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“A balm for the soul”
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GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

women of color

When Aimee Allison was 14, her mother took her to see civil rights leader Jesse Jackson speak — and something changed in her.

Growing up black and biracial in a predominantly white community, Allison regularly experienced incidents of racism. And while she worked hard in school and wanted to someday attend college, it was hard to imagine herself as a leader. After all, she hadn't seen anyone in government who looked like her.

But listening to Jackson changed her whole idea of what her future could entail.


"It was the first time I heard an articulation of what was possible in our country's future by coming together across race," she says.

Image courtesy of Aimee Allison.

The experience inspired Allison to dream big: She wanted to become the first black female secretary of state. She dove into extracurricular activities to set herself up for success, and with each new challenge, she excelled. On her high school's speech and debate team, she did so well that she went on to compete at the national level. Eventually, she ran for student body president, and she won.

Then, when she was 17, she met a recruiter who convinced her that joining the Army Reserves and serving her country would bring her closer to achieving her dreams.

So she signed up and began her training — but it wasn't at all what she expected.

Image via Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller.

"I didn't start out as a person who wanted to pick up a gun," she explains.

The once passionate debater and leader quickly found the environment at odds with who she was. "In military training, there's two main things that you're taught," she says. "You follow orders, and you do not speak up."

So when her unit was called to fight in the first Gulf War, Allison felt the need to finally speak up. She didn't actually believe in going to war and knew her calling was elsewhere.

Image via Upworthy.

"There's an easy choice, which is to follow orders and say nothing," she says. "But my conscience, which is another way to say my heart, would not let me do it."

So instead of going to fight, she became a conscientious objector, which allowed her to be honorably discharged from the military so she was no longer expected to serve. It was a tough move to make, especially because her military training had told her not to question her orders. But she knew it was the right decision.

"Becoming a conscientious objector was my call to serving the country, to serving humanity," she says.

Image via Upworthy.

She learned in that moment that she had the ability to stand up for what she believes in.

"All of my work since my time as a teenager in the military has been to follow my heart, to do the thing that's right, and to be as courageous as I can," she says. "That's how I found who I was, and that's how I have been organizing my life ever since," she says.  

Remembering how powerful an experience it had been to see Jesse Jackson speak, she realized that she, too, could use her voice to engage her community in the political process.

Image via Upworthy.

Women of color are 20% of the U.S. population and yet only 4% of elected officials.And that's why Allison is speaking out to make sure people of color get more representation.

She's the president of Democracy in Color, an organization that mobilizes black and brown voters and supports progressive candidates of color in order to diversify the government.

Allison also hosts the Democracy in Color podcast, writes articles on women of color in government, and uses social media to engage potential voters in the issues that affect the lives of people of color.

While it's taken a lot of courage for her to follow her heart, Allison's journey is an important reminder that the right path is not always the easiest to take. Now, as a fierce advocate for her community, she's showing others that when the path is unclear, it's time to blaze a new trail.

After an intense, widely watched campaign, Democrat Doug Jones won Alabama's open seat in the U.S. Senate.

It's the first time a Democrat has held the spot in more than 20 years, and the victory cost Republicans a desperately needed seat just as the fight to pass major items on the GOP's agenda has become particularly heated.

Doug Jones' win was huge for Alabama — and the nation too — but as the exit poll data has emerged, it's very clear who pushed him over the line: black people, particularly black women. Nearly 97% of black women in Alabama voted for Jones. 97%!


After Jones' victory, social media erupted with messages thanking black women for once again carrying the Democratic party to victory.

While black women are rarely anyone's majority, we are united, consistent, and right on time. So come election night, we tend to be thanked profusely (then promptly forgotten about) or maligned, depending on how things turn out.

But Tuesday. Tuesday appeared to be our night:

But, hey, Steve's got a point.

While gratitude is always welcome, and appreciated, if you really want to show your appreciation for black women, do something tangible. Put another way: Show us the money.

Thank-yous and handclap emojis won't keep the lights on or help more people of color win elections. But you know what will? Cold hard cash.

Here are 15 ways to spend your money, power, time, and resources to thank black women for carrying the political load.

1. Support black women running for office.

Yard signs. Phone banks. Field work. And, most importantly, monetary donations. No black women running for office near you? No excuses. Consider contributing to Stacey Abrams, a black Democrat running for governor of Georgia.

2. Get serious about closing the wage gap.

You've likely heard the statistic that women earn 78 cents for dollar a man makes doing the same job. That's white women. Black women earn about 64 cents for every dollar. Connect with and contribute to groups like the 78 Cents Project and the National Women's Law Center, who work tirelessly to bring about change in this arena.

3. Push for fair districting and open, easy voter registration in your community.

Not only did black women in Alabama come through at the polls, they did it in spite of roadblocks put in place to disenfranchise them. Political gerrymandering, voter ID requirements, and early registration deadlines diminish the back vote. Get involved locally and on the national level with groups fighting for full voting rights for everyone. Jason Kander's Let America Vote is a great place to start.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.

4. Help fund and build a political pipeline filled with black women.

There are three black people currently serving in the U.S. Senate, including Kamala Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. We can and must do better, not just at the highest offices, but on city councils, school boards, and municipal positions. Groups like Higher Heights and the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women work to promote the presence of black women in all levels of government.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

5. Stop asking black women to work for free.

All work, even emotional and psychological labor, has dignity and deserves compensation. If you're online or in a meeting and are about to ask a black person you don't know to teach you something, share their opinion on an issue "as a black person," or ask them to explain why some other black person in the news did or didn't do something: STOP. Or at least, offer to pay them for their time. (And if you really need it, consider reaching out to the white volunteers at White Nonsense Roundup to perform that emotional labor instead.)

6. Support a living wage and the Fight for $15.

You know what else shouldn't come free? Physical labor. Even working full-time, someone earning the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) does not earn enough money to support themselves, let alone a small family. A living wage, $15/hour, would go a long way to pulling women of color working entry-level, retail, or food service positions out of poverty, and it could improve the health and education prospects for their children.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.

7. Volunteer or fund "get out the vote" efforts and field campaigns in 2018.

One of Doug Jones' keys to success was activating a large grassroots effort to reach out to communities of color — making calls, knocking on doors, putting billboards in neighborhoods often ignored. Some will (rightfully) argue he still could have done more and that the effort to get people of color involved in politics shouldn't happen only every few years. To those people, I say: Please open your wallet or your calendar and help out. These efforts are effective, but they take time and do not come cheap.

8. Start a monthly donation to your local NAACP.

Guess who's been doing work on the ground to mobilize black communities for a century? The NAACP. Find and fund your local unit or contribute at the national level. They've been doing the heavy lifting not just on political matters, but on education, civil rights, environmental justice, health care, and more.

NAACP national president and CEO Cornell Brooks joins the Rev. Joseph Darby and other local leaders for a news conference about the Charleston shooting. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

9. Listen to black women when we talk about the issues that keep us up at night — or the issues that will bring us to the voting booth.

Statistically, if you're white in this country, you don't have a lot of black friends to listen to. No excuses. Pick up a magazine like Essence, Black Enterprise, or Ebony. Read sites like The Root, The Grio, or Very Smart Brothas. Follow black women on Twitter. (I even made you a list.) Listen, read, take notes. The black women going to the polls are not voting to save white people or the country at large; they're voting for what's best for them and their families. Maybe it's time someone asked what that looks like.

Photo by Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images.

10. Spend money at black-owned businesses.

Support black makers and entrepreneurs, authors and designers, particularly in black neighborhoods. Keeping these areas thriving and limiting gentrification will help boost black wealth; create a sense of history, place, and tradition; and keep black families together. Visit the National Black Chamber of Commerce to find black-owned businesses in your community.

11. Recruit, hire, retain, and promote black women at every level and in every industry.

Whether you're a hiring manager or an entry-level employee, you can do your part to help black women succeed at the level they deserve. You can send job announcements to black career search accounts and hashtags run by black people like @ReignyDayJobs, @WritersofColor, or @BlackFreelance1. If you're higher up in your role, ask leadership about their strategy to diversify at the senior level or what's being done to make your workplace more inclusive.

[rebelmouse-image 19475741 dam="1" original_size="750x500" caption="Photo by WOC in Tech Chat/Flickr." expand=1]Photo by WOC in Tech Chat/Flickr.

12. Stop at nothing but full enfranchisement for former felons.

A law that's more than a century old has allowed county registrars to deny the vote to thousands of former felons in Alabama, many of them black. In August, thousands of these people regained the right to vote, and many voted for the first time. Other states have not restored the vote to former felons, forever disenfranchising them well after they paid their debt to society. Find out the rules in your state and mobilize to help everyone get the right to vote.

13. Don't sit idly by when black women are disparaged, ridiculed, or made to feel less than by powerful people and corporations.

Gabby Douglas was trying to win a gold medal and people were concerned about her hair. Leslie Jones had trolls bully her off the internet. Jemele Hill was attacked by the president of the United States. And don't get me started on Dove. When things like this happen — to celebrities or regular black women in the media — speak up. Tell offenders (with your voice and wallet) that hating on black women is not OK.

Jemele Hill photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York.

14. Give a damn about the alarming mortality rate for black mothers.

Pregnancy and childbirth are claiming the lives of black women at a truly staggering rate. In Texas, black moms accounted for just over 11% of the births but more than 28% of pregnancy-related deaths. This is a national crisis no one is talking about. So talk about it, and ask what your doctors, nurses, and hospitals are doing to protect these vulnerable women and children.

15. Like a thing? Find a black woman doing it and put money in her pocket.

Do you like movies? Stream "Mudbound," directed by Dee Rees. Are you a foodie? Buy a cookbook written by a black woman. (May I suggest this one?). Interested in space exploration? Read this awesome book by Mae Jemison. Whatever you enjoy, black women are already there and killing it. Find them and pay them for it.

[rebelmouse-image 19475743 dam="1" original_size="750x500" caption="Mary J. Blige and Dee Rees discuss their film "Mudbound." Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images." expand=1]Mary J. Blige and Dee Rees discuss their film "Mudbound." Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.

This country was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of black women.

And yet, we still haven't received the respect, power, and resources we deserve. Thank-yous will never be enough. Money will never be enough. But if a grateful nation ever hopes to make it right, they're a damn good place to start.

Photo by Stephen Morton/Getty Images.

More

Watch a clip of the controversial 'Doc McStuffins' episode featuring same-sex parents.

'With this episode, they see a family that looks like our family.'

For the first time ever, Amanda Deibert's daughter saw something fantastic while watching Saturday morning cartoons:

A family that looked like her own.

Deibert, a Los Angeles-based writer, was just one of many parents reacting with excitement to a new episode of Disney's "Doc McStuffins" that featured an interracial family with two moms.

In the episode, the family lives through a scary earthquake and learns the importance of having a safety plan in case of emergencies. But it's the series' decision to feature a same-gender couple — voiced by actors Portia de Rossi and Wanda Sykes, who are both lesbians — that's actually groundbreaking.  


“The diversity of the show and having an African-American little girl be the star of the show — and also being a doctor — it sends a great message,” Sykes explained in a video by GLAAD about her involvement.

“I am a fan of Doc McStuffins," Sykes said. "My kids, they watch the show. With this episode, they see a family that looks like our family."

Wanda Sykes (left) and her wife, Alex Sykes, in 2015. Photo by Jason Carter Rinaldi/Getty Images.

The inclusive episode comes amid growing demands for better LGBTQ representation across the TV landscape.

During a Television Critics Association press tour, GLAAD broke down troubling trends among queer representation on TV; among the most concerning issues was the need to feature more LGBTQ characters who are women and people of color. The latest "Doc McStuffins" episode helps in changing that status quo.

Not everyone is excited about the episode.

In response to Sykes and de Rossi's characters, conservative advocacy group One Million Moms urged supporters to email and call Disney demanding the "Doc McStuffins" episode never be seen by the public.

"If producers air this episode as originally planned, then conservative families will have no choice but to no longer watch Disney Channel Network in their homes so they can avoid previews, commercials, and reruns," the group threatened.

But Disney aired the episode anyway. And many people stood by its side.

The hashtag #StandWithDoc cropped up on Twitter in response to the backlash.

People from across the internet sent encouraging messages to Disney and the thousands of families who will be positively affected by the episode.

The outpouring of support and Disney's decision to follow through with the episode reflects society's growing acceptance of LGBTQ people and parents. To countless little kids watching in family rooms across the country, it makes a difference.

"We’re two moms, and we have a boy and girl, two kids," Sykes said. "It’s going to be very exciting for them to see that — to see our family represented.”

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the episode in this video by GLAAD:

See how Disney and Wanda Sykes are teaching families two valuable lessons in one episode of Doc McStuffins.

Posted by GLAAD on Saturday, August 5, 2017

Miranda Barnes didn't have to look far to find the inspiration for her heartwarming photography project.

In her collection, "Doubles," the 22-year-old photographer from Brooklyn captures the indelible sisterhood of black female twins, glowing with joy and affection for one another.

Photo by Miranda Barnes, used with permission.


Her grandmother was a twin and passed away in 2009. The family only has a few photos of the twins together, so Barnes pursued this project as a way to reconnect with her family history and celebrate the kinship among black women — sisters by blood or shared experience.

"When we talk about black women being celebrated for being caring and loving, it's always in a mothering way but never in a sisterhood way," she says.

Barnes' grandmother, Joyce, (left) with her twin, Jean, in 1978.

But finding black twins to photograph wasn't easy.

When the project began, she didn't know any sets of black girl twins. She met her first pair of twins through a mutual friend and a few more through chance encounters that can only be described as fate. Once, Barnes saw a mom and her twin daughters on the subway.

"She was a tired mom with two kids, and I was like, 'This is going to sound so weird,'" Barnes says with a laugh. "But she let me into her home, and we've remained friends. ... It's funny to see how I met a lot of these people."

Photo by Miranda Barnes, used with permission.

Now, with the project generating so much buzz, twins are approaching her, making the scouting process easier. She even considered expanding the project to include male twins, but after a few shoots, she just wasn't feeing the same connection to her work. For now, she's focusing her attention on women and girls.

Photo by Miranda Barnes, used with permission.

Barnes hopes her series exudes the joy and warmth she sees in black women each day.

Too often, the media represents black women with stereotypes and tired tropes of the angry black woman or the mamie-like matriarch. Shows like "Living Single" and "Girlfriends" have long been cancelled. Reality programs like "Real Housewives of Atlanta" and "Love and Hip-Hop" focus more on backstabbing and fights than genuine relationships.

Photo by Miranda Barnes, used with permission.

Undoing generations of stereotypes to celebrate black womanhood, friendship, and sisterhood is no easy task, but it's vital work.

"I don't think my photos can change that, but I do like to show a different side of black women that deserves to be shown," Barnes says.

Photo by Miranda Barnes, used with permission.