First coffee, then this is about humanity

Written by Josybel Martinez

Black lives matter. This is not about politics, this is about humanity.

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

racism
noun
rac·​ism | \ ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm
a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Even if it feels like racism does not affect us, or that it  has nothing to do with us… it is our responsibility as leaders, as parents, as human beings to have these (uncomfortable) conversations in the spaces where we operate. And we need to start by educating ourselves.

Here are 5 Of The Most Powerful Documentaries On Systemic Racism You Can Stream Right Now.

Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay’s examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country’s history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.

If you want a shorter version, the following video explains a lot.

The Racket of Racism by Romany Malco 

“Race or racial oppression is defined as: …burdening a specific race with unjust or cruel restraints or impositions. Racial oppression may be social, systematic, institutionalized, or internalized. Social forms of racial oppression include exploitation and mistreatment that is socially supported.” Read more here.

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash

“In Minnesota, black people are four times as likely to be killed by law enforcement as white people. Mr. Floyd’s death shares a grim geographical lineage with other black deaths that rocked the nation: The place where he died is roughly a 15-minute drive from Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., where Philando Castile was shot by a police officer in 2016 while his fiancée streamed the encounter live on Facebook. The year before that, Jamar Clark was shot by the police as they tried to handcuff him as he lay on the ground, in the same vicinity as where Mr. Floyd gasped for his final breaths beneath a white police officer’s knee.” Keep reading here.

D.C. Renames Street Black Lives Matter Plaza

It is our responsibility as leaders, as parents, as human beings, to have these uncomfortable conversations with family, friends, colleagues, clients. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves and to understand the issue. It is our responsibility to use whatever platform we have to amplify the voices of Black people. Black lives matter.

Tool of the week: The danger of a single story

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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