Black Lives Matter

Systemic racism is deadly. We need to put in the work to educate ourselves and start to proactively dismantle destructive organizations and unquestioned assumptions. We're using this episode to amplify the voices of POCs and keep society moving along the road to recovery.  CLICK THESE LINKS. Black Lives Matter  If you have some cash, consider donating to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.  Activists we love: Munroe Bergdorf and Janaya Future Khan Podcasts we recommend: Queer Women of Color and Afroqueer VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE in your local elections. Here's how to register and here's how to find when they are and who's running. Merriam Webster improved and clarified the definition of racism. The protests are working. Minneapolis will disband the police force. Other areas are discussing defunding their police forces. "Breonna's Law" outlaws no-knock warrants in Louisville. The Louisville police chief was removed from his post after an unrelated shooting by police officers-- another unarmed black citizen, this time at a protest. Louisville's mayor has issued a request for proposal for a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of the entire Louisville police department  The officers who killed Breonna are on administrative leave. (The question of their firings or prosecutions come after the investigation.) Keep it up. Redlining is an example of deliberate, institutionally-deployed racism.  We still deal with its repercussions today. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 is just one of many attacks on thriving African American communities throughout history. Read The New Jim Crow about racial discrimination in law enforcement and the rise of mass incarceration. Finally New York State has a special prosecutor's office to investigate cases where a person dies while in police custody. Previously, these investigations were done by local district attorneys. This old system was crippled by built-in conflicts of interest, since local district attorneys have to work with cops on their other cases.  A good article about armed cops in schools aka "school resource officers". Remember that stupid whitewashed Stonewall movie?  At least the Marsh P. Johnson character appeared onscreen for four seconds.  Kath is always talking about asymptotes: things approaching zero, always getting closer to it but never quite getting there.