Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
VOL 38 - THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Happy Thursday, #NoteddTribe!
Two days ago, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. (If you’re curious to learn more on what’s next, theSkimm shared more on the ruling of each charge and the potential sentencing in a recent newsletter.)
In our opinion, the overwhelming amount of evidence and the prosecution’s case, including their closing arguments, were significant takeaways from this case. Still, it’s important to recognize the women involved in this case. From the brave women who testified, including Darnella Frazier, to the mixed-race majority women jury, it was the women who had to re-live their experience and make the final decision to find Derek Chauvin guilty in the court of law.
While we take a moment to recognize the conviction as a change in history, Black and Brown people are still dying at the hands of the police, like 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, who Columbus police Officer Nicholas Reardon killed. New trials will also begin soon as many continue to seek accountability and justice.
Next month, the trial is set to begin on the murder of Pamela Turner, who Baytown police Officer Juan Delacruz killed on the day after Mother’s Day in 2019. The trial is scheduled to start on May 25, which is the one-year death anniversary of George Floyd.
Please continue to read more on what we’ve Notedd for you this week. As always, #staynotedd.
COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach: We really appreciate those who said ‘yes’ to sharing their experience with the COVID-19 vaccine. If you would like to join these women, please complete the survey linked below.
Once responses are received, we will post all information anonymously in a thread for the Notedd community to learn from each other. We hope this will combat some of the associated stigmas and at least provide more information.
The House Judiciary Committee approved HR 40, which will create a commission to study reparations for direct descendants of slaves. The bill will now move to a full House vote.
Black women congressional leaders call for the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The bill aims to end and ban certain police techniques, including chokeholds at the federal level, improve police training, and invest in community programs designed to improve policing and promote equitable new policies.
Kim Godwin will be president of ABC News, the first Black woman to run a broadcast television news division.
Music journalist Danyell Smith created the Spotify original series, Black Girl Songbook, to delve into the career-shifting moments of Black women who are often left out of significant music conversations.
E! Nighly Pop Host Nina Parker made history as the first Black woman to collaborate with Macy’s on a plus-size collection.
Today is Earth Day, an annual reminder to give our planet some TLC today and every day. While we can take action with Earth Day activities such as educating ourselves on the impacts of climate change or try planting, we should also recognize the environmental racism faced by numerous communities of color.
What is environmental racism?
Civil rights leader Benjamin Chavis coined the term “environmental racism” in 1982. He describes environmental racism as “racial discrimination in environmental policy-making, the enforcement of regulations and laws, the deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities, the official sanctioning of the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our communities, and the history of excluding people of color from the leadership of the ecology movements.”
An Injustice! Mag describes the four dimensions of environmental racism as:
Internalized: The subtle and overt messages that reinforce negative beliefs and self-hatred in individuals. These can be a lack of representation in positions of power, lack of independence, the feeling of powerlessness.
Interpersonal: Overtly racist acts and microaggressions on a person-to-person level. For example, discrimination against BIPOC farmers.
Institutional: Policies and practices reinforcing racist standards with organizations. Exploitative labor conditions and low wages.
Structural: Multiple institutions collectively upholding racist policies and procedures. These can be developing countries denied loans, historical lack of land ownership by Black people in the US.
What’s the history behind environmental racism?
In 1982, state government officials decided to dump loads of soil contaminated with toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at a landfill in Afton, North Carolina, a predominantly Black community. As a result, Chavis said incidents of leukemia and cancer increased after the Afton community was exposed to the pollutants from the toxic waste. Read more about how a protest in a North Carolina farming town sparked a national movement by visiting the link below.
A decade after her husband died of lung cancer, Hazel M. Johnson saw a TV report saying South Side of Chicago residents had the highest incidences of cancer in the city. Johnson’s determination and grassroots efforts led her to learn that steel mills, refineries, and chemical companies were dumping toxins into the local river where she lived. Her community, Altgeld Gardens, had the highest concentration of hazardous waste sites in the nation. Johnson would later be known as the Mother of Environmental Justice for her activism in addressing how industrial pollution affected the quality of life for low-income and minority communities. Learn more about Mrs. Johnson’s legacy and how our Forever President became an organizer.
How is environmental racism impacting communities of color today?
In the New York Times article “This Is Environmental Racism,” Benjamin Chavis shares that “Black people are nearly four times as likely to die from exposure to pollution than White people.”
According to “Fumes Across the Fence-Line,” a recent study by the Clean Air Task Force, African Americans are exposed to 38 percent more polluted air than White Americans, and they are 75 percent more likely to live in communities that border a plant or factory. Researchers have found that Black children are twice as likely to develop asthma as their peers.
The case of Flint, Michigan, is a prime example of environmental racism. In 2014, the city changed its water source to the Flint river to “save money,” but failed to treat the new supply, which exposed the city’s Black community of nearly 100,000 to dangerous levels of lead from ageing pipes and other contaminants such as E.coli. Toxic locations like “Cancer Alley” along the Mississippi River to “Shingle Mountain” in Dallas are similar local-level cases that also require attention.
Overall, environmental racism is a part of the broader picture of systemic racism. It’s with the same fight, determination, and grassroots efforts where we can get involved, generate awareness, and apply pressure to our lawmakers. We can start today with this list of organizations and resources.
Saturday, April 24 is Independent Bookstore Day. Bringing back this article from our previous Notedd issue which lists every Black-owned bookstore to support right now.
There are now 125 Black-owned bookstores in the US, but they only make up just 6% of indie bookselling companies.
Please support your local bookstore or check out if there is a store that will ship your next book to you directly.
In honor of 4/20, the Good Trade put together a list of seven CBD brands owned by Black women who want to heal their communities in more ways than one. They’re changing the narrative and cannabis industry with products like skin serums and alleviating ingestibles that you can easily incorporate into your life.
Additionally, you can also advocate for cannabis equity by joining or donating to Minority Cannabis Business Association: a non-profit created to progress the industry through diversity. Additionally, you can also support organizations like The Last Prisoner Project, a 501(c)(3) working to decriminalize marijuana.
Tiffany Johnson is helping women of color access more sustainable products as CEO & Founder of Moozii.
Moozii is a feminine care, wellness, and beauty brand, hyper-focused on creating access and awareness to sustainable, high-performing quality products. Moozii offers products ranging from 100% Medical Grade Menstrual cups, Organic Reusable Pads, and CBD Wellness and Beauty products.
I started Moozii because I noticed a lack of access and awareness to more sustainable and safe feminine care, wellness, and beauty products for women of color. Prior to Menstrual cups, I was a frequent tampon user, and it was a game-changer! But after bragging to my girlfriends about them, I noticed that a lot of my black girlfriends were not aware of this sustainable and money-saving product. That inspired me to create a brand where women of color can see women like themselves, choosing more sustainable and safer Feminine care and Wellness products. It’s all about representation for me.
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