DAY 1: WHAT IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY?

If you followed the news at all this past year, you probably heard about Critical Race Theory and what students are learning about race and racism in schools.

Today, we take some time to explore what CRT is, dispel some common misconceptions, and take a deep dive into the origins of this important academic movement, as well as some action items to ensure children learn a truthful accounting of our country's history of systemic racism and how that legacy continues to impact our lives today.

Why Do We Need It?

Because we do not live in a post-racial society.

We have data on racial income inequality, wealth inequality, and housing inequality. We continue to see injustices against underserved racial communities.

Teaching how these injustices came to be is the first step in working towards racial progress.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	45 Minutes
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE on the contributions of Latino scholars in the field of Critical Race Theory and how they shed light on the Latino experience in America.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE on how CRT's framework challenges the status quo of racial inequity and how the law (and lawyers) can help to finally upend systemic racism.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST featuring one of the founders of the Critical Race Theory movement Kimberle Crenshaw, as she explains the true meaning of CRT and how it became a political flashpoint.

There is a tremendous amount of confusion over what Critical Race Theory means and its relationship to other terms, such as “anti-racism” and “social justice,” with which it is often conflated. There are also significant disagreements, among experts and educators alike, about its precise definition.

CRT is an academic legal theory taught in higher education settings, particularly as part of law programs; it is not explicitly being taught in primary and secondary schools. However, there has been a shift within many K-12 classrooms leading to curriculum revisions, and efforts that teachers have made in their lessons to correct stereotypes and narratives that devalue people's of color contributions and experiences has led to a wave of misunderstanding. What CRT is not - a synonym for culturally relevant teaching.

"When CRT is discussed, either by those who favor or oppose it, many on both sides likely know little about the theory, and are responding to what they’ve heard or read someone else say about CRT," says, George Korda of The Knoxville News Sentinel.

Locally, CRT has been a hot topic in public schools within the last few years and especially during last November's Spokane Public Schools board race. The four candidates: Melissa Bedford and Daryl Geffken running for position 3, and Kata Dean and Riley Smith running for position 4 held varying opinions and knowledge on what exactly CRT is and whether it belongs in classrooms. CRT is not currently part of SPS's curriculum and is not taught in the district.

Infographic courtesy of Education Week

However, SPS did pass a racial equity resolution in 2020 and is described as a 'major step forward in addressing racial inequities within the school system."

Today, we try to shed more light on what is and is not happening in classrooms across the country and some of the ways that schools have omitted more accurate portrayals of America's history.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes
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READ THIS ARTICLE about how schools are failing to prepare educators adequately to teach accurate representation of our country's indigenous peoples.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO on reckoning the often racist descriptions or omissions of Black history in U.S. textbooks.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE on the lack of knowledge of the Holocaust among Americans under 40 and how misinformation on social media contributes to Holocaust denial.

Because of the racism embedded in school curriculum, teachers have moved to update their lesson plans with an anti-racist lens. These resources discuss how teachers have made necessary changes, how students are responding to this richer view of history, and why these conversations are so important to have with children and young people.

Yesterday, we learned about the racial equity resolution Spokane Public Schools passed in 2020. The resolution establishes policies to reduce the disproportionate number of arrests, suspensions, and expulsions on students of color. It also states that the school district will develop a new safety plan to eliminate the ability of any district employee to arrest students.

Adapting a quote from author, speaker, and self-proclaimed internet yeller, Ijeoma Oluo, the resolution says, "We realize that structural racism is built into the bones of our schools, as well as every structure in society; we have to build anti-racism into the bones in order to increase student empowerment, belonging, value, and hope for the future."

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO about how to talk to kids about race and why it's important to have these conversations early, often, and honestly.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE about how advocates are writing Asian American stories back into history books and developing lesson plans and curricula about Asian American history.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST discussing how educators attempt to talk to their students about systemic racism and the role it plays in our society.

Because the definition of Critical Race Theory remains unclear, it has evolved into a polarizing topic leading some people reluctant to acknowledge the systemic racism that persists today.

This theory does not state that racism is the fault of any individual or groups of people. Instead, it implies U.S. social institutions were created with racism embedded in policies and procedures that lead to differential outcomes by race.

There is still a lot of fear that surrounds CRT, most notably the assumption that it accuses all white people of being oppressors while labeling all Black people as the oppressed. These fears have triggered school boards and state legislatures across the country to ban teachings about racism in classrooms. However, these narratives exaggerate the theoretical framework, puzzling many academics and scholars.

Transparency, honesty, and accuracy is vital to education and democracy, even when it reveals painful histories and stories. Continuing that education will become more difficult in classrooms as states continue to pass bills banning CRT. Barred from talking freely about the impact of systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia has left many educators with the choice of either teaching an inaccurate depiction of American history or potentially facing legal consequences that could impact their careers.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	10 Minutes
	and		and
VIEW THIS MAP showing states that have introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching CRT or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism.	and	LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW between NPR's Audie Cornish and Gloria Landson-Billings, one of the first academics to apply the CRT approach to her education policy research.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE on how the ACLU is pushing back against state bans on CRT in classrooms and what effects anti-CRT legislation has on discussion about race and racism in schools.

The ambiguity surrounding Critical Race Theory and the apprehension to discuss or acknowledge the prevalence of systemic racism in our society continues to contribute to the push back currently happening in the U.S. Continuing to hold these difficult conversations about the harm systemic oppression does to people of color and other communities at the margins of our society can be one of the first steps America takes in order to heal.

Today, we share stories about how other countries dealt with their painful histories and how we as Americans can use these examples to help guide our own way forward towards justice and growth.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	5 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST about how the National Memorial for Peach and Justice, dedicated to victims of lynching, enables visitors to confront the brutality of slavery and Jim Crow, and sparks powerful conversations across the country.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO on South Africa's struggle to reckon with the violence of Apartheid and why painful conversations and reparations are key to moving forward. Content warning: contains graphic violence.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE on how the long and public reckoning following the Holocaust shows a path forward for America to begin healing the intergenerational trauma caused by slavery and Jim Crow laws.

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

A living wage is defined as a minimum income necessary for an individual to meet their basic needs such as food, housing, and clothing. Spokane's cost of living is 4% lower than the national average. The cost of living in any area varies based on factors, such average salaries and available job market, and the area's real estate market.

Many companies and organizations have relied on MIT's Living Wage calculator to determine how much employees should be paid. Jobs in the retail, healthcare, and service industries have been historically undervalued and underpaid. The pandemic heavily underlined the importance of these workers and their struggle to make ends meet. Half of Americans in lower wage occupations are considered essential workers, with Black and brown workers making up the majority of this workforce. As of April 2021, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults, or 62%, say they agree with raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, including 40% who strongly support the idea.

Use these resources to find out what the living wage would need to be in your community to provide a decent standard of living.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
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CALCULATE YOUR LIVING WAGE This calculator was developed by Amy Glasmeier and Tracey Farrigan to estimate the cost of living based on regional typical expenses. This tool helps determine a local wage that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE to learn more about what a living wage entails and what you can do to advocate for minimum wage workers.	and	USE THIS MAP to view livable wage by state as of 2022 and see where your state ranks. Washington state's livable wage is $51,000.

• 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.

When the federal minimum wage was put into place in 1938, employers were required to pay their workers $0.25 per hour. Contrary to popular belief, President Franklin Roosevelt intended this to be a living wage that meant more than subsistence. Since then, the minimum wage has not kept pace with increased productivity or even inflation. In fact, the federal minimum wage has stayed at $7.25 since 2009.

There has been lots of push to raise the minimum wage, most of the action taking place at the state, county, and city levels. 29 states and the District of Columbia have higher minimum wages – ranging from $8.65 in Florida to $15 in D.C.

In the 1950s, a typical CEO made 20x the salary of their average worker. The ratio of CEO pay to employee pay has since increased 1,000%. Today, a typical CEO makes 361x the salary of their average worker, or $13,940,000 per year, compared to just $38, 613 for the average production worker. Take a look at this list that compares the average worker's salary with its company's CEO's salary.

In 2017, 8.6% of white workers were paid poverty wages compared to 19.2%, or 1 in 5, for Hispanic workers, 14.3%, or 1 in 7, for Black workers, and 10.9% for Asian and Pacific Islander workers.

Today, we learn more about the history of the minimum wage, how and why it no longer reflects the needs of everyday Americans, and its disproportionate impact on people marginalized by racism and sexism.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	5 Minutes	and	45 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO about the history of the minimum wage in America and how its inability to keep up with inflation has made the minimum wage significantly weaker than its high point more than 50 years ago.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE that dispels myths about minimum wage workers and learn how a living wage will benefit Latino workers.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST to learn why both legislators and economists cannot agree on why and how to raise the federal minimum wage, and problems that may arise while doing so.

Initially viewed as un-American, tipping became a popular way shortly after emancipation to avoid paying Black people freed from slavery a wage for their labor. When the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938, it specifically excluded tipped workers from receiving a minimum wage.

Today, women and people of color are most likely to be tipped workers who make a subminimum wage of just $2.13 an hour. Though employers are supposed to make up the difference if tips do not reach the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, a One Fair Wage Report found that 35% of tipped employees experienced wage theft.

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	1 Hour
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READ THIS ARTICLE on how tipping was introduced in America as a way to avoid paying wages to Black people recently freed from slavery.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO on the racist history of subminimum-tipped wage and how it continues to disproportionately impact Black and brown women working in the restaurant industry.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST on tipped origins on America's railroads, the early anti-tipping movement, and how the New Deal codified our two-tiered wage system.

• 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.

Economic stability is one of the five social determinants of health, which accounts for 40% of the health factors that contribute to health outcomes. To address health disparities, state and local governments have folded in a health-in-all-policies approach, including health impact assessments to make sure decisions involving laws and policies consider these health impacts. Unfortunately, recent research shows that these adjustments have not resulted in change or reductions in these health disparities.

The pandemic further highlighted the class and racial disparities in economic security. Black and Latino households are more likely to report income loss and difficulty in paying expenses. Experts say the U.S. labor market will not be alleviated by market forces in the eventual post-pandemic recovery, leaving Black and Latino workers with significantly high unemployment numbers in the double digits.

Because people marginalized by racism and sexism make up a disproportionate number of low-wage workers, raising today’s minimum wage to a living wage has the potential to be an important tool for achieving economic justice and closing the racial and gender pay gaps. Implementing a federal minimum wage would give the entire country a baseline to work from and help to dismantle the institutionalized disproportionate regional wages.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE on how moving towards a livable wage would help close the pay gap. 34% of Black working women and 31% of Latina workers will get a raise if the minimum wage is raised to $15/hr.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO on how the gender pay gap, the wealth gap, and the pandemic all have a significant part in women's inability to build up and increase wealth.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST SERIES that features Black women and experts sharing their experiences and insights on how the gender pay gap, pay discrimination, and systemic inequality affects their livelihoods in the workforce.

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. 

Increasingly, people are re-evaluating what they want from their workplaces. This year, employees resigned in record numbers (also known as The Great Resignation) to take care of their families, to find jobs that are more flexible or offer better pay, or to find a workplace that shares their values. Paying a living wage is an important way employers can continue to attract and keep employees, demonstrate that they value their employees, and stay committed to fostering an equitable organization.

IF YOU HAVE...

10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes	and	1 HOUR
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE on why paying employees a living wage plays a crucial part in being anti-racist in the workplace, especially for entry-level positions.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST (or read the blog post) on why it's important for non-profits to pay a living wage and implement key benchmarks and strategies to help create a more equitable workplace.	and	WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY about Carmen, who rallies her coworkers to fight the company for legally mandated severance pay after her plant closes to pursue cheaper labor.

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

The first celluloid film was shot in 1888, just 23 years after the end of the Civil War. Since then, film has been a powerful tool, both for perpetuating white supremacy and for challenging it.

One of the darkest chapters in the history of Hollywood is the institutionalization of the Hays Code 1934 and 1968, a set of guidelines created by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, now known as the Motion Picture Association of America (or MPAA). This code ensured ideas and depictions in opposition to institutionalized racism, sexism, and homophobia would not have a platform during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

^{The cast of "The Curse of Quon Gwon: When the Far East Mingles With the West" (Courtesy of CAAM)}

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	1 HOUR
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READ THIS ARTICLE about how the film, The Birth of a Nation, depicted the Ku Klux Klan as the heroes of the post-Civil War South and was used as a recruiting tool, leading to a nationwide revival of the KKK during the 1920s.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO with interviews excerpts from the documentary, Hollywood Chinese, featuring Amy Tan, David Henry Hwang, Joan Chen, James Hong, Nancy Kwan, Wayne Wang, and Lisa Lu discussing yellowface.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST where the hosts analyze some classic favorite movies and re-examine them within the context of an ever-evolving world and see if they hold up (13 episode series).

If you have...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
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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.

^{Image courtesy of Penn Libraries, University of Pennsylvania}

During Hollywood's Hays Code era, which banned a number of topics, themes, and actions in order to keep film "presentable" and "safe," depictions of lesbian and gay characters fell into the "immoral" and "perversion" categories, keeping the stories of LGBTQ+ characters and actors hidden. TV and film have come a long way since that era; 2020 proved to be the highest year yet for LGBTQ+ representation in media.

Although there is still a smaller representation of queer and non-binary characters in TV and film, Hollywood has moved past the Hays Code and we've seen an increase of more nuanced and diverse depictions of queer people in the last few years. Younger people searching for this representation have a wider variety of characters and stories than ever to share the struggles, joys, and normality of queerness.

IF YOU HAVE...

10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	1 HOUR
	and		and
READ THIS REPORT conducted by GLAAD to analyze what queer representation looks like in today's media and their recommendations.	and	VIEW THIS TIMELINE that follows the history of LGBTQ+ representation in film, beginning in 1894 to current day.	and	WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY that explores the range of transgender American experiences by profiling 11 people who identify as transgender and nonbinary.

• 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.

To 'other' a person or group of people is to label them as outliers of society: different, abnormal, less than. We can think of othering as an antonym of belonging. Reducing characters in TV and film to stereotypes and tired tropes are one of the most used strategies for perpetuating white supremacy.

Hollywood has a long history of portraying Muslims and other marginalized groups in the U.S. as less than human. Muslim characters, especially, are fetishized and pared down to their politics and religion, which is often conflated with their culture and faith.

"The representation of Muslims in the media and entertainment emphasizes their position as what I call a ‘permanent and impossible enemy’, with a particular emphasis on terrorism," says Dr. Nour Halabi, lecturer in race, migration, and social movements at Leeds University.

After 9/11, Americans saw a surge of violent, inaccurate and inauthentic portrayals of Arabs and Muslims by the entertainment industry. Advocacy groups protested and the industry made what was considered an improvement in representation: “patriotic" Muslim characters. Unfortunately, these portrayals are red herrings, leaving audiences only knowing Muslim characters as good or bad strictly in relation to terrorism.

Today, we explore the topic of othering through the lens of Islamophobia and America's media response to 9/11, and its continued impact.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	30 Minutes	and	1 HOUR
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO about the pervasiveness of damaging Muslim stereotypes in TV and film and how the U.S. Department of Defense has influenced depictions of The War on Terror.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE (or watch the video clips or dive into the full interview) to understand how the experiences of Muslims in America have changed since 2001.	and	VIEW THIS REPORT that follows the progression of Muslim characters in TV and film and how Muslims have been represented and misrepresented on the big screen.

Colorism and anti-blackness are biases against people with darker skin and any other features that differ from white, Eurocentric beauty standards. Children with darker skin experience more castigation than lighter-skinned people of color in schools and, as adults, they face higher rates of hiring discrimination. It is no different in film and television where light-skinned actors of color are more likely to fill lead roles, especially as protagonists and romantic interests.

Also known as whitening or bleaching, skin lightening (SL) products account for nearly 50% of the cosmetics industry and are in high demand in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, despite high prices and the dangers of skin bleaching chemicals that can lead to health defects, such as cancer and scarring of the skin. Other side effects can include: numbness, high blood pressure, fatigue light sensitivity, kidney failure and neurologic symptoms, such as tremors, memory loss, and irritability. A recent review of SL products found about 1 in 2 products contain dangerous levels of mercury beyond the legal limit.

The global desire for lighter skin has created a booming global business in bleach creams, soaps, and injectables valued at $8.6 billion. In 2020 alone, $2.3 billion was spent in the U.S. and is projected to reach $12.3 billion by 2027.

IF YOU HAVE...

10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE about how Latin creatives are impacting Hollywood to broaden their representation and tell more complex stories.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO of a panel discussion on how inclusion in Hollywood has to consider how colorism influences the casting of Black, Latino, and Asian roles.	and	LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST that reports on the global desire for lighter skin and the potentially toxic steps some will take to achieve it.

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

TV and film have a unique power to both perpetuate harmful stereotypes that keep marginalized people from reaching their full potential and to inspire us to advocate for ourselves and others in order to live our true and authentic selves. Growing up, we often look to TV and film characters as heroes or role models. Even as adults, there are characters we love and aspire to be like. Although much of these are fictional, creators have used TV and film over the past 130 or so years to tell stories about the world in a very real way. Through this medium, we can experience places, situations, and emotions that we may not otherwise be exposed to.

Without representation for these historically underrepresented groups, so many of our neighbors remain misunderstood, stigmatized, isolated, and oftentimes, feared. Our society is constantly changing and the entertainment industry should represent that.

These resources explore both how a lack of representation can be extremely harmful, and how diverse representation can empower people marginalized by racism, sexism, and ableism.

IF YOU HAVE...

10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes	and	2 HOURS
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE (or watch the video) of young people sharing how impactful it is to see characters in media that represent them and who they share identities with.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO to analyze how the revolutionary automatic audio-visual tool, the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient, has and will continue to analyze gender representation in film	and	WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY about a group of teen campers became inspired to join the fight for disability civil rights on the heels of Woodstock.

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

Each month or so, 800 million people get their periods.

Period poverty is inadequate access to period products and menstrual cycle education and research has shown that many people all over the world still face these barriers.

Historically marginalized communities, especially, do not have access to these essentials. According to Days for Girls, 25% of people who menstruate experience period poverty. Lack of access to products and resources can lead to forced use of rolled up toilet paper, socks, tissues, rags, old blankets, and even garbage bags.

Additional health challenges can arise, including having to miss work or school, or otherwise being unable to function in their daily routines.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE about how women from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and Oglala Lakota tribes advocate for the availability of free menstrual products in rural areas.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO about schools and universities that have begun to provide menstrual products for those that need it in order to tackle period poverty.	and	WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY that explores how the lack of access to sanitary protection affects millions of women around the world.

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

A lot falls under the umbrella of sex education. Not only does it include education about infections, illnesses, and our anatomy, but it includes gender and sexual preference, and family planning.

Our cultures, religions, values, and beliefs shape how we learn about sex, relationships, and our bodies. Regardless of where or how we are raised, understanding how our bodies physically, mentally, and emotionally work is critical for our health and safety, particularly for women and girls.

Today, we talk about how comprehensive sex education can be used as a tool for sustaining equity and forming healthy relationships with those around us.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO as people around the world reflect on their own sex education and how they hope it will be taught for future generations.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE about the Indigenous American educators who work to provide comprehensive sex education in Indigenous culture.	and	WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY of high school students share the challenges and uncertainties of adolescence, sexual identity, and other sexual health matters.

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

In 2021, the United States saw a drastic increase in abortion restrictions across the country. This new legislation and the draft opinion by SCOTUS leaked in May do not reflect the opinions of a vast majority of Americans. Despite varying views on what regulations and caveats should exist, a majority of Americans favor safe and legal access to abortion. 69% of Americans would like to see Roe v. Wade upheld. 

While religion is commonly used as a backing for abortion restrictions, the Public Religion Research Institute found nearly 70% of Black protestants support legal abortion in most or all cases. 

Access to abortion is also an issue of autonomy, impacting racial, gender, and economic justice. In several states, Black and Latino people make up a majority of those receiving abortion care, according to the CDC. Decisions to ban abortion made by majority white lawmakers take bodily autonomy away from Black and brown individuals. 

A 10-year study conducted of 1,000 women who either got an abortion, or wanted one but were denied revealed that “72% of those who were denied care ended up living in poverty.” 

When abortion is not legal and safe, pregnant individuals may seek alternatives. According to Amnesty International, “unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide.” A lack of legal access to abortion puts many Americans’ lives at risk through unsafe/unregulated abortions, abuse and trauma during pregnancy, as well as unsafe birthing conditions. The U.S. already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. 

Read the YWCA Spokane's full statement on the Roe v. Wade SCOTUS draft opinion.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn about the new abortion restrictions just signed into law in Idaho.	and	USE THIS TOOL created by Planned Parenthood to see where states currently stand on abortion access.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE to understand how Indigenous people are fighting to be heard about reproductive rights.

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

Lawmakers across the country have been rapidly working to create more abortion restrictions or update current restrictions. Abortion is an essential part of healthcare. Forced pregnancy is a form of coercive control that impacts many survivors of domestic violence. Having bodily autonomy means having the right to make the best reproductive choices for ourselves and our families.

Abusive partners often attempt to control their partners’ reproductive choices, which can occur through manipulation of birth control/contraceptives, physical violence, or a threat of violence.

State laws to restrict access to abortion have a disproportionate impact on women with lower incomes, particularly women of color, who may not have travel resources to access reproductive care. The demographics and makeup of legislators with the power to implement these bans rarely reflect their constituents' demographics who are truly impacted by their decisions.

Today, we explore the links between domestic violence and abortion restrictions.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
READ THIS ARTICLE that explores the often hidden links between domestic violence and abortion.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO to get a glimpse of what it is like right now for individuals in Texas seeking abortion care.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE on how abortion access can save women (more pregnant women die by homicide than pregnancy-related causes).

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

Reproductive justice encompasses more than ensuring who can choose if, and when, to have children. Advocates work to educate how systemic racism violates the rights women of color have to raise children in a safe environment, free of physical and psychological impacts of systemic racism. This includes inhumane practices within the correctional systems, police violence, and unsafe environments for raising children.

The right to choose whether or not to have children is a racial issue impacted by systems that remove bodily autonomy. The United States has a history of using forced or coerced sterilizations to target diversely abled individuals and people of color. This lingering eugenic practice has continued in our prison systems, impacting Black and Indigenous people incarcerated at largely disproportionate rates.

Pregnant individuals that live in areas with higher police presence, activity, and monitoring are 83% more likely to experience preterm birth. The trauma that comes with high stress police interactions impacts the ability for people of color to carry successful pregnancies to term.

Race and gender-based violence from police and other authority figures contradicts the idea that our communities are safe spaces to raise children. Not only do communities who experience over-policing and discrimination often lose children to this violence, but the youth lose the ability to truly live as children. The trauma of witnessing violence is not isolated to adults; children also experience PTSD symptoms due to police violence. After a child is born, the question stands: Does our community provide a safe and healthy upbringing for children?

To safely have and raise children of color in our country is a reproductive rights issue that intersects with the systemic violence embedded in our culture by white supremacy. Until we are able to invest in our communities in active ways to combat the negative health outcomes of race and gender-based violence, we cannot address reproductive justice and rights.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	30 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO to understand where the term 'reproductive justice' came from and how it is impacted by intersectionality.	and	READ THIS ARTICLE to learn more about the links between reproductive justice and ending police violence.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn about barriers to reproductive justice within the criminal justice system.

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

Graphic by Danielle Coke

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of YWCA Spokane’s 21-Day Stand Against Racism Challenge!

These 21 days were crafted to help you learn, grow, and stretch. The Challenge is a great step, but it is only the beginning; with this learning comes the responsibility of taking action in your daily life. Our commitment to the work of racial equity and social justice mobilizes us to speak up and do the work everyday.

Completing this challenge is a great way to strengthen your social justice muscles. It is important to recognize that “choosing” to learn or talk about race is not a privilege everyone has. We must remain actively engaged and speak truth within our spheres of influence, even when it's difficult. Have these conversations  with coworkers, family, and friends. You might be the source of information they trust or inspire them to learn more on their own.

There is no perfect way to have these conversations. But when we lean in instead of shying away, become stronger. Even when we can't find the right words, we always need to try. As we continue these conversations, our confidence grows and it becomes more achievable to disrupt injustice.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr.

It is always the time to speak up. Together, we can eliminate racism in our community.

IF YOU HAVE...

5 Minutes	and	10 Minutes	and	15 Minutes
	and		and
WATCH THIS VIDEO by Brené Brown to understand the privilege of speaking up and why it is so important to use our voices.	and	EXPLORE THIS GUIDE by Learning for Justice with 6 steps to speak up in response to everyday incidences of bigotry.	and	WATCH THIS VIDEO with Luvvie Ajayi Jones to learn how to be a "professional troublemaker" and speak up with confidence in your workplace and community.