Tuesday, October 27, 2015

calendar for Criminal Justice...

The Criminal Justice Policy Coalition (CJPC) is a member-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of effective, just, and humane criminal justice policy in Massachusetts. We seek to accomplish this by expanding the public discourse on criminal justice, promoting dialogue and cooperation among diverse stakeholders, and building support for policies that better protect our communities, promote accountability and change for offenders, and provide restitution to victims. We hold occasional networking meetings on a variety of criminal justice issues, sponsor public forums and conferences, organize legislative action, and provide support and coordination to groups engaged in advocacy.

Here is their calendar of Criminal Justice Reform Events in Massachusetts: cjpc.org/Events.htm


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Friday, October 16, 2015

Anti-racism Discussion Group in the Suburbs

Anti-racism in the ‘Burbs

First meeting: Sunday 11/15, 2-4 p.m.
Location: Medfield, MA  
(talk to me, or join www.meetup.com/Antiracists for location details -DG)

"A window of opportunity won't open itself." -Dave Weinbaum

Even those of us living in the suburbs care about, and have a role to play in, the anti-racism movement. From frustration, fear, and anger to empathy, passion, and solidarity, this work can bring up a lot for everyone. Our supportive group discussions can help us get some clarity, perspective, and encouragement through the process. We will focus on a different topic each meeting, sometimes including films and discussions about printed materials …encouraging member feedback to help guide future topics.

The mission of this group discussion series is to promote awareness of inequality, to build community, and to develop skills that address dismantling racism and oppression within a diverse, compassionate, and culturally sensitive environment.

All are welcome: People of Color, Whites…people new to this topic and those involved and active for many years. Come with questions and/or experience to share with others wanting to learn more.

Hosted by Deb and Carlin, members of Boston Knapsack Anti-Racism Group. If interested, please join this group and RSVP on our event page: www.meetup.com/Antiracists (with no further obligations). Feel free to post questions there too.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Note: 15 folks came to this meeting. We discussed a page from Waking Up White about dominate white culture behavior...and what can be more helpful behaviors when working on racial healing.


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Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

This article on White Privilege by Peggy McIntosh can be found here: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh

“I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.”

DAILY EFFECTS OF WHITE PRIVILEGE 
I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privilege than to class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, my African American coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time, place and time of work cannot count on most of these conditions.

Here are just a few of the author's 50 points:

12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

13. Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

18. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

35. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

41. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.


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Sunday, October 4, 2015

Alabama restricting non-white registered voters

This excerpt is from www.rawstory.com:

Alabama to stop issuing driver’s licenses in counties with 75% black registered voters

The state of Alabama, which requires a photo ID to vote, announced this week that it would stop issuing driver’s licenses in counties where 75 percent of registered voters are black.

Due to budget cuts, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said that 31 satellite DMV offices would no longer have access to driver’s licenses examiners, meaning that residents will need to travel to other counties to apply for licenses. The move comes just one year after the state’s voter photo ID law went into effect.

AL.com’s John Archibald asserted in a column on Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice should open an investigation into the closings.

“Because Alabama just took a giant step backward,” he wrote. “Take a look at the 10 Alabama counties with the highest percentage of non-white registered voters. Alabama, thanks to its budgetary insanity and inanity, just opted to close driver license bureaus in eight of them.”

“Every single county in which blacks make up more than 75 percent of registered voters will see their driver license office closed. Every one,” Archibald explained. “But maybe it’s not racial at all, right? Maybe it’s just political. And let’s face it, it may not be either… But no matter the intent, the consequence is the same.”

“It is an affront to the very notion of justice in a nation where one man one vote is as precious as oxygen,” he insisted. “It is a slap in the face to all who believe the stuff we teach the kids about how all are created equal.”


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Emmys Speech by Viola Davis (video)

Excerpt below from here...see video here too:
www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/sep/21/viola-davis-speech-2015-emmys-video

Viola Davis gives a stirring speech after becoming the first woman of color to win the best actress in a drama series award at the 2015 Emmys. Davis, the star of How to Get Away with Murder, speaks out against the difficulties black women have traditionally faced in getting lead roles: ‘You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.’


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