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Solidarity and Civic Muscle
Photo by Sean Lee on Unsplash
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
-  Dr. Angela Y. Davis  
Carol Nguyen
Social Transformation Intern,
Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World
Solidarity and Civic Muscle 
Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and racial unrest across the nation and in the world, solidarity has emerged through the exercise of civil muscle across the world. Pacesetters have mobilized at all scales and realms to champion racial justice, building a sense of community and belonging and common movement. Though generations of marginalized people--Black communities, minorities, immigrants, indigenous people, and the poor--have developed resilience through the face of adversity, it is our collective responsibility to transform the visible and invisible systems that perpetuate adversity into systems that support everyone to thrive. As there is unity in our humanity, there is also shared responsibility for our solidarity. 
 
This issue calls on us to reexamine the privileges we are afforded and offers a challenge for us to reflect on and deconstruct our identities, so that we may tap into our empathy as a driving force for advancing racial equity. The stories, tools, and resources in this issue support an array of efforts to listen, feel, and act for change. No matter where we are starting from, we must always show up.
Non-Black People of Color Are Mobilizing to End Complicity in Black Death
by  Jason Wu

The complicity of an Asian American officer in the murder of George Floyd is forcing Asian American communities across the country to face the ongoing ways in which we have benefited from and acted in complicity with broader systems of white supremacy.

Even though the vast majority of the police officers and vigilantes most directly responsible for killing Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, and the countless other Black people who have been killed have been white, we Asian Americans, and other non-Black people of color, do not get to look away or make anti-Black racism a problem that white people need to fix.
Photo by Mario Cantu / Cal Sport Media via AP Images
'We are tired of it': Latinos Denounce Police Violence as They Protest George Floyd Death
by  Suzanne Gamboa

“Being a Latino and having the experience where I see people both in my community and on the news all the time being hurt and being abused by a police officer, there doesn’t seem to be any accountability," Austin Barrón said.

"You don’t need to be black to see how horrible it is,” he said. “With more police accountability, that will help us, too.”
Amid Protest and Pandemic, Urban Parks Show Their Worth

“The thing I tell people about parks and public spaces is they can be platforms for equity, and the events of the last week in America show the public realm is the essential platform for equity,” says James Hardy, Akron, Ohio’s deputy mayor for integrated development, who focuses on parks and public space. “It’s especially evident when the press and disregarded members of our community need these spaces to communicate truth to power.”
Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images
AN INTERNATIONAL SCOPE OF BLACK LIVES MATTER AND GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH
Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

As New Zealand Police Pledge To Stay Unarmed, Maori Activists Credit U.S. Protests

Although New Zealand is about as far — in miles, at least — as you can get from Minneapolis, protests have erupted there over the killing of George Floyd. The Indigenous Maori people in particular have pushed back against police use of force, which disproportionately affects them.

But, following Floyd's killing last month, the hashtag #ArmsDownNZ trended to No. 1 on Twitter in New Zealand. When questioned about the movement on national radio, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she opposed the routine arming of police.
Photo by Diogo Baptista/SOPA Images/Sipa/AP
Protests Across the Globe after George Floyd's Death
by CNN Staff

As the protests continued in the United States for a second week in response to the killing of George Floyd, people around the world began to stand up with them.

From London to Pretoria to Sydney, people took to the streets to express the need for police reform and racial equality. Many held signs that read "Black Lives Matter," while others kneeled. At some protests, marchers stood in silence for the amount of time Floyd struggled to breathe while police officers detained him.

LET'S START A CONVERSATION
In his series, "Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man" Emmanuel Acho, former NFL linebacker and current analyst for Fox Sports 1, offers a brave space to openly address presumptions and misconceptions in the context of privilege and race.

Acho deconstructs misconceptions by tapping into his lived experiences to invoke insight and empathy on the inter-generational struggles of Black people in America. He calls out to the White community to create change by first listening in with open mind.

This "Black Lives Matter" street mural was a collaboration between the City of Charlotte, Charlotte is Creative, Brand The Moth, BLKMRKTCLT, and local artists like Nakima. From conception to finish, it took 72 hours.
Photo by Maleek Loyd
BRIGHT SPOTS
Photo by Philip Pacheco/AFP via Getty Images
To Sustain the Protests, They Brought Snacks

The pro-bono snacks of the Floyd protests reflect a common feature of mass movements in response to crisis — mutual aid. “Mutual aid means that every participant is both giver and recipient in acts of care that bind them together, as distinct from the one-way street of charity,” Rebecca Solnit explained in her 2009 book “A Paradise Built in Hell.” “In this sense it is reciprocity, a network of people cooperating to meet each others’ wants and share each others’ wealth.”

A mountain of bagged lunches and Cliff bars in front of Mission High School would be distributed to the homeless after the march, said Erik Geovany Locon, who said he’d been raised in San Francisco and was at the protest to try to build a world where his son wouldn’t face discrimination for being Latino. As for the donations he was handing out, “we’re trying to help everyone be safe,” Locon said. “It’s OK to show love and give to others.”
Photo by Cece Carpio

The Female Muralists Behind Black Lives Matter's Most Visceral Imagery

Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May, striking street art began cropping up on buildings, in alleyways, and across busy highways.

Just steps from where Floyd was killed, his face appeared on the side of a grocery store surrounded by a sunflower representing longevity and loyalty. Chicago artists worked overnight on this powerful portrait of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her own home. In D.C., the pavement where people are marching against policy brutality has itself become part of the protest.

Without systemic change, murals are just window dressing. But artists know their collective response to police brutality can help focus attention on action that matters. We spoke to five women all over the country building solidarity with symbolism.

Latino communities in northern New Jersey rally together to fight for justice at Black Lives Matter protest.

Cities across the US witnessed another night of protests despite widespread curfews a week after George Floyd's death. Among the violence and anger, moments of peace and hope have emerged as some police forces have shown solidarity with protesters, and anti-racism demonstrations have spread around the globe.
TOOLS TO BUILD WELL BEING
Founded in 1981, Race Forward brings systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity.

Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.

Noname's Book Club is an online/irl community dedicated to uplifting POC voices. We do this by highlighting two books each month written by authors of color.

In addition to our social media presence we feel it is highly important to have free in-person meet ups to discuss the monthly picks in a safe and supportive environment. Currently we have 6 local chapters with plans for continuous growth.
The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond supports the on-going anti-racist efforts in communities, organizations and institutions.

Undoing Racism® is our signature workshop. Through dialogue, reflection, role-playing, strategic planning and presentations, this intensive process challenges participants to analyze the structures of power and privilege that hinder social equity and prepares them to be effective organizers for justice.
Our Common Purpose - Reinventing American Democracy in 21st Century

The Commission’s report, which was released in June 2020, calls attention to promising local initiatives around the country and identifies six strategies and 31 recommendations that communities, institutions, and individuals can take to promote engaged citizenship in the 21st century. The Commission seeks significant progress on all of its recommendations by 2026, the nation's 250th anniversary. 

A Non-toxic Race Dialogue Board Game to Promote Cross Racial/Cross Cultural Amity Developed by the National Center for Race Amity

Game Objective: To encourage and assist people to talk about race in a non-toxic manner with a focus on amity, emotional safety, learning and mutual support.

If a conversation is hard, it’s probably the one worth having. We created a digital toolkit to help empower hard conversations about race and privilege with the people in your life. 25 questions and wildcards to dig deeper on a conversation long overdue.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION THIS WEEK!
Global Atlanta


6/18 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET
A National Call for Moral Revival


6/20 at 10 AM & 6 PM ET | 6/21 at 6 PM ET


Policy and Tools Corner

  1. Community Commons Black Lives Matter Collection
  2. Poor People's Campaign Platform to Address COVID resilience and response with a moral stimulus package for communities of color experiencing inequities.
  3. Coronavirus Response Collection from Community Commons - a curated collection of resources from change-makers across the country. To contribute to this page, suggest a resource here and select the "Coronavirus Pandemic" topic.
WIN Cooperatives