5 Things Friday
Get off that roller coaster and get to work.
Illustration by Danielle Coke @ohahppydani
We're not going to recap what happened on Wednesday or try to bring you any up-to-the minute updates. We're gonna let the old guard media outlets take folks on that roller coaster (THE SHOCK!! The Outrage! The Analysis...the rationalizations...the fatigue and apathy...aaaaand the next SHOCKING white supremacist action that starts the cycle all over again). Instead, we'll just remind you that the work we invite you to do with these weekly emails is the work that chips away at the white supremacist foundation—the one that declined to bring charges against Kenosha Police officer Rusten Sheskey for shooting Jacob Blake, and the one that allowed hundreds of white terrorists violently storm the U.S. Capitol and then just...walk away. We've found you can't get a lot of work done while on a roller coaster. So stay focused. Stay committed. Do your 5 Things.
MAKE THIS CALL. Following the lead of the Movement for Black Lives, we are asking you to call your Senators and Representative at 202-224-3121 and leave messages demanding the following things: 1) Each member of Congress must not only condemn the acts of Donald J. Trump, they must call for immediate impeachment. The Senate must convict and remove him from office immediately; 2) Censure each member of Congress who has fanned the flames of white supremacist violence and has participated in the effort to stop the certification of the electoral college; 3) Elected officials both at the federal level and state level must publicly renounce this white supremacist attempted coup as well as the accompanying attempts to retroactively disenfranchise the votes of millions by overturning the democratic results of this election. 4) Abolish the Electoral College.
SIGN THIS. Right now, we have a critical opportunity to get justice for Oscar Grant —after his family has waited for 12 years the family and the community demanded the reopening of the Oscar Grant case, District Attorney Nancy O'Malley agreed but has yet to file charges. Oscar Grant's mother Rev. Wanda Johnson is going to deliver petition signatures on January 8th, so the more people who sign on now, the closer we'll be to getting justice.
SAY THANK YOU. The brightest news of this otherwise terrifying week was the victories of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff—a Georgia win that will literally shape the next 4 years (and beyond) in America. Although much of the media has rightfully praised Stacey Abrams and the organizations she founded (Fair Fight Action; New Georgia Project; and Fair Count), she didn't do it alone. Meet (and support!) The Black Women Who Turned Georgia Blue right here!
HOOK US UP. The mission of REP CO isn’t just about telling stories. We are here to connect folks with skills and resources and a desire to make change with trusted change makers who can put those resources to use. As word has gotten out, more requests for resources have come in. Here are items we are looking for RIGHT NOW. Please email us immediately if you or someone in your network can help us get these needs met!
-The Black Neighborhood is looking for a space in the East Bay to host a small in person meeting for their six core members. They need a space on January 16th from 11am-4pm, with a table and whiteboard.
-One of REP CO's pro bono PR clients (an LA-based Black, queer, female entrepreneur) is looking for a pro bono bookkeeper who can help her create a Profit and Loss sheet to include in a pitch to investors.
-The amazing Vegan Hood Chefs are looking for a printer and vehicle wrap pro who can help them wrap their brand new food truck.
REMEMBER THIS. There is still so much beauty in the world. We profiled two incredible creatives this week and their stories are both feasts for the senses. Alysha Cassis-Shaw is the owner and curator of vintage clothing brand Neutral Ground and an advocate for more inclusivity in fashion. Read her story here. Adrian Octavius Walker is an award-winning photographer and lecturer in Stanford's very first course designed specifically for Black and Brown creatives. Read our in-depth interview with him here.