5 Things Friday
Eat more plants, oust a slumlord, and appreciate some actual accountability for a change. Here are your antiracism action steps for January 14.
Illustration by Cienna Smith for Eater
How's 2022 treating ya? Perhaps a little confused, like us? Do we want schools open or closed? Should we still be terrified of COVID? Wait...do we have COVID? NO ONE KNOWS. So, we are holding tighter to the things we do know: Black lives matter, climate change is very much happening, and everyone deserves a safe place to live. If you can get down with that, we've got 5 things for ya.
EAT THIS. There are a million challenges associated with January, including ditching meat and dairy for the month. If, like us, you're vegan-curious, we highly suggest digging into this illuminating essay by Amirah Mercer.While veganism has long been associated with a white, affluent, tree-hugging type, Mercer goes deep into the long, radical history of plant-based eating in Black American culture, "preserved by institutions and individuals who have understood the power of food and nutrition in the fight against oppression.” And guess what? Going plant-based is better for the planet.
GO TO THIS. Want to dig into some incredible vegan soul food yourself? Meet us at Hella Plants Market in Oakland next Sunday and experience SF's own Vegan Hood Chefs for yourself.
KNOW THIS. All 3 white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison last week. Travis and Greg McMichael, who were convicted of murdering Arbery—a 25-year-old Black man who was jogging through their neighborhood near Brunswick, along Georgia's coast—have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. William "Roddie" Bryan,who was also convicted in the case, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole — meaning he must serve at least 30 years before he's eligible for release. In an extraordinary moment in court, the judge interrupted his remarks to sit silently for one full minute — representing a fraction of the time, he said, that Arbery spent running for his life as the other men chased him for roughly five minutes.
AND THIS. The three former Minneapolis police officers charged with federal civil rights violations in George Floyd’s murder will go on trial January 20. Tou Thao, J. Kueng, and Thomas Lane will stand trial about nine months after Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020. This is another trial to keep an eye on.
SIGN THIS. Four days ago, New York City was hit with its deadliest fire in three decades. On January 9th, a faulty space heater sparked a fire that raged through an affordable housing complex in the West Bronx, killing 17 people, including 8 children, and injuring over 60 people. The apartment complex was home to a large community of Black and Brown New Yorkers, including West African migrants, many of whom were victims of the fire. And the owner of the building? Hot-shot developer Rick Gropper, who sits on New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ transition team for housing issues. For months before this tragedy, tenants submitted complaints regarding a lack of heat inside the building and a door that did not close properly.The complaints were ignored. Sign this petition to demand that Gropper, as well as any other landlords, be removed from Mayor Adams’ transition team.