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Yesterday marked three years since George Floyd was murdered. What followed was a national reckoning on systemic racism and a wake up call for many white people on what Black and Brown communities have known for too long.

But since then we’ve seen empty promises, white fatigue and intense backlash from a system and culture intent on maintaining white power and dominance. In fact, killings by US police reached a record high in 2022.

Justice is not a moment or a trend or a season. It is not lip service or social media posts. It is a sustained force of resistance against the systems of dehumanization that continue to thrive. Justice is an everyday practice.

Today would be a good day to ask ourselves,

“What more can be done to fight white violence?”

“What is my role and responsibility in dismantling systems of oppression?”

“What am I willing to risk for a future of safety and liberation for all?”

“How can I show up for the long-haul of systemic and cultural that we need?”

May the life of George Floyd and so many other who have been lost to systemic violence be remembered not just on this anniversary but in our everyday actions and steadfast commitment to betraying white supremacy and working towards a future of liberation for all.

Kerri (she/her)

NTK (need to know)

1. The U.S. democracy field is suffering from short-termism and a lack of positive visioning about what American democracy could evolve to become. The Case for Expanding Democracy Work by Aditi Juneja.

2. Conservative attacks on US abortion and trans healthcare come from the same place. Both are part of a project to roll back the victories of the feminist and gay rights movements and inscribe in law a firm definition and hierarchy of gender

3. Finland ends homelessness. Their Housing First approach provides those affected by homelessness receive a small apartment and counseling – without any preconditions. 4 out of 5 people affected thus make their way back into a stable life. And: All this is cheaper than accepting homelessness.

4. How ‘Succession’ Busts One of America’s Most Cherished Myths - who is allowed to accumulate status and power and who isn’t and where overt displays of ambition are and are not acceptable.

5. Don’t listen to the GOP revisionist history of the Southern Strategy. Here is the real history of what happened (and what is happening in real time).

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Solidarity

One year ago this week, 21students and staff were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. Gun violence remains the the #1 cause of death for children in the US, where the right to own a gun is more valued and protected than the right to live. Here is how you can take action:

WHAT: The Here 4 the Kids movement calls on Colorado Governor Jared Polis to sign an Executive Order to ban guns and implement a statewide buyback program. To achieve this goal, we are organizing a sit-in of 25,000+ white women from around the country on Monday, June 5, at 5am in Denver, Colorado.

WHEN: On the lawn of the Colorado State Capitol: 200 E Colfax Ave in Denver, Colorado (yes, we really mean 5am on Monday, June 5).

HOW: There different ways to support and get involved:

• Register for remote campaign

• Volunteer

• Donate to our cause (monies gathered will be used for the REAL costs of organizing a movement of this kind)

• Visit our shop (100% of proceeds will be used for the REAL costs)

• Download and share our social and printable assets

Art by @RickFausto, Call to action by Here4TheKids

Practicing Justice

I’m amazed at all the ways I work around discomfort. It almost seems like the more capacity I build to navigate discomfort, the more subtle and subversive my avoidance techniques become. So I am learning to incorporate a healthy suspicion into my practice. Because I know that in a white, cis, straight body with so much proximity to privilege, my orientation to comfort and control is HIGH. And when I’m moving too fast (which is often) I am unable to notice the ways I have adapted my coping strategies - how I duck and dodge by explaining it away and applying fancy analyses. Only when I slow down and stay curious am I able to notice my default patterns. Then discomfort becomes my teacher, and opportunity to attend to the need that is underneath and choose do something different.

Art and quote by Brianna Pastor

WE-NESS

Thinking about the children, the fathers, the mothers, the sisters and brothers and everyone in between…and how we all deserve to be free.

Thanks for subscribing to WELLREAD. For the last six years we’ve been providing folks with the need to know (NTK) news, calls to actions and resources for how to stay engaged and resourced along the way. But now, we’ve added an option to “upgrade to paid” to help sustain our work. While we will never put our content behind a pay wall, we depend on the support of our community to keep us going. 💛

Upgrade to paid