5 Things Friday
The 7 Black women who are the unsung heroes of the COVID Pandemic, organizing in the Black Belt, an artist with an eye for everyday objects, and more. Here are you antiracism action steps for February 26.
Charles “Chuck” Williams, a longtime advocate for the Black deaf community.
This week has been full of tough reminders—there is still so much work to do.
Nine years ago today, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman for walking down the street. Yesterday would have been Elijah McClain's 25th birthday. It was one year ago Wednesday that Ahmaud Arbery was lynched by 3 white supremecists—they stalked him and shot him to death while he was out for a jog. On Tuesday, it was announced that the officers who murdered Daniel Prude last year—by placing a mesh hood over his head and pressing his face into the pavement—will not be charged in his death. Nine years ago today, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman for walking down the street.
Do you need reminding? What were you doing a year ago? Six months ago? Are you still doing it now? Here are your 5 Things.
KNOW THIS. When journalist Patrice Peck was approached by Health magazine to write about Black people and COVID-19, she immediately knew she wanted to write something different. "So many of the articles about Black people and the pandemic focus on illness, death, and devastation, which are most definitely part of the story. But that’s not the WHOLE story," writes Patrice on Instagram. "Nuance, y’all! So after researching Black folks who’ve been showing up for our community, I quickly realized they were all Black women across the gender spectrum working in various fields, including medicine and beyond. So the same way journalists have been writing about how Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party and American democracy, I wanted to also show how we’re *actually* <<Rihanna ponytail flip >> the backbone of the fight against that mf COVID-19, too." Yep. Read all about these 7 Black Women Who Are the Unsung Heroes of the COVID Pandemic right here. And make sure to follow @speakpatrice to keep up with all her powerful reporting.
SIGN THIS. In the heart of the Black Belt, warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama—over 70% of whom are Black—are leading an historic struggle to form the first-ever union at an Amazon facility in the United States. Here again, Southern Black and working class leaders are paving the way to victories that can shift the balance of power for workers across the country. From February 8 to March 29, the approximately 6,000 warehouse workers are voting on whether they will be represented by the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Workers Union (RWDSU). Despite bitter opposition from Amazon, a recent NLRB ruling allowed the vote to take place by mail, to ensure proper anti-COVID measures. This is groundbreaking organizing—Alabama is an at-will, right-to-work state with union membership of only 8%. Lowndes County is actively collaborating with union-busting efforts like changing the traffic light pattern so workers can’t speak to each other. Sign the petition to stop the union-busting now and support Black workers.
READ THIS. Long before the pandemic forced everyone to stay indoors, where many found themselves making friends with lamp shades or that old wooden stool, Woody De Othello had made household objects his muse. The Oakland-based artist has spent about a decade working with clay, creating ceramic vessels that subtly speak his personal truths. Read all about this celebrated young ceramic artist and what happened after a recent residency encouraged him to set aside the clay for a couple weeks. We love this story!
DONATE TO THIS. This one is personal: Charles "Chuck" Williams was born on March 25, 1931. He lost his hearing at age 12. Navigating the public and private school system was difficult and he ended up finishing high school at the Ohio School for the Deaf in Columbus, Ohio. While he really wanted to become a lawyer like his father, this was not possible for a young deaf man like him. Additionally, Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. (the nation's only university for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students) was not open to Black students at that time. The university later awarded Chuck with an honorary degree and invited him to serve on their board of advisors for over a decade. He also had 2 brilliant daughters—one of whom is REP CO co-founder Jessa Williams! To celebrate Chuck's 90th birthday, his family is creating an endowment in his name at Gallaudet University. "This endowment will afford a Black deaf student from Ohio a scholarship thus providing them with an education that was not afforded to Dad." They are trying to raise $25k by his birthday on March 25. Donate here.
AND THIS. Yikes! We only have 2 days left to meet our goal of raising $5k to help The Vegan Hood Chefs to produce their first cookbook. We are currently at $1,933. Can we do it?? We can if you chip in, share, and shout it from the rooftops! We made these graphics that have all the info so you can share on social media. If you post, maybe it will be your followers who actually get us across the finish line. Let's go!