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Every Anti-Racism Daily issue filed under Criminal Legal System, newest first.
166 issues · 2020–2023
The latest genre of TV programming, incarcerated reality, monetizes the continued exploitation of incarcerated people.
Examining the role of qualified immunity and the U.S. judicial system in keeping law enforcement from facing accountability.
Learn about the Graduated Reentry Program and how prison reform legislation isn’t meaningful without accountability and oversight.
The five-day Attica prison uprising was a fight against inhumane conditions and racial and religious injustices, which still resonates today.
In the wake of violence, the DOJ repeatedly fails to protect Black and other marginalized communities, often incriminating them instead.
Solitary confinement is the go-to solution for handling any issue brought on by a system that breaks down those within its confinement.
Prison sexual abuse isn’t limited to a single institution or a handful of “bad apples,” but a nationwide systemic issue.
Although Congress passed the VOCA Fix Act to restore the Crime Victims Fund, domestic and sexual violence crisis centers are still struggling to recover.
A report on the Minneapolis Police supports protesters' claims and calls for overhaul, but current police reform promises have fallen short.
De facto residential segregation is increasing today, creating segregated hospitals, schools, and transportation systems—the very things permitted by Plessy v. Ferguson.
The 1992 Los Angeles riots were sparked by a series of injustices by the criminal justice system against marginalized people that remain unaddressed 30 years later.
If you were designing a system that ensured those leaving prison returned, you’d end up with something similar to the current U.S. prisoner reentry landscape.
The differences between the Central Park Five and the Donald Trump indictments highlight the disparities and bias in the legal system.
Most people in pretrial detention in the U.S. are incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay their cash bail.
The RICO Act was initially passed to prosecute the Mafia but has since been used against protesters, doctors, and artists.
Immigrants in two for-profit detention centers in California are on a hunger strike against the "abhorrent" conditions in the facilities.
The world's largest carceral system oversees an aging prison population as incarcerated elders are condemned to a lifetime of confinement.
Amplifying the work of Just Detention International, an organization committed to those that experience sexual abuse while incarcerated.
An explainer on President Biden's marijuana pardon and its impact on drug incarceration and decriminalization efforts.
Activists call for the closure of the Rikers Island jail complex amid its ongoing "humanitarian crisis" that has seen a rise in deaths.
The school-to-prison pipeline introduces students to the criminal legal system, affecting their mental health, academic potential, and livelihoods.
In an unjust criminal legal system, the exclusion of marginalized people on juries enables an inequitable system to prosper.
Despite the end of slavery, forced labor practices continue in prisons and jails across the country, exploiting incarcerated people
Examining the harms of criminalizing sex work and why decriminalization, not legalization, is the solution.
With Jim Crow-era origins, curfew laws fail to protect public safety; instead, they ensure marginalized young people are criminalized.
The cash bail system works within a flawed structure that forces people, mainly Black and Brown, to pay for their freedom.
Due to policies and the staff culture in prisons, racial segregation and oppression are used to subjugate minority groups.
Despite its intentions, deinstitutionalization resulted in people with mental illness being moved from one carceral institution to another.
Ending mass incarceration in prisons must be accompanied by creating “mass integration” for those released.
"Criminal justice system” is used in the U.S to reference the broad, complex system that addresses criminal activity, but rarely are marginalized people afforded justice.
The prison grievance system in the U.S. fails incarcerated individuals by failing to address complaints and incidences of misconduct and abuse of power that is rampant in the corrections system.
Despite 420 celebrations and growing support to legalize it, people of color continue to be incarcerated for marijuana and excluded from the cannabis industry.
Sharing graphic videos of police brutality may raise awareness, but also cause harm and obfuscate the real effort needed to create change.
The opening of the first legalized safe consumption site in New York is allowing people who use drugs a safe place to consume drugs in the hopes of preventing overdoses.
Sentencing enhancements are often used to coerce defendants out of their constitutional right to a trial. Advocates are working to eliminate the exploitative practice.
Two years after being murdered by the police and the focus of protests, the fight to get justice for Breonna Taylor continues.
Defunding the police allows communities to reinvest in other forms of community support while dismantling a system rooted in racism and white supremacy.
Privatizing prison technology and communication add a costly financial burden on incarcerated people and their families.
Seeking convictions for violence, while understandable, legitimizes a system that disproportionately harms communities of color.
The deaths of Black women and girls are often missing from the headlines, despite routinely being victims of violence. Bias stereotypes and racial disparities in the media coverage further victimize Black women and girls by tarnishing their names and repetitions, hindering justice.
No-Knock warrants allow police to legally break into people's homes unannounced, often resulting in fatal outcomes like the deaths of Amir Locke and Breonna Taylor.
Upon the announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, discussions on who will be his successor highlight a need for more Supreme Court representation.
Incarcerated workers risk exposure to COVID in prisons, fearing added time if they refuse to work in hazardous conditions.
For many marginalized communities in America, being patriotic means ignoring a history of violence and oppression that continues to this day.
It's been over a year since one of the largest movements in U.S. history, yet the American justice system is far from being reformed.
Vigilantes and law enforcement groups have long worked together to create and protect the racial order in the United States.
Inadequate resources like group homes, trained social workers, and qualified foster parents have contributed to a broken foster care system.
911 was created in part to thwart demands for racial justice. That’s why groups around the country are creating new infrastructure to deal with emergencies.
Participatory defense promotes the agency of the families and communities of people facing criminal charges.
The prison system tolerates and creates sexual violence against incarcerated people. The pervasive nature of this violence led to legislation like the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Conversations around police reforms sometimes highlight specific illegitimate acts by police officers. But law enforcement ignoring the law en masse raises deeper questions about the legitimacy of an institution with a long history of racism and brutality.
Pope Francis has joined Congressional Representatives Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver II to encourage Missouri governor Michael Parson to halt the execution of Ernest Lee Johnson, a Black man with disabilities.
Historically, drug policy has been written with racist intentions and fueled by hysteria over the war on drugs. This has led to racial disparities in sentencing for crack cocaine possession.
The U.S. positions itself as a just country with a superior legal system where people are always considered innocent until proven guilty and always granted the right to a trial before a jury of their peers. Except this isn’t true at all. Despite the promise of the Sixth Amendment, we do not have an effective right to trial because today, the overwhelming majority of cases will never see a judge.
If you’ve participated or watched protests unfold in cities across the country this past year, you may have noticed that law enforcement looked more like members of our military than neighborhood police. And that’s intentional, as, over the past decades, the U.S. has made it easier for law enforcement to access surplus military equipment for everyday use.
Law and Order. CSI. Hawaii-Five-Oh. American Sniper. TV shows and movies about law enforcement and the police permeate the screens of Americans across the country. Media portrayals about police officers, detectives, judges, crime fighters, and more firmly implemented into the cultural lexicon. Just because they are on TV does not mean that these shows exclusively exist for entertainment. Many shows actively depict criminal justice without showcasing the many ways it harms the lives of communities of color. These shows often work to bolster law enforcement in the eyes of white supremacy while simultaneously reducing compassion for the disproportionately Black victims of its system.
For the past month, Derek Chauvin has been on trial for the murder of George Floyd. Finally, the verdict is out. Chauvin faced three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. To convict Chauvin, the prosecution needed to show each charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution did not need to prove that Chauvin intended to kill George Floyd to convict him of the charges.
The death has been referred to as an “accidental discharge.” But there is nothing accidental about the death of an unarmed Black man by law enforcement. Our system is designed to maximize interactions between Black and brown people and police officers, which all but ensures that harm will happen. This is enforced through the practice of over-policing, initiatives that have justified increased levels of policing for the sake of the greater good, but often with adverse consequences (Scientific American).
The death has been referred to as an “accidental discharge.” But there is nothing accidental about the death of an unarmed Black man by law enforcement. Our system is designed to maximize interactions between Black and brown people and police officers, which all but ensures that harm will happen. This is enforced through the practice of over-policing, initiatives that have justified increased levels of policing for the sake of the greater good, but often with adverse consequences (Scientific American).
As a former waiter in an Asian restaurant, I know very well how many people claim to be sensitive to monosodium glutamate or MSG. Customers would demand that their meal be MSG-free to avoid the headaches or nausea or weakness they swore they would suffer afterward (Mayo Clinic). Often, they informed me of their MSG-adverse status in the same way they might disclose a life-threatening allergy: not as a preference but as a serious, permanent condition with dire consequences. The MSG-avoidant are real and numerous and often quite militant. I have seen them and served them noodles.
Last week, author and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis posted a video where she fought back against being called “privileged” because she has a housekeeper. In it, she defends her need for support for being a hard-working, successful woman and compares herself to her idols, which she lists in the caption: “Harriet Tubman, RBG, Marie Curie, Oprah Winfrey, Amelia Earhart, Frida Khalo, Malala Yousafzai, Wu Zetian... all Unrelatable AF.”
According to the Pew Research Center, white men are the largest demographic to own guns at 48 percent, while 24 percent of white women are gun owners (Pew Research Center). Twenty-four percent of non-white men and 16 percent of non-white women own guns. Although many people use guns for safety, white supremacists have increasingly used guns as their new weapon of choice against people of color (The Trace). And these white supremacists are able to get guns easily and legally.
Anti-racism education is increasing, especially over the past few years after many protests for Black Lives and an increased visible, physical presence of white supremacists. However, many have questioned the importance and implementation of anti-racism education when it comes to analyzing whiteness or explaining its effect on people of color. In February, a New York City elementary school principal distributed an anti-racism curriculum called “8 White Identities” written by Barnor Hesse, an associate professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University in Illinois. According to a statement from the Department of Education given to the New York Post, the pamphlet was first given by some of the parents to school staff and then distributed by the principal to all the parents as part of the anti-racism education (NYPost).
But, most urgently, it pushes the "lone wolf" narrative: that this individual acted alone for personal reasons and wasn't motivated by a larger narrative. This attempts to detach this specific instance from the larger role that white supremacy plays in acts of violence and terrorism in the U.S. As a result, it doesn't call for accountability for the system that nurtured and developed that hate in a white supremacist society. Although the individual should be held responsible for their actions, so should the government that fostered discrimination and bias against the Asian community since its start, from the Chinese Exclusion Act, to Imperialism in the Asia-Pacific, and platforming a president that persistently called coronavirus “Kung flu” and the “Asian virus” (Anti-Racism Daily).
Last Sunday, March 7, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a tell-all interview on stepping down as senior members of the royal family. In that interview, Meghan Markle named that the stress and anxiety from the defamatory press led her to suicidal ideation, but she received no mental health support from the palace. She also details the racism that she and her child, Archie, experienced directly, including that the Crown would not provide her son titles or protections and that someone in the family questioned how dark his skin would be (Vulture).
Though Chicago is home to some of the most vibrant urban forests, prairies, and wetlands, in 2020 it set the record for having the worst, unhealthy air quality streak in ten years, ranking even higher than busy cities like Los Angeles. Coupled with COVID-19, experts and advocates predicted the damage would hit Black and Brown communities the hardest (abc 7 chicago). In addition to the many contributing factors that make this city environmentally unsafe such as daily emissions stemming from rail, road, and air traffic, Little Village—a Black and predominantly Latinx neighborhood—soon will have to endure the harsh effects of a metal-shredding operation on top of the pandemic and daily exhaustion.
Today, March 8, marks the beginning of the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers responsible for the death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Chauvin is the officer depicted in cellphone and bodycam footage kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.
Until its end in 2019, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show reigned supreme in not only pageantry and glittery wings but also cultural appropriation. Leaked photos from the 2012 live show revealed that supermodel Karlie Kloss donned a large feathered Native American headdress paired with a fringed suede bikini accessorized with turquoise jewelry. Though the immediate backlash caused the look to be cut from the broadcast, it wouldn’t stop the lingerie conglomerate from finding itself guilty for the same crime again in 2016 and 2017 (CRFashionbook).
Water is a necessary natural resource needed to live a sustainable life. Humans are made up of about sixty percent of water and, in addition to it being essential for the body, it is the most important substance for cleaning, bathing, washing, and many other things. When it comes to cities that are mostly comprised of Black and Brown citizens, proper maintenance and availability to the basic necessities—such as water, in this case—are sometimes overlooked or deemed as unimportant or not as urgent as those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Blatant disregard for these Black and Brown populations shows up more often than not but mostly during some sort of environmental crisis or natural disaster.
The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor this past summer sparked militant uprisings and massive protests nationwide. Combined with the ongoing pandemic and recession, the upheavals sparked tension and frayed nerves as the National Guard roamed American streets and police stations burned. None of this was helped by Trump’s hostility towards protestors, leaving many to look towards the incoming administration for a breath of fresh air. We once again have a Democrat in the White House, one who has said we must “root out systemic racism across our laws and institutions” (USA Today). Biden is proposing $300 million for “community policing”: buying body cameras, diversifying and retraining police departments. Reform seems to be coming. You might think all is well.
The minimum wage has stayed the same, while the cost of living has increased significantly. Advocates for a minimum wage of $15 an hour have been lobbying lawmakers for several years now. The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 when it was raised to $7.25. Since 2009, the cost of living in the United States has increased by 20%, and the cost of essentials like housing and healthcare have grown at higher rates (CNN). Currently, the median living wage in the United States is $67,690 (Insider). For reference, if the minimum wage were to be increased to $15 an hour, the annual wage would add up to $30,000. Employers are also permitted to pay subminimum wages to employees who have disabilities (DOL).
Last week, the Biden administration deported 72 people, including a two-month-old baby and 22 other children, back to Haiti (The Guardian). Advocates for immigrants approximate that over 900 Haitians have been deported in the weeks prior (Washington Post). This, paired with other recent efforts that disproportionately impact Black immigrants, has spurred advocates to call for accountability on the racial disparities in an unjust system.
Over the past week, a series of attacks against the Asian community, particularly in the San Francisco Bay area, have led calls for justice. In SF, an 84-year-old man from Thailand, Vicha Ratanapakdee, was tackled to the ground. He ultimately died from his injuries (Yahoo). In Oakland, a 91-year-old man was senselessly knocked over. According to the Chinatown Chamber president, there have been 20+ robbery/assault incidents reported in the neighborhood over the past week (ABC7). These acts of violence match others that have sparked in cities across the country, as reported by @nguyen_amanda on Twitter. Despite the severity of these attacks, many major news sources have not yet reported on them.
As President Biden transitions to life in the White House, he’s responsible for controlling the imagery that will set the tone for the next four years. His Oval Office overhaul removed an Andrew Jackson portrait but added a bust of Latino union hero César Chávez (Washington Post). Dolores Huerta, American labor leader and civil rights activist, described it as a “healing moment” (NPR). The significance of this moment, and its urgency today, may have been lost on those unfamiliar with the work of César Chávez. Here’s a bit of context.
5,805 workers at an Amazon facility in Alabama will decide whether they wish to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. If they vote yes, they would be the first Amazon warehouse in the United States to unionize.
Though the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and made involuntary servitude illegal within the U.S., it managed to preserve slavery in another form; penal labor (Center for Human Rights Education). Under Section 1 of the law: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (Crime Report, Find Law). As written and in practice, the amendment creates a class system that allows convicted members of society to be exploited against their will (The Nation).
Though the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and made involuntary servitude illegal within the U.S., it managed to preserve slavery in another form; penal labor (Center for Human Rights Education). Under Section 1 of the law: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (Crime Report, Find Law). As written and in practice, the amendment creates a class system that allows convicted members of society to be exploited against their will (The Nation).
Last summer, cities across the country were forced to address the role of law enforcement in creating unsafe spaces for its communities. Now, many are keeping the pressure on to see action. The Black Lives Matter LA chapter is addressing the intersection of law enforcement and child welfare, an often inequitable system harming the most vulnerable families (BLM LA). Today we are learning about the disproportionate representation of Black families in the child welfare system.
During his first term, President Barack Obama promised to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay (New Yorker). Yet 40 people still remain incarcerated there today (New York Times). Opened by President Bush as a response to the 9/11 attacks, Guantanamo is a prison camp in which the United States military has incarcerated over 700 Muslim men without charges or trials (New York Times). Earlier this year, Amnesty International reported the historic and ongoing human rights violations at Guantanamo Bay which include forced feedings of those on hunger strike, and improper medical care of torture survivors (Amnesty International).
The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. has been whitewashed and gentrified to depict him as someone that only advocated for unity and peace (Essence). But during his life, many denounced him as an extremist (Time) and the FBI considered him a threat to democracy (Stanford). Neither narrative speaks to his radical views, nor his lasting commitment to racial equity. It's our responsibility to honor his legacy beyond what's been deemed "appropriate" by education and media.
In the aftermath of the violence that occurred on Wednesday, January 6, at the U.S. Capitol, news media, politicians, and observers worldwide are labeling those who participated “domestic terrorists.” At first glance, this seems to be a fair assessment: if white nationalists are engaging in the same kind of violence as other groups, we call “terrorists” have engaged in (attacking government buildings, breaking laws, endangering citizens, damaging property, etc.) then they too, should be labeled “terrorists.” Progressive politicians like Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) have referred to the incident as a “domestic terrorist attack” to ensure the gravity of this violence is not downplayed, as it often is when perpetrators are white (Huffington Post).
Barely a week into 2021, a Dallas-based company called The Mahjong Line was met with outrage on social media for appropriating mahjong, a Chinese tile-based game that dates back to the 1800s (Stanford News).
The federal government was responsible for 10 of the 15 people who were executed under the death penalty last year, the largest number of state sanctioned murders ordered by an administration since 1896 (BBC, NYTimes). The death penalty has been wielded as a cudgel to keep Black people subjugated for centuries, first as lynchings, before being codified as state-sanctioned murder.
Yesterday a group of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, disrupting the certification of the Electoral College vote. Earlier in the day, President Trump spoke at the rally, citing that "we will never concede" after losing the election to President-elect Biden (NYTimes). From there, protestors overtook the Capitol, breaking windows and scaling walls before taking artifacts and rioting inside (more via The Atlantic). Although few media outlets go so far as to use the words, this can be considered an attempted coup, an unconstitutional seize of political power (The Atlantic).
As the conversation about Black Lives Matter and racial inequity for Black Americans, particularly concerning police brutality and mass incarceration, was brought to the forefront, I decided it was a good time to re-read “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. The book details mass incarceration in the United States and its intentions to disenfranchise Black Americans. The United States’ makes up 5 percent of the world’s population yet holds 25 percent of the world’s prisoners (ACLU). This is attributed to the war on drugs, which began in the 1970s. Nixon’s public policies led to stricter federal sentencing laws, militarized enforcement in Black and Brown neighborhoods. Incarceration has grown by ten times since then (Drug Policy Alliance). We know that the United States quickly rushes Black and Brown people into the prison system. But what happens after?
Each new calendar year, many feel inspired to recommit to solving the causes and challenges we face. And for many, this year is no exception. 2021 may feel like a fresh start after a devastating year, and it’s important to channel those intentions into action. But I propose using the beginning of this year to gain awareness on how your investment can be most sustainable, because new year resolutions are more likely to be broken than executed. And movement work is no exception. My recommendation is to spend some time this week reflecting on your role in the work ahead.
The holidays can be both magical and fraught with interpersonal tension. And, with the compounded impact of all things 2020, these relationships may be even more strained. If you're heading into the holidays expecting some tough conversations, here are some resources to help you through. Remember, all of these are only suggestions; relationships are unique and complex, and these best practices might not be best for you. Share your thoughts on today's conversation in our digital community.
It’s no secret that this year has been a chaotic roller coaster in many respects, and the ongoing census count is no exception. The census, which has taken place every ten years since 1790, ensures that every person in the U.S. is counted. It also impacts the reallocation of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the distribution of federal funding to states.
Because the United States of America has an unofficially Christian foundation, the Christmas holiday has always been front and center in winter holiday celebrations. Although the gift-giving aspect of the holiday stems from the story of the three wise men who bestowed gifts upon the newborn Jesus, the tradition has morphed into a modern-day capitalist monster. For most of history, this time of year was about spending time with one’s family. Still, after the publications of The Night Before Christmas (in 1823) and, especially, A Christmas Carol (in 1843), the idea of “Christmas shopping” flooded the Western marketplaces and changed the way we experience the holiday season forever (Bustle).
Every year, ten million people experience domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence) in the United States. Domestic abuse (which includes physical, emotional, and economic components) is used to systematically dominate and control victims, and has long been utilized in the systematic oppression of women (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). This year has brought a rise in domestic violence worldwide as a result of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, orders that essentially trap victims with their abusers and increase opportunities for abuse to happen (The Washington Post).
This past June, William Marcus (Marc) Wilson, a 21-year-old Black student from Sharpsburg, Georgia, was driving with his girlfriend when a truckload of angry white people accosted them, calling them racial slurs and attempting to run them off the road. Terrified, Wilson fired warning shots from a gun he legally carried, one of which struck the car and killed a 17-year-old white woman sitting inside (Washington Post). Wilson fully cooperated with law enforcement and told them he fired his gun, fearing for his life, and surveillance footage demonstrated aggression from the driver. But the next day, Wilson was arrested and charged with one count of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault. He was denied bond in a hearing in August and is scheduled for a bond reconsideration hearing today, Tuesday, December 15, 2020 (Wilson’s lawyers’ website).
On April 12th, 2020, Cassandra Greer-Lee discovered that her husband, Nickolas Lee, had died after contracting coronavirus in Chicago’s Cook County Jail (CCJ). At the time, the jail was the nation’s “largest-known source of coronavirus infections” (NY Times). Like many of CCJ’s detainees, Lee was awaiting trial. Today, Cassandra is sharing her personal experience with us. In this interview, she tells us about her beloved husband, her ongoing activism, and what she thinks achieving true justice for her husband would look like.
A new report found that one in five people in the U.S. have turned to a food pantry, food bank, or community food distribution at some point since the pandemic began, a 50% increase than before (Consumer Report). And Household Pulse survey found that nearly 11 % of American adults “sometimes or often” did not have enough to eat in the previous seven days, according to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau from Oct. 14 to 26, a stark increase from 3.7% increase in 2019 (Washington Post). And the people most likely to need support are people of color. Over a third of Black Americans have used a food pantry, food bank, or community food distribution during the pandemic, and 22% of Hispanics (Consumer Report).
We were victims of a home burglary in 2018. By the attending officers’ own admission, we were singled out, “…targeted since you are from India.” Burglars had watched our house, learned our routines, and identified when we wouldn't be home. Officers admitted that our region, metro Atlanta was plagued with ethnically profiled burglaries for more than a decade, as was America. Their apathy and lack of urgency horrified us.
Happy Saturday! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. I hope this week's content illuminates more on the topics we unpacked this week.
Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance on November 20 that honors transgender people. The observance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman who was killed in 1998 (GLAAD). The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester's death, sparking an important tradition that especially resonates in 2020, when COVID-19, police brutality, and discrimination politically has all exacerbated the violence and oppression this community experiences. To this day, Rita Hester’s murder hasn’t been solved. Read more in NBC News.
As we mentioned back in June, the term “defund the police” became a critical part of this election season. Moderate Democrats argue that it discouraged people from supporting candidates (Time). Progressive Democrats disagree, noting that efforts to change policing were passed in several states (Vox). While reading these conversations, remember that this work needs to persevere far beyond the phrase’s sentiment. Here’s an updated FAQ on the work at hand.
Happy Saturday! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. This week we're diving into some FAQs from the content this week, mainly the election.
Happy Halloween! Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. This week we unpack the futility of marginal change, Halloween, and the Supreme Court.
Pervis Payne, a Black man who was convicted for murder 33 years ago, will be executed in December, despite DNA evidence that could prove his innocence (CNN). While the execution of an intellectually disabled person is unconstitutional, the court didn’t recognize Payne’s disability at the time of his trial (Tennessean). The Innocence Project, a legal organization that works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, is trying to stop Payne’s execution. As of today, “375 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row” (The Innocence Project).
It happened. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court Monday evening (NPR). Judge Barrett, who is 48 years old, is likely to serve on the court for decades, solidifying a 6-3 conservative majority. It also gives her immediate power in several upcoming hearings this November that disproportionately impacts the livelihood of communities of color. This is the first time a Supreme Court nominee has been confirmed without a single vote from a major minority party since December 1869 (WSJ). Now that it’s official, inquiries on whether or not Biden, if confirmed, could expand the court, have snowballed into comprehensive calls for action.
The Texas Rangers law enforcement agency is mythologized in popular media as moral defenders of the law, ignoring a long history of violence.
Citizens in Nigeria have been protesting since early October against police brutality, gaining international attention. More people have died from police brutality than COVID-19 since the nation’s lockdown (BBC), and decades of abuse have prompted youth organizers to take to the streets and social media to demand change. Demonstrations in solidarity have been organized in cities around the world, including Atlanta, Berlin, New York, and London (NYTimes). As protests escalate in Abuja, the nation’s capital, so does the violence against the protestors in a series of organized attacks (BBC). But the movement shows no sign of slowing down.
Welcome to our weekly Study Hall. Each week I answer questions and share insights from each of you in our community. This week I dove deeper on some pressing topics from our community.
Many of us are still reeling from the grand jury decision that brought no charges against the police officer that killed Breonna Taylor, as we covered in a previous newsletter. And yet, of course, many of us were not surprised. We’ve seen this before. We’ve seen how the grand jury cleared the officer that killed Michael Brown in Ferguson (NYTimes), and how things haven’t changed since then. We’ve seen how rarely officers are convicted even if they do get charged (FiveThirtyEight). We have learned not to expect justice from our legal system.
This week, the Senate holds confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who was nominated as the next Supreme Court justice appointment. As you watch, be sure to listen for how her confirmation may impact how the U.S. responds to this racial reckoning for decades to come.
Last month I wrote an essay in Outdoors cataloging my negative encounters with white people who "didn't expect to see me”: a Black man hiking Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and a favorite destination of extreme hikers. During my many visits to Katahdin, I have been screamed at, accused of following people, questioned about why I was on the mountain, and treated with such hostility that I have questioned whether I was doing something illegal. I was not.
Like many other Asian Americans, when I first heard about the novel coronavirus ravaging Wuhan, China, I was afraid. Our fear was not just of the potential reach of the disease, but of what being Asian American, particularly Chinese American, would mean in a country prone to xenophobia, racism, and hysteria.
As misinformation and conspiracy theories reach a peak over the past week, there’s been heightened scrutiny on the role that QAnon plays in the conversations we see dominate social media. In response, on Tuesday, Facebook announced a blanket ban on any pages, groups, and Instagram accounts representing QAnon from its platforms (The Verge).
There are endless reports on the senior staffers who have contracted COVID-19 from the September 26 Rose Garden event. But there’s a lot less about the staff – particularly the residence staff – that have potentially been exposed to the virus. These essential workers, nearly all identifying as people of color, deserve to be represented in this narrative and protected at all costs. Unfortunately, stories of communities of color in the White House are often overlooked and forgotten – a practice consistent with its dark history.
As misinformation and conspiracy theories reach a peak over the past week, there’s been heightened scrutiny on the role that QAnon plays in the conversations we see dominate social media. In response, on Tuesday, Facebook announced a blanket ban on any pages, groups, and Instagram accounts representing QAnon from its platforms (The Verge).
Police face criticism for their use of ketamine in the arrest of individuals they mislabel as "aggressive" following the death of Elijah McClain.
The impact of the “war on drugs” campaign in the ’70s and ’80s continues to the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people today.
Donate to the family’s GoFundMe and contact officials in Kenosha to ensure accountability.
Athletes have used the spotlight to demand change for decades. Join them when they rally for change.
Facial recognition software is increasingly becoming integrated into society and policing despite coded racial bias.