Lulete Mola’s Post

YWCA South Florida is disappointed in the recent decision by the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to block the Fearless Fund from continuing its Fearless Strivers Grant Fund process, as the anti-affirmative action case against the fund moves forward. This is yet another example in a startling trend among anti-affirmative action activists using laws meant to uplift and level the playing field for businesses and entrepreneurs of color to push an opposing agenda. Specifically, this lawsuit aims to turn the Reconstruction-era law section 1981 of the 1866 Civil Rights Act against its initial goal of protecting formerly enslaved people from economic exclusion. Economic opportunities for communities of color, and particularly women of color, continue to lag behind other groups, and the economic gap along racial and gender lines is continuing to widen. Programs like the Fearless Fund and others are crucial and necessary to unravel the historic and structural patterns of economic disenfranchisement of Black communities. We still have a long way to go in equal opportunity, and we cannot lose momentum now. While the outcome of the case is still to come, it has the potential for far-reaching consequences for organizations in South Florida. YWCA South Florida is committed and unwavering in our work to creating a more equitable society through pathways and opportunities for historically marginalized communities. We are not discouraged, and will continue the work we have been doing for more than 104 years. https://bit.ly/4egQPWb

Need a safety net of support to help you with basic needs, emergencies or a request of care that adds softness to your life? Or, do you have resources to share but don’t know where to contribute direct aid? Check out post below to learn more about the Decolonized Community Care Fund. We’ve got us. 🌱 #MutualAid #CommunityCare #RedistributeTheWealth

Juneteenth is a day of remembering that on June 19th, 1865, enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas were told that slavery had ended 2 years prior. Having no land, no mules, no money that was promised by the government in the form of reparations, and hardly considered American by the very people who enslaved them and their families for centuries, these now-formerly enslaved Black Americans in Galveston (and the rest of the US) had to find a way on their own with no systems in place to help them - the only systems in place were to hurt them. What was born from the Reconstruction Era was the KKK, Jim Crow, and the prison pipeline geared towards keeping Black men enslaved - among other things. Black people in America have always had to be each other's Community, because the Systems in place in America made it clear only White cis-gendered men were created equally. Today is not the day for White folx to host bbq's or speaking events - seriously, no. Rather, it's a day (as it is every other day) for learning and for giving directly to Black people. The Decolonized Community Care Fund is a perfect start, because it has been created by a Black Queer Woman who knows the disempowerment of broken systems and the power around Community built by other Black women. Clicking on the link to our DCCF spreadsheet below, you will find two Black women who have never second-guessed being there for everyone else, and they need an effing break. They need our support every day, but today is a perfect day to start if you haven't already. Dedicate $5 a month or week, at the very least. Have more? Commit to contributing to more. Community Care cannot be truly for the Community until you begin to reprioritize who your money and support goes to. How many of you can say you support Black businesses on a daily basis, much less Black women you know on social media platforms? Today, truly is a perfect day to start. Details are below 👇 [Image: Canva] #Juneteenth #Reparations #DecolonizedCommunityCare #CommunityCare

All of it. Every single word. Line by line in accuracy.

Very interesting article about the turn racial justice programs (have) are taking. If you operate in this space, it is definitely worth the read.

On this day we are steadfast and resolute social justice warriors. This day is no different than yesterday in the critical sense that we still have the fundamentals. Our hearts still beat fiercely for equity, we still have the love of our friends and family, we still have the warmth and comfort of home and hearth, our values are intact, and we stand in solidarity and amity with our colleagues and fellow travelers and each other. There is no force, no matter how wretched, that can stop us from bending the arc toward justice and accountability and from delivering our ancestors and their legacy of hope and liberation from the margins of the American experience to the center of it. We will continue to be the keepers of the flame that lights the path to justice and truth and equal opportunity. EJS is energized to double down on its commitment to transforming the nation's consciousness on race by championing programs and narratives that dismantle systems of racial oppression. We will redouble our efforts to repair the nation through reparations, advance Black women’s health equity, deploy implicit bias elimination research and implementation, end the school-to-prison industrial complex, fix school discipline, cultivate diverse multiracial pipelines connected to fair housing, education, and employment opportunities, and articulate the evidence-based, historically accurate, critically informed culture narratives that advance multiracial inclusive democracy and shatter the myth of white superiority. Please stand with us in recommitting to this work that is our salvation. Onward.

Appearing on Dr. Phil McGraw show, I made a powerful call for more Black lawyers in America. Our nonprofit JustUs System, Inc. and law firm The Scruggs Law Firm represent 10 years of answering that call. Currently, only 5.5% of all lawyers are Black. Doubling this number is essential to achieving real equity. From discrimination in the workplace to barriers in education, Black communities face unique challenges. We need more representation to break down these barriers. Join us in the fight for justice. #SCruggsLaw #KansasCityLawyer #KansasCityAttorneys #PersonalInjuryExperts #InjuryJustice #AccidentAttorneyKC #KCInjuryLawyers #BlackLawyers #JustUsSystem #EquityInLaw #ScruggsLawFirm

Decades of disinvestment in Black communities has left enduring scars on community members’ economic resources and opportunities. Yet, against these odds, Black nonprofits have risen to the occasion, employing targeted universalism to bridge these gaps and provide vital services and programs in fields such as education, healthcare, environmental justice, and workforce development to achieve secure and strong community conditions. #NonprofitReport #Gratitude #closethegivinggap #Giving #StateofBlackNonprofitsReport

Utah recently joined Florida, Texas, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee in having laws on the books restricting or banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. 25 other states have introduced more than 70 bills targeting DEI at public institutions. Additionally, more than 150 bills in 35 states were introduced aiming to restrict access to library materials, and to punish library workers who do not comply. The American Library Association reported a record-breaking number of attempts to ban books in 2023. The backlash against 2020 is in full swing. The Sankofa Impact team experiences the backlash in a number of ways. Companies and institutions that were aggressively reaching out for programming in 2020 and 2021 have gone silent. This aligns with our friends in DEI who have been downsized or eliminated. Program participation, once teeming, has dropped precipitously. This aligns with the fear and fatigue that comes when forces in power belittle movements toward justice. Come by our office and we will share more stories. The history of racial progress in the United States can be defined, in some ways, by advance and backlash. The abolition of slavery met with the dismantling of reconstruction. Black wealth and military service in the early 20th century met with a campaign of racial terror. Gains made during the Civil Rights era met with assassinations, gerrymandering, and decades of racist legal rulings. And so it goes. After the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, everyday people hit the streets. Millions called for change. The response? Empty statements leading to book bans, “woke” has become pejorative, and the very notion that historically marginalized people be at the decision making table is under attack. Here’s to the everyday activists who refuse to be moved by backlash. To all the librarians, DEI professionals, educators, students, nonprofit and business professionals who remain hopeful in the face of fear and doubt. And here’s to the Sankofa Impact team who shows up, day in and day out, speaking the unvarnished truth about our shared history, bringing us a little closer to the collective liberation of all people. . . . #SankofaImpact #Seattle #Backlash #DEI #BookBanning #EverydayActivism #Hope #History

At #BlackRootsAlliance, our mission is the liberation of all Black people. We organize around five key areas: #safety, #economicsecurity, #healthandwholeness, #education #justiceanddemocracyengagement. This #Juneteenth, we want to bring awareness to a crucial aspect of our journey towards justice—#reparations for Black people. Since the end of slavery, conversations about reparations have been ongoing. We believe there must be multiple paths to reparations because our experiences and needs are diverse. Reparations are about making amends for the atrocities inflicted on oppressed communities. They are a form of apology and a step towards repairing the deep-rooted damages caused by systemic racism and oppression. These reparations should address structural inequities and provide a plan for a more just future. We want to hear from you! What's your biggest money issue? Tell us about your perspectives on Chicago, Economics, and Reparations. We will be at a Public Library near YOU in June and July! #Reinvest2Repair Learn More Here: https://lnkd.in/gyYynYHD