NEWSLETTER WEEK 20 – OCTOBER 16, 2020
Before we forget, here’s our website of past newsletters, here’s a link to subscribe to our Patreon, here’s an anonymous question bank for anyone who wants to keep their questions private, here’s a fund tracker that breaks down how we spend our money, and here’s the link to sign up to receive these newsletters if someone forwarded them to you.
Hi friends,
Exciting news! (1) We (finally) put our conversation with Sophonie on Patreon, make sure you subscribe so you can watch it! And (2), by popular demand we are (finally) on instagram!
Today, we’re launching a downballot voting campaign on instagram to remind our readers (and their own instagram followers) that voting like an antiracist requires attention to lots of positions on the ballot, not just the presidential candidates. We would love it if you would share your top 3 downballot concerns on your own instagram story and encourage your friends to, too!
In case you didn’t get to bookmark it last time, here’s our guide to the various positions on your ballot and how they affect (anti)racism in your community. We also recommend Ballotpedia.org, BallotReady.org, and Vote411.org to check out your candidates.
Speaking of instagram, our intern, Hayden has made some amazing infographics and posted them on our new page. We are so thankful to have Hayden on our team this fall! We were sold from her first response on our internship application:
What does antiracism mean to you?
Anti-racism means so much more than simply being a good ally. Being a good ally is like being a good friend, it’s expected. Standing up for your BIPOC friends, calling people out on their racism, sharing resources on your Instagram page, etc. is just the beginning of anti-racist work. To me, true anti-racism is a lifelong commitment to self growth and education, a commitment to asking questions about and critiquing systems and institutions, and a commitment to creating a safe world for everyone regardless of their skin color. It goes from self growth, to community change, to governmental and institutional change, but it truly starts within you. It’s not about being perfect, but about growth, both internally and systemically.
So yeah, we love her and we think you will love her and what she’s making, too!
Heading into the weekend, here’s what we’re reading.
OUR RECOMMENDED WEEKEND READS
- In This Small Alabama Town, Suddenly All Politics is National
- The Tenants Who Evicted Their Landlord – a Minneapolis building’s tenants did the near-impossible and bought their apartments out as collective owners. Written by Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted(which we highly recommend, especially for those of us who particularly care about housing justice).
- Georgia Voters Face Hours-Long Lines At Polls On First Day of Early Voting
- Listen: No Special Duty, one of Radiolab’s newest episodes about race, police, and the law.
Alright everyone, follow us on instagram if you are on that platform and mark your calendars for a dialogue (yes, dialogue! It’s been a while!) about cultural appropriation next Sunday, October 25.
See you Monday!
In Solidarity,
Ellie and Emily
PS – post this to your instagram story and tag your friends to remind them that elections aren’t just about the national government! Check out our story (@unlearning.racism) for more info 🙂
Special thanks to Lucy Cram (@_lucycram_) for her help with our logo and pretty much all of our design questions.
