November 6 - 12, 2020

On June 19, 2020, I made a commitment to educate myself on the lingering effects of racism, discrimination, and bias in America. Every day through June 18, 2021, I will read an article or book chapter, listen to a podcast, watch a movie or documentary, view a webinar, or do something substantive to educate myself in these areas. As part of that commitment, I will post to this blog each Friday with a list of what I've done over the past week as well as any pertinent thoughts or reflections.

Today's post covers the week of November 6-12, 2020.

 

Cooked: Survival by Zipcode 

This documentary appeared on the PBS show Independent Lens and tells the story of the 1995 Chicago heat wave that killed more than 700 people. The show is based on Eric Klinenberg's book Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, which dives into the underlying poverty and racism that led to far more deaths among people of color than white Chicagoans that summer. Klinenberg says, "Disasters reveal conditions that are always present, but difficult to perceive."

The Battle to Keep America's Black Banks Alive

Fifteen years ago, the U.S. had 36 Black-owned banks. Today, that number has been cut in half. The Wall Street Journal details how several Black-owned banks have folded and the efforts underway to save others. Since the 2008 financial crisis smaller banks have consolidated, leaving an increasing market share in the hands of megabanks. But Black-owned banks have been hit particularly hard. A number of industry initiatives and corporate responsibility programs are aimed at bringing them back.

Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration, and Me

Dwayne Betts writes for the New York Times about his experiences with the prison system, both as an inmate convicted of a violent crime while a teenager, and as the son of a woman raped at gunpoint. Betts, who is now an attorney, discusses both the problems with mass incarceration and the concept of safety as a civil right. He also points to what he refers to as the classic dilemma of Black people in this country: being simultaneously overpoliced and underprotected.

 

A Treaty Right for Cherokee Representation 

This episode of the NPR podcast Code Switch details the history behind the 1832 Supreme Court case Worchester vs. Georgia and the Treaty of New Echota that led to the displacement of the Cherokee Nation from their homeland to Oklahoma. The ongoing feud between the descendants of Cherokee leaders John Ross and John and Major Ridge is discussed, as well as the effort to seat the first Cherokee representative to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Three Ways Companies Can Retain Working Moms Right Now

Pivoting a bit off the issue of race, I included this article from the Harvard Business Review on how the pandemic has impacted working moms and what companies can do to help. In the early stages of the pandemic, most companies and managers had ample supplies of empathy for moms who worked at home and simultaneously cared for their kids. Working moms interviewed for this piece say that empathy has run out. HBR offers concrete strategies for managers to work with their employees to find solutions.

Eight Ways to Stand Up to Hate

This article from UC-Berkeley's Greater Good Magazine offers strategies for confronting hate and expressing solidarity with victims. Education and making meaningful connections with those different from yourself are among the tangible steps suggested.

 

A Player's Coach 

The Stanford Daily profiles head football coach David Shaw and his role as a mentor to Black student-athletes. Shaw shares his experience with racism, his approach to advising students, and his thoughts on student-athlete activism and social justice.