Violence, and more—and of course, Burke herself.
A Survivor’s Summit Youth Track will also take place on Saturday, spearheaded by Girls for Gender Equity and led by youth survivors who “will lead and engage this initiative in critical and transformative conversations,” says Me Too, adding that the track “will feature panels centering on Black girls’ healing and liberation, the importance of centering youth experiences in movements and organizing, the power of healing and self-love, and more.”
Advertisement
Burke’s commitment to the safety and success of Black girls is steadfast; on the Sept. 15 anniversary of the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four Black girls in 1963, she joined fellow Black women leaders in the launch of the Black Girl Freedom Fund. Recognizing that currently, philanthropic organizations only donate $5.48 per woman or girl of color in the United States, the initiative aims to raise $1 billion over the next 10 years to “mobilize investments ‘in the brain trust, innovation, health, safety, education, research, and joy of Black girls and their families.’ according to a statement provided to The Glow Up.
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Burke was joined in this effort by co-founders Tillet, Goss Graves, Dr. Monique Morris (Executive Director, Grantmakers for Girls of Color and author/filmmaker of PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools), LaTosha Brown (founder of the Black Girls Dream Fund organized by the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium), Joanne N. Smith (Founding President and CEO, Girls for Gender Equity), Scheherazade Tillet (co-founder, with her sister, Salamishah, of A Long Walk Home) and Teresa C. Younger (President and CEO, Ms. Foundation for Women).
The coalition launches via an open letter and social media campaign (#1Billion4BlackGirls), which included signatories Ciara, Beverly Bond, Marley Dias, Kamilah Forbes, Melissa Harris-Perry, Valerie Jarrett, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Rashida Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Gabrielle Union, among others, and read, in part:
At this very moment, Black Lives Matter has emerged as our nation’s largest political movement and racial justice is receiving unprecedented philanthropic support. And yet, Black girls and young women still remain adultified, victimized by violence, and erased from the very same social justice movement for which they continue to risk their lives. We, Black women, and Femmes activists, artists, educators, organizers, and philanthropists, have come together at the historic time to call attention to the fact that Black girls in the United States are in crisis. From discrimination in education and healthcare to sexual assault and policing, the lives and livelihoods of Black girls and young women are notably absent in the public narratives, policies, and justice movements most crucial to addressing inequality and racial trauma... The tools and tactics that have justified structural violence against Black women and girls are being used to subjugate all of our communities. Black women’s and girl’s voices, visions, and experiences are essential and necessary for the liberation of all Black people.
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Together, these two initiatives have the same aim: the upliftment and protection of Black femmes across America and beyond. As Me Too reminds us, “envisioning a world without violence doesn’t have to be a figment of our imagination...it can be a reality we create with our collective power.”
Registration is open now for the Survivors’ Summit.