Today, we start this challenge by posing an opportunity for each of us to embrace anti-racism. We invite you to explore the differences between anti-racism and non-racism. Upon initial reflection, these terms may seem quite similar. The difference, as the resources below explore in more detail, is the active nature of the term “anti-racist” and the passive nature of the term “non-racist”.

What may seem like irrelevant semantics, makes a tangible difference in the way those who adopt each term, respectively, choose to understand and impact the world around them. Anti-racism requires active reflection, critical consciousness, personal accountability, intentional action, and an understanding of the structural, deeply rooted nature of racism.

Anti-racism is an active way of being in the world that seeks to understand and transform it. Anti-racism doesn’t require you to always know the right thing to say or do in any particular situation. Anti-racism prompts you to take accessible action, to work against racism whenever you find it, including, and perhaps most especially, racism that you encounter within yourself.

Angela Davis states that, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
Read this article that defines Anti-Racism from the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre and explains the power inherent in the term.	and	Listen to this podcast featuring historian Ibram X. Kendi, author of "How to be An Antiracist," outlining racist ideology as a force in American society.	and	Explore this interactive article detailing the nature of racism across levels & spheres of influence, with tools to embody anti-racism in decision making.

The words equality and equity are often used interchangeably to describe a condition of fairness that we hope to achieve in our society. However, there are key differences in these concepts to consider as we challenge ourselves to think more deeply about race.

Equality means providing the same resources and opportunities for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Equity means meeting the differing needs of people by providing resources and opportunities specific to those needs.

While both equality and equity aim for fairness, equality treats people as if they are the same while equity recognizes that treating people as if they are the same does not mean treating them fairly. In fact, equity can mean providing more resources to a group that has been disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.

For example, a school board might deem it fair to allot the same amount of funding to each school in a city, even though each school’s demographics and academic outcomes differ. This could be considered part of an equal opportunity for education, but it is not necessarily fair. An equitable approach would allot more funding to schools with high numbers of low-income students and students of color, who have been disproportionately underserved by our education system.

In short, equality cannot be achieved without equity. Providing the same resources and opportunities to a diverse population can only be fair if we actively work to remove barriers that prevent people of color and other marginalized groups from fully benefiting from these resources and opportunities.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
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Watch this video  from the University of Maine’s Rising Tide Center that visually walks you through the difference between equity and equality.	and	Read this article from the Center For Social Inclusion that defines racial equity and offers stages to arrive at equity.	and	Review this toolkit offered by Racial Equity Tools which includes research, tips, and ideas for those who want to increase their understanding and help work toward justice at every level.

As shared by Kimberly Davis, EWU Senior Director for Diversity and Inclusion, "microaggressions are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership".

Microaggressions include three main categories:

• • Microassaults: Conscious and deliberate, either subtle or explicit discriminatory actions against another based on that person's heritage or identity.
  • Microinsults: Often unconscious communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person’s heritage or identity.
  • Microinvalidations: Often unconscious communications that subtly exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person’s identity.

Microaggressions often include hidden messages reflecting oppressive worldviews that can create and support marginalization, which is the treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant. An example of a Microaggression is when a white person clutches their purse or checks their wallet as a black or Latino man approaches or passes by. The hidden message is "you and your group are criminals."

Most of us think of ourselves as decent, moral members of our community, possessing no ill intent towards others. The realization that our intent does not always align with our impact, or that we hold a biased worldview, can feel very disturbing. Instead of confronting the realization that we engaged in a harmful action (regardless of intent), many prefer to deny or diminish the action while at the same time avoiding accountability.

It is important to note that while our focus today is on racial microaggressions, other microaggressions do exist, such as gendered microaggressions or economic microaggressions. 

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
Watch this video  from Keele University that highlights racial microaggressions that students have faced at their university and how it affects them.	and	Read this blog post  by Derald Wing Sue Ph.D. about everyday microaggressions and his analysis of the hidden messages within.	and	Read this article by Kevin Nadal with Cuny Forum about how one might respond to a microaggression and what to do if we commit a microaggression.

Building upon our understanding of microaggressions, provided by the content from Challenge Day 3, today we will examine stereotypes and cultural appropriation. You may find yourself surrounded by these terms quite often, in the media, among friends and family, at school, or in the workplace. Today we challenge you to explore, in depth, what do these terms mean, what impact do they have, and how can I use my agency to combat the proliferation of stereotypes and cultural appropriation?  

Stereotypes are defined as overgeneralized beliefs about a particular category of people. Some stereotypes may seem more damaging than others. In fact, there are two categories of stereotypes, positive stereotypes and negative stereotypes. Positive stereotypes are “a subjective belief that attributes a favorable characteristic to a group and implies an advantage because of your association with that group.” An example of a positive stereotype is the assumption that an Asian person is automatically good at math. 

Negative stereotypes differ from positive stereotypes in that they associate unfavorable characteristics to groups. The implications of a negative stereotype disadvantage the people within that group. An example of a negative stereotype is the assumption that all Muslims are terrorists. Some think that positive stereotypes must not be as harmful as negative stereotypes. Positive stereotypes are commonly misconstrued as complements by those who proliferate them, because positive stereotypes link groups with favorable characteristics and imply an advantage due to group membership. We know, however, that the overgeneralized beliefs inherent in both positive and negative stereotypes are dehumanizing because they erase the complexity of the individual human experience.  

According to Cambridge Dictionary, cultural appropriation is “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.” Typically, cultural appropriation occurs when a person or group invokes and attempts to replicate materials or traditions of a culture from which they have not been socialized, and do not fully understand. Often, this is done to make a profit, a fashion statement, and/or a joke. Let’s ground ourselves in some examples of cultural appropriation. 

One example of cultural appropriation is blackface. This is when a light-skinned individual colors their face dark brown or black as a “costume.” Other examples include “Hawaiian”/ Luau or “Mexican” themed parties, wearing sacred Native American regalia such as a feathered headdress for a special event such as a music festival or Halloween, and wearing “native” print clothing created and distributed by non-Native owned companies. 

Some who struggle with the concept of cultural appropriation mistakenly believe that by working to eliminate cultural appropriation in our actions, we will not be able to admire other cultures or traditions. This is not inherently true. An awareness of cultural appropriation does not call us to stop learning about other cultures. Instead, an awareness of cultural appropriation prompts us to question how our popular, established patterns of cultural consumption may be rooted in oppression and invites us to strive toward a more equitable pattern of cultural exchange.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
Watch this video and read this article to better understand stereotypes, stereotype threat, and the roles they play in self-fulfilling prophecies.	and	Watch this video  to better understand what cultural appropriation is and what it isn't and how to discern the difference.	and	Read this article that breaks down cultural appropriation and outlines the many reasons why it can be harmful.

Our challenge today is to explore intersectionality and how it is used as a valuable framework for exploring the human experiences of individuals, groups, and communities. 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Intersectionality is the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups. 

Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American lawyer, civil rights advocate, philosopher, and a leading scholar of critical race theory, introduced the theory of intersectionality, in 1989, in order to conceptualize and explain the oppression of African-American women through the compounded discrimination experienced as a group belonging to two marginalized communities.

Each of us has aspects of our identities that inform the creation of our experience. Social identities based on groups, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, nationality, religion, and class, are some of the most influential factors that weave together to impact a person’s life. 

Intersectionality takes into account the impact of our overlapping and intersecting social identities, and acknowledges the compounding nature of oppression that occurs when an individual or group experiences multiple marginalized social identities. For instance, intersectionality brings to light the differences in experience between white women and women of color, and challenges us to examine these differences as the result of systematic oppression. 

The framework of intersectionality is critical to social justice work and the fostering of an equitable society. By looking through the lens of intersectionality we are able to broaden our perspectives, acknowledge experiences outside our own, and invite the reality that our individual points of view are inherently impacted by our social identities.

If you have...

10 Minutes	and	15-20 Minutes	and	1 Hour
	and		and
Read this blog post  from YWCA Boston that briefly describes intersectionality and concrete ways we can address it in our daily lives.	and	Watch this TED Talk  from Kimberly Crenshaw, where she discusses intersectionality and violence against black women. (Content warning: discussion and graphic images of police brutality).	and	Listen to this podcast from Crenshaw and other speakers about how COVID is revealing intersectional vulnerabilities and gaps in our systems.

BONUS: Here is a 3 minutes, student-friendly video that breaks down intersectionality.

Privilege refers to the rights, benefits, or advantages that we experience based on our social identities. Oftentimes, our privilege manifests through experiences in our daily lives that we are unaware of and may even take for granted.

Evidence of privilege is apparent when we examine the differences between social identity groups’ respective likelihood to achieve certain experiences, such as adequate health care, clean drinking water, proper nutrition, stable housing, and more.

We, as individuals, may be privileged in some ways and disadvantaged in others. Having a certain type of privilege does not mean that a person will not have struggles in their life, but rather that those struggles will likely not be because of that person’s race, gender, orientation, ability level, or other social identity status.

Some daily examples of privilege could include:

• An able-bodied person can walk through a neighborhood regardless of what the sidewalks look like, but someone using a wheelchair or other mobility aid has to be mindful of and avoid sidewalks that are uneven, broken, or nonexistent.
• A light-skinned person can probably go into a drugstore and find disposable bandages or makeup that at least relatively matches their skin tone, but a dark-skinned person often has to seek out specialty providers to find the same products for themselves.
• A cisgender woman can usually use any public women’s restroom without fear of violence or retaliation, but a transgender woman often has to think twice or check that it is safe for her to use the same restrooms.
• A heterosexual couple can typically hold hands or kiss in public, but a same-sex couple has to take into account whether it is safe for them to do so. 

Once we know what privilege looks like, what can we do? Those of us who have privileges in certain areas can make a difference by being mindful of these privileges, advocating for others when they do not have the same privileges that we do, and by leveraging our privilege when appropriate.

Leveraging our privilege can look like donating money to worthy causes if we can afford to do so, educating others, having courageous conversations with our families and peers, and using safe bystander interventions. 

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
Read this guide  from the American Friends Service Committee on the do’s and don’ts of bystander interventions.	and	Review these examples  of privilege provided by Boise State University to better understand various kinds of privilege.	and	Watch this TED Talk by Sue Borrego who shares her story of understanding and unpacking her own privilege.

• BONUS 1: Consider reading 'White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism' by Dr. Robin DiAngelo and watching this lecture by DiAngelo at the Seattle Central Library.
• BONUS 2: Take a look at these graphic illustrations of white privilege created by Courtney Ahn in Portland, Oregon.

For many of us, popular culture is the primary way we learn about other people, especially if we don’t live in a culturally diverse area. Media, news, and movies play a significant role in how we learn to see the world around us. 

Unfortunately, many representations of people in media are based on cultural stereotypes, which tend to marginalize and caricature members of nondominant groups. Through these representations, we often see a limited, and distorted, view of others.

As Chimamanda Adichie shared in a TED talk about stereotypes (link below), “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”

In television and film, characters from nondominant groups often fall into tropes or clichés. The consistency of these representations reinforces stereotypes. Historically the gatekeepers of film, news coverage, and media representation have set the agenda, without most of us realizing it’s happening. Who is telling the story (and who is not at the table) shapes how the story is told. 

While we may think of this as an issue only seen in older media, this is still a significant problem today. For example, black men and boys, or nonwhite people in general, are still often overrepresented as criminals or portrayed negatively in both news and entertainment programs, while white people are more often shown as the heroes or victims of crime. Positive depictions of nonwhites are often limited to sports and music. Though these representations are factually inaccurate, they are often left unquestioned because they fall in line with prevailing cultural stereotypes. 

We can’t erase the influence that the media has on our society. The most important thing we can do is recognize it and start noticing how it shapes our perceptions of people we’ve rarely or never met, places we’ve never been, and concepts we don’t know much about. We are all influenced, even if we think of ourselves as open-minded. Next time you get a strong feeling about a person or idea, or make an assumption about a group of people, pause and take a moment to examine this belief. Start bringing into your awareness your own biases and begin breaking them down one at a time. 

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
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Watch this video  explaining Stuart Hall's Media Studies theory of representation in the media.	and	Read this article  examining how media can skew racial perceptions of crime — particularly, white Americans' associations of crime with racial minorities.	and	Watch this TED Talk that explores the danger of a single story, shared by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

As health care experts scramble to prevent and contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, something else is spreading: xenophobia. 

Xenophobia is defined as “dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.” Even before the U.S. president labeled COVID-19 “the Chinese virus,” we were seeing calls for travel and immigration bans on anyone of Asian descent on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else that could be used as a platform.

This isn’t the first time Americans have witnessed pandemics contribute to xenophobia. For example, in the 19th century, Irish immigrants were blamed for cholera outbreaks, which contributed to increased anti-immigrant sentiment across the country. Around the same time, tuberculosis was believed to be caused by Jewish immigrants, resulting in anti-Semitic rhetoric. 

Xenophobia is not only actively harmful to immigrant communities and communities of color in this cultural moment--it also contributes to systemic racism overall.

Systemic racism, also known as institutional racism, refers to the prevalence of racially discriminatory practices implemented in social and political systems such as housing, employment, or food security. Reduced access to things like housing, food, or health insurance can have a significant impact on a person’s health outcomes.

Statistics show that people of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In Chicago alone, African Americans are dying at a rate of 6 times their white counterparts from the virus according to the Chicago Tribune. Just recently, Dr. Bob Lutz, Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer, shared that people of color in Spokane experience higher rates of contracting COVID-19 (article below).

There has also been a surge in hate crimes during the pandemic, especially towards Asian Americans. A local news outlet reported a rise in anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic, including over 1,000 incidents in five weeks in California alone.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
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Watch this video  from the New York Times of an 11th grader recount her experiences of racism during the pandemic.	and	View this local news report  from KHQ, with Dr. Bob Lutz, stating Coronavirus rates are higher for people of color in Spokane.	and	Watch this video and article from The Root exploring the history of pandemics and racism, and current racism with COVID-19.

• BONUS: If you have 45 minutes, listen to this podcast from Black Lives Matter addressing racial health disparities, particularly the disproportionate effects that COVID19 is having on Black communities.

The legal system is an institution that works to distribute justice while often perpetuating inequities within the communities it aims to protect. Over-policing, excessive use of force by law enforcement, lack of access to adequate legal aid, and mass incarceration all disproportionately affect communities of color. 

America’s approach to punishment often lacks a public safety rationale, disproportionately affects minorities, and inflicts overly harsh sentences. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Justice, “Prevalence of Imprisonment in the U.S. Population, 1974-2001,” as shared by The Sentencing Project, 1 out of every 3 Black males born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime, as can 1 out of every 6 Latino males, compared to 1 out of every 17 white males. In addition, women are the fastest-growing incarcerated population in the United States with an increase of 716% since 1980.

Despite making up close to 5% of the global population, the U.S. has nearly 25% of the world’s prison population. Since 1970, our incarcerated population has increased by 700% to 2.3 million people in jail and prison today, far outpacing population growth. Evidence has confirmed these disparities for many years yet significant action has yet to be taken by those in power across the nation.

The increased documentation of acts of police brutality shared through social media combined with the efforts of social justice organizers has drawn wide-spread public attention towards matters of racial injustice, something communities of color have recognized and reckoned with for generations. 

The brutal torture and death of George Floyd by on-duty Minneapolis police officers on May 25th, 2020 incited outrage within communities across the nation. Massive waves of public support for black lives have begun to inspire a shift in priorities within many communities, organizations, and institutions. 

Racism has no place in the America we all deserve. It is the duty of those of us who hold various types of privilege to recognize that the injustice in the criminal justice system is not new; it requires diligence and dedication from all of us to educate ourselves and to hold those in seats of leadership and power accountable for making the changes needed for true racial equity and social justice.

If you have...

10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
Read this article  exploring the Washington Post’s database of every fatal shooting made by a police officer nationwide, since 2015.	and	Watch this TED Talk  by Baratunde Thurston who explores the phenomenon of white Americans calling the police on black Americans who have committed the crime of "living while black."	and	Listen to this podcast from Black Lives Matter addressing the killing of Breonnna Taylor, the Say Her Name movement, and police violence against black communities.

• BONUS: Watch the documentary '13th', available on Netflix, to learn about the 13th amendment and how mass incarceration of communities of color can appropriately be referred to as a form of modern day slavery. 

When we hear the word “segregation”, most of us probably assume it’s in a historical context. Racial segregation is still impacting many peoples' lives today. However, segregation looks different now than it has in the past. Today, housing segregation is markedly more systemic, under the surface, and covert than it was in America during the pre-civil rights era. Systemic issues, such as segregation, can be easy for individuals and communities who have racial privilege to ignore and/or be unaffected by. 

Housing segregation has wide-reaching effects, and not just in our homes and neighborhoods. In fact, housing segregation has been linked to disparities in wealth, employment, education, health, legal status, and more.

Dr. Scott Hippe, a family physician in Boise, Idaho, spoke at TEDx Spokane in 2018 about Saving Lives In Slow Motion. He brought attention to determinants of population health and how socioeconomic and environmental factors are responsible for the majority of health issues (50%). He suggests a paradigm shift of where we place our priorities in order to foster a healthy community and to save lives. Hippe's talk reinforces our understanding that where you are located and the conditions in which you are placed contribute to an individual’s ability to achieve good health.

Today, we challenge you to take a detailed look at how housing segregation manifests today and what impact it has on the communities that it disenfranchises.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
Read this article  about the history of “redlining,” a term used to describe racially discriminatory home lending practices.	and	Watch this video  from NPR about the impacts of housing segregation and redlining on individual and community wealth, health, education, and policing.	and	Watch this video from VOX about the racial makeup of our neighborhoods vs our workplaces. You can also use the interactive map to compare your own city to others.

• BONUS: Listen to this episode of NPR’s Code Switch podcast about how housing segregation impacts every aspect of life.

Domestic violence is a major public health issue for women, in particular, women of color. The intersection of domestic violence and institutional racism compounds the victimization of African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, immigrant, and other women of color as they try to break out of cycles of violence. 

Facts About Domestic Violence & African American Women

According to the Institute on Domestic Violence in The African American Community, black women are three times more likely to die as a result of intimate partner violence than white women. Pregnant black women are eleven times more likely to die due to domestic violence than pregnant white women.  Acknowledging this reality in no way negates the existence of domestic violence against white women.  It does, however, help us to see a more full picture of the compounded experience for black women in our country.

As shared by Meggie Royer, Women’s Advocates’ Education & Outreach Coordinator, "Yes, we must advocate for all survivors and victims of domestic violence. But we cannot take race out of the equation, because taking race out of the equation is killing black women. We can and should advocate for all survivors and victims, we need to, but when we respond with immediate contempt to the racial injustices that are pointed out to us, we are only advocating for some survivors and victims."

Compounded Issues of Racism & Domestic Violence In Spokane

This issue is prevalent in our own community. Brit, YWCA Spokane Domestic Violence Advocate, shares in the below video how racism can magnify the situation for survivors here in Spokane. 

Violence Against Indigenous Women

Violence against American Indian/Alaskan Native women is exceedingly high. "American Indian women living on Indian reservations experience unique challenges that intensify the epidemic of violence against them," as stated by Futures Without Violence. "Accurate statistical data quantifying incidences of violence against women on reservations, or 'Indian country', is in small quantity. Comprehensive data on violence against women under tribal jurisdiction does not exist since no federal or Indian agency nor organization systematically collects this information."

According to the Coalition To Stop Violence Against Native Women, 4 out of 5 Native women are affected by violence today. There is currently a crisis regarding adequate data collection regarding missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).  For example, 5,712 cases of MMIWG were reported in 2016 yet only 116 were logged in the Department of Justice database. To learn more view a report by the Urban Indian Health Institute.

Domestic Violence and Immigrant Survivors

Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, especially those who are also people of color, face unique challenges due to issues such as racism and xenophobia which can impact their available options for support. A common experience among survivors who are immigrants is a fear of contacting authority or accessing legal resources due to the threat of deportation for themselves or for a loved one. Abusive partners of immigrants are likely to utilize this fear to exert power and control over their partner. Threats may be made of deportation of her and/or her children, intentional withdrawal of paperwork to jeopardize legal status, not allowing their partner to learn English, and isolation from anyone that speaks their native language. 

Additionally, many immigrants face language and cultural barriers on top of trying to navigate a complex immigration system. Recent rhetoric and restrictions regarding immigration have made the last few years particularly difficult for immigrant families experiencing violence in their homes. View the Immigrant Power & Control Wheel detailing forms of abuse partners use against immigrants.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
Read this article  about black women experiencing domestic abuse and Coronavirus quarantines as life threatening.	and	Read this report  from advocates revealing Immigrant survivors fears about reporting violence.	and	Listen to this podcast from The Takeaway that discusses the intersections of immigration and domestic violence.

• BONUS: If you want to learn more about the experiences of immigrants in general, check out this collection of “choose your own adventure” style simulations. The characters are composites of real stories of immigrants from all over the world and various points in American history.

Our public educational institutions are intended to be safe havens where all students, regardless of their identity or background, can learn and grow. However, disciplinary practices in many school districts today are not consistently enforced between racial groups and foster a pernicious cycle of diminished opportunity and undue punishment that has become known as the School to Prison Pipeline. This systemic flaw funnels students, especially students of color, out of schools and into the criminal justice system. 

Students of color are disproportionately disciplined and are disciplined more harshly than white students. According to the Justice Policy Institute, “Black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students.”  We also know, based on data from the ACLU of Washington, that students who have been suspended are twice as likely to repeat a grade, three times as likely to drop out of school, and three times as likely to be in contact with the juvenile justice system than their peers. Taken together, these facts lead us to an alarming conclusion: students of color are at a particularly high risk of moving from the school system to the criminal justice system.

Compounding this risk, U.S. schools today have more police officers than social workers or guidance counselors. This both deprives students of resources that could help them navigate challenges constructively and leads them to early and unnecessary encounters with the criminal justice system. These encounters disproportionately involve students of color and sometimes result in juvenile records that severely limit students’ life opportunities. This lack of opportunity can lead to more negative encounters with law enforcement, thus enmeshing these students even further in the criminal justice system. As Juvenile Law Center puts it, juvenile records “perpetuate the mass incarceration of people of color.”

Today we challenge you to explore the resources below and to learn about your local school district policies and how they may disproportionately affect certain students. We also encourage you to get to know your school board and, most importantly, vote in school board elections. 

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
Watch this video  outlining the School to Prison Pipeline and how it disproportionately impacts students of color.	and	Watch this TED Talk  featuring Dr. Monique Morris focusing on the experience of Black girls in the education system.	and	Read this article from VOX that takes a deeper look into policies within educational institutions supporting a funnel into the criminal justice system.

• BONUS: listen to this podcast episode from Justice In America focused on the School to Prison Pipeline and an in-depth conversation about how our education system evolved, the experiences of individuals in heavily policed schools, and ideas for moving toward a better system.

Civic engagement of the populace is the foundation of democracy. The right for our concerns to be represented and addressed in our governing body is an American value. This means that civic engagement, including voting and census participation, are, and have always been, core components of racial justice.

You may be aware of some of the ways in which historic voter suppression has systematically kept people of color from the ballot box. However, many of us do not recognize how voter suppression manifests today. Additionally, most are unaware of the importance of the Census as a tool in our democracy and how this unsung program impacts the lives of every person in America without most of us even realizing it. 

In theory, the goals of the census and our elections are to have all experiences represented, and all voices captured. In reality, there are multiple populations at risk of being underrepresented due to civic engagement barriers. Historically and currently, these barriers disproportionately affect communities of color, meaning people of color are routinely undercounted and underrepresented. These gaps in data collection are associated with drastically impactful outcomes for the communities who are underrepresented, for social service organizations, and for society as a whole.

As shared by YWCA USA through the Stand Against Racism National Tele-Town Hall, "Voting rights, census participation, and civic engagement are, and have always been, essential to racial justice. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts all aspects of life, it is also exacerbating the impact of systemic and structural racism on communities of color across health, education, justice, and economic sectors."

Today we challenge you to take the time to explore the resources below and dive deeper into these issues, learn what communities are doing to fight for their rights, and how you can be of support, so we can all join together in building a fully functioning democracy and a more equitable, just society. 

If you have...

10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
Watch this TED Talk  to get an overview of the importance of the census and the impact of civic engagement on our communities and our country as a whole.	and	Read this article  that explores some of the most rampant methods of voter suppression across the country.	and	Listen to this podcast about civic engagement and the unique concerns surrounding COVID19’s impact on civic engagement and an equitable democracy.

• BONUS: Read this blog post from YWCA Spokane explaining why the 2020 Census is so important. It includes resources to support your engagement.

You’ve made it to the end of the 14 Day Challenge! Thank you for spending time and energy learning, listening, and being willing to hear new perspectives! Everyone will probably leave this challenge feeling something different - energized, angry, drained, sad, or more curious about the experiences of others.

You might be feeling powerless. I am only one person - how can I do anything that really makes a difference?  Nothing could be further from the truth. You might actually be the only person who can make a difference in your sphere of influence, especially in today’s environment, where public trust in institutions like the media and government is historically low.

Maybe you are in a position of power in a company, place of worship, or community organization, and you can use that platform to start speaking out. Maybe you’re not, and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean people won’t listen to you. You might be the only person who your family and friends will listen to if you start a conversation about race.

If you’d like to take action, you don’t have to do it alone.

Here are a few resources to help you get started.

• Disrupt racism. Have a conversation. People are much more likely to listen to someone they have a relationship with. DoSomething.org provides clear guides to help you have anti-racist conversations with friends and family.
• Change how you consume media. Do a media audit of what you read, listen to and watch. Are you getting your news from only one source? Do you listen to any podcasts hosted by people of color, or read news sites from a perspective other than your own? Purposely add in a few different sources. Here are some ideas.
• Read different history books. A few examples: A People’s History of the United States, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People, An African American and Latinx History of the United States. Check out this Black History Month library - consider using it all year.
• Donate to organizations involved in racial justice work locally and nationally. To support YWCA Spokane's racial and social justice work, donate here. 
• Talk with your kids about racism. Here are some resources for kids and adults to read, listen to, and watch. Watch this TED Talk about ending silence around race with children.
• Consider getting involved in local advocacy. You can create change in a more impactful way than you might think, just by attending meetings of your City Council, a school board, a neighborhood council, or writing/calling a local legislator.
• Continue to seek out information and different perspectives. Here are some additional videos from Race Forward you can watch and share.
• Explore YWCA's Racial Justice Training Manual along with other advocacy resources available through YWCA Spokane.