Instagram Posts from the Week of July 28, 2019

Headlines and History - July 28, 2019

It is time for another installment of Headlines and History.

Emily Tillett wrote an article for CBS News titled “Sheila Jackson Lee Says Reparations Commission would Help ‘Understand the Hurts’ of African-Americans.” In this article, Tillett details an interview with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee about H.R. 40. H.R. 40 is the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposal for African-Americans Act. This bill is currently in the headlines, and there is a lengthy history to the topic of reparations.

In an opinion piece for TIME titled “The House Hearing on Slavery Reparations Is Part of a Long History. Here's What to Know on the Idea's Tireless Early Advocates,” Arica L. Coleman explains earlier efforts for reparations. These include "40 acres and a mule" and H.R. 11119, or the "Ex-Slave Pension Bill."

I published a full blog post on the topic of reparations with recommended resources to explore. Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future. 

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#reparations #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 

Podcast Rec - July 30, 2019

It’s podcast rec day!

Past Listen- Justice In America Podcast Episode 5: Excluded from Democracy (released August 22, 2018)

"You’ve probably said ‘felons.’ We use the words ‘returning citizens’ because we know that individuals who’ve made mistakes are still somebody’s son, daughter, father, and mother, that they are human beings first. So rather than give them a scarlet letter of shame to carry on for the rest of their lives, we decided to change things and started calling them returning citizens." - Desmond Meade

“I always believed that politics played a role in how people not only wind up in prison but what their stay was like. Because every year, year in and year out, we would see all these laws changing and being applied to us, when in fact we weren’t even in the population, in civil society. And it was like, these people are just using us because fear sells. It was selling fear to people.” - Norris Henderson

On Sunday, July 21st, I posted about the connection between the past and the present regarding disenfranchisement laws. I wanted to share this podcast episode because I found it helpful in understanding more about this serious topic that impacts the lives of millions of people.

What podcasts do you recommend? 

#justiceinamerica #josieduffyrice #clintsmith #desmondmeade #norrishenderson #podcast #podcastrecommendation #justice #restorativejustice #disenfranchisementlaws #thehistoryofdisenfranchisement #therighttovote #returningcitizens #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - July 31, 2019

It’s Wednesday, so I will highlight an account I follow.

As you can see on their page, Fight Evil With Poetry Press desires "to intentionally empower diverse groups of creatives to combat the forces of injustice in this world with their unique creative gifts." I first heard about Fight Evil With Poetry when the work of Micah Bournes was recommended to me by a dear friend. This group organized a Books Behind Bars Prison Poetry Drive and published an anthology of incredible poetry. 

Follow @fightevilwithpoetry if you aren’t already, and support this important work.




#fightevilwithpoetry #micahbournes #chriscambell #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #poetry #fightevilwithpoetry #healing #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec - August 1, 2019

Since it is Thursday, this post will be about an additional recommendation I found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

When They See Us is a mini-series on Netflix that was directed by Ava DuVernay. This series details the stories of the exonerated five: Yusef, Kevin, Antron, Korey, and Raymond. These five boys were falsely accused and incarcerated after an attack in Central Park. 

If you haven’t seen the four episodes yet, I implore you to watch and lament. Don’t rush past the immense and intense feelings that will accompany viewing. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin with joining the movements that are bringing reform to the criminal justice system in the United States. I believe we should start with prioritizing those who have experienced injustice, humbly listening to them before inquiring how we can partner with them to seek the flourishing of our neighbors.   

#whentheyseeus #avaduvernay #yusef #kevin #antron #korey #raymond #theexoneratedfive #justice  #broadeningthenarrative 



Book Rec - Aug. 3, 2019

It’s book post day!

Current Read - The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker

"At core, men are afraid women will laugh at them, while at core, women are afraid men will kill them" (De Becker, 1997, p. 67).

“By pointing his trigger finger at a rock band, James washed away all of the scrutiny that might reasonably have been focused on himself, his family, or even his society” (De Becker, 1997, p. 227).

On the back of the copy I borrowed from the library, there is a quote from the Boston Globe. "A how-to book that reads like a thriller." (#fact) I included this book on the Broadening the Narrative account because my empathy for even the "worst" people somehow increased as I saw myself and my story in the narratives shared by Gavin de Becker. 

What are you reading? 

#currentread #thegiftoffear #bookrecommendation #endviolence  #survivalsignals #intuition #trustyourgut #truefearisagift #unwarrantedfearisacurse #learnhowtotellthedifference #empathy #broadeningthenarrative