Listen It’s Giving Tuesday, one of the most charitable days of the year. The event, started in 2012, encourages people to allocate some of their holiday dollars towards worthy causes. Last year, $3.1B was donated by over 35 million people, but much of the funding is allocated to larger, well-known organizations that may not need the support as much as smaller, grassroots initiatives led by the communities they serve. We’ve collected some of the causes we recommend if you’re looking to make an impact. We’ve included ways to volunteer, too, so you can support without spending a dime. Here a ..read more

Listen Tone policing is “a conversational tactic that dismisses the ideas being communicated when they are perceived to be delivered in an angry, frustrated, sad, fearful, or otherwise emotionally charged manner” (Dictionary). It can be used by anyone, but we often see people leveraging it against those they harmed.   Tone policing is one of many ways that dominant culture “polices” marginalized people. Either subconsciously (informed by one’s unconscious bias) or intentionally, some people use tone policing to deflect from their own inappropriate misconduct and put th ..read more

I was reading about the situation with Cassie, and was surprised to see that she settled just a day after you sent that email out. Why do DV survivors file and settle civil cases instead of filing charges? “Justice” in this country’s legal system is a loaded word. No matter how you define it, it will look and play out differently for those seeking it. Avenues towards legal justice are not guaranteed for all. This is true for survivors of domestic and/or sexual abuse. We know that there are multiple barriers victims face when trying to leave violent relationships, be it romantic or familial, w ..read more

Listen When most people think of reality shows, they often conjure images of popular programs like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” “Love and Hip Hop,” and “Jersey Shore.” Incarcerated reality shows are frequently absent from the broader conversation about this genre. In the United States, 2.3 million individuals, predominantly men of color, are incarcerated, and an additional 5.7 million are under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Notably, 70 million people have a criminal record, including 18 million with felony convictions. The troubling reality is that over 40% of adul ..read more

Listen Last week, a video circulated of a Black woman being punched by several cops (NBC News). Black women celebrities Keke Palmer and Cassie have each made public allegations about rape and abuse they’ve experienced from their partners. And Megan Thee Stallion released a new song documenting the emotional toll of being shot by artist Trey Songz and the public court case that unfolded as a result. These public conversations are bringing the topic of misogynoir to the forefront and signal the work left to do to protect Black women from abuse. Misogynoir is a ..read more

I agree with your condemnation of Israel in the current conflict but am concerned about the casual use of terms like genocide and apartheid in your newsletter. Genocide is defined by the UN as a crime committed to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part. Apartheid is defined as “inhuman acts” done to establish and maintain racial “domination.” We do not have enough information at this time to label this conflict this way even if we personally believe it. Doesn’t using weighted words like “genocide” and “apartheid” prematurely allow the other side to discredit ..read more

Listen The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the modern era. Marred by centuries of exploitation and violence at the hands of foreign influences, internal conflicts, and bordering countries, Congolese people in its Eastern provinces have been displaced, persecuted, and exploited by those profiting off of the region’s wealth. Though it’s framed as a “silent” holocaust and genocide, the crisis in Congo is anything but silent. From colonialism, lackluster intervention, and corporate greed, the persistent and unaddressed exploitation in t ..read more

Listen November 11 was the 192nd anniversary of the execution of Nat Turner, a freedom fighter who changed the course of American history. Born into captivity in Virginia, Turner refused to accept slavery at the urging of his mother, herself kidnapped from Africa. Believing himself divinely called to lead enslaved Black people out of slavery, he led an insurrection against the white enslaving class following a solar eclipse. It took a militia of 3,000 to defeat Turner’s forces and bring him in to be executed in November 1831. Still, in death, Turner remained a symbol of armed revolt again ..read more

Listen “I’ve recently had to move in with my parents to help support them financially as my mom was recently put on long-term disability. It was the hardest decision to make. They are white, right-wing, and along with the list of -isms that go along with that, I’ve recently realized the extent of their Zionism. My dad is an active vessel of hatred, spreading Fox News rhetoric, and forbidding any “political talk” in the house. My mom is passive and insists on turning a blind eye to any number of atrocities for the sake of her health. I’ve had a few semi-substantial conversations with her ab ..read more

Listen On a related note, I feel very conflicted about the 2024 election. I’ve seen a lot of people expressing that they will not vote for Biden again after his unwavering support of Israel and I’m having a hard time coming to terms with it myself. But I feel like if I don’t, then any progress we’ve made is going to be set back. I feel like democracy itself is at risk. Do you have any advice?  Truthfully, I’ve found myself in the same conundrum. Every time I find myself confident in my resolve to either vote or abstain, I end up devil’s advocating the other side. Luckily for both ..read more