There have been so many conversations in GLA this year about structural racism's most tenacious problems, including race-based disparities in education and in the criminal justice system. While the road to undoing these conditions will undoubtedly be paved with trial and error, and with policies that may only scratch the surface, it is heartening to see a school district working strategically and intentionally to topple educational racism and classism.
_____________________________________
Jill Tucker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
San Francisco Superintendent Carlos Garcia took a first stab at putting his mark on city schools Tuesday with a plan that pushes the district to face racism and classism head on.
The district's strategic plan adopted by the school board 6-0 Tuesday night focuses on reversing the typical academic outcomes for black, Hispanic and poor students.
Although that sounds almost like a reworked version of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, district officials say they are working off a corporate model that puts everyone - from school board members to custodians - under the microscope in different ways.
A new grading system will expose schools - even the popular, high-scoring ones - that are failing to address the institutional racial inequities within their walls.
Click here for the full article from the San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Elkhart cross burning investigated by FBI
Today GLA hosted the final dialogue conference call it its "Racism and. . ." series. During the call a YWCA staff member from Indiana shared information about a recent incident in Elkhart Indiana where a cross was burned on the front lawn of an interracial couple earlier this month. (If you follow the link, spend a few moments reading the comments posted there, which may provide a stark reality check about how the work to end racism is going.)
In reflecting on this particular incident, I am aware that it can be a challenge for racial justice advocates to find our way in this kind of situation. For the most part, our expertise is in helping community members "unpack their invisible knapsacks," moreso than taking on the KKK.
In a previous job, I worked for an organization called BRAVO (the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization), where I was one of 3 staff people who worked to respond to all kinds of violence in the lives of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people. Because we were a small staff, even though I coordinated the domestic violence program, answering the hotline was everyone's job. In an average year, we took approximately 200 calls from individuals who had been threatened or harmed where anti-lgbt bias was the only reason for the violence they experienced. During my time there, I attended trials and court hearings with the family members of drag queens who had been murdered, college students whose dorm rooms had been vandalized with anti-gay hate speech, and rural couples who came home to find death threats, dead pets, and other tangible evidence of purposeful intimidation from their neighbors.
When we stand up and declare that we are advocates for racial justice, it is important to acknowledge that this can mean a lot of different things. The skills and tools needed to ask the local news to stop unfairly depicting African Americans in its media coverage, or to train a group of teens to recognize hidden personal biases are different than the ones needed to comfort a family whose lives have been threatened and safety has been compromised. These skills are different still from the ones needed in order to push a state legislature to enact hate crimes legislation or enforce laws that are already on the books. We need to be clear about what kind of anti-racists we are. We need practical skills as advocates and interveners, and we need the courage to stand up to systems that have failed to protect us or members of our communities.
To take a positive step in this direction, try writing a sentence on a piece of paper that starts with "I will advocate for racial justice by. . . " and then fill in the blank. The things that are innate to you or to your organization will suggest the tools and skills that are needed to get there.
posted by rebecca
In reflecting on this particular incident, I am aware that it can be a challenge for racial justice advocates to find our way in this kind of situation. For the most part, our expertise is in helping community members "unpack their invisible knapsacks," moreso than taking on the KKK.
In a previous job, I worked for an organization called BRAVO (the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization), where I was one of 3 staff people who worked to respond to all kinds of violence in the lives of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people. Because we were a small staff, even though I coordinated the domestic violence program, answering the hotline was everyone's job. In an average year, we took approximately 200 calls from individuals who had been threatened or harmed where anti-lgbt bias was the only reason for the violence they experienced. During my time there, I attended trials and court hearings with the family members of drag queens who had been murdered, college students whose dorm rooms had been vandalized with anti-gay hate speech, and rural couples who came home to find death threats, dead pets, and other tangible evidence of purposeful intimidation from their neighbors.
When we stand up and declare that we are advocates for racial justice, it is important to acknowledge that this can mean a lot of different things. The skills and tools needed to ask the local news to stop unfairly depicting African Americans in its media coverage, or to train a group of teens to recognize hidden personal biases are different than the ones needed to comfort a family whose lives have been threatened and safety has been compromised. These skills are different still from the ones needed in order to push a state legislature to enact hate crimes legislation or enforce laws that are already on the books. We need to be clear about what kind of anti-racists we are. We need practical skills as advocates and interveners, and we need the courage to stand up to systems that have failed to protect us or members of our communities.
To take a positive step in this direction, try writing a sentence on a piece of paper that starts with "I will advocate for racial justice by. . . " and then fill in the blank. The things that are innate to you or to your organization will suggest the tools and skills that are needed to get there.
posted by rebecca
Friday, May 23, 2008
Postville Raid Brings Sexual Violence Against Immigrant Wokers to Light
Many racial justice and immigrants rights advocates have been following news of the raids at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville Iowa last week. On May 12th 697 people were arrested by federal agents in the biggest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history.
Among the many dimensions of human rights abuses that advocates seek to remedy through comprehensive immigration reform, sexual and economic exploitation of undocumented workers is rarely brought to light. According to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, "it is estimated that 80% of undocumented females who cross into the United States experience sexual assault and/or rape."
Many YWCAs offer programs and services to immigrant women and to survivors of violence. As advocates for an end to violence against women and for full racial equity, these issues are our issues. If we are going to prevent immigrant women from experiencing future sexual exploitation, we must advocate for their full rights and enfranchisement.
It is certainly not news to those involved in the movement to end violence against women that conditions of isolation like language barriers, lack of "legitimate" legal status, and economic dependence are the fastest incubator for exploitation and violence.
Does your YW have programs, resources, or expertise on these issues? If so, please share thoughts and ideas for action in the comments section.
-------------------------------------
The article below from the Des Moines Register describes the conditions of women workers in Postville:
Advocates: Workers allege sexual abuse
By JENNIFER JACOBS • jejacobs@dmreg.com • May 20, 2008
Reports that there was an expectation of sexual favors at Agriprocessors Inc. are beginning to emerge from workers at the Postville meat processing plant, and advocates for immigrants are trying to document the stories.Sister Mary McCauley, a Roman Catholic nun at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville, said workers have said that "there was sexual abuse, that there's propositioning."
Among the many dimensions of human rights abuses that advocates seek to remedy through comprehensive immigration reform, sexual and economic exploitation of undocumented workers is rarely brought to light. According to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, "it is estimated that 80% of undocumented females who cross into the United States experience sexual assault and/or rape."
Many YWCAs offer programs and services to immigrant women and to survivors of violence. As advocates for an end to violence against women and for full racial equity, these issues are our issues. If we are going to prevent immigrant women from experiencing future sexual exploitation, we must advocate for their full rights and enfranchisement.
It is certainly not news to those involved in the movement to end violence against women that conditions of isolation like language barriers, lack of "legitimate" legal status, and economic dependence are the fastest incubator for exploitation and violence.
Does your YW have programs, resources, or expertise on these issues? If so, please share thoughts and ideas for action in the comments section.
-------------------------------------
The article below from the Des Moines Register describes the conditions of women workers in Postville:
Advocates: Workers allege sexual abuse
By JENNIFER JACOBS • jejacobs@dmreg.com • May 20, 2008
Reports that there was an expectation of sexual favors at Agriprocessors Inc. are beginning to emerge from workers at the Postville meat processing plant, and advocates for immigrants are trying to document the stories.Sister Mary McCauley, a Roman Catholic nun at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville, said workers have said that "there was sexual abuse, that there's propositioning."
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Women Rarely Receive Domestic Violence Services in Welfare Offices
Women in welfare offices rarely receive domestic violence services, according to a recent University of Washington analysis of the implementation of the Family Violence Option (FVO) (see Taryn Lindhorst, Marcia Meyers, and Erin Casey, Screening for Domestic Violence in Public Welfare Offices: An Analysis of Case Manager and Client Interactions, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, Jan. 2008, available at http://vaw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/5). High rates of domestic violence are known among welfare recipients, and the welfare office is a vital location for providing women with resources toward financial independence.
A state option in the 1996 federal welfare reform law, the FVO helps domestic violence survivors move from welfare to work. The FVO allows states increased flexibility in applying the requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to families affected by domestic violence without states being penalized financially. When states adopt the FVO, they are agreeing to
A state option in the 1996 federal welfare reform law, the FVO helps domestic violence survivors move from welfare to work. The FVO allows states increased flexibility in applying the requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to families affected by domestic violence without states being penalized financially. When states adopt the FVO, they are agreeing to
- screen applicants and recipients of TANF for domestic violence while maintaining confidentiality;
- provide referrals to counseling and supportive services;
- and make good-cause waivers from TANF program requirements.
Waivers are to be granted where the requirements would make it harder for TANF recipients to escape domestic violence or where the requirements would unfairly penalize past, present, or potential victims of domestic violence. Program requirements that may be waived include the 60-month lifetime limit on receiving TANF assistance and mandatory work requirements.
See the full article from the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
Coalition On Human Needs partners to Reduce Poverty
The message below comes from the Coalition on Human Needs-- a YWCA USA national coalition partner. GLA is eager to join the Half in Ten Campaign!
---------------------------------------------
Cutting poverty in half in the US over the next decade is an achievable goal.
The Coalition on Human Needs is proud to have joined with three vitally important organizations and with former Senator John Edwards in a new campaign to turn that goal into reality.
On May 13, CHN joined with The Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) to introduce Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity, a campaign chaired by Senator Edwards and coordinated by the four organizations.
Half in Ten will seek federal and state solutions to cut poverty in half within ten years. Meeting in Philadelphia with many ACORN members as well as leaders from community action agencies, anti-hunger groups, children's advocacy organizations, labor, leaders from the faith community, and other advocates, Senator Edwards called poverty "a moral cause facing every single one of us," and the imperative of reducing poverty "a question of fundamental fairness that this country was founded upon." He has been in touch with the three major presidential candidates about making commitments to the half in ten goal. You can read about their poverty positions at the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity website.
Drawing upon a report principally authored for the Center for American Progress by CHN's Public Policy Committee Chair and Board member Mark Greenberg, the campaign will focus on federal and/or state efforts to raise the minimum wage, expand tax credits so they reach more poor families and individuals, increase the availability of quality child care for low-income families, expand Unemployment Insurance so it reaches more low-income workers who lose their jobs, and protect people from foreclosure and other forms of predatory lending.
Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity is off to a very promising start. But we know that the four organizations, even with the exciting participation of John Edwards, cannot by ourselves achieve our goal. We will seek every opportunity to work with organizations in Washington and around the country, many of whom are already hard at work on important anti-poverty initiatives - such as Catholic Charities USA, the Center for Community Change, the Community Action Partnership, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), the National Women's Law Center, and Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Well - I am getting into trouble because there are so many organizations we will work with and upon whose expertise we depend. Those include all of CHN's members, and many more besides.
We urge you to check out the new Half in Ten website. . .and the press release announcing Half in Ten... and the Philadelphia Inquirer story following the launch event.
We believe that the recession, the failures of the current Administration, and the leadership of many committed organizations and public officials have all contributed to a new desire for practical solutions to poverty - and a recognition that persistent poverty hurts all of us. This is an exciting time.
More to come!
Deborah WeinsteinExecutive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
---------------------------------------------
Cutting poverty in half in the US over the next decade is an achievable goal.
The Coalition on Human Needs is proud to have joined with three vitally important organizations and with former Senator John Edwards in a new campaign to turn that goal into reality.
On May 13, CHN joined with The Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) to introduce Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity, a campaign chaired by Senator Edwards and coordinated by the four organizations.
Half in Ten will seek federal and state solutions to cut poverty in half within ten years. Meeting in Philadelphia with many ACORN members as well as leaders from community action agencies, anti-hunger groups, children's advocacy organizations, labor, leaders from the faith community, and other advocates, Senator Edwards called poverty "a moral cause facing every single one of us," and the imperative of reducing poverty "a question of fundamental fairness that this country was founded upon." He has been in touch with the three major presidential candidates about making commitments to the half in ten goal. You can read about their poverty positions at the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity website.
Drawing upon a report principally authored for the Center for American Progress by CHN's Public Policy Committee Chair and Board member Mark Greenberg, the campaign will focus on federal and/or state efforts to raise the minimum wage, expand tax credits so they reach more poor families and individuals, increase the availability of quality child care for low-income families, expand Unemployment Insurance so it reaches more low-income workers who lose their jobs, and protect people from foreclosure and other forms of predatory lending.
Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity is off to a very promising start. But we know that the four organizations, even with the exciting participation of John Edwards, cannot by ourselves achieve our goal. We will seek every opportunity to work with organizations in Washington and around the country, many of whom are already hard at work on important anti-poverty initiatives - such as Catholic Charities USA, the Center for Community Change, the Community Action Partnership, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), the National Women's Law Center, and Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Well - I am getting into trouble because there are so many organizations we will work with and upon whose expertise we depend. Those include all of CHN's members, and many more besides.
We urge you to check out the new Half in Ten website. . .and the press release announcing Half in Ten... and the Philadelphia Inquirer story following the launch event.
We believe that the recession, the failures of the current Administration, and the leadership of many committed organizations and public officials have all contributed to a new desire for practical solutions to poverty - and a recognition that persistent poverty hurts all of us. This is an exciting time.
More to come!
Deborah WeinsteinExecutive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
NY Times Articles on Women Running for Office
On Sunday May 18 the New York Times had a few articles examining the Clinton campaign and the impact it will doubtlessly have on the future for women and politics. While GLA does not endorse any candidate or political party, we advocate for women and people of color to fully engage in civic life through voting, volunteering, and running for offices of their own.
Here are two items to consider:
THE HILLARY LESSON
Published: May 18, 2008
New York Times
By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
Berkeley ’s Fourth Street is my town’s version of a strip mall: there is little you might need there, but much to want: hand-crafted Japanese paper; diaphanous Stevie Nicks-inspired frocks; wooden toys imported from Europe. One recent morning, as my 4-year-old daughter and I strolled to our favorite diner, she pointed to a bumper sticker plastered on a mailbox. A yellow, viraginous caricature of Hillary Clinton leered out from a black background. Big block letters proclaimed, “The wicked witch of the East is alive and living in New York.”
For the complete article click here: The Hillary Lesson
She Just Might Be President Someday
By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: May 18, 2008
If not her, who?
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton may or may not become the first female president of the United States, but if fate and voters deny her the role, another woman will surely see if the mantle fits.
That woman will come from the South, or west of the Mississippi. She will be a Democrat who has won in a red state, or a Republican who has emerged from the private sector to run for governor. She will have executive experience, and have served in a job like attorney general, where she will have proven herself to be “a fighter” (a caring one, of course).
She will be young enough to qualify as postfeminist (in the way Senator Barack Obama has come off as postracial), unencumbered by the battles of the past. She will be married with children, but not young children. She will be emphasizing her experience, and wearing, yes, pantsuits.
Oh, and she may not exist.
For the complete article click here: She Might Just Be President Someday
Here are two items to consider:
THE HILLARY LESSON
Published: May 18, 2008
New York Times
By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
Berkeley ’s Fourth Street is my town’s version of a strip mall: there is little you might need there, but much to want: hand-crafted Japanese paper; diaphanous Stevie Nicks-inspired frocks; wooden toys imported from Europe. One recent morning, as my 4-year-old daughter and I strolled to our favorite diner, she pointed to a bumper sticker plastered on a mailbox. A yellow, viraginous caricature of Hillary Clinton leered out from a black background. Big block letters proclaimed, “The wicked witch of the East is alive and living in New York.”
For the complete article click here: The Hillary Lesson
She Just Might Be President Someday
By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: May 18, 2008
If not her, who?
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton may or may not become the first female president of the United States, but if fate and voters deny her the role, another woman will surely see if the mantle fits.
That woman will come from the South, or west of the Mississippi. She will be a Democrat who has won in a red state, or a Republican who has emerged from the private sector to run for governor. She will have executive experience, and have served in a job like attorney general, where she will have proven herself to be “a fighter” (a caring one, of course).
She will be young enough to qualify as postfeminist (in the way Senator Barack Obama has come off as postracial), unencumbered by the battles of the past. She will be married with children, but not young children. She will be emphasizing her experience, and wearing, yes, pantsuits.
Oh, and she may not exist.
For the complete article click here: She Might Just Be President Someday
New Report on Youth Life Outcomes in Economically Distressed Communities
So many YWCAs have programs focused on helping youth navigate their social circumstances. This new report from CLASP provides useful thinking about youth development and specific ways community organizations can "be bold" in partnering and leading to advocate for youth.
--------------------------
A Collective Responsibility, A Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities by Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt. This paper presents a picture of risk and challenge for youth in distressed communities and outlines how these communities can band together to create a continuum of supportive activities to bolster youth’s success in school and life. As youth grow and develop, individualized support and exposure to new experiences has a significant impact on their life trajectory. Youth in economically distressed communities deserve to have access to these types of opportunities, which are much more readily available to their peers in other communities. This investment in youth can have a positive effect on academic success, future life earnings, family stability, and the livelihood of the community. This paper may be helpful in guiding a community’s thinking about how to get started in creating a sustainable support system for all of its youth. 32 pages. 5/16/2008
--------------------------
A Collective Responsibility, A Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities by Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt. This paper presents a picture of risk and challenge for youth in distressed communities and outlines how these communities can band together to create a continuum of supportive activities to bolster youth’s success in school and life. As youth grow and develop, individualized support and exposure to new experiences has a significant impact on their life trajectory. Youth in economically distressed communities deserve to have access to these types of opportunities, which are much more readily available to their peers in other communities. This investment in youth can have a positive effect on academic success, future life earnings, family stability, and the livelihood of the community. This paper may be helpful in guiding a community’s thinking about how to get started in creating a sustainable support system for all of its youth. 32 pages. 5/16/2008
Persimmon Electoral Math
If the 56 YWCAs in the Great Lakes Region register and mobilize every staff member, board member, and program participant or client whose life we touch, we will see over half a million voters go to the polls in November.
Many YWCAs have carried out great voter engagement initiatives without dedicated staff or financial resources. To summarize what one local staff person said about her YWCA's voter engagement initiatives recently, "We had a cake to celebrate election day and let our residents know that we would help them get to the polls. It's not rocket science."
For advocates who want to know everything there is to know about voter engagement, GLA is hosting "Voter Engagement Academy" at it's June Staff Leadership Institute in Madison. Visit the Staff Leadership Institute page to learn more.
For those who are looking for a few basic ideas to get you started, the Western States Center has compiled an outstanding guide that is broken down into easy activities that can work with a range of audiences from organizing a "Meet the Candidates" event to holding a "Mock Election" to highlight how the process works and how easily disenfranchised groups can be shut out of the political process.
Building Grassroots Power - Western States Center's 195-page curriculum, Building Grassroots Power: An Introduction to Electoral Politics, is designed to support the eletoral organizing efforts of groups with 501(C)(3) or 501(C)(4) tax-exempt status.
Many YWCAs have carried out great voter engagement initiatives without dedicated staff or financial resources. To summarize what one local staff person said about her YWCA's voter engagement initiatives recently, "We had a cake to celebrate election day and let our residents know that we would help them get to the polls. It's not rocket science."
For advocates who want to know everything there is to know about voter engagement, GLA is hosting "Voter Engagement Academy" at it's June Staff Leadership Institute in Madison. Visit the Staff Leadership Institute page to learn more.
For those who are looking for a few basic ideas to get you started, the Western States Center has compiled an outstanding guide that is broken down into easy activities that can work with a range of audiences from organizing a "Meet the Candidates" event to holding a "Mock Election" to highlight how the process works and how easily disenfranchised groups can be shut out of the political process.
Building Grassroots Power - Western States Center's 195-page curriculum, Building Grassroots Power: An Introduction to Electoral Politics, is designed to support the eletoral organizing efforts of groups with 501(C)(3) or 501(C)(4) tax-exempt status.
Anonymous Rape Tests Are Going Nationwide
The Associated Press By KRISTEN WYATT – May 13 2008
ELKTON, Md. (AP) — Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges.
The new federal requirement that states pay for "Jane Doe rape kits" is aimed at removing one of the biggest obstacles to prosecuting rape cases: Some women are so traumatized they don't come forward until it is too late to collect hair, semen or other samples.
Click Here for the complete article from the Associated Press
ELKTON, Md. (AP) — Starting next year across the country, rape victims too afraid or too ashamed to go to police can undergo an emergency-room forensic rape exam, and the evidence gathered will be kept on file in a sealed envelope in case they decide to press charges.
The new federal requirement that states pay for "Jane Doe rape kits" is aimed at removing one of the biggest obstacles to prosecuting rape cases: Some women are so traumatized they don't come forward until it is too late to collect hair, semen or other samples.
Click Here for the complete article from the Associated Press
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