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yourreddancer · 2 years

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HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

July 7, 2022 (Thursday)

Today, President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 individuals who Biden says “demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation—hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities—and across the world—while blazing trails for generations to come.”The seventeen appear to have been chosen quite deliberately to provide a snapshot of a multicultural, nonpartisan society in which people work to overcome hardship and contribute to the public good.

Biden praised decorated gymnast Simone Biles, who has won 19 World Championship gold medals and 4 Olympic gold medals, for her advocacy for the mental health and safety of athletes, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault.

Sister Simone Campbell is “a prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy.” Dr. Julieta García “was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.”

Former Member of Congress Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords, the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate and later a U.S. representative, survived gun violence and co-founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.

Attorney Fred Gray “represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin

Luther King, who called him ‘the chief counsel for the protest movement.’” Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, led both Apple, Inc., and Pixar. “His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.”

Father Alexander Karloutsos has been a Greek Orthodox priest for more than 50 years, “providing counsel to several U.S. presidents.”

Khizr Khan is a Gold Star father (which means he lost his son Captain Humayun Khan in the military service of the U.S.) and “is a prominent advocate for the rule of law and religious freedom.”

Sandra Lindsay was prominent in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, working as a critical care nurse in New York. She was “the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials and is a prominent advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers.”

Senator John McCain, who died in 2018, was a prominent Republican politician from Arizona, famous as an independent thinker who often bucked his party to do what he considered right.

Diane Nash helped to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that “organized some of the most important civil rights campaigns of the 20th century.”

Olympic and two-time World Cup champion soccer player Megan Rapinoe works “for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights.”

Former Wyoming senator Alan Simpson, a Republican, has been “a prominent advocate on issues including campaign finance reform, responsible governance, and marriage equality.”

Richard Trumka, who died in 2021, led the AFL-CIO for more than a decade and worked for social and economic justice.

Brigadier General Wilma Vaught broke gender barriers as she rose through the ranks of the U.S. Air Force. “When she retired in 1985, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces.”

Award-winning actor, director, and producer Denzel Washington has “served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.”

And civil rights advocate Raúl Yzaguirre, who was a U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, led the National Council of La Raza for 30 years.

“Decorated athletes and military heroes, artists, civil rights giants, activists and trailblazing representatives, intellectuals, and innovators,” Biden tweeted. “That's America. And these are our 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients.”

President John F. Kennedy established these awards for ”especially meritorious contributions to… [t]he security or national interests of the United States, or…world peace, or…cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” “

In a period when the national government must call upon an increasing portion of the talents and energies of its citizens,” Kennedy said, “it is clearly appropriate to provide ways to recognize and reward the work of persons, within and without the Government, who contribute significantly to the quality of American life.” And yet for all their apparent civic-minded origins, a 2018 study by political scientists E. Fletcher McClellan, Christopher Devine, and Kyle C. Kopko showed that the medals have become increasingly political since 1981 as presidents seek to reward donors and associate their presidencies with individuals who will appeal to their voters or show their administrations in a good light.

The difference between Biden’s first 17 award recipients and those former president Trump honored reflects their different visions of the country. Trump favored white people and focused on athletes, especially golfers; cultural icons (Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley); or icons in the Republican Party’s rightward swing (media figure Rush Limbaugh, economist Arthur Laffer, jurist Antonin Scalia). Trump also awarded a medal to Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) on January 4, 2021, and, on January 11, 2021, to Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH).

That vision of the government as a way to reward loyalists might have moved past legal boundaries.

New York Times journalist Michael S. Schmidt yesterday reported that both former FBI director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe were tapped for extremely rare invasive tax audits by the Internal Revenue Service during the Trump administration. Those audits are supposed to be random, and the chances that both Comey and McCabe, whom Trump singled out as enemies for their role in the Russia investigation, were randomly chosen seem small. The two men were unaware the other had gone through the deep audit until a reporter told them.

Today, the IRS director Charles Rettig, the Trump appointee under whom the audits took place, asked the inspector general of the Treasury Department to investigate the matter.

There was international condemnation of right-wing policies in the U.S. today, when the European Parliament voted 324 to 155, with 38 abstaining, to condemn the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion

. It also demanded that the European Union recognize the right to abortion in its charter, and to provide "safe, legal and free abortion services, pre-natal and maternal healthcare services, voluntary family planning, youth-friendly services, and HIV prevention, treatment and support, without discrimination."

U.S. Secret Service director James Murray announced his retirement from the agency today to take a position as security chief at Snapchat’s parent company, Snap. Former president Trump appointed Murray to the head of the Secret Service in May 2019. Questions about the loyalties of certain Secret Service agents have swirled since January 6, but the White House said the resignation was not connected to the recent testimony of Cassidy Hutchinson, aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, who mentioned hearing of a physical altercation between Trump and an agent after Trump spoke at the Ellipse on January 6.

In the U.K. today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped down as head of the Conservative Party after dozens of officials in his government resigned over repeated scandals. He says he will step down as prime minister when the party chooses his replacement, likely this fall. Party leaders may force him out sooner. In a statement, Biden said that “the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring…. I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our Allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities. That includes maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's brutal war on their democracy, and holding Russia accountable for its actions." (HE RESIGNED)

Tonight, former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest while he was giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara. His condition is critical. Police have arrested a male suspect in the shooting. Washington Post Tokyo/Seoul bureau chief Michele Ye Hee Lee tweeted: “Can't overstate how shocking this shooting is—not only because Abe is very popular and prominent, but also because gun violence is extremely rare incident in Japan, a country with some of the world's strictest gun laws.” (ABE WAS NOTED TO BE THE JAPANESE TRUMP, VERY CORRUPT AND NOT WELL LIKED)

President of the European Council Charles Michel tweeted that Abe is “a true friend, fierce defender of multilateral order & democratic values.” He promised that the European Union stands with Japan and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Finally, former president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary today. Theirs is the longest presidential marriage in our history. They were married in Plains, Georgia, on this date in 1946.

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abcnewspr · 2 years

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ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES PRIMETIME ‘SOUL OF A NATION’ SPECIAL SPOTLIGHTING CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES, HOSTED BY ACTOR, AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST GEORGE TAKEI

The Special Will Feature Comedian and Activist Margaret Cho and Other AANHPI Luminaries, With Reporting From ABC News’ Juju Chang, Eva Pilgrim, Ashan Singh and Lei U’i Kaholokula

‘Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage – A Soul of a Nation Presentation’ Airs Friday, May 27, 8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT on ABC

*ABC News

ABC News’ groundbreaking “Soul of a Nation” returns with a special presentation, “Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage,” the network’s first-ever primetime program celebrating the diversity and recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of the vibrant Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.

The primetime presentation, hosted by actor, New York Times bestselling author and social justice activist George Takei, underscores the strength, beauty and resilience of the AANHPI community against a backdrop of ongoing hate attacks and a history of exclusion, marginalization and invisibility.

Viewers will hear from AANHPI luminaries themselves, like pioneering stand-up comedian and actress Margaret Cho, who’ll share an original monologue; groundbreaking directors Daniel Kwan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Jon M. Chu(“Crazy Rich Asians”); and trailblazing actors such as the legendary James Hong and Gedde Watanabe (“Sixteen Candles,” “Mulan” films), Emmy®-winning TV host Carrie Ann Inaba (“Dancing with the Stars,” “Austin Powers in Gold Member”), actress Tiya Sircar (“The Good Place”) and many more.

Featuring compelling reporting from Emmy Award-winning “Nightline” co-anchor Juju Chang, “Good Morning America Weekend” co-anchor and correspondent Eva Pilgrim, “Nightline” multiplatform reporter Ashan Singh, and KITV 4 anchor Lei U’i Kaholokula, the program explores wide-ranging themes, including conquering hate through education, history and activism; shattering dangerous stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood; amplifying the voices and concerns of AANHPI women; recognizing Native Hawaiians; and celebrating the power allyship has to unite us all.

“Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage — A Soul of a Nation Presentation” airs Friday, May 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC.

The one-hour program intentionally centers on AANHPI voices and stories to spread understanding and unity that is vitally needed at this moment and is packed with thoughtful discussion and inspiring stories, including the following:

RISING UP WITH HOPE AND ACTIVISM

Chang speaks with activists like 13-year-old Korean-American Mina Fedor, founder of AAPI Youth Rising, who is advocating for Asian American history to be taught in schools; Karen Kwan, a descendant of a Chinese American transcontinental railroad worker and member of the Utah House of Representatives, who is fighting to preserve history and legacy; as well as third-generation Chinese American Jan Lee, a New York City activist, who is fighting alongside others to protect the city’s historic Chinatown.

SHATTERING STEREOTYPES

Pilgrim speaks with Hollywood directors Kwan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) and trailblazing actors Hong, Watanabe, Inaba, Diane Mizota and Sircar about shattering the harmful stereotypes perpetuated in Hollywood and popular media as well as the new generation of AANHPI talent changing the landscape with more inclusive and authentic storytelling.

FINDING UNITY

Singh explores tensions both within the AANHPI community and between the AANHPI community and other racial groups. He will be examining how to better achieve allyship and solidarity with intersectional Filipino activist Kalaya’an Mendoza, a community organizer with Nonviolent Peaceforce.

FIGHTING HATE

Chang hosts a moving “Soul of a Nation: In the Kitchen” conversation with AANHPI women, discussing the alarming rise in violent anti-Asian attacks, how to fight back against hate, and ultimately how to embrace resilience and strength. The intimate and revealing conversation includes Noriko Nasu, a Japanese teacher and attack survivor now working to confront hate crimes; MinJin Lee, the Korean American author of “Pachinko”; and Thenmozhi Soundararajan, a Dalit American activist.

SAFEGUARDING NATIVE HERITAGE

Kaholokula shines a light on the under-told history and culture of Native Hawai’i, taking us inside the story of the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom with Paula Akana, executive director for the Friends of Iolani Palace. She will also explore how Native Hawaiians are reclaiming their power and rights today, speaking with cultural practitioner and Mauna Kea activist Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, Ph.D., and Kauanoe Kamanā, president of ʻAha Pūnana Leo, an international educational leader in indigenous language revitalization.

“Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage — A Soul of a Nation Presentation” is produced by ABC News. Melia Patria and Poh Si Teng are executive producers. Marie Nelson is senior vice president of Integrated Content Strategy and “Soul of a Nation” series creator. Tine is director, and Stephanie Wash serves as senior editorial producer.

*COPYRIGHT ©2022 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All photography is copyrighted material and is for editorial use only. Images are not to be archived, altered, duplicated, resold, retransmitted or used for any other purposes without written permission of ABC News. Images are distributed to the press in order to publicize current programming. Any other usage must be licensed. Photos posted for Web use must be at the low resolution of 72dpi, no larger than 2x3 in size.

-- ABC --

Follow “Soul of a Nation” (#SoulOfANation) on Instagram and Twitter.

For more information, follow ABC News PR on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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swseats · 4 years

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ECLECTICLE 7/19

Eating My Feelings

I hope you might hold space for the truth that all your body wants from you is for you to live in it, and that your body is working every day to make that happen.

- Ijeoma Oluo

At this point 2020 is just half over and it has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. My family downsized from our home of almost 15 years to a new neighborhood and a much smaller existence. There have been uprisings, reckonings, and increased attention around racial inequity spurred by the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and a list of black and brown bodies that seems to keep growing. All of this during a raging pandemic that has many struggling with choices of how to keep themselves, their families and their community safe. Daily, folks are trying to keep themselves housed and fed. We're seeing beloved parts of our community shuttering for good as we grapple with this “new normal”. I have been having a lot of emotions to deal with.

If I were eating my feelings, this would be a meal that has me bloated and full to bursting. It would be a wretched meal that neither sustains nor nourishes -- leaving a sour taste in my mouth like milk having just gone off. A pitiful meal indeed.

Canapés of fear. Antipasti of anxiety that I continue to pick at throughout the meal. Depression soup, helplessness salad, and finishing off with a deflated soufflé of exhaustion for dessert.

But I have not been eating my feelings. I've been feeling them. Sometimes collectively while at other times they tumble over each other, one right after the other -- nonstop. I have been taking them in and trying to transmute them into hope and action. Hope for what may be and the action to hold people and systems accountable for their words and allyship. Hope that this long-term struggle for change is making a difference. Action to continue to push so that the world is more accepting, equitable, supportive and loving. I am seeing the beginnings of a positive step forward in this country’s history and it is whetting my appetite for the potential of things to come.

“Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

— John Lewis

What I’m Eating:

Belgian Style Cinnamon Waffles

I have NO idea why it didn’t occur to us to add cinnamon to waffles, but now that we have I’m not sure if I will be able to go back. This batch of Belgian Style waffles came up crispy golden on the outside and deliciously fluffy on the inside. And the hint of cinnamon made us want to throw together another batch to top with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert.

What I’m Reading:

A restaurateur and his partner in rural Minnesota find opportunity for their business and a chance to pass along his mother's legacy of making a difference. (NYT Paywall?)Two Chefs Moved to Rural Minnesota to Expand on Their Mission of Racial Justice

After a brief California update, this article from the NY Times (paywall?) talks about a universal basic income pilot in Stockton CA. This may be a good indicator of how the program might work in other municipalities across the state. California Today: Should Californians Get Guaranteed Income?

Writing about what red palm oil is and what it represents Yewande Komolafe brings us a broader discussion about who is talking about food systems and how. The Problems With Palm Oil Don’t Start With My Recipes

What I’m Listening To:

Podcast: East Bay Yesterday Episode 60 "We were being erased” The woman who saved California’s Black history Liam O'Donoghue introduces us to Delilah Beasley Author of the book “The Negro Trailblazers of California.” With little education or means, Beasley spent nearly a decade interviewing African American elders and digging through crumbling archives to compile a book that rescued dozens of notable Black figures from historical oblivion.

This was a really interesting talk given by local award winning social entrepreneur Jamie Facciola. Jamie’s work on developing local solutions to circular economy challenges has been covered in BBC News, Fast Company, GreenBiz and on the KQED podcast Rightnowish, which profiles the "movers and shakers that shape the place we call home."Sustainability Essentials Webinar - Circularity in Furnishings With Jamie Facciola

What I’m Watching:

This made my week!

Dancing and music are one way this couple are using to improve their mental well being.

Chinese Village Couple's ‘Rural-Style Shuffle Dance’ Goes Viral

#SWSEATS #Eclecticle #what I'm reading #what i'm eating #what i'm listening to #what I'm watching #blackfoodwriter #blackfoodblogger #Food Writing

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becausewecareatlanta · 3 years

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Stockbridge Women’s History Month Honors March 7th! Sharonne Salaam is our Keynote Speaker for Women’s History Month Honors Stockbridge Sunday, March 7th. Sharonne is truly a historic activist in the fight for social justice in America thrust into the battle the moment her son Dr. Yusef Salaam was imprisoned in the infamous Central Park 5 case, now the Exonerated 5.  Imagine your black teen son and his friends who are 100% innocent are arrested and accused of the heinous crime of raping a white female jogger in the racially charged City of New York in the 80’s. Their faces where then plastered on the cover of every newspaper and tv newscast of every media outlet. To make matters even worse their names and home addresses where published putting their very lives at risk. Mother Salaam does not have to imagine it she lived it and fought heroically to free her son and all the boys charting the course for the social justice struggle we see today. Dr. Yusef Salaam continues the struggle today along with his wife Sanovia Guillory as Stockbridge residents along with their children. Please register for the historic virtual speech at COSWomensHistory.eventbrite.com.  Performances by Poet Hank Stewart, Eagles Landing Dance Center, Vocalist Lydia Middelton, and more! The Father’s Love Award will be posthumously presented to Global Impact Christian Ministries Pastor Spencer O'Neal, The Luann Burns Award will be presented to Talisa Johnson. Sanovia Guillory wife of Dr. Yusef Salaam and Sharonne Salaam Mother of Yusef will be honored for their work fighting for social justice in America. We will also honor City of South Fulton Fire Chief Captain Andrea Hall who made us all so proud at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration of President Joe Biden. Honoree Brenda Lopez Romero is a trailblazer as the first Hispanic legislator elected in Georgia bringing diversity to our state. Dr. Lilly Henson CEO of Piedmont Henry Hospital is a hero saving lives in our community during the pandemic as is Taylor Hardin RN responsible for the Covid floor of patients on the frontline against Covid-19. (at Henry County, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLxLZNdhbR1/?igshid=1iz8cpfb9111z

#stay tuned stockbridge #henrycountyga #womenshistory

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instapicsil2 · 5 years

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@iamroberttownsend To Be Honored by Local Arts Group; Talks Legacy, Inclusion, Late #JohnSingleton https://bit.ly/2MSyPc5 (link in bio) #Hollywood Director/#Chicago native #RobertTownsend was reflecting on attending the memorial last month for fellow black filmmaker #JohnSingleton, who died April 28 at age 51. Singleton, who’d suffered a stroke, had brought to the screen such beloved films on the black experience as “Boyz N The Hood,” “Poetic Justice,” “Four Brothers,” and “Baby Boy.” Townsend attended the May 21 memorial at #USC w/another black filmmaker, @keenenivorywayans. “It was very moving, because you had people like @samuelljackson, @doncheadle, talking about working with him, their love for him. Spike did a video,” Townsend said. That’s @officialspikelee, another black filmmaker. Lee, Townsend, Wayans and Singleton were trailblazers in battling Hollywood to get black stories, and black actors, on the screen. Townsend, 62, raised by his single mother on Chicago’s #WestSide, heads home Saturday to accept a “Leadership Award For Arts In The Community,” from Chicago West Community Music Center at its @palmerhousehilton gala. The nonprofit offers arts programs for at-risk youth. Townsend is best known for such groundbreaking films as “Hollywood Shuffle” (1987) and “The Five Heartbeats” (1991). The satirical “Hollywood Shuffle,” his phenomenally successful directorial debut, threw racial stereotyping of black actors right back at Hollywood. "As elder statesmen, to see the new cinematic sons and daughters — @ava @lenawaithe #RyanKoogler and now @jordanpeele — I have to say .... " http://bit.ly/2J2r4LN

#Insta New 2 #Insta All #All Extra #Everything #Track 1

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blackourstory · 7 years

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50 Iconic Black Trailblazers Who Represent Every State In America

1 - Alabama: Claudette Colvin

Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin. Born in 1939 in Montgomery, Alabama, Colvin became the first person to be arrested for rebelling against bus segregation in the city after refusing to give up her seat to a white person in 1955. At the time, Colvin was just 15 years old

2 - Alaska: Blanche McSmith

Blanche McSmith (center left) was born in 1920 in Texas. After moving to Alaska in 1949, McSmith became president of the NAACP’s Anchorage branch. A decade later, Smith made history by becoming the first black representative in the Alaska legislature.

3 - Arizona: Dr. Rick Kittles

Dr. Rick Kittles is a highly renowned figure in the field of genetics, known for using DNA testing to explore the ancestry of African-Americans. He currently serves as Chair of Minorities in Cancer Research at the American Association for Cancer Research.

4 - Arkansas: John Cross, Jr.

John Cross Jr. was born in Haynes, Arkansas in 1925. In 1962, Cross became a pastor at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama where civil rights activists would often convene. In 1963, the church was the site of a bomb by KKK members that killed four young girls. Cross became a leader for the grieving town by continuing his sermons and presiding over the three of the girls’ funerals.

5 - California: Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler, born in 1947 in Pasadena, California, was one of few black female sci-fi writers during the high point of her career in the 1970s. In 1995, her work was prestigiously rewarded when she became the first sci-fi author to receive the MacArthur fellowship or “genius grant.” With the money from the grant, Butler bought a home for her mother and herself.

6 - Colorado: Larry Dunn

Larry Dunn, born in Denver, Colorado in 1953, was the keyboardist of Earth, Wind & Fire for 11 years. He helped create the band’s 1975 hit “Shining Star.”

7 - Connecticut: Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1908, but New York is where he made history. In 1945, Powell became the first black person to become a U.S. Representative for the state of New York. Many of the bills he proposed during his 15 years in office would eventually be included in the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

8 - Delaware: Clifford Brown

Born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1930, Clifford Brown was an accomplished jazz trumpeter who helped set the standard for the musicians who would succeed him. In 1989, the first Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, which remains an annual event, was held in Wilmington, Delaware to honor the late musician.

9 - Florida: Esther Rolle

From Broadway shows to the classic sitcom “Good Times,” Esther Rolle, born in 1920 in Pompano Beach, Florida, had a prominent acting career. Audiences loved Rolle’s character on TV sitcom “Maude,” so much so that the show’s producer Norman Lear created “Good Times” as a spinoff series in which Rolle would star.

10 - Georgia: Cynthia McKinney

Born in 1955, Cynthia McKinney of Atlanta, Georgia, became the first black woman to represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.

11 - Hawaii: Barack Obama

Born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Barack Obama made history on November 4, 2008 when he was elected to become America’s first black president. His legacy has been an inspiration for citizens worldwide.

12 - Idaho: Victor Wooten

Born in Mountain Home, Idaho in 1964, Victor Wooten was a member of the jazz band Bela Fleck and the Flecktones before embarking on a career as a solo musician. Wooten is a five-time Grammy winning musician was voted one of the top bassists of all time by a Rolling Stone reader poll.

13 - Illinois: Lorraine Hansberry

Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1930, Lorraine Hansberry was the first black playwright to have their work staged on Broadway with “A Raisin In The Sun.” She was also the youngest American to receive a New York Critics Circle award.

14 - Indiana: Major Taylor

Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor was born in 1878 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the first black person to become a champion in a sport and held seven world records by the time he retired at 32-years-old. He retired as one of the richest athletes in history.

15 - Iowa: Charity Adams Earley

Although born in South Carolina in 1918, Charity Adams Earley made history in Fort Des Moines, Iowa when she became one of the first black female officers of the Women’s Army Corps. She later became the first black woman to be commissioned by the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

16 - Kansas: Charlie Parker

Indeed, “Bird Lives” in heart and mind in Kansas City where Charlie “Yardbird” Parker was born in 1920. Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonies. Parker was an icon for the hipster subculture and later the Beat Generation, personifying the jazz musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual rather than just an entertainer.

17 - Kentucky: bell hooks

Born Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1952, noted cultural scholar, award-winning author and black feminist who goes by the namesake of her great grandmother, bell hooks. In 2015, the bell hooks Institute was created at Berea college. The institute allows for a comprehensive study into hooks’ works and theories.

18 - Louisiana: Madam C.J. Walker

Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 in Near Delta, Louisiana, Madam C.J. Walker epitomizes the term “self-made.” By inventing and selling hair products, Walker became first American woman to become a self-made millionaire. Walker created a hair routine that’s still popular among black women today referred to as the “Walker System.” Walker donated some of her money to black organizations like the NAACP and the black YMCA.

19 - Maine: William Burney

Born in Augusta, Maine in 1951, William Burney was elected the first black mayor of the town in 1988. (Picture unavailable).

20 - Maryland: Thurgood Marshall

Thurgood Marshall was born in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland. As NAACP Chief Counsel, in 1952, he took on the case of Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) on behalf of the plaintiffs. Marshall won the case, which deemed public school segregation to be unconstitutional. In 1967, Marshall would become an even more prolific figure by becoming the first black Supreme Court Justice.

21 - Massachusetts: Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley was born in Senegal in 1753 and sent overseas to Boston, Massachusetts where she would become a slave. While enslaved, Wheatley was constantly exposed to books. In 1773, she became the second woman and the first black person to have their poetry published.

22 - Michigan: Carole Anne-Marie Gist

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1969, Carole Anne-Marie Gist made history when she became the first black Miss USA in 1990.

23 - Minnesota: Toni Stone

Born in 1921 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Toni Stone became the first woman to play in a professional men’s baseball league when she joined the San Francisco Sea Lions of the West Coast Negro Baseball Leagues in 1953. Stone endured endless acts of racial and gender-based discrimination.

24 - Mississippi: Fannie Lou Hamer

Born in 1917 in Montgomery County, Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer was a relentless civil rights advocate. Hamer endured arrests, assault and being shot at by racists upset by Hamer’s activism. Hamer made a notable speech at the 1964 Democratic National Convention on being black in America. She helped black citizens register to vote and created organizations to service minority families.

25 - Missouri: Maya Angelou

Born in 1921 in St. Louis, Missouri, Maya Angelou is a renowned, poet, author and civil rights activist. Her works such as “Still I Rise” and “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” have spanned generations. When close friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on her birthday, Angelou went years without celebrating her April 4th birthday.

26 - Montana: Geraldine Travis

Born in 1931 in Albany, Georgia, Geraldine Travis became the first black person elected to be elected to Montana’s State Legislature in 1974. She worked to advance civil rights both in and outside of government.

27 - Nebraska: Malcolm X

Born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X was a fearless civil rights icon and a spokesman for the Nation of Islam. The X that replaced his last name was intended to serve as representation of the loss of his African identity. X was responsible for the popularity of the “any means necessary” philosophy which emphasizes going to any length to protect your rights.

28 - Nevada: Henry W. Lockerman

Henry W. Lockerman was a Porter of the Nevada State Senate in 1889. He was a civil war veteran who served in the 79th U.S.C.I. at Fort Scott, Kansas which was the first colored infantry unit in Kansas.

29 - New Hampshire: Myrna Adams

Myrna Adams made history at the University of New Hampshire by becoming the school’s first administrator in 1969 where she aided black students through financial aid and advisement.

30 - New Jersey: David Dinkins

Born in 1927 in Trenton, New Jersey, Howard University alumnus David Dinkins became the first black mayor of New York City in 1989 beating opponent Rudy Giuliani and incumbent Ed Koch. Dinkins went on to teach at Columbia University and has a building named after him in Manhattan.

31 - New Mexico: Sheryl Williams Stapleton

Born in 1958 in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Sheryl Williams Stapleton became the first black woman to serve as New Mexico Legislature’s floor leader in January 2017. She’s served as a State House representative for New Mexico’s 19th district in 1994.

32 - New York: James Baldwin

Born in Harlem in 1924, author James Baldwin’s prolific works like “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and “Giovanni’s Room” have become literary classics.

33 - North Carolina: Moms Mabley

Born in 1894 in Brevard, North Carolina, Moms Mabley’s success in the male-dominated world of comedy was rare. She was the first female comedian to perform at the Apollo theater and appeared in numerous movies. Her life would become the subject of an off-Broadway play as well as a documentary directed by Whoopi Goldberg.

34 - North Dakota: Rosemary Sauvageau

In 2012, Rosemary Sauvageau became the first black Miss North Dakota. Following two second place position in 2010 and 2011 pageants, Sauvageau, 24, persevered and resultantly, made history.

35 - Ohio: Dorothy Dandridge

Born in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, Dorothy Dandridge was an actress, singer and beauty icon. After starring in the 1954 film “Carmen Jones,” Dandridge became the first black woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for best actress.

36 - Oklahoma: Ralph Ellison

Born in 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, novelist Ralph Ellison wrote the classic 1953 National Book Award winner in fiction “Invisible Man.” Ellison was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.

37 - Oregon: Geraldine Avery

Geraldine Avery was the first black person to become a police matron in Oregon in 1954.

38 - Pennsylvania: Bayard Rustin

Born in 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the leader of numerous civil rights movements, Bayard Rustin was a much lesser-known civil rights organizer. Rustin, who was also openly gay, worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and played a significant role in King’s commitment to non-violence.

39 - Rhode Island: Ruth Simmons

Although from Texas, Ruth Simmons, born in 1945, made history in Providence, Rhode Island when she became the first black person to serve as president of Brown University in 2001. The presidency also made her the first black person to run an Ivy league University.

40 - South Carolina: Althea Gibson

After becoming the first black female professional tennis player, Althea Gibson, born in 1927 in Silver, South Carolina, would go on to become the first black person to hold a number of titles in the sport. She was the first black person to win Wimbledon and the French and U.S. Open.

41 - Tennessee: DeFord Bailey

Born in 1899 in Smith County, Tennessee, DeFord Bailey was one of country music’s first black notable musicians. His harmonica skills landed him a permanent gig on a radio station until he eventually began recording and performing despite constantly facing racial discrimination.

42 - South Dakota: Oscar Micheaux

Although born in Illinois in 1884, Oscar Micheaux was living in South Dakota when he wrote the book that would serve as the basis for the first full-length feature film by a black filmmaker. Micheaux, who produced both silent and speaking films that appealed to black audiences, is considered the first black successful film director.

43 - Texas: Barbara Jordan

Born in 1936, in Houston, Texas, Barbara Jordan was the first black person and first woman to represent Texas in the U.S. Congress when she became a House Representative in 1973. Additionally, Jordan made a memorable opening speech at Richard Nixon’s impeachment just one year later. Although never very open about her sexuality, Jordan was in a domestic relationship with a woman for over two decades.

44 - Utah: Abner Leonard Howell

Abner Leonard Howell was born in 1877 in Louisiana but raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Howell was a gifted collegiate football player who helped lead University of Michigan’s Wolverines team to success although he didn’t receive public acknowledgement for doing so.

45 - Vermont: Alexander Twilight

Born in 1795 in Corinth, Vermont, Alexander Twilight is believed to be the first American college graduate. He is also the first black person to serve in a U.S. state legislature after his 1836 election to the Vermont General Assembly.

46 - Virginia: Ella Fitzgerald

Born in 1917 in Newport News, Virginia, 13 time Grammy-winning jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald is known as “The First Lady of Song.” Fitzgerald left an abusive home at 15 years old and was forced to overcome the Depression by herself. Nonetheless, she had a remarkable career in music and went on to win the National Medal Of Arts by Ronald Reagan in 1987.

47 - Washington: Yolanda Gail Devers

Born in 1966 in Seattle, Washington, track and field athlete Yolanda Gail Devers was an avid runner during her childhood. But despite having to undergo a strenuous treatment program and facing the possibility of having her feet amputated after being diagnosed with Graves disease in 1990, Devers persevered. She went on to receive gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics’ track and field segments.

48 - West Virginia: Katherine G. Johnson

Born in 1918 in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, Katherine G. Johnson is just one-third of the trio of black women whose work with NASA in the 1950s inspired the movie “Hidden Figures.” Her stellar mathematical abilities would eventually play a crucial role in the first successful space exploration by an American. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 by Barack Obama.

49 - Wisconsin: Al Jarreau

Born Alwin Lopez Jarreau in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1940, the actor and singer was the first vocalist to earn three Grammys in three different categories. Jarreau earned three of his six Grammys in pop, jazz and R&B.

50 - Wyoming: Vernon Baker

Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1919, Vernon Baker was the only living black WWII veteran to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his military service. He received the award in January 1997 from then-President Bill Clinton.

source: huffingtonpost.com

#50 States #Black Icons #BlackOurStory #365 Black

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nycannabistimes · 1 year

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Oh my goodness (my shananae voice) 🥰🥰😭😭🥰😭🥰😭🤞😶😶😶😶😶😳😳😳😳😳 #Repost @theblackinstitute ・・・ We are thrilled to announce that CANNABALL NYC will celebrate women's achievements and contributions to the cannabis industry and movement. The evening is to support the Social Equity and Racial Justice Project, whose mission is to monitor, educate, and train people of color about the emerging legal N.Y.S. cannabis industry. The event will occur on March 9th, 2023, at Giando on the Water, located at 400 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225, from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM. LINK IN BIO to purchase tickets!! Three awards will be given to three women of color to recognize their impact on the cannabis industry. The accolades include "Legacy" to Evelyn Zapata, Entrepreneur and founder of The New York Cannabis Times, "Trailblazer" to Nicole N'Diaye, Founder of NAHE LLC, OGAM INC, and BOSSIEE BUDZ LLC., and stay tuned to find out who will get the Industry award. #cannabis #cannabisindustry #fundraiser #fundraiserevent #newyork #newyorkcity (at Borgata Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoD3gJgMRzh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#repost #cannabis #cannabisindustry #fundraiser #fundraiserevent #newyork #newyorkcity

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ppaction · 7 years

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Black History Month 2017

Planned Parenthood strives to create a world where sexual and reproductive health care is accessible, affordable, and compassionate — no matter what.

Black women have always championed reproductive freedom and the elimination of racism and sexism as an essential element of the struggle toward civil rights. This Black History Month, Planned Parenthood honors the resilience of Black women like Dr. N. Louise Young and Dr. Thelma Patten Law, two of the first Black women health care providers at Planned Parenthood — and the resistance of women like Angela Davis who continue to fight for the full dignity, autonomy and the humanity of all women.

In commemoration of Black History Month each year, we lift up and celebrate those who have defied their time and circumstances to become Dream Keepers and freedom fighters. #100YearsStrong of Planned Parenthood could not be possible without the vision, tenacity and determination of those who have kept and protected the dream of reproductive freedom, justice and autonomy.

The 2017 Dream Keepers

Ida B. Wells-Barnett Journalist, Civil Rights Activist

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was the most prominent Black woman journalist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Her research and reporting around the lynching of Black people helped to bring national attention to the crisis and pushed federal legislation to hold mobs accountable.

Marsha P. Johnson Activist, Stonewall Rioter

Marsha P. Johnson, co-founder of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), is credited with being one of the first people to resist the police during the Stonewall Riots of 1969. On the commemorative anniversary of the riots in 1970, Johnson led protesters to the Women's Detention Center of New York chanting, "Free our sisters. Free ourselves," which demonstrated early solidarity between LGBTQ rights and anti-prison movements.

Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm Black Feminist, Former Presidential Candidate

In 1990, Shirley Chisholm — along with former Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Faye Wattleton, Byllye Avery, Donna Brazile, Dorothy Height, Maxine Waters, and Julianne Malveaux (among others) — formed the group African American Women for Reproductive Freedom to show their support for Roe v. Wade, doing so with what we now call a reproductive -justice framework. The former New York representative was the first African American woman elected to Congress. During her seven terms, Rep. Chisholm pioneered the Congressional Black Caucus and was an unwavering champion for women’s reproductive rights and access to health care, including abortion. In 2015, President Obama awarded Rep. Chisholm with the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.

Dr. N. Louise Young

Dr. N. Louise Young, a gynecologist and obstetrician, opened her practice in Baltimore in 1932. She later operated a Planned Parenthood health center that was opened with the assistance of the local Urban League and other community partners.

Dr. Thelma Patten Law

Dr. Thelma Patten Law becomes one of the first Black women ob-gyns in Texas. She provided health care for more than 25 years at the Planned Parenthood Houston Health Center, which opened in 1936.

Faye Wattleton Author, Advocate for Reproductive Freedom, Former President of PPFA

In 1978, Wattleton became the youngest individual at the time and the first African American woman to serve as president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). During Wattleton’s 14--year tenure, PPFA became one of the nation’s largest charitable organizations. Under Wattleton’s leadership, the organization secured federal funding for birth control and prenatal programs; fought against efforts to restrict legal abortions; and, along with reproductive health allies, helped to legalize the sale of abortion pill RU-486 in the United States.

The Coiners of Reproductive Justice

Black women's existence has inherently challenged the "choice vs. life" argument. However the creation and coining of reproductive justice ushered in a new framework where women of color could express all of the ways their sexual and reproductive autonomy is systemically limited.

Dr. Dorothy Roberts Author, Scholar, Professor

Dorothy Roberts is an acclaimed scholar of race, gender and the law. Her books include Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century (New Press, 2011); Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare (Basic Books, 2002), and Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty (Pantheon, 1997) — all of which have shaped and informed scholarship around reproductive justice.

@DorothyERoberts

Monica Roberts Historian, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of TransGriot

Monica Roberts, aka the TransGriot, is a native Houstonian and trailblazing trans community leader. She works diligently at educating and encouraging acceptance of trans people inside and outside the larger African-American community and is an award-winning blogger, history buff, thinker, lecturer and passionate advocate on trans issues.

Dr. Iva Carruthers Past President of Urban Outreach Foundation, General Secretary of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference

Carruthers uses her ministry as a vehicle for addressing social issues, particularly those involving people of African descent both in the United States and abroad. She is past president of the Urban Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit, interdenominational organization that assists African and African-American communities with education, health care, and community development.

@IvaCarruthers

Rev. Dr. Alethea Smith-Withers Founder and Pastor; The Pavilion of God, Washington, DC; and Chair of the Board of Directors for Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Rev. Smith-Withers has been an active advocate for reproductive justice for many years. She is currently serving as the chair of the board of directors of Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC). She is the founder and pastor of The Pavilion of God, a Baptist Church in DC. She hosts “Rev UP with Rev. Alethea”, a BlogTalkRadio show.

@RevAlethea

Rev. Dr. Susan Moore Associate Minister at All Souls Church Unitarian

Dr. Moore’s ministry has focused upon the challenges facing urban America. An HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy prevention educator and trainer, she has worked with several community and faith-based groups, including the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Planned Parenthood, and AIDS Action Foundation. She actively advocates for a national, coordinated AIDS strategy to reduce racial disparities, lower the incidence of infection, increase access to care, and involve all stakeholders.

Bevy Smith CEO and Founder of Dinner with Bevy

A Harlem native and New York fashion fixture, Smith is outspoken about women’s empowerment and social justice. She gives back by connecting and engaging a network of top leaders to promote social change.

@bevysmith

Mara Brock Akil Screenwriter and producer and founder of Akil Productions

Mara Brock Akil is the co-creator of hit TV shows Girlfriends, The Game, and Being Mary Jane. She is a tireless advocate of women’s health and rights.

@MaraBrockAkil

Tracy Reese American fashion designer

Relentless PPFA supporter, Reese is a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

@Tracy_Reese

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw Scholar, Professor at the UCLA and Columbia Schools of Law

Kimberlé W. Crenshaw is a feminist scholar and writer who coined the term "Intersectionality." Kimberlé is the co-founder of the African American Policy Forum, which developed seminal research on Black women and girls and the school-to-prison pipeline and policing, including, respectively: "Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced and Underprotected" and "Say Her Name."

@SandyLocks

Angela Peoples Co-Director of GetEqual

Serving as the Co-Director of GetEqual, Angela is working to ensure that Black lives and gender justice is a guiding force in LGBTQ work.

@MsPeoples

Jazmine Walker Reproductive Justice Leader

Jazmine is a big fine woman who specializes in reproductive justice and agricultural economic development.

Her dedication to public scholarship and activism is driven by a passion to amplify feminist and reproductive justice discourse around Black women and girls, especially those in Mississippi and the broader South.

Amandla Stenberg Actress, Author

This Black queer feminist makes us look forward to the next generation of feminist leaders and thinkers.

Her YouTube video, "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows," clapped-back against the cultural appropriation of Black fashion and style and won our hearts.

@amandlastenbergs

Charlene A. Carruthers National Director for Black Youth Project 100

Political organizer Carruthers is building a national network and local teams of young Black activists. She is committed to racial justice, feminism, and youth leadership development.

@CharleneCac

Monica Simpson Executive Director of SisterSong National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective

At SisterSong National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, Simpson works to amplify and strengthen the collective voices of indigenous women and women of color to ensure reproductive justice through securing human rights. She has organized extensively against the systematic physical and emotional violence inflicted upon the minds, bodies, and spirits of African Americans with an emphasis on African-American women and the African-American LGBT community.

@SisterSong_WOC

Deon Haywood Executive Director, Women With A Vision, Inc.

Haywood works tirelessly to improve quality of life and health outcomes for marginalized women of color. Since Hurricane Katrina, Haywood has led Women With a Vision, a New Orleans-based community organization addressing the complex intersection of socio-economic injustices and health disparities.

@WWAVinc

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Congresswoman, D-TX 18th District

Congresswoman Jackson Lee has been a staunch supporter of Planned Parenthood and women's health.

This year she has become a valuable champion as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where she was vocal at both hearings displaying a clear understanding of the important role Planned Parenthood health centers play in the communities they serve. She also came to the floor on several occasions and attended a Planned Parenthood’s press conference, lending her voice in the fight against backwards legislation.

@JacksonLeeTX18

Del. Stacey Plaskett Congresswoman, D-US-VI

Delegate Stacey Plaskett became a supporter of Planned Parenthood this year when she spoke out for Planned Parenthood health center patients during a Oversight and Government Reform hearing, where she is a member, commenting that she would like a Planned Parenthood health center in the Virgin Islands.

@StaceyPlaskett

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton Congresswoman, D-DC

As a fierce, passionate, Black feminist and reproductive health advocate, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has supported Planned Parenthood unwaveringly. She also sponsored the EACH Woman Act and, in 2015, held an event with young women on abortion access.

@EleanorNorton

Rep. Joyce Beatty Congresswoman, D-OH 3rd District

Rep. Beatty has been an active supporter of women's health during her tenure in Congress, cosponsoring legislation, signing onto pro-letters and always voting in the interest of women's health.

Rep. Maxine Waters Congresswoman, D-CA 43rd District

Since arriving in office in 1990, Rep. Waters has voted in the best interest of the health of women and communities of color, making a career of addressing these issues by closing the wealth gap.

#Black History Month #BHM

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cds-arts · 7 years

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Ava Duvernay // trailblazers

From Michael Brown to Eric Garner, 2014 was the year that kickstarted a movement, shining a light on issues of racism and police violence in this country. Fittingly, it was also the year that director Ava Duvernay’s film Selma was released. The film told the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famed 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama as a response to racial violence and anti-black voting laws in the state. Duvernay may have set out to make a film depicting an important event in our nation’s civil rights history, but what she really did was hold up a mirror. Nearly every scene felt eerily familiar, like an out-of-time echo of the day’s news. The cultural significance of what they were doing was not lost on Ava Duvernay and her cast. She spearheaded cast-wide shows of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some critics have even suggested that the “I Can’t Breathe” shirts she and the cast wore to the New York premiere of the film led to the much-publicized snubbing of the film at the Academy Awards. This did not deter Duvernay who was recognized this year with a nomination for her documentary 13th, a film about the unjust ways that the criminal justice system uses to keep black people in prison for financial gain. As a filmmaker, Ava Duvernay is an absolute visionary who, one can only hope, will continue to use her talents to bring to light some of the true injustices systemic in our society.

#ava duvernay #women #feminism #woc #black history #artists on tumblr #trailblazers

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neptunecreek · 4 years

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Researchers Targeting AI Bias, Sex Worker Advocate, and Global Internet Freedom Community Honored at EFF’s Pioneer Award Ceremony

Virtual Ceremony October 15 to Honor Joy Buolamwini, Dr. Timnit Gebru, and Deborah Raji; Danielle Blunt; and the Open Technology Fund (OTF) Community

San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is honored to announce the 2020 Barlow recipients at its Pioneer Award Ceremony: artificial intelligence and racial bias experts Joy Buolamwini, Dr. Timnit Gebru, and Deborah Raji; sex worker activist and tech policy and content moderation researcher Danielle Blunt; and the global Internet freedom organization Open Technology Fund (OTF) and its community.

The virtual ceremony will be held October 15 from 5:30 pm to 7 pm PT. The keynote speaker for this year’s ceremony will be Cyrus Farivar, a longtime technology investigative reporter, author, and radio producer. The event will stream live and free on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and audience members are encouraged to give a $10 suggested donation. EFF is supported by small donors around the world and you can become an official member at https://eff.org/PAC-join.

Joy Buolamwini, Dr. Timit Gebru, and Deborah Raji’s trailblazing academic research on race and gender bias in facial analysis technology laid the groundwork for a national movement—and a growing number of legislative victories—aimed at banning law enforcement’s use of flawed and overbroad face surveillance in American cities. The trio collaborated on the Gender Shades series of papers based on Buolamwini’s MIT thesis, revealing alarming bias in AI services from companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon. Their subsequent internal and external advocacy spans Stanford, University of Toronto, Black in AI, Project Include, and the Algorithmic Justice League. Buolamwini, Gebru, and Raji are bringing light to the profound impact of face recognition technologies on communities of color, personal privacy and free expression, and the fundamental freedom to go about our lives without having our movements and associations covertly monitored and analyzed.

Danielle Blunt is one of the co-founders of Hacking//Hustling, a collective of sex workers and accomplices working at the intersection of tech and social justice to interrupt state surveillance and violence facilitated by technology. A professional NYC-based Femdom and Dominatrix, Blunt researches sex work and equitable access to technology from a public health perspective. She is one of the lead researchers of Hacking//Hustling's “Erased: The Impact of FOSTA-SESTA and the Removal of Backpage” and “Posting to the Void: CDA 230, Censorship, and Content Moderation,” studying the impact of content moderation on the movement work of sex workers and activists. She is also leading organizing efforts around sex worker opposition to the EARN IT Act, which threatens access to encrypted communications, a tool that many in the sex industry rely on for harm reduction, and would also increase platform policing of sex workers and queer and trans youth. Blunt is on the advisory board of Berkman Klein's Initiative for a Representative First Amendment (IfRFA) and the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project in NYC. She enjoys redistributing money from institutions, watching her community thrive, and “making men cry.”

The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has fostered a global community and provided support—both monetary and in-kind—to more than 400 projects that seek to combat censorship and repressive surveillance. The OTF community has helped more than two billion people in over 60 countries access the open Internet more safely and advocate for democracy. OTF earned trust and built community through its open source ethos, transparency, and a commitment to independence from its funder, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), and helped fund several technical projects at EFF. However, President Trump recently installed a new CEO for USAGM, who immediately sought to replace OTF's leadership and board and to freeze the organization's funds—threatening to leave many well-established global freedom tools, their users, and their developers in the lurch. Since then, OTF has made some progress in regaining control, but it remains at risk and, as of this writing, USAGM is still withholding critical funding. With this award, EFF is honoring the entire OTF community for their hard work and dedication to global Internet freedom and recognizing the need to protect this community and ensure its survival despite the current political attacks.

“One of EFF’s guiding principles is that technology should enhance our rights and freedoms instead of undermining them,” said EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn. “All our honorees this year are on the front lines if this important work—striving to ensure that no matter where you are from, what you look like, or what you do for a living, the technology you rely on makes your life better and not worse. While most technology is here to stay, a technological dystopia is not inevitable. Used thoughtfully, and supported by the right laws and policies, technology can and will make the world better. We are so proud that all of our honorees are joining us to fight for this together.”

Awarded every year since 1992, EFF’s Pioneer Award Ceremony recognize the leaders who are extending freedom and innovation on the electronic frontier. Previous honorees have included Malkia Cyril, William Gibson, danah boyd, Aaron Swartz, and Chelsea Manning. Sponsors of the 2020 Pioneer Award ceremony include Dropbox; Ridder, Costa, and Johnstone LLP; and Ron Reed.

To attend the virtual Pioneer Awards ceremony: https://eff.org/PAC-register For more on the Pioneer Award ceremony: https://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer/2020

Contact:

Rebecca

Jeschke

Media Relations Director and Digital Rights Analyst

[email protected]

from Deeplinks https://ift.tt/3khJiKc

#Deeplinks

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csrgood · 4 years

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ACCP Celebrates Purpose Awards Winners

The Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) celebrates exceptional leaders in corporate responsibility through its annual Purpose Awards, which recognize professionals making significant social impact within their companies and communities. As this year’s virtual ACCP Conference wraps, ACCP is announcing its 2020 Purpose Award winners.

“ACCP champions leaders and their companies when they are a force for good in the world,” said Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO of ACCP. “We are thrilled to recognize professionals at every level, from associate to CEO, who demonstrate exceptional leadership and achievement in corporate responsibility. This year’s Purpose Award winners are shining examples of corporate citizenship at its best. Amidst a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising tensions around racial justice, the vital work these individuals are doing every day is of the utmost importance.”

The 2020 Champion for Change Award, given to a senior executive who provides leadership that advances social and business impact throughout our world, is presented to Vincent Forlenza, Executive Chairman of the Board of BD, who retired as CEO in January 2020. Vincent has been instrumental in shaping and expanding the impact of BD’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) footprint since he was named CEO in 2012. He has also been involved in establishing and driving all aspects of the BD 2020 Sustainability Goals, which provide the framework for how BD manages – and makes an impact on – key social and environmental issues

The second major award, the 2020 Trailblazer Award, given to a senior practitioner whose leadership, strategy, and programs have demonstrated significant business and societal impacts is presented to Kevin Martinez, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship for ESPN. Kevin’s CSR vision has set forth a commitment to providing access to sports for underserved youth and the demonstrated capacity to maintain long-term programs to build leadership skills and empowerment through sport.

The final award, the 2020 Rising Star Award, recognizes an emerging professional in corporate citizenship whose work creates meaningful impact inside and outside the company, often requiring influence well beyond the level of their position. Tanya Jeong of AbbVie is the 2020 recipient of the Rising Star award. As Associate Director of Global Philanthropy, Tanya demonstrates a tireless dedication to community and employee engagement which she has made the very heart of her professional life.

ACCP is proud of the 2020 Purpose Award winners and looks forward to what these individuals will accomplish next.

Founded in 2005, ACCP is a membership-based organization chartered to champion the Corporate Citizenship professional. ACCP connects members to information, peers and resources and cultivates educational opportunities that promote better stewardship of corporate resources to magnify social and business impacts. For more information visit www.accp.org.

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/45711-ACCP-Celebrates-Purpose-Awards-Winners?tracking_source=rss

#CSR #corporate social responsibility #social good #philanthropy #employee engagement #workplace givi

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riichardwilson · 4 years

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Free Webinar | Aug 4: Making History as the NBA’s First Black Female CEO

Join us as we chat with Dallas Mavericks’ CEO Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall as she discusses owning your seat at the head of the table, social justice, transforming culture and more.

Grow Your Business, Not Your Inbox

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July 23, 2020 3 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Mark your calendars to see why Mark Cuban calls her “amazing, forceful, dynamic, and nurturing.” Join us for an engaging hour as Comparably CEO Jason Nazar, host of this C-suite leadership series, sits down for a virtual fireside chat with Dallas Mavericks’ CEO Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall. Hear the inspirational story of how this trailblazer overcame a number of life’s challenges, from growing up in public housing and domestic violence to overcoming loss and surviving cancer. She first broke barriers as the first black cheerleader at U.C. Berkeley, spent over three decades at AT&T as one of its top executives, and today is the NBA’s first black female CEO. Cynt has been a powerful influence in sparking reform and engagement on the biggest issues of our time: sexism, racism, and the coronavirus. The conversation will center around practical “If I Knew Then…” leadership advice, personal life philosophies and guiding principles, and the challenges and opportunities for leaders in today’s landscape. Other topics include:

The Power of Authenticity & Values-Based Leadership

Transforming Culture with a 100 Day Plan

Owning Your Seat at the Head of the Table

Social Justice and Racial/Gender Disparity

Community Engagement During the Pandemic

Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall is CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, and has been a dynamic force for inclusion and diversity within the organization and over an illustrious 36-year career at AT&T as one of its top executives. When she was hired as the new Mavs CEO in 2018, she transformed the organization to become the NBA standard for inclusion and diversity, and brought transparency, trust and her values-based leadership style that evolved the company culture in her first 100 days. Widely recognized for her visionary leadership, Cynt has received several prestigious honors and awards over the past decade. This year alone, she was touted as one of Adweek’s “30 Most Powerful Women in Sports” and named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise magazine.

Jason Nazar is co-founder/CEO of Comparably, a leading workplace culture and compensation site that provides the most comprehensive and accurate representation of what it’s like to work at companies. Under his leadership, the online platform has accumulated more than 10 million employee ratings on 60,000 U.S. companies to become one of the most trusted third party resources for workplace and salary data since launching in 2016.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/free-webinar-aug-4-making-history-as-the-nbas-first-black-female-ceo/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/624407557715460096

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