The Lens NOLA’s Post

Before we talk about wealth, we first need to have a new, nuts-and-bolts conversation about money: what it is, and how it works to shape our worlds, individually, and also socially, through institutions of finance that for supplying money to enterprise for its use for a purpose, for a time, at a cost and on terms that shapes the enterprises that shape the technologies that shape the choices that shape the economy that shapes society and our shared future, predistributively. What are these institutions that shape our future, predistributively? What is their purpose? What are their powers? What are the possibilities for shaping the right enterprises for shaping the right technologies for shaping the right choices for shaping the right economy for shaping a cohesive society and keeping it ongoing in hope for a dignified quality of life? How do we hold them accountable for authenticity and integrity in exercising institutional powers true to their institutional purposes?

On November 23, 1863, a landmark moment in American history unfolded with the delivery of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This brief yet powerful speech would come to symbolize the principles of human equality and the ongoing struggle for a nation united in the aftermath of the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, had been one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, resulting in significant losses for both the Union and Confederate forces. In the wake of this devastating conflict, Lincoln was invited to participate in the ceremony to honor the fallen soldiers and dedicate the cemetery. During his address, Lincoln emphasized the importance of the nation’s dedication to the ideals of liberty and equality. He poignantly framed the Civil War as a test of whether the nation, founded on the principle that all men are created equal, could endure. The famous opening lines, "Four score and seven years ago..." resonated powerfully, connecting the struggle of the Civil War to the founding ideals of the United States. Lincoln’s address, lasting only about two minutes, was initially overshadowed by the lengthy speech of the event’s keynote speaker, Edward Everett. However, the Gettysburg Address has since been recognized as one of the most eloquent expressions of American values and the principles of democracy. The significance of Lincoln’s words extended far beyond the battlefield. The speech reframed the Civil War as not only a fight for the Union but also a struggle for the future of democracy and equality. It inspired generations to come, becoming a pivotal moment that shaped the course of American history and the nation's identity. Today, we commemorate the Gettysburg Address as a cornerstone of American political rhetoric, highlighting the ongoing pursuit of liberty and justice for all. Lincoln's vision encourages us to reflect on our collective responsibility to uphold the values of democracy and equality in contemporary society. What do you think are the most important lessons we can draw from the themes of the Gettysburg Address in addressing modern issues of equality and justice today? #GettysburgAddress #AbrahamLincoln #AmericanHistory #CivilWar #Equality #Democracy #Inspiration

Right on, Kori! This blog post is poignant, direct, and invigorating for those who are in DEI work. For those that are unaware, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is facing systematic disinvestment and the reasons why you should care are explained in this article. Educate yourself so you can advocate for yourself and others & join us as we push forward to #AntagonizeInjustice!

Organized dissent is our best bet against fascism, and this is precisely why repressive forces are working so hard to chip away at the legal protections that guarantee our right to protest. But the good news is that if we claim our courage and compassion we can move the needle toward justice despite the odds.   Where did these attacks begin? How have they intensified so quickly? And how are communities joining together to fight for a better future despite increased repression? Catch insights into these questions and more in our video highlighting key takeaways from MCF Summer School session Attacking the Right to Hold Powerful People Accountable. Watch now to hear directly from experts MCF Freedom Scholar Noura Erakat, JD, human rights attorney and associate professor in the Department of Africana Studies and the Program of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, New Brunswick; Priscilla Grim, a Nuyorican, mom, and activist who has written for Hammer & Hope, Scalawag, and the Atlanta Community Press Collective; and MCF Freedom Scholar Dr. Barbara Ransby, professor of Black Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and History and director of the Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“The battleground for racial justice remains in the South, and the victories for justice must be fought for and by ordinary people in the South together with allies from other parts of the nation. Although the pestilence of racism has historically affected the lives of Black and Brown people, its reach extends to all who counter the ideals of white supremacy. A shared story of us is clear as we collectively reconstruct a democracy that is real for all, not just some. … We must not be cajoled into the thinking that centering Black and Brown perspectives in the current movement for justice minimizes injustices experienced by others. The story we share is that all our liberation is bound together. We are at a point of reconstruction where we must secure and guard our shared liberation. “The current threat to our shared story leads us to the urgency of now. We now witness in real time how the seeds of divisiveness and anti-inclusion are being planted on fertile ground made possible by far-right, conservative leaders specifically, but not exclusively, in Southern states, counties, cities and towns. Therefore, supporting existing and establishing new bases of organized local power that demonstrate bold and radical models of service, advocacy and justice are critical to the success of our new public narrative. This moment more than ever requires a strategic focus on the South for the greater good of our democracy and nation. And power is in the autonomy of local people engaged in this narrative of liberation.”  —Jalaya Liles Dunn, “The Power of Place” Revisit Learning for Justice's Spring 2023 magazine that highlights the deep-rooted legacies of power and justice in communities in the South. #education, #humanrights, #publishing

Explore the impactful story of Pamela Cone, a Dayton Democracy Fellow, whose life intertwines faith, community, and the pursuit of democracy. From preaching to empowering young mothers, her journey is a testament to the power of inclusive democracy. Read more about her inspiring work in today's blog post: https://lnkd.in/g8GKkMG3

Did you know that Impact Investing is directly connected to the Civil Rights Movement? Leaders of the CRM demanded the creation of new systems that would allow the Black community to have access to financial prosperity. Community based and managed financial institutions were developed to provide communities with access to financial services. Today, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) support communities through loans, funding, and other financial services while measuring their success through financial return and contributions to their communities. Issues of underdevelopment in communities of color impact everyone. The racial wealth divide will have an increasingly adverse impact on the American economy because of the changing demographics of our populace. Minorities are projected to become the majority in America by 2043. It is no longer economically viable to neglect the majority of our population. It is vital to the wellbeing of our nation to significantly invest in American's ability to build long lasting financial security. These issues and others are what my cohort and I are working through in my New England Impact Investing Initiative, Inc. fellowship. Many of you expressed an interest in learning more about Impact Investing and following me on my journey through my fellowship. I’m excited to continue to share information and resources. #ImpactInvesting #CivilRightsMovement #CommunityDevelopment #RacialWealthGap Further Reading: https://lnkd.in/g66PEHNw https://lnkd.in/gzXTbNFN https://lnkd.in/gfeD-kNA

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission (MLTRC) has conducted seven hearings so far (Allegany, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Wicomico, Somerset, Frederick and Montgomery Counties - all available for viewing on our website: https://lnkd.in/e5AXEpmM) and has only four hearings left to go. I hope you can attend one so you can participate in this vital community healing experience. One of the themes explored in my novel, Black Was the Ink, is the impact of unhealed traumas and how they reverberate through families, often without awareness of the cause. Similarly, during our lynching hearings we often learn that the descendants of racial terror lynching victims are unaware that this travesty had touched their families, and yet it did with impacts that are felt, if not seen. By acknowledging the pain and trauma countless African American communities have experienced, we take an important, but not final, step towards healing and racial reconciliation. Our next hearing will focus on lynchings that occurred in Hartford/Cecil Counties, which includes the murders of Frederick Pearce in 1861, John Jones in 1872, Isaac Moore in 1868, Jim Quinn in 1869, and Lewis Harris in 1900. Descendants of the victims and aggressors, expert witnesses, community members, scholars, and archivists will have the opportunity to provide testimony and make recommendations for achieving racial healing. HEARING DETAILS When: Saturday, October 26, 2024 Time (in person and streaming): 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Where: Ames United Methodist Church, 112 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD 21014 How to Attend: ● In-person: Preregistration is required to help manage attendance. https://lnkd.in/ey7i3n_p ● Livestream: A link to stream the hearing will be posted on MLTRC’s website the morning of the hearing. Written testimony can be submitted to mltrc@maryland.gov or collected at the public hearing. #blacklivesmatter #truthandreconciliation #justice #civilrights #humanrights #saytheirnames

Let’s dispense with the pleasantries, then, and call this wretched ideology for what it is: the intellectual equivalent of picking at a scab until it festers. “Race science” is not science; it’s a spiteful, bitter fantasy concocted by those whose worldview is stuck somewhere between the 19th century and a Reddit comment section. This pathetic doctrine thrives in echo chambers where confirmation bias is king, and where “thinking” is synonymous with cherry-picking whatever “facts” best suit a yearning for simple, comforting hierarchies. The target audience for this drivel? The disillusioned, the scared, and—most depressingly—the intellectually lazy. It appeals to those who feel adrift in a rapidly changing world and seek the false comfort of knowing that their anxieties have a tidy, racial explanation. Critical thinking, once the bulwark against this kind of rot, is now in tragically short supply, especially in an age where the sheer volume of far-right propaganda drowns out reason like a deluge of sewage. Why bother to scrutinise your beliefs when you can just gorge on YouTube videos that confirm your prejudices? These peddlers of race-based arse-gravy know exactly what they’re doing: they exploit this failure of scepticism, this abdication of intellectual responsibility, to sell their snake oil to anyone desperate enough to buy it. In today’s world, critical thinking isn’t just a nice-to-have skill; it’s survival gear. The digital age has unleashed a torrent of information—most of it gibberish, and much of it actively harmful. The ability to sift through this morass, to spot bad arguments, logical fallacies, and evidence manipulation, is what stands between a free mind and becoming a dupe for every charlatan with a Tik-Tok account. Yet the resurgence of “race science” reveals just how disastrously short we’ve fallen in this regard. It isn’t that the science is persuasive; it’s that too many people have lost the tools—or the will—to question it. So here we are: stuck witnessing an intellectual backslide, where easily disprovable drivel gains traction precisely because it offers easy answers. Meanwhile, the actual work of critical thought—the painful, difficult, and often unsatisfying work of understanding complex truths—gets brushed aside by those who prefer a myth of racial superiority to the reality of shared humanity. The revival of “race science” is more than just an assault on scientific integrity; it’s a symptom of a deeper societal decay where too many are seduced by the allure of simplistic, tribal certainties over the messy, complicated truth. TL;DR This isn’t just about bad science. It’s about the hollowing out of our collective capacity to think, to reason, and, above all, to resist the call of comfortable lies.

As Dr. King dared us to #dream, he declared, “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”Today, the Black Resilience in Colorado Fund (BRIC) is living that vision by providing critical funding to Black-led and serving organizations, uplifting community-driven solutions, and dismantling systemic racism. From supporting local leaders to strengthening grassroots movements, we are turning democratic ideals into tangible action. In this critical moment, we must keep pushing forward. The work isn’t done—join BRIC in building equitable communities and ensuring democracy delivers for all. To learn more and take action go to bricfund.org. #MLKLegacy #Democracy #Resilience #BRICFundCO #EquityInAction