Saturday, December 6

Tag: support

Offering A Chance For Community To Stand In Solidarity And Support – Trans Day Of Visibility
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LGBTQ

Offering A Chance For Community To Stand In Solidarity And Support – Trans Day Of Visibility

Visibility within the transgender community is often a Catch-22, especially for trans people of color, or those living in rural, conservative areas. Hiding one’s identity can be a damaging experience and increase feelings of isolation, stigma and shame. But standing out as a trans person can make someone a target for discrimination or violence. As a trans man who studies transgender health and well-being, I believe Trans Day of Visibility – celebrated annually on March 31 – is an important day that allows community members to come together and find support and solidarity by knowing they are not alone. A celebration’s history Trans Day of Visibility acknowledges the contributions made by people within the transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse communities (hereafter referred to as “tran...
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Many Groups Are Still Struggling But Federal Support Has Shored Up Nonprofits During The Coronavirus Pandemic
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POP CULTURE & TRENDS

Many Groups Are Still Struggling But Federal Support Has Shored Up Nonprofits During The Coronavirus Pandemic

More than 60% of nonprofit social services, arts and culture organizations obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic. These very low-interest loans for small businesses and nonprofits turn into grants that don’t need to be paid back as long as borrowers meet certain conditions, such as using at least 60% of the money to pay their employees. Even so, almost 50% of nonprofits providing social services, such as food banks and shelters for people experiencing homelessness, still had to scale back their work and cut staff because of inadequate funding. Almost 80% of arts and culture groups, including everything from big museums to small schools that teach children to speak Mongolian, faced the same problems. Also, about 15% of the nonprofi...
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Here’s Why The Oil Industry’s Support Of A Carbon Tax Could Be Good For Producers And The Public Alike
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BUSINESS

Here’s Why The Oil Industry’s Support Of A Carbon Tax Could Be Good For Producers And The Public Alike

The oil industry’s lobbying arm, the American Petroleum Institute, suggested in a new draft statement that it might support Congress putting a price on carbon emissions to combat climate change, even though oil and gas are major sources of those greenhouse gas emissions. An industry calling for a tax on the use of its products sounds as bizarre as “man bites dog.” Yet, there’s a reason for the oil industry to consider that shift. With the election of President Joe Biden and rising public concern about climate change, Washington seems increasingly likely to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The industry and many economists and regulatory experts, ourselves included, believe it would be better for the oil industry – and for consumers – if that action were taxation rather than regulat...
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How White Co-Workers And Managers Can Support Black People And Be An Antidote To Systemic Racism
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SOCIAL JUSTICE

How White Co-Workers And Managers Can Support Black People And Be An Antidote To Systemic Racism

President Joe Biden committed the U.S. government to racial equity by issuing four executive orders on Jan. 26 that seek to curb systemic racism. In the orders, he cited the killing of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked months of protests and prompted many U.S. companies to likewise commit themselves – and hundreds of billions of dollars – to helping Black Americans overcome institutional discrimination. Shortly after the protests began last year, we hosted a panel that addressed this very topic. Held on Juneteenth, the webinar featured four Black women – including one of us – who poignantly shared their own frequent encounters with racial bias in job interviews, shopping for clothes and even working with their peers. A common question we got from the predominantly white audience was so...
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The Latest Blow To A Film Industry On Life Support, Regal Cinemas’ Decision To Close Its Theaters
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BUSINESS, IN OTHER NEWS

The Latest Blow To A Film Industry On Life Support, Regal Cinemas’ Decision To Close Its Theaters

A film industry in free fall just suffered its latest blow. Cineworld Group, the owner of Regal Cinemas, announced that it would suspend operations at all of its locations in the U.S. and U.K. as crowded theaters continue to be seen as petri dishes for a virus that shows no sign of abating. Studios are in no better shape. Familiar blockbuster franchises that Hollywood banks on to balance ledgers have been delayed, including the 25th James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” “Mission: Impossible 7,” and Marvel Universe’s “Black Widow” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” The billions of dollars invested in producing and marketing these films alone are sums that could make or break the studios. Meanwhile, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Apple TV have capitalized on the trend of people’s spending m...
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After the civil rights era, white Americans failed to support systemic change to end racism. Will they now?
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IN OTHER NEWS

After the civil rights era, white Americans failed to support systemic change to end racism. Will they now?

The first wave of the Black Lives Matter movement, which crested after the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, had the support of less than half of white Americans. Given that Americans tend to have a very narrow definition of racism, many at that time were likely confused by the juxtaposition of Black-led protests, implying that racism was persistent, alongside the presence of a Black family in the White House. Barack Obama’s presidency was seen as evidence that racism was in decline. The current, second wave of the movement feels different, in part because the past months of protests have been multiracial. The media and scholars have noted that whites’ sensibilities have become more attuned to issues of anti-Black police violence and discrimination. After the first wave ...
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Movie theaters are on life support – how will the film industry adapt?
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IN OTHER NEWS

Movie theaters are on life support – how will the film industry adapt?

Since the start of the pandemic, the film industry has been in free fall. As deaths have continued to climb, so have studio losses, with crowded theaters – once a source of collective entertainment and escapism – now seen as petri dishes for the virus. Familiar blockbuster franchises whose summer releases studios banked on to balance bleeding ledgers have been barred from shuttered theaters. The 25th James Bond film, “No Time to Die,” the 7th “Mission Impossible,” Marvel Universe’s “Black Widow,” “Wonderwoman 1984” and Spider Man’s latest iteration, “Far From Home,” have all been delayed. The billions of dollars invested in producing and marketing these films alone are sums that could make or break the studios. Desperate to survive, AMC – the biggest of the three mega-chains of theaters...
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5 takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s $1.7 billion in support for social justice causes
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SOCIAL JUSTICE

5 takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s $1.7 billion in support for social justice causes

The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has announced that she’s disbursed nearly US$1.7 billion to 116 organizations, since first publicly discussing her giving intentions in May of 2019. Most of the organizations aim to advance racial, gender and economic equity, are dedicated to dealing with climate change, support democracy or are tied to other generally progressive causes. In the public blog post she wrote to break the news, Scott encouraged donors of all financial means to join her. Previously known as MacKenzie Bezos, before her divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the philanthropist also announced that from now on she’ll be using her middle name as her new last name. She left it up to the causes she’s funding to reveal precise totals for each gift. Howard Universi...
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Biden Our Vote And That Support Must Be Earned
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POLITICS

Biden Our Vote And That Support Must Be Earned

Not long before the murder of George Floyd, America witnessed a viral incident that depicted the volatility of Black life. We saw Amy Cooper, a White woman, threaten and maliciously call the New York City police to punish a Black male birder who dared to ask her to restrain her unleashed dog. The inherent harm of this call—the harm she intended and that which was possible—was evident. This careless disregard for Black life makes women such as Amy Cooper dangerous. We all know this is not new information. In 2016, an estimated 53% of White women voted to elect Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States despite the disdain and hatred he and his supporters expressed for Black people. Just as Cooper knowingly weaponized law enforcement for her benefit, so too did the women who hel...
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Anti-Violence Workshop Provides Support For Inmates
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IMPACT

Anti-Violence Workshop Provides Support For Inmates

Some inmates are doing the chicken dance in the Pierce County Jail in Washington. They’re standing in a circle, so as they lift their arms to flap their wings, they knock elbows and shoulders. “Okay, I’m gonna do… this,” says one inmate, punctuating the last word with a dab. Cheers raise from the group and everyone starts the choreography from the beginning, with someone adding a Michael Jackson-esque foot flick to the ad hoc sequence. “In all my years in prison, I never thought I’d be doing that,” says David Anello, an inmate with  a strong New York accent and an easy smile. His face is red from a wheezy laugh. Anello is one of 14 self-selected Alternatives to Violence Project workshop participants. It’s the second day of the three-day workshop, and the activity in which he and the o...
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