April 30 - May 6, 2021

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 April 30 - May 6, 2021.

 

The Fear Black Employees Carry 

Karen Brown, founder of the diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm Bridge Arrow, writes this piece for the Harvard Business Review. Brown speaks to her own experience as a Black woman with overt racism and her fear of the latent racist feelings of people all around her. Her recommendations are directed at the business sector and she offers concrete examples of how certain actions taken by company leadership can affect morale of Black employees.

 

Social Justice Talks 

Dada Willis-Gregory, Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Director at the University of New Mexico, hosts this episode of Social Justice Talks. Current and former UNM student-athletes answer questions from viewers such as, "How do you have conversations with friends and family about race?" Or, "How does racism affect your mental health?" Featured in this episode are Avadney Gerard-Osbourne, soccer player and President of the Social Justice Student Action Committee; Ada'Ora Chigbo, track and field athlete; and Andrea Benites, track and field alumna.

 

Years After Deadly Shooting, Tree of Life Synagogue Plans a New Beginning

The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 congregants were killed by a gunman in October of 2018, will move forward with a renovation that recognizes the shooting, according to this article from the New York Times. Architect Daniel Libeskind, who designed the 9/11 memorial in New York and is an immigrant Jew himself, has been selected to lead the project. After several months of reflection and listening about how to move forward, Tree of Life has concluded that the synagogue should be a place where people come not just to worship, but to learn about hatred.

 

Do the Golden Arches Bend Toward Justice? 

Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji of the NPR podcast Code Switch examine the role McDonald's has played in the economic development of Black communities. They interview Dr. Marcia Chatelain, professor at Georgetown and author of the book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America. Amid the rise in Black-owned McDonald's franchises in the late 1960s, the company let owners tailor their restaurants to the norms of the neighborhoods they served, including displays about Black history. Many McDonald's locations also hosted job training programs and voter registration drives. As time wore on, however, communities began to question whether the tax incentives and small business loans afforded these franchisees were truly enough to make a dent in other policies that disadvantaged Black communities.

 

Black Women Are Fighting to Be Recognized as Long COVID Patients 

Researchers believe about 10% of COVID patients develop long-term symptoms, according to this article in Time magazine. But studies on long COVID have scant participation from people of color, and the recommendations on how to respond to and care for symptoms isn't making its way to the Black community via the health care system. Jamie Ducharme reports.

The Black Male Athlete Experience at Rice

Rice graduate and current assistant coach of men's basketball Van Green hosts this panel of former Rice football and basketball players - Raymorris Barnes, Byron Godfrey, Cliff Ghoram, and Michael Warren. These men talk about the importance of mentorship, acclimating to the Rice campus and student body, and the bonds they formed with their teammates and coaches. Academic advisor Julie Griswold is cited as a positive influence by each of the participants. 

 

GOP Lawmakers Want to Ban "Woke Philosophies" Like Critical Race Theory In Texas Schools 

Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Representative Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, have authored  bills in the Texas legislature that would ban the teaching of critical race theory and other topics involving race and gender, according to this article from the Texas Tribune.  Creighton's bill bans teaching that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex; (2) an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.” Teachers organizations and education advocacy groups oppose the bills as too restrictive without actually taking an official stance on CRT.