5 Things Friday
Here are your antiracism action steps for July 23.
I'll be straight with you...I really had to kick myself in the ass this week to write this one. I think optimism is a required personality trait for almost any activism work, but this week was testing the limits of that optimism, big time. Fires, floods, delta, voting rights, abortion rights...I was definitely tempted to just put Ted Lasso on repeat, snuggle up with some Ben & Jerry's Justice ReMix'd and opt out for a sec. That's just to say: I imagine you are feeling the same. So we are here to make it easy ...
Here are your 5 Things.
KNOW THIS. The tireless activists behind Justice for Bruce's Beach are not taking a time out with Apple TV and ice cream. In direct response to their work, earlier this month LA officials released a report detailing steps to return the property, including evaluating the land's value and certifying the property's legal heirs. On July 13, the county board of supervisors voted in favor of moving forward with the plan once greenlit by the state. All good things! But (there's always a "but," isn't there?) meanwhile, some Manhattan Beach residents and city council members are holding up the creation of a pair of new plaques to be installed at Bruce's Beach with concerns over the "language"... Regarding the sentence "White residents expressed a concern about an 'invasion' by African Americans," one council member (Joe Franklin) said "Shouldn't it say "'Some' or 'A few' white residents'?" Yeah Joe, right on cue.
AND THIS. Speaking of the power of language, you have likely heard about Texas' most recent move—the Republican-controlled state Texas Senate passed a bill that eliminates requirements that students read a number of key writings on women's suffrage, the civil rights movement and more. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, along with the work of figures such as Susan B. Anthony and Cesar Chavez. The bill would also eliminate a requirement that students learn about the history of white supremacy and the "ways in which it is morally wrong."
SIGN UP FOR THIS. Texas is also being especially blatant when it comes to dismantling voting rights. But there are plenty of states quietly following their lead. Now's a great time to sign up to volunteer with Stacy Abrams Fair Fight if you haven't already. Do so right here.
READ THIS. Oakland-based Theresa Fortune is the founder of Communion with the Community, and a n artist whose new film From the Ashes, is a project five years in the making. In it, she documents her own journey from postnatal depression to reclaiming her concept of motherhood. She tells REP CO about the moment that led to her film, and the goals she has for fostering discussion about mental health, depression, and suicide in an effort to help heal some of the trauma that has weighed down Black mothers for generations. Read it here.
GO TO THIS. Have you heard of THE INTRSXTN?? The new LA-based group exists to uplift + celebrate women of color in the surf world, "with more VISIBILITY x more VOICE x more VIBES!" and is founded by REP CO co-founder Jessa Williams. They are hosting monthly surf meet-ups, complete with free beginner lessons for womxn. Join them this Saturday (tomorrow!) for a meet-up and a special event collab with the girls @eromomen + @arieesafari from Adventure Crew. They'll be at Dockweiler State Beach near tower 53. ☀️10am- whenevaa RSVP right here! EVERYONE is welcome!