This month, we are sharing pieces that have challenged ours and others’ thinking as well as resources and insights for creating better, more equitable communities.
In light of recent events, I pulled out my copy of Black author
Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist to reread a few of the essays that address
racial issues. “The solace of preparing fried foods and other quaint remembrances from 1960s Mississippi: Thoughts on The Help” stands out. I did not read the 2009 novel, The Help, by white author Kathryn Stockett, and I didn’t see the 2011 film based on the book. But I remember the buzz around the book, an Oscar win for the amazing Octavia Spencer, and several friends and family members who loved this story. “Heartwarming,” they said. So, it was shocking to read Gay’s account of how she was enraged by this “white interpretation of the black experience.” Even if you have no knowledge of The Help, Gay’s essay is well worth the read. It’s an honest and clear account of how writers and directors often devastatingly mishandle race—and how few white people take notice.
Annie:
Gaslighter,
The Chicks
Alia:
Culture Gabfest, Slate
David:
The Eye of Every Storm, Neurosis
Mimi
editor
Katie
design associate
Go to Katie’s pick
Go to Mimi’s pick
Sad to say the song “Killing In the Name” by Rage Against the Machine is more relevant today than ever. An anthem for our era.
What we’re listening to:
Delilah:
Chromatica,
Lady Gaga
Allan
senior adviser
Go to Allan’s pick
Heather
managing director
Go to Heather's pick
Right to Recovery, a Chicago-based coalition of elected officials, community organizations, and activists, has a list of demands with specific action items that help the city’s most vulnerable while imagining a
better city for us all. Check out their page for their list of policy demands, links to take action and contact elected officials, and information on
mutual aid organizations that are working tirelessly to redistribute funds in our communities.
A new paper from Boston University seems to confirm that incorporating job candidates’ salary histories into the negotiation process has historically perpetuated inequitable outcomes, especially for women and Black Americans.
When a number of states banned discussions of salary histories, compensation for women and Black job switchers went up.
