I have worked with or known some of the best diversity professionals in the industry. After 35 years of crisscrossing the country and the world, I should know a thing or two about the concepts, terms, and ideologies of diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. That includes the years I was a member of the Diversity Collegium co-founded by the late great Dr. Roosevelt Thomas and Dr. Price Cobbs. Dr. Mary Frances Winters, Kay Iwata, and Julie O'Mara were also my colleagues in the Collegium for many years. We traveled the country meeting on key issues and paved the way for the current crop of DEI professionals in the US.
And throughout the years, during my Collegium days and beyond them, we NEVER designed a training module focused on the Critical Race Theory! It may have been discussed but was NEVER a part of our strategic design. So…What is the Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic and legal framework created by law experts and scholars in the 1970s and 80s that has blown up into a controversial hot topic around the country. CRT is now tied to educational efforts as either an ideological concept or a threat to the "freedom" of our nation. Despite the naysayers, CRT has never been used as the educational foundation for public school systems around the United States, nor has it been the principal framework used by diversity experts in the country. Who are some of the "framers" of CRT? The late Attorney Derrick Bell, while on the faculty of Harvard Law School, was one of the early framers of CRT. Civil Rights advocate, attorney, and academician Kimberlé Crenshaw was also an early scholar who helped shape the concept. They were academic leaders looking at systemic racism from an institutional perspective. They had NO reason to roll out a CRT course for elementary school students. Is CRT designed for elementary students? NO! It has NEVER been designed with elementary, middle, or high school students in mind. It principally was confined to exploration in the legal and judicial arenas. Why is CRT such a controversial topic? Sadly, right-wing conservative groups have latched on to CRT and are now using it as a wedge issue as they wage culture wars across the United States. They have flipped it and now use messaging to denounce it as a racist ideology promoted by left-wing progressives. When did the CRT controversy start? It started under the Trump administration. In September 22, 2020, at the end of his term in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order #13950 banning diversity training, CRT "training," gender identity, and sexual orientation training within federal agencies and contractors. I lost business because of that order. Although the Executive Order was reversed by President Biden, various state legislatures across the US continued to push to ban CRT, diversity, gender identity, and sexual orientation educational efforts, primarily in public schools. Again CRT has never been taught in public schools yet has been targeted in various legislative bills across the United States. What states are targeting anti CRT legislation? To date, more than 34 states created anti-CRT legislation impacting public school systems and job sites in New Hampshire, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and several others. Florida's ruling has been called the "Don't Say Gay" law, impacting grades Kindergarten through Third Grade, and bans any specific discussion about gender identity or sexual orientation in the classrooms. It has passed the state Senate and was signed by the Governor of Florida on Monday, March 29, 2022. In New Hampshire, a pending law prohibits specific discussions about race or sex as mandatory student or employee training. Teachers can lose their license if caught teaching about race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The bill was slipped in under the state budget without the benefit of the full range of discussion or hearings. So, where can I learn more about CRT and the fight to reverse the legislation designed to kill it? Start with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund document about CRT. Download it here: https://bit.ly/3r7V5QQ The NAACP Legal Defense Funds articulates it this way: Critical Race Theory recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans' higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to-prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies. Good Book To Read: Race, Rights, and Redemption: The Derrick Bell Lectures On The Law And Critical Race Theory Edited by Janet Deward Bell and Vincent M. Southerland LIVE State by State Update on Anti-CRT GAG Orders https://bit.ly/3r8TQBd Good YouTube Video To Watch on Right-Wing Groups and Why They Are Fighting Against CRT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtJ3s6YECAc&t=7s Now do your homework, make up your OWN mind and talk to your friends, students, colleagues, or neighbors about WHY you support or denounce CRT. The choice is YOURS.
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By Carole Copeland Thomas
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic and legal framework created by law experts and scholars in the 1970s and 80s that has blown up into a controversial hot topic around the country. CRT is now tied to educational efforts as either an ideological concept or a threat to the "freedom" of our nation. Despite the naysayers, CRT has never been used as the educational foundation for public school systems around the United States, nor has it been the principal framework used by diversity experts in the country. The NAACP Legal Defense Funds articulates it this way: Critical Race Theory recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans' higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to- prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies. Because most people do not understand its theoretical origins, CRT has been politicized and demonized by conservative organizations across the United States as anti-American and a form of race-baiting. Increased awareness of CRT was generated with the September 2020 Executive Order signed by then-President Donald Trump banning diversity training programs by Federal agencies and Federal contractors. Although the Trump ban was eliminated when President Joe Biden came into office, the anti-CRT conservative base continued to propagate its destructiveness around the country. To date, more than 34 states created anti-CRT legislation impacting public school systems and job sites in New Hampshire, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, and several others. Florida's ruling has been called the "Don't Say Gay" law, impacting grades Kindergarten through Third Grade, and bans any specific discussion about gender identity or sexual orientation in the classrooms. It has passed the state Senate and was signed by the Governor of Florida on Monday, March 29, 2022. In New Hampshire, a pending law prohibits specific discussions about race or sex as mandatory student or employee training. Teachers can lose their license if caught teaching about race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The bill was slipped in under the state budget without the benefit of the full range of discussion or hearings. The jury is out on the long-term effect of these anti-CRT laws. Public outcries of dissension are needed to reverse this high level of censorship that will remove more than 50 years of diversity and civil rights progress in America. It is a form of legislative hysteria and censorship this country simply does not need. -Carole Sign above on the campus of Curry College marking a hate crime location Last Friday, I had the honor of delivering one of the two keynote speeches to the students, faculty, and staff of Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. It was a sobering experience since the school has been under attack this month with a rash of anti-Semitic and racial incidences that had rocked the campus to its core. Swastikas splattered in plain sight. Racial slurs dotted the campus. And direct threats targeting all Black students came with two dates in February, marking specific violent events that would occur. Fortunately, those dates came and left with no violent action occurring. Nonetheless, the damage has been done, and the campus is traumatized. Rabbi Dr. Alfred H. Benjamin, the head of Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills, delivered a compelling keynote that kicked off the two-hour webinar with more than 400 attending. His message opened the door for a new dialogue between the Jewish community in Milton and the campus's student body. The student leaders who addressed the audience were powerful, leaving no room for bigotry and no tolerance for misplaced hatred or ugly outbursts to the LGBTQ community at Curry. My keynote was titled "Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Together," aimed to pull the campus together as they battled the evil in their midst. I encouraged the college to reach out to at least one of the 14 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) also under attack during Black History Month. Those 14 schools, including Howard University and Spelman College, were plagued with bomb threats on or around February 1st at the beginning of the month celebrating African American achievement. None of this is what Dr. Carter G.Woodson had visualized when he founded Negro History Week in 1926. (That week morphed into Black History Month by the mid-1970s.) He envisioned a week celebrating the achievements and historical significance of Black people, countering the oppressive discrimination that gripped the nation during that era. I am sure that Dr. Woodson would have anticipated some 96 years into the future that this nation would have solved its age-old cancerous problems concerning the lack of respect for race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Sadly the hate cancer never left and is embedded in new layers of resentment, retrenchment, and resilience. That is no recipe for progress. That's a formula for holding our country back and keeping us from progressing to a more just and equitable state for all. Black History Month was never intended to be marginalized and contained in a 28 day rinse and repeat cycle of historical facts. It was designed to awaken our homage to the past while invigorating our knowledge of today as we plan for the future. Black History IS American History because it reminds us that the elevator, traffic light, and ironing board all had something to do with the ingenuity, skills, and creativity of Black inventors. Check out my list of 25 Black inventors who changed America, and let's celebrate the real reason why Black History Month is such a special time of year for our nation. And may the vitality of student power at Howard University, Spelman College, and Curry College fend off the hate thrill-seekers whose plans for destruction and discrimination must be crushed in their tracks. See the list of Black Inventors Here 25 Black Inventors Who Changed America
Source: https://blackinventor.com/#google_vignette Charles Drew Blood Plasma Bag 1945 Air Conditioning Unit Frederick M Jones 1949 Almanac Benjamin Banneker 1891 Auto Cut-Off Switch Granville T. Woods 1839 Auto Fishing Device George Cook 1899 Ironing Board Sarah Boone 1892 George Washington Carver Thousands of Uses for the Peanut 1896-1943 Patricia Bath Laser Surgical Device 1981 Baby Buggy William H. Richardson 1889 Biscuit Cutter Alexander P. Ashbourne 1875 Chamber Commode Thomas Elkins 1897 Door Knob Osbourn Dorsey 1878 Door Stop Osbourn Dorsey 1878 Elevator Alexander Miles 1867 Fire Escape Ladder Joseph W. Winters 1878 Madame C. J. Walker Black Hair Care Empire 1906 Egg Beater Willie Johnson 1884 Fire Extinguisher Thomas Marshall 1872 Gas Mask Garrett Morgan 1914 Improved Golf Tee George T. Grant 1899 Miriam Benjamin Gong and Signal Chair for Hotels 1888 Valerie Thomas 3-D Optical Illusion Device 1980 Electric Light Bulb Filament Lewis Latimer est 1890 George Crum Potato Chip 1853 Marjorie Joyner Permanent (Hair) Waving Machine 1928 The shortest month of the year should not limit the expansive contributions of Black people throughout the United States and the Americas. We salute African Americans' sacrifices, dreams, hopes, and opportunities, from Phyllis Wheatley to Dr. Ralph David Abernathy to Rev. Karla Cooper, who represent the best of our race.
Black History IS American History, and it should matter to ALL people throughout the land. -Carole Copeland Thomas =================== Black History Month and Dr. Carter G.Woodson During the dawning decades of the twentieth century, it was commonly presumed that black people had little history besides the subjugation of slavery. Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the development of the social, political, and economic structures of the United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one man, Carter G. Woodson. And, his brainchild the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Inc. is continuing Woodson's tradition of disseminating information about black life, history and culture to the global community. Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson (1875-1950) was the son of former slaves and understood how important gaining a proper education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one's divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years. In 1912, Woodson became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University. Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Under Woodson's pioneering leadership, the Association created research and publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937), which garners a popular public appeal. In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr. Woodson's legacy. In honor of all the work that Dr. Carter G. Woodson has done to promote the study of African American History, an ornament of Woodson hangs on the White House's Christmas tree each year. Source: Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) By Korey Bowers Brown http://asalh.net By Carole Copeland Thomas
May Joy and Happiness be with you throughout the holiday season. YES, COVID is still here, and its impact ripples throughout the world. We're all concerned about Omicron and any other variant that comes after it. But just for this one day, let's celebrate Christmas with gusto and enthusiasm. And to keep you up to date on the latest holiday trivia, here are some fun facts about Christmas and Hanukkah. Merry Christmas to All! -Carole Holiday Fun Facts (Thank you, friends and colleagues, of the International Guide Academy, for sharing these facts during our 2020 Holiday Zoom party.) 1 When you add it up, the 12 Days of Christmas totals some 364 gifts! (On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....) 2 Oregon and North Carolina grow the most Christmas Trees in the United States. 3 EggNog originated in medieval England. 4 Coptic Christmas is on January 7th. This date works to the Julian calendar that pre-dates the Gregorian calendar, which is commonly observed. The countries include Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia, and Ukraine. Armenia celebrates Christmas on January 6th, Three Kings Day. For more information visit: http://bit.ly/3aV3EaL 5 The tallest Menorah in the world stands 36 feet and is located in Midtown New York in Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza. 6 The original St. Nickolas, now known as Santa Claus, was born in 270 AD in what is now known as modern-day Turkey. 7 Jingle Bells was a song written in 1850 by James Lord Pierpont. Its original intent was to commemorate the annual sleigh rides held in Medford, Massachusetts, around Thanksgiving! 8 Nobody knows when baby Jesus was born! It probably was in the Spring, yet December 25th became the official date, perhaps in political alignment with a popular pagan holiday!! 9 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert POPULARIZED the decorated Christmas tree when they were pictured with one published in The Illustrated London News in 1848. They didn't' invent it because Christmas trees were found in Germany years before Victoria and Albert married. Interestingly, Prince Albert, a cousin of Victoria, was from Germany. They had nine children, and the British Empire reached its height of power under their rule. 10 It can take as many as 15 years to properly grow a Christmas tree to 6-7 feet. However, the average is 7 years. Merry Christmas! (December 25, 2021) Happy Belated Hanukkah! (November 28-December 6, 2021) Happy Boxing Day! (December 26, 2021 in the United Kingdom) Boxing Day was originally created to give gifts to the poor in England. Now it's widely established as a shopping day in the UK Commonwealth Nations.) Happy Kwanzaa! (December 26, 2021 to January 1, 2022) Happy New Year! (January 1, 2022) Happy Three Kings Day! (January 6, 2022) -Carole My late mother lived up to her profession as an educator by making sure I knew about the world, my family, and my ethnicity. “You have a heritage,” she repeatedly said to me from childhood until I was a grown woman with children of my own. And a moment wouldn’t pass without Gwendolyn Charleston Copeland making sure that I honored my heritage by respecting myself, my family, and those in my community.
As annoying as it may have been to endure that cultural education from my mother, I would soon realize that she was also fortifying my Blackness from the discrimination I was bound to face in my lifetime. Her lessons, stories, and patient leadership helped me to endure the worst, ignore petty trivialities, value significant moments, and confront injustice on every occasion. My mother’s teachings helped me to become a proud African American woman. I have never been confused about my ethnicity, my family, and certainly not my heritage. And being an African American has empowered me to pursue opportunities with excitement and enthusiasm, even if layers of discrimination are littered along the way. Much of my 34 years as a business owner and diversity professional have been spent helping organizations to build better cross-cultural bridges of mutual understanding. I have traveled all over America and to several other countries using that framework with my work. I speak on topics other than global diversity and multiculturalism, including leadership, empowerment, and relationship enhancement. I also have memberships in several civic and professional organizations and have served in several leadership roles throughout the years. Last week I was asked to deliver a workshop on the importance of accountability, relationships, and reputation to one of the organizations I have enjoyed membership in for many years. I prepared for the session several days before the event and made a point that my slide deck was racially neutral, inclusive, informative, and educational. The session kicked off on Zoom, and the exchange of information fueled an active dialogue with some 25 participants eager to learn. I was the final speaker in the organization’s six-week summer series, and it felt good to contribute in such a meaningful way. Near the end of the program, as the breakout room facilitators were sharing the comments from their small groups, one voice blurted out the N-word, loud enough for everyone to hear. I was the only Black person in attendance, and the word pierced my level of concentration so loudly that you would think I had been hit with a virtual shotgun straight between the eyes. Early on in the program, I had been made a co-host. I frantically worked to mute the assailant, to no avail. I could not mute him. Finally, seconds later, the chapter president removed the hate-filled person from the Zoom meeting. I looked at the stunned faces of my colleagues on the screen and knew I had to speak up and speak out about what had just happened. My voice was unwavering, and I told the group that I needed to address the “elephant in the room” as we processed what had just happened. I remained calm and told the group the outburst was merely a validation of why my diversity work was so important in our society. Racism was alive and well, and we had just witnessed the ugliness of its actions. The chapter president and her board activated swiftly. As the Zoom host, she was also unable to mute the participant but was able to quickly remove him from the session. She apologized profusely, denounced his action, and send a letter to the workshop attendees banning his membership in our organization for life. The chapter also offered to make a contribution in my name to the nonprofit of my choice. They said NO to the N-word and NO to hate. The chapter president did reach out to the N-word assailant. He was a non-member and had attended the previous five sessions, so he wasn’t your typical hit-and-run Zoom bomber. He offered no remorse, stated that he blurted out the word when his mobile phone discharged and never apologized. I realized at that moment three things: 1. This is why my mother worked so hard to teach me about my heritage. 2. Some people will never accept my Blackness. 3. To some, using the N-word on Black people is a way to devalue their humanity. My reaction to these three truths include the following: 1. My mother’s wisdom lives defiantly in my spirit. That includes the messages of my father, brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and ancestors who came before me. 2. Ignorance and hatred fuel racism, and those who can’t accept Black people, especially in leadership positions, are a hindrance to the growth of America. 3. You can’t take away my Blackness, and you’ll NEVER devalue my humanity! That Zoom workshop was the third time in my life I recall being called the N-word. Sadly, I know it won’t be the last. However, I know that Gwen Copeland lives on in my spirit, and my work will live on. Racism will not stop our need to build new bridges of cultural understanding throughout our country and beyond. My Blackness has been fortified, and when the next N-word comes my way, I’ll be ready with the right response and call to action. Bring it on! You can’t stop my work, my dedication, or my determination to bring cultural change to our country! Bring it on!! It was the international collaboration that made the difference. And the spirit of cooperation that keeps us moving forward. From the bottom of a grateful heart, I say THANK YOU to everyone who made our inaugural US UK Summit on RACE a complete success. The buzz continues bubbling over from our May 22nd virtual endeavor, and the new opportunities for growth and development are emerging with exciting speed and enthusiasm.
To date, more than 250 people from ten countries have participated or watched the US UK Summit on Race. New relationships have formed, and burning questions discussed and explored as a direct result of the Summit. The Speaker-Panelists Words can only express my deep appreciation for every speaker who delivered a heartfelt and deeply reflective presentation on the issues. Panel One Detective Larry Ellison - US Leila McKenzie-Delis - UK Professor Martin Levermore - UK Former Minnesota State Senator Jeff Hayden - US Panel Two Rev. Dr. Karla Cooper - US Diana Wong, Ph.D. - US Her Excellency Dr. Justina Mutale - UK Professor Geoff Thompson, MBE. FRSA, DL - UK The Facilitators We didn’t just hear our fabulous speakers, then pack up and end the Summit. We dug deeper with our Breakout Sessions that were moderated by 11 amazing Facilitators who teased out perspectives rarely discussed between advocates in the US and the UK. Sophia Khan - US Jennifer Perkins - US Cris Ajemian - US Dr. Lorna Thomas Farquharson - US Mesha Mott - US Tracey Gore - UK Valton Henderson - US Francisco Carrasco - UK Julayne Lee - US Joseph Mukungu - UK Carol Ann Whitehead - UK The Organizers I worked with three amazing professionals to launch the US UK Summit on Race. Our weekly meetings and endless emails have created a solid collaboration, discussing the issues, identifying relevant topics, and inviting experienced professionals to help create both the content and the resources in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Denise Gray Felder, Greater New York. President of the Communication for Social Change Consortium Garth Dallas, Liverpool, England, Attorney, Diversity Professional, and Anti-Racism expert on racial issues in the United Kingdom William (Bill) Wells, Jr., Minneapolis, Minnesota, Past Chair, National Black MBA Association, Diversity Professional. Bill is actively involved with Minneapolis civic and business leaders responding to George Floyd’s death. You can read all about the Speaker-Panelists here: https://www.mssconnect.com/meet-the-panel-speakers.html You can read all about the Facilitators here: https://www.mssconnect.com/meet-the-facilitators.html You can read all about the Organizers here: https://www.mssconnect.com/meet-the-organizers.html Volunteers make our events run smoothly. Special THANKS to Michelle Thomas-Monteiro and Denise Willis Turner for all of the “backstage” behind the scenes support they gave to us on May 22nd, as they have given in so many previous events I have produced. The Summit recordings will post later in June. The next TWO Summits are scheduled for: Thursday, August 19, 2021 - Small Group Discussions with a special spotlight on youth perspectives on Race And Saturday , October 2, 2021 - Another full US UK Summit on Race with a salute to Black History Month in the United Kingdom. The best is yet to come. Thanks to everyone who made our inaugural event a roaring success. We have only just begun! -Carole By Carole Copeland Thomas I have been teaching and training racial, ethnic, and diversity topics for more than 30 years. Even though the language has changed from affirmative action strategies to diversity, equity, and inclusion incentives, the fundamentals are the same. People often fear those who are different from themselves and are controlled by that fear when making crucial personal and professional decisions. The same is true about race. It's a simple social construct that has ruled American and British cultural norms for centuries. (Read my commentary about race by clicking HERE.) Yet, the fear factor about race grips our emotions and ends up often hurting, harassing, and hindering people who have brown or black skin. That's why attending the US UK Summit on Race is so important. It's designed to discern racial fact from fiction so that you come away from our discussions with more clarity and confidence in how you approach this subject. The US UK Summit on Race is designed to draw you into the conversation regardless of who you are or where you live. It will give you a unique opportunity to speak directly to someone from another country. You will have a chance to figure out if your perspective on race is sound, superficial, or just plain silly. The Summit may make you uncomfortable, and if it does, congratulations. Discomfort is an important ingredient in growing toward a better awareness level in how to expand racial equity for all. The Summit may draw out raw emotions that will cause you to examine your own level of unconscious bias and how it impacts your colleagues, staff members, family, or friends. The US UK Summit on Race is for anybody who doesn't have ALL of the answers to solve our social justice and societal issues. It's for the curious and the confused. It's for the anxious and for the apologetic. It's for the motivated and the misinformed. It's for those who are determined and those who are discouraged. It's for the eager and for those emerging from fake news, false promises, and faulty expectations. The US UK Summit on Race is for truth-seekers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and all the continents under the sun. Join us on Saturday, May 22nd, from 12:00 Noon to 3 pm EDT, and get ready to take off in a new direction where racial equity and cross-cultural understanding await you with open arms of inclusiveness. You'll find complete information at www.mssconnect.com. -Carole I love India, the second-most populous country in the world with 1.3 billion inhabitants. (China is number one.)
I have traveled to India every year for the past seven years, with this year the only one where COVID kept me away. My last trip leading a group tour was last February 2020, right before the massive worldwide lockdown. Our adventure was phenomenal, and our memories of the food, the people, our friends, the city, and the countryside are etched in our hearts and minds to remind us of how beautiful this part of the world really is. Our hosts for all of my trips to India, Reverends Abraham and Sarah Peddiny, live in Chennai, one of India's largest cities on the southeast coast of the country in the state of Tamil Nadu. They couldn't be more gracious, more loving, and more giving to their community and me. COVID has now attacked the Peddinys and infected everyone in their household. By the grace of God, the family found a hospital for Rev Abraham Peddiny, where he's currently located, with oxygen pumping through his body to keep him alive. His wife, daughter, and family friends are now quarantined in their home until they recover. Given that COVID is killing people all over India, I am grateful that my friends are alive and not dead on the streets somewhere in Chennai. This is only one family unit in India. There are countless others who aren't so lucky, didn't find a hospital in time, and are now waiting in the queue to cremate their loved ones. You've seen the news stories, photos, and video clips. Believe them and multiply them since some areas of the country are underreported. Full Disclosure: I am fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine, and most of my immediate family in Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut and Florida have been vaccinated. I have also had two COVID tests, and both results were negative. And to top it off, I had a COVID antibody test, which tells if you have ever had COVID. It, too, was negative. So you may ask, "If Carole is fully vaccinated, what's the big deal? Why should she care about what is happening about the rise and fall of the COVID crisis outside of the United States? More than 40% of adults in the US have had at least one of two vaccinations (Moderna and Pfizer require two vaccinations…J&J is only one vaccine). So isn't that enough?" The answer is, "The plight of the world's future could very well rest in what happens in India. We are an interconnected planet. What happens in India could impact the US, UK, and Canada should another COVID wave break out in the coming months." We are in a worldwide pandemic that probably started in China, spread quickly to Europe, and flew with speed to the US. As a world event…we don't have the luxury to pick and choose the countries we should embrace or ignore. That includes India. The country that COVID is now strangling with all its might. So what can you do? What can one person do? ONE: Help the Peddiny Family. I started a fundraising campaign last week with a goal to raise at least $5000 to help them. As you can imagine, this health challenge was not planned for in the Peddiny Family budget, and some essential medical supplies, including oxygen, have skyrocketed in price. I have almost reached my goal. 100% of your donation will be sent to the Peddinys to help reduce their medical expenses caused by COVID. Any amount will help them. Your prayers will also help mightily. Please share this link with your friends who may also want to donate. https://bit.ly/3vlN7Dy TWO: Watch The News Get updated information on the crisis in India on international websites, including CNN: www.cnn.com, BBC: www.bbc.co.uk, and The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/us. I find that the BBC gives some of the best news stories on international issues on the web. THREE: Listen to Podcasts on the India COVID crisis. A good one I listen to is "India Explained." It is hosted by two Indian ex-pats—one living in London and the other in San Francisco. They will give you unvarnished insight into what's going on in their home country, including the political issues that impact the nation. Here's the link to the latest episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/india-explained/id1214764218?i=1000519304730 FOUR: Check in with your Indian friends in your community. There is a new travel ban on India, and some travelers are stuck in the country trying to get back to the US, Canada, or England. And of course, those outside of India are worried sick about their relatives and friends back in their home country. Show you care. Call them up or talk to them at work. Brainstorm what you can do to help. Again we are one world, and now assisting Indian friends and family is needed more now than ever. FIVE: Contact Congress and The White House. Call your US Senators and the White House and ask them to continue to send aid to India. Thank goodness, President Biden "gets it," and medical supplies, oxygen, and other humanitarian goods are being shipped to India. The irony is that India was a major vaccine producer, exporting some of its vaccines to parts of Africa. Not now. Less than 1% of Indians have been vaccinated. And India is under equipped even to take care of its own people.You do the math. They are overwhelmed with their current crisis and need all the help they can get. Here's a website to find the contact information for your state's US senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm We are our brother and sister's keeper. Keeping an international eye on world situations is our best way to protect our planet. You can do good things in your own home, neighborhood, AND across the world. Don't become an isolationist. We're way too connected to simply think about our own backyard. -Carole George Floyd would have been an ordinary statistic, so common an action that you wouldn't have paid him a second notice. He was the latest Black man in 2020 caught in a police trap with no exit. A misdemeanor allegation. A $20 fake bill. An apprehensive but somewhat cooperative suspect.
It was, after all, Memorial Day, and who should let their guard down on that auspicious holiday? It was Minneapolis, the land of the "Minnesota Nice," where racial confrontations are often not discussed in polite company. "I Can't Breathe!" Everyone knows what happened, how it happened, and the impact of what happened around the world. One black man pinned to a city street by the knee of a rogue police officer who listened to no-one. When George Floyd called out to his deceased mother, Officer Derek Chauvin refused to release the suspect. He kept pressing on Floyd's neck for nearly ten minutes. When George Floyd cried out, "I Can't Breathe!!" Chauvin used his white male police privilege and resolutely anchored his hold. Even the three police officers on hand did nothing to ease the tragedy. They were accomplices in a statistical murder that mattered little to them. Citizen Journalism But it did matter to Darnella Fraizer. She was 17 years old on that day, with no photographic, videographer, or police training. A mere high school kid with a conscience bigger than Derek Chauvin or the three police goons put together. She simply took out her phone, clicked over to the video option, and pressed play. Her 9-year-old cousin, Judeah Reynolds, faithfully stood by and witnessed a police officer murdering a Black man. Darnella kept filming, Judeah gave moral support, and other witnesses did their part to dissuade the rogue cop from finishing off an unarmed Black man. Darnella unknowingly was serving a higher purpose. She said, "When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles because they are all Black. It's been nights I've stayed up apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life. It's not what I should have done; it's what he should have done." Baby cousin Judeah said, "I was sad and kind of mad, and it felt like it was stopping his breathing and it was hurting him. " A 17 year old and a 9 year old. Offering more grace under fire than wealthy patrons with trunks filled with academic degrees. These children had GUTS. They were BRAVE. They had COURAGE. The rogue cops threatened to spray mace in their faces to deter the courage and bravery they demonstrated. Other bystanders, including two other 17-year-olds, Alyssa Funari and Karlynn Gilbert, testified in court and bore their truth of what they saw that day. Yes, there were adults who also testified for the Prosecution, articulating the helplessness they felt as they pleaded for the rogue cop to take his knee off of George Floyd's neck. Charles McMillian, age 61, was most compassionate, encouraging George Floyd to corporate with the police; yet he also witnessed a hateful and racist cop killing a Black man over a $20 bill. When I watched McMillian break down and cry during his court testimony, tears flowed down my face as I struggled to ask the question, "Why?" The conviction of Officer Derek Chauvin represented a well-orchestrated trial where the testimonies and video footage of children were principal components of the Prosecution's evidence. The Defense's arguments were pathetically weak, heavily relying on the hypothesis that the preexisting medical-drug history of George Floyd was the cause of death. And in less than 12 hours, the diverse jury of nine set the record straight. They believed the CHILDREN. Yes, the sentencing will take place in the next eight weeks, and Derek Chauvin's legal team will undoubtedly press for an appeal. It won't work. Chauvin will serve some time in jail for his arrogance, hatred, and racism. His police goon squad of three will probably get jail time after their trial is held in August. The Police Killings Continue In the midst of nationwide celebrations of the Chauvin's conviction, there is still so much work to do. The US Justice Department is now investigating the operational practices of the Minneapolis Police Department. And as I write this commentary, three more police "shoot to kill" cases have sprung up in Columbus, Ohio, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee. This is out of control and MUST be stopped. Our nation MUST recalibrate our police departments so that punishment meets the crime regardless of race or ethnicity. George Floyd would have been proud of the young and old bystanders who defended his dignity. They could not save his life, but they saved his legacy. I pay tribute to Darnella and Judeah in particular because they did not RUN in the face of danger. One took out her cell phone as a proud citizen journalist. And the other backed up her older cousin and cried out as any good 9-year-old advocate would do. They would make ANY mother proud. I celebrate their wisdom and their action. Saving George Floyd Yes, young people SAVED George Floyd. They couldn't save his life, but they saved his humanity and made it impossible for us to look away or turn back to the old way of thinking. For our young people armed with cell phone cameras, hopes, and dreams, we have to recalibrate our police departments across the country and examine the countless other ways to affirm the Black Lives Matter signs with policies and practices that give Black and Brown people the decency they deserve. |
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