#racial justice and equality

[alwaysbewoke]

[hussyknee]

I just want to make one thing very clear. Black and brown people, especially Muslims right now, don't owe white people for your allyship in racial justice. Not even those who are themselves systemically marginalized in some way. Not white Jews, not white queers, not white disabled, not white working class, not white poor.

Whiteness is the most lethal kind of oppression because it built the current colonial capitalist, imperialist world order. Every white person benefits from and is complicit in its systems in some way because white supremacy is global. Whatever marginalization has white people in it can be and is easily weaponized against the mellanated. When charged with your racist, exclusionary and oppressive behaviour you hold up Black and brown people of the same marginalizations as tokens. This is the only time they are ever visible; more often than not you profit off their labour, hoard their gains, throw them under the bus and make them part of your iconography for liberal progress points once they're dead and have no inconvenient opinions about your conduct.

This is why it's very hard for Black and brown people to take accusations of bigotry towards you in good faith. We also have a duty of care towards others but more often than not it feels like you want us to do what you want while holding a knife to our necks. Even when you don't do it directly, you issue demands like "if you don't do x and y you clearly don't care about my people and deserve the worst!!!" without considering for a moment that the full brunt of that policing will always fall on Black and brown people, because punitive justice exercises itself first and foremost on the vulnerable. If your demands for allyship carry disproportionate punishment for Black and brown people should we refuse, you're just on some power trip and never needed our help in the first place. This also obfuscates the needs and disenfranchisement of BIPOC Jewish, queer, poor, disabled and Global South people, because without racial justice, few of your gains will ever materialise in their lives. It's always trickle down liberation for the rest of us.

Your allyship is supposed to be the work of conscience, a recognition of injustice and a drive towards privilege equal to your own. For white people, it's an individual reparation on your part. It is not an act of kindness, or benevolence, or a transaction that must be repaid in kind. The worst of us deserve the same rights the worst of you already have. That's the meaning of equality. If you're willing to let us get fired, deported, or brutally murdered for bad behaviour, then not only were you never an ally, you were also just waiting for the opportunity to use that weapon you claim you never wanted. There is no justice in an asymmetry of power.

[momachan]

"It may be considered naive and unrealistic to assume I can eliminate prejudice, implicit bias, and long-held racial fears. Yet I won't ever stop trying for men and women... For all those unjustly imprisioned by a system unwilling or incapable of recognizing their humanity. To exist... to prosper... within that framework... takes a level of strength that would make even Superman envious. I'll be in your corner. I'll fight for your freedom. Always."

Truth & Justice (2021). "The Revolving Door."

[isawthismeme]

[amandagr3]

[hersheysmcboom]

If you valve your freedom, sign this now!

[talesofwhimsy]

I'm 100 pages into Moby Dick and they just got on the goddamn boat

This book actually kinda fucks hard it's great?

[fuck-em-up-your-grace]

The thing the American left needs to understand is that the best thing you can do to advance leftism* is to vote for Joe Biden.

[living4socialjust1c3]

Defeat Project 2025

⚠️ 🚨The Dangers of Electing a GOP President in this Coming Election🚨⚠️

📘 👀Please read up on the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise, also known as Project 2025. 

🤼We must Defeat Project 2025 because it endangers our country’s democracy, social justice, freedom, human rights, and environment.

👉 The far-right plans to:

🔏Centralize the power to the executive branch, which eliminates the checks and balances of our democracy!

🥾Make federal employees at-will workers to ensure political loyal hires

👊 We need to fight to protect human rights because the far-right plans to eliminate:

❌Federal protections for LGBTQ+ Rights

❌Efforts that address gender equality and continue to restrict reproductive rights

❌Efforts that address racial inequality and diversity, equity and inclusion

��The plan will also roll back #ClimateChange mitigations🌎

✊ We need to #StandTogether in solidarity to push back against abuse of power and protect the democratic process✊🥺 Please be informed about the implications of voting for Trump this upcoming election🗳️ 🚫 No one party or person should have that much power or control🚫

🖲️Click here for more information: Read Project 2025, Media Matters Article on the Project, TIME’s Article on Project 2025, NECC Observer on the Dangers of the Project

[destielmemenews]

source 1

source 2

[alwaysbewoke]

[nando161mando]

Combatting racial whataboutism

[torahapologetics]

No such Thing as Race in Nationalities

I will Appreciate Reblogs. #nationality #race #shorts #short @OzraeliAvi @ToviaSinger1

[faramirsonofgondor]

American Indian Discrimination and Issues

If you want the links to important causes just skip towards the end, but I implore you to read through what I’ve written as it’s important as well!

I think it’s a major disservice that barely anyone talks about the fact that the Federal Government doesn’t recognize members of tribes whose land was taken from them. Obviously most of the US is stolen land but in the mid 1900s the Federal government terminated Indian land rights to “assimilate” Indian people, and without an official land base it’s harder to congregate and act as a sovereign nation, therefore they aren’t eligible for federal recognition. Furthermore, in 1900 the Bureau of Indian Affairs didn’t do a complete consensus of the US and missed places where Indians lived, meaning members of indigenous communities were missed and not represented on the census data. One of the criterion to becoming a federally recognized tribe is the demonstration “that it has been identified as an American Indian entity on a substantially continuous basis since 1900.” (R. Lee Fleming, Director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgement).

Some of you may also be wondering why federal acknowledgement is so important. For starters, American Indians are the poorest ethnic group in the US. Federally recognized tribes are permitted to open up casinos in places that do not permit gambling because these tribes have the status of being a sovereign nation. While these casinos are able to provide for many Indian families and make improvements to reservations, this income isn’t extended to those with tribal ancestry who aren’t apart of those Federally recognized tribes. You also can’t get financial assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs if you’re not from a Federally recognized tribe. This means that any federal programs, health insurances, grants, reparations, etc. are not provided.

There is also a large chunk of American Indian history that is erased from the knowledge of the general public - such as the fact that they weren’t granted US citizenship until 1924, 56 years after African Americans were granted it, or the fact they were also subjected to Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the South, or the Red Power movement as a whole.

I think it’s important to understand the struggles American Indians have faced and still face to this day - having the highest likelihood than any other race of being killed in a police encounter (3x the rate of White Americans, 2.6x the rate of Black Americans), having an incarceration rate 38% higher than the national average and receiving harsher sentences than White, Black, and Hispanic offenders, having the highest rate of violent crime victimizations compared to every other race with around 70% of those committing hate crimes not being of the same race as them, with 46% of the perpetrators being complete strangers to the victim, and 75% of sexual assaults against them being committed by strangers or acquaintances (according to the Bureau of Statistics )- whereas amongst the general population only 58.5% of sexual assaults are committed by strangers or acquaintances (RAINN).

They also have the lowest median household income out of all races in the US (data from 2022). Furthermore, the American Indian population is rarely mentioned in discussions about the racial wage gap despite the fact that they make nearly the same (only one cent more) earnings per dollar as Black Americans do (US Department of Labor) relative to White American earnings and having a lower share of income than every other race. Nor is it mentioned that American Indian women on average are paid less than Black Women (who are often more focused on by the media) when looking at the racial gender gap (National Partnership for Women and Families).

Another issue that is rarely addressed is the poor access and racism faced in terms of health care. The leasing causes of death for American Indians are heart disease (25% of deaths), cancer (22%), and accidents (19%). There are many diseases that affect American Indians at a higher rate than the general population as well. However, they also are more likely to not receive medical assistance because of the cost and much less likely to have visited a dentist as well, putting them more at risk for dental related illnesses. 33% of American Indians also do not have health insurance either. Furthermore, the Indian Health Service (the Federal Department dedicated to providing American Indians with Health Care services) has had its funding cut multiple times within the past two decades (with a $800,000,000 cut in 2013) making it harder to provide adequate health care for them.

I would also like to state that I’m not trying to diminish the discrimination, racism, and pain that other people of color undergo, nor am I trying to devalue or discredit their experiences. All people of color deserve justice and equality . I’m just trying to raise awareness to the fact that American Indians face a lot of discrimination at higher rates but are less focused on in the media. Overall, I just think that it’s important to draw more attention to the issues that they face and different ways to combat those issues.

Some American Indian Organizations and Causes to support are:

The Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance whose goal is to aid American Indians in being seen and heard in independent media. https://imfreedomalliance.org/

C.O.P.E. which aims to help Najavo people who live with chronic illnesses & improve the wellbeing of American Indians. https://www.copeprogram.org/aboutus

Land Back which fights for the return to indigenous lands in the US to their peoples. https://landback.org/

The American Indian Community House which aims to improve American Indian wellbeing and increase the visibility of American Indian cultures in urban settings. https://aich.org/about/

C.H.I.R.P. which originally served to research, preserve, and document the history & culture of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. However, it now serves as a way to support their people after it was no longer recognized by the Federal government, leaving them without access to programs that support their health and well-being. https://chirpca.org/

Diné C.A.R.E. which defends Najavo communities against exploitative and destructive environmental practices and issues. https://www.dine-care.org/about-us

Hopi Relief Fund which aims to distribute the necessary supplies to aid community members in their recovery of the Covid-19 crisis. https://hopirelief.org/about-us

Indigenous Roots which uses art and activism to promote opportunities for Indigenous peoples, such as local classes, scholarships, artist grants, art installations, etc. https://indigenous-roots.org/

Intertribal Friend House whose mission is to expand resources for American Indians so that they can stay connected to their culture. https://www.ifhurbanrez.org/

The National Urban Family Coalition which advocates to bring awareness to the struggles that American Indians living in urban areas still face. https://www.nuifc.org/

R.J.I.P. which focuses on bringing justice to American Indian victims and addressing the disproportionate rates at which American Indians are victimized. https://www.indigenousjustice.org/

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust which focuses on returning Indigenous Land to indigenous people (similar to Land Back). https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/

N.A.D.L.C. which advocates for American Indians with disabilities. https://www.nativedisabilitylaw.org/

AISES https://www.aises.org/about/history

https://nativephilanthropy.candid.org/timeline/era/indian-self-determination-and-self-governance-era/#timeline-content

I also implore you to also check out these American Indian and Indigenous Businesses:

Cheek Bone Beauty https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com/

Sḵwálwen Botanicals https://skwalwen.com/

Prados Beauty https://pradosbeauty.com/

Ah-Shí Beauty https://www.ahshibeauty.com/

Satya Organic Skincare https://satyaorganics.com/

The Yukon Soaps Company https://yukonsoaps.com/

Blended Girl Cosmetics https://blendedgirl.com/

Sequoia Soaps https://sequoiasoaps.com/

Sister Sky (Haircare) https://sistersky.com/

Quw'utsun Made https://www.firstpickhandmade.com/personnel/quwutsun-made/

Ginew https://ginewusa.com/

B.yellowtail https://byellowtail.com/

Eighth Generation https://eighthgeneration.com/

Lauren Good Day https://laurengoodday.com/

Urban Native Era https://urbannativeera.com/

OXDX Clothing https://www.oxdxclothing.com/

Beyond Buckskin Boutique https://shop.beyondbuckskin.com/

Liandra Swim https://liandraswim.com/en-us

Lesley Hampton https://lesleyhampton.com/

Haus of Dizzy https://hausofdizzy.com/

[sparksinthenight]

Why we need Land Back

We should talk about current issues Indigenous people face.

In Canada at least there are many problems still happening.

Indigenous children are being ripped away from their loving families and put into foster care simply because the families are poor or the parents struggle with mental illness or something like that.

Women are being forcibly sterilized against their will.

Girls, women, and 2 spirit people are being kidnapped and sold into sex slavery and are also getting murdered and raped and their bodies are being thrown into the landfills.

The land that Indigenous communities need for their cultures and livelihoods is being destroyed by resource extraction companies that cut through the landscape and leave open wounds, that pollute the land, air, and water, and destroy the biodiversity and health of the ecosystems.

There is police brutality against Indigenous people, and people are killed by the police every day. There are hate crimes against Indigenous people.

Social services on reserves, including education, healthcare, utilities, housing, etc, are horrifically underfunded, and are funded much less well than the same social services off of reserves.

There’s discrimination in employment, in healthcare, in pretty much everything. And Indigenous people are kept in poverty and homelessness by the discriminatory society.

We need Land Back.

Land Back will allow Indigenous people to stop their land from being destroyed. Their cultures and livelihoods and mental health and spiritual health and well-being is so deeply tied to the land/nature. And actually, having them be able to effectively protect the land helps all of us because all humans are dependant upon the land even if we don’t realize it.

It will also allow Indigenous communities to force the government to stop discriminating against them by giving them worse social services. It will allow them to force the government to give them the same social services everyone else gets.

It will also allow them to force the government to stop taking their children. All children deserve to be with the families who love them and they should not be ripped away from their families, because this causes deep and devastating lifelong trauma.

It would allow Indigenous communities to stop rapists and traffickers and murderers from entering their communities. It will allow them to force rapists and traffickers and murderers out of their communities. And it will allow them to make sure every case of people getting raped or kidnapped or trafficked or killed is properly investigated and the victims are saved and the perpetrators get justice. Same with other hate crimes.

It will allow Indigenous people to have the power necessary to push back on police brutality and build better models of law enforcement, including community-ventured models.

Indigenous communities will also likely get a flow of money that they can use to lift their people out of poverty. They’ll have the power to stop healthcare discrimination and forcible sterilization. And they’ll have the power to force us to give justice to unethical healthcare professionals and to force systemic change in the healthcare system so that medical mistreatment doesn’t happen.

Indigenous people would also have the opportunity to do more outreach to settler communities and teach them about Indigenous culture and values and stuff, so that people learn to be less racist and discriminatory.

Land Back will help pretty much every marginalized community because stopping racism and discrimination for one race usually leads to there being decreased racism and discrimination for other races too.

Ultimately Land Back is about giving Indigenous people and communities the power to keep themselves and each other safe in a society that is actively against them. It is also about keeping the ecosystems that we all rely upon safe, and about stopping discrimination and racism.

Giving Indigenous people power to protect themselves and their communities isn’t going to prevent any other community from protecting themselves. It will create more equality and social justice for everyone in Canada.

I support Land Back. I’m a settler girl and I support Land Back, and you should too.

[hussyknee]

re conditional privilege:

whether it comes to race, ability, gender, sexuality or class, people are really hung up on this idea that ambiguity affords protection, which is the same as privilege. as though having camouflage means you aren't hunted.

only the oppressed are concerned with our own variation and degree of difference. there is no ambiguity in the eyes of the oppressor. the reality is that the oppressors don't care how like them you are. in fact, being like them is all the more reason to punish you and keep you in your place. the project of exclusion is not to force conformity, it's to find people to make an example of so that others try to buy safety by trying to obey the most cruel and arbitrary rules. the more people try to conform, the narrower the criteria becomes, the more they fail, the more can be punished. that is how systems of power propagate themselves, because power can only be retained by exercising it, by whichever rationales necessary.

i understand that "identity politics" is a word that's been weaponized by the right wing, but it's a legitimate criteria of criticism for the left. when something moves from self-definition and community to tribalism, policing and self-branding, it has become a project of neoliberal hyperindividualism. identity politics focuses on defining ourselves by the extent to which we are punished as individual groups and under what criteria, imagining a rational and restrained power matrix that metes out punishment according to the degree of difference and perceived threat. it imagines an oppressive power structure as a methodical, conscientious gardener pruning a rose bush, rather than a brutal machinery that has invented arbitrary rules to violently subjugate and systemically mass murder the lives it needs to sustain itself. instead of building a community around the fact that we're all being hunted by the same beasts, idpol would rather build a hierarchy of prey animals according to the ways we'll be skinned and cooked, stopping only short of putting us on a menu with accompanying prices.

i suppose when you define yourself according to the appetite of the thing that wants to eat you, you end up weirdly attached to the romance of being eaten, and hate to give it up.