Our occasional e-newsletter, usually published once or twice a month, with links to events, articles, videos, websites, & more relating to racism & racial justice.
Racial Justice Rising’s activities:
LOCAL NEWSIn the last few weeks a Greenfield Town Councilor has been the subject of anonymous racist emails sent to local public figures, organizations (RJR received one), and individuals. This past Saturday, June 25th, more than 100 people came to our weekly Vigil for Racial Justice to state that there is NO PLACE FOR HATE in Greenfield. Video of the vigil from Greenfield Community Television More photos on our Facebook page (scroll to June 25th) Please join our Vigil for Racial Justice every Saturday, 9-10 a.m., Greenfield Town Common. |
Articles, websites, and other resources
Black Lives
– Actor Jessie Williams’ truth-telling speech at the BET awards
Criminal Justice & Injustice
– Van Jones: How Prisons Hurt Communities, from AJ+
Current Events
– New Studies Find That Racial Anxiety is the Biggest Driver of Support For Trump, by Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post
– How Racial Prejudice Helps Drive Opposition to Gun Control, by Alexandra Filindra at the Washington Post
Decolonization
– Native Hawaiian Woman Responds to Racist Caller, a video from Nation 19
– Church Considers Request to Rescind Doctrine of Discovery, by Paul Barnsley at APTN
Children & Teens
– What Do American Teens Want? Less Racism, by Abigail Jones at Newsweek
– Connecticut Students Protest Lack of Teacher Diversity, by Sameer Rao at Colorlines
– Parents: How Should You Talk to Your Kids About Racism? Video of a conversation with Caprice Collins, by Kaci Aitchison at Q13Fox
– But What Can We Do? A White Mother’s Reflections on Racial Justice and Parenting, by Shannon Cofrin Gaggero at Medium.com
Environment
– Anthony Rogers-Wright of Environmental Action speaks to the DNC about climate change and communities of color, from C-Span
Why We Need Intersectionality to Understand Climate Change, by Elizabeth Walsh at Intercontinental Cry
General info
– 7 Ways We Know Systemic Racism Is Real, from Ben & Jerry’s
– The Myth of Race, Debunked in 3 Minutes, video and article by Jenée Desmond-Harris and Estelle Caswell at Vox
Immigration
– Activists Protest Deportations, by Sameer Rao at Colorlines
Indigenous Lives
– Wampanoag Immersion Preschool Gets Started, by Elsa Partan at the Cape Cod Times
Orlando Shootings
– In Honor of Our Dead: Latinx, Queer, Trans, Muslim, Black — We Will Be Free, from BlackLivesMatter
– What You Need to Know About the Orlando Shootings, the Latinx LGBTQ Community, and Islamophobia, by Kenrya Rankin at Colorlines
– Headlines Gloss Over Native American Massacres, by Kale Williams at Oregon Live
White Privilege/White Antiracism
– Privilege 101: A Quick & Dirty Guide, by Sian Ferguson at Everyday Feminism
Other groups’ events:
- Reading Frederick Douglass: Here is a list of participatory readings of Frederick Douglass’s famous speech, What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July? in Massachusetts and Vermont.
- Weds, July 6, Brattleboro VT: Reading Frederick Douglass, a participatory event
- July 9-10, Warner NH: Annual Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum Powwow
- November 10-12, Atlanta GA: Facing Race, A National Conversation: Our Stories, Our Solutions, organized by Race Forward
- November 16-20, Newark NJ: Racial Healing and Collaboration for Black Empowerment: State of the Black World Conference IV
The members of Racial Justice Rising are ordinary people who are troubled by the persistent racism that plagues this country. Believing that the damage caused by racism must be repaired before our society can be whole, we work for just and respectful treatment for all. We share a vision of a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-faith community.
Our mission is to work for racial justice and system change by:
- Bringing more people into the anti-racism movement by reaching out, especially to white people, with resources that encourage a deeper understanding of systemic racism and racial justice.
- Using Mass Slavery Apology, our statement of apology for slavery, to build public acknowledgement of the legacy of slavery and public support for reparations.
- Addressing conditions of injustice in our own communities.
While much of our work is focused in our local area, Franklin County, MA, we reach out to and are connected with the broader movements in our region and the nation.
Thank you, readers who send us information for these newsletters! We welcome links to articles, videos, event listings, and other resources.
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