What I’m Reading – June 27, 2015
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in What I'm Reading
Playing catch up on this. Watch out for more tomorrow.
Terrorism
– “White people need to be talking to each other about the white supremacist terrorist act in a Charleston last night. We need to be talking to each other about what we, as individuals, are doing to dismantle white supremacy, and we need to be holding each other accountable for the ways in which we uphold white privilege.” Dear White Men (via @Shakestweetz)
Racism
– “According to 19-year-old community member Tatiana, who put together the event to celebrate the end of the school year, several white people at the pool hurled racial slurs at her friends, calling one a “black f-er” and talking about Section 8 public housing. When 14-year-old friend Grace Stone stood up for the group, saying the comments were racist, the man and woman started berating her.” White Woman Used Racial Slurs, Slapped Her, Texas Pool Party Host Says (via @ThinkProgress)
Police Violence
– “All across the United States, as police departments become embroiled in controversy and corruption, the investigations are revealing a disturbing trend. It’s not the new recruits that continue to be implicated, but the highest-ranking officers within the departments.” Let’s stop saying bad police officers are rare. Fact is they’re plentiful from coast to coast. (via @ShaunKing)
– “If you look at every other instance, it ends up unfavorable to the families.” The community leaders said they intended to file their request on Tuesday morning in municipal court. One of them provided The New York Times with copies of six affidavits they planned to file, which outline the crimes they say were committed.” Cleveland Leaders Bypass Prosecutors to Seek Charge in Tamir Rice Case (h/t @LisaBloom)
Reproductive Health
– “The bill, known as the Reproductive Fact Act, would require pregnancy centers to post notices saying that reproductive health services, including abortion, are available to pregnant women in the state. Pregnancy centers also would have to disclose whether they lack a medical license. The bill passed on a party-line vote, with Republicans objecting on the grounds that it would unconstitutionally compel government speech for the state’s 167 centers.” California Assembly Passes Bill Banning Crisis Pregnancy Centers From Misleading Patients (h/t @sistersong_WOC)
– ““It is a classist, sexist, anti-democratic, anti-child, anti-family policy whose premise did not come to fruition,” Mitchell told the Sacramento Bee. “It did not accomplish what it set out to accomplish. So it’s appropriate to take it off the books.” Evidence suggests that family cap laws like the one in California don’t dissuade people from having a child.” California Bill Would Repeal ‘Classist, Sexist’ Public Benefit Rule (via @rhrealitycheck)
Sexism
– “In her book “A Fighting Chance,” Warren wrote about a tense 2013 meeting in which Dimon expressed unhappiness with her ongoing work to strengthen financial regulations. When she eventually told him, “I think you guys are breaking the law,” Warren writes Dimon suddenly got quiet and responded, “So hit me with a fine. We can afford it.”” Jamie Dimon Doubts Elizabeth Warren “Fully Understands” Global Banking (via @MotherJones)
Politics
– “Rhetoric from younger white feminists in recent years hasn’t been any better, only more self-justifying. When Bustle’s Gabrielle Moss recounts patronizing conversations she’s had with men as part of her 2008 election experience in “Hillary Clinton Is Running For President, And I’m Voting For Her Because She’s A Woman,” she forgets that another group of women had those endless conversations with white women like her who assumed they were voting for President Obama because of his race. While there is misogyny in the Democratic party, there is also a “color blind” racism permeating much of the Clinton campaign support. Her success will be a triumph for all women, we are told, ignoring that progress for white women have not translated into material improvements for all women.” I’m Not Ready (h/t @thetrudz)
Prison
– “Currently, at Riker’s Island, at least 400 people have been imprisoned for over two years without being convicted. Half a dozen people have actually been waiting for over six years inside of Riker’s without being convicted of a crime. A staggering 1,500 inmates have waited at least a whole year—some imprisoned for crimes that wouldn’t even have sentences for this long if they actually were convicted.” 400 people have been imprisoned at Riker’s Island for at least two years without being convicted (via @ShaunKing)
Labor
– “Wanda Evans-Brewer, who holds a doctorate in education, earned so little last year as an adjunct professor at Concordia University in River Forest — $27,000 — that she qualified for food stamps.” Fight for $15 rallies part-time college professors (via @ChicagoTribune)
– “All employees, including part-time workers, at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. are set to get a boost in benefits starting July 1, including paid vacation time, sick pay and tuition reimbursement, the company has announced.” Chipotle to Offer Part-Time Workers Paid Vacation, Sick Pay, Tuition Reimbursement (via @ABC)
Bodily Integrity
– “In our patriarchal world of the male gaze and body policing and sexual assault, it’s hugely important to teach girls (as well as everyone else) that it’s never okay to be made to touch another person when you don’t want to. The message doesn’t even have to be in a sexual context. A person’s body is their own body. They can do what they want with it.” Your Child Should Never Be Forced to Hug Anyone (Yes, Including a Relative) – Here Are 7 Reasons Why (h/t @stavvers)
Transphobia
– “Here’s what I suddenly understood in that moment, and what I wish for Burkett, and those applauding her, to understand: Trans people are not magical gender warriors. We may politicize their bodies, but they are not obligated to play along. As with all of us, some may decide to become activists, but most won’t, and either way, none of them will exclusively do the most politically expedient thing every time they’re faced with a choice. Because they’re human. They don’t owe the world a revolution, or even an explanation. And they’re certainly not obligated to live up to the arbitrary standards of one random cis woman.” Who Decides What Makes a Woman? (via @jaclynf)
“Outrage Culture”(i.e., the problem with the Jon Ronson book everyone is loving right now)
– “Ronson was sympathetic to one of the men in Richards’ infamous photo, who was also ultimately fired. But he creates a deeply misleading false equivalence between the two which is best crystalized in the fact that I couldn’t tell you the man’s name if I wanted to. He managed to avoid the permanent infamy that seems to have coalesced around Richards. He quickly put his life back together and got a new job in short order, while Richards is still trying to get past this debacle and find gainful employment in the industry that seemed to turn its back on her.” So You’ve Been Publicly Scapegoated: Why We Must Speak Out On Call-Out Culture (h/t @suey_park)