Stand for Children’s Post

Need a safety net of support to help you with basic needs, emergencies or a request of care that adds softness to your life? Or, do you have resources to share but don’t know where to contribute direct aid? Check out post below to learn more about the Decolonized Community Care Fund. We’ve got us. 🌱 #MutualAid #CommunityCare #RedistributeTheWealth

It has only been a few years since Juneteenth officially became a United States National Holiday, so some companies may still be deciding how they can best integrate and celebrate this national holiday throughout their companies. Here are some ideas to help get you started: 1. Volunteer as a company at a local event 2. Sponsor a Juneteenth event in your community 3. Expand your company's DEI efforts 4. Invite a civil rights or racial justice professional speaker to come and talk to your organization Happy Juneteenth everyone! The original concept for this post, and some of the ideas were taken from this article: https://lnkd.in/gC5vYHkm.

Juneteenth is a day of remembering that on June 19th, 1865, enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas were told that slavery had ended 2 years prior. Having no land, no mules, no money that was promised by the government in the form of reparations, and hardly considered American by the very people who enslaved them and their families for centuries, these now-formerly enslaved Black Americans in Galveston (and the rest of the US) had to find a way on their own with no systems in place to help them - the only systems in place were to hurt them. What was born from the Reconstruction Era was the KKK, Jim Crow, and the prison pipeline geared towards keeping Black men enslaved - among other things. Black people in America have always had to be each other's Community, because the Systems in place in America made it clear only White cis-gendered men were created equally. Today is not the day for White folx to host bbq's or speaking events - seriously, no. Rather, it's a day (as it is every other day) for learning and for giving directly to Black people. The Decolonized Community Care Fund is a perfect start, because it has been created by a Black Queer Woman who knows the disempowerment of broken systems and the power around Community built by other Black women. Clicking on the link to our DCCF spreadsheet below, you will find two Black women who have never second-guessed being there for everyone else, and they need an effing break. They need our support every day, but today is a perfect day to start if you haven't already. Dedicate $5 a month or week, at the very least. Have more? Commit to contributing to more. Community Care cannot be truly for the Community until you begin to reprioritize who your money and support goes to. How many of you can say you support Black businesses on a daily basis, much less Black women you know on social media platforms? Today, truly is a perfect day to start. Details are below 👇 [Image: Canva] #Juneteenth #Reparations #DecolonizedCommunityCare #CommunityCare

Inspirational article detailing the Sunday routine of a New York University business school student. Learn how she efficiently balances her academic pursuits and advocacy for empowering Black women in the legal profession. https://lnkd.in/gzVcUKTG #LegalProfession #LawStudents #WomenInLaw

Don't Drop DEI - Last week I participated in an invigorating call sponsored by NationSwell and Greg Behrman. Stacey Abrams was the featured guest, who noticed one day that with all of the attacks on DEI, there was not a clear entity/organization defending it. Her call to us was "Don't drop DEI. When they make you doubt your name, they make you doubt your value." Her plan is to move advocates to activists, move agnostics to advocates and move antagonists to agnostics." Her call to action was: 1. Speak up. We need more voices that DEI is the right thing to do. If we don't speak up, our silence becomes the story. 2. Stand firm. They have come after NASCAR's diversity work, so believe if they have not found you yet, they are coming. 3. Stay in touch. She is available to advocates and activists who are willing to help and she has resources/tools to help. I need to move from an advocate to an activist. Use your voice to defend DEI.

Free virtual event to join a discussion on the past, present, and future of social justice activism on multiple scales!

As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth this February, we at CCH know that it's essential to reflect not only on the achievements and resilience of Black Americans throughout history, but also on the persistent challenges they face today. We know that due to structures of systemic racism, homelessness disproportionately affects Black Americans. In our city, Black Chicagoans make up more than half (53%) of the total population experiencing homelessness. Nationwide, Black Americans make up roughly 13% of the general population, but they account for 39% of people experiencing homelessness and more than 50% of families with children experiencing homelessness. To CCH, honoring Black communities means working towards a future where everyone has access to secure and stable housing, because housing is a human right. Learn more about homelessness in Chicago here: https://bit.ly/3NvfPg7 #HousingIsAHumanRight #EndHomelessness #advocacy

Excerpt: “In a city like Evanston, racism comes with a smile and a nod, masked behind progressive facades. But scratch the surface, and you'll find a small group pulling strings, dictating who falls in line and who faces consequences for questioning the status quo. My journey in advocating for direct cash payments as reparations has revealed uncomfortable truths about power dynamics and the lengths some will go to maintain control. Join me in uncovering the complexities of our city and why community engagement is more crucial than ever.” Excerpt: "I recall a particularly revealing encounter over coffee, where a Caucasian individual chastised me for challenging the status quo on reparations. She invited me to coffee under the guise of a different topic and then she blindsided me! This person, like many others, couldn't fathom why I refused to accept crumbs when my community deserved more than a housing program. She felt I was wrong to push for direct cash payments to be added as an option. She said, “You should just accept whatever you get.” Does anyone know how that felt for me, sitting across the table from THAT? A Caucasian person chastised me that my people should just take whatever they get for their reparations in Evanston. This woman is close friends with a few Black leaders in Evanston and she runs in that 1% of wealth crowd that, many believe, controls our local government. She wasn’t the first to come at me with this scolding. There have been several. They said if it’s good enough for their Black friends who are in leadership then it should be good enough for the rest of Black Evanston. These women didn’t see these conversations as hurtful, racist, and devaluing because these Black leaders are their close friends, so they have been made to feel safe to say and think these things. That’s Evanston racism. It's not people wearing white sheets, burning crosses, and riding around in pick-up trucks in 2024. It comes with a smile, a coffee, and a photo op sometimes." Uncover the full story and dive deep into the heart of the matter with an exclusive post on https://lnkd.in/gWncMSWH. Discover the unfiltered truth about Evanston's reparations lawsuit, racial equity, and the battle for justice. Subscribe now to gain access to the complete article and join us in exploring the critical issues shaping our community. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are solely those of the author, Meleika Gardner, and do not necessarily reflect the views of my co-hosts, Where The People Meet TV, or any affiliated organizations. Each individual associated with our platform may have their own perspectives, and we encourage diverse opinions and discussions on important issues.

NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work) is doing great things in SE Michigan! Applications for the 2024-25 cohort of "Champions for Change" are now open. In Champions for Change, leaders from across the social sector in SE Michigan can grow in their abilities to lead from their values. Champions will uncover the implicit and explicit ways race has impacted their lived-experiences. They'll practice dialogue across diverse aspects of identity. And they'll conspire with others to spur change towards racial co-liberation.