It was a dreary, rainy night in Oakland and all I wanted to do was stay indoors and have a quiet evening. Instead I was fully dressed, looking out the window, waiting for a car to take me to a gathering of artists celebrating the retirement of the wife of a colleague. The host had changed the location several times for one reason or another and every time I got…
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June Medical Services is just one stepping stone on a path toward reproductive, social, socio-economic, and racial equality, writes Nia Weeks, founder of Citizen SHE United in New Orleans. She says it’s important to keep at the forefront the women of color who bear the greatest impact of these outdated laws along with an intersection of many other systemic barriers. Every woman in the U.S. will…
Black Women can change the world, which means we can change election outcomes too. With that power comes significant responsibility and we should take that work seriously as the election of 2018 approaches. Since the conceptualization of this country, Black women have played an important role in every major American milestone. We have allowed the strength of the nation to be built on our endurance without regard to our aptitude,…
Let’s take a moment to talk about something that is not supposed to be discussed in front of mixed company. As the protests have died down in popularity and the white gaze has shifted back to COVID-19, let’s use this time to work within our community to heal the relationship between the church and the LGTBQIA+ community. If we are serious about black liberation, we must be serious about ensuring…
Over the last decade, Black women across the nation have worked diligently to ensure that their voices have been heard loud and clear during past elections; and we are hoping the 2020 election season will be similar. Wayfinder Fellow and Attorney, Nia Weeks, has taken on the challenge of creating a phenomenal campaign under her organization entitled, Citizen S.H.E. With Citizen S.H.E, Nia has set a goal to increase voter…
After the murder of George Floyd, tensions between the Minneapolis community and Minneapolis Police Department had reached a boiling point, and as the world watch on, residents experienced a historic uprising. It has now been a few months since that tragic police killing, and community trust in local officials is still at an all time low, as justice has not yet occurred. Recently in Minneapolis, when the unfortunate tragedy of…
Because it is the ember, unafraid of itself or its power that dances freely… And twirls on the rooftop that brings the conflagrative inferno to the old world…consumes it whole…making way for the green, golden bud that pokes through the ashen soil, heralding the new… Yesterday we gave out about 350 smoothies to people, neighbors and citizens of Oakland, waiting in line for produce boxes and hot meals. Every cup…
We interviewed Wayfinder Fellow and Parent Activist LaShawn Robinson, after her powerful moment during an education rally in Hartford, Connecticut. Interviewer: What made you attend the rally? Robinson: Prior [to this rally] I held a 1000 Women’s March and spoke about patriarchy. A man from the teacher’s union asked how I felt about kids heading back to school. He asked If I could speak up for teachers and students. I felt honored,…
Long before COVID-19 and distance learning became a reality for our school systems, Black and Brown students were facing barriers to access to a high quality education. Citizen S.H.E. has taken on the task of bringing the critical conversation regarding racial disparity in education to a broader audience with their campaign, “Standing in OUR Power” EDUCATION. Please take a look at the dynamic work they have done to date, by…
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2016 had a record of 137.5 million Americans who voted. However, there was a sharp decline seen in one group over others. For the first time in 20 years, the 2016 election saw a 7% decrease in Black voter turnout. One may think that percentage isn’t a huge loss; but it’s essential to remember that the Black community only makes up 13.4% of the United States…
