Everything you missed at Ms. this week.
"*Ms.*"* Weekly Digest | June 6, 2020*

*Letter from an Editor*











Dear John,

Yesterday should have been Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday.
But Taylor's life was cut short when, on March 13, a group of plain clothes Louisville, Ky. police officers entered her home using a battering ram and without identifying themselves, opened fire, fatally shooting Taylor at least eight times while she was asleep in her bed.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has now called for both a state and federal review of the police investigation into the shooting, but none of the officers involved have been charged with Taylor's murder.
Today, instead of using this space for a letter, I am going to keep this short and ask you to use this time to take action. In the pursuit of justice, silence or statements made without actions to back them up are simply not an option. As Amanda Monroe wrote in a piece for Ms. this week, "Many white allies find themselves wondering how they can show up for the Black community in the wake of inexcusable, racially motivated crimes. The short answer: "Try anything, except nothing.""
Below, we've included an article on how you can demand justice for Breonna Taylor and the #SayHerName campaign. The #SayHerName campaign, a part of the African American Policy Forum [ [link removed] ] co-founded by Kimberlé Crenshaw, was created to ensure the inclusion of Black women and girls in the fight for racial justice and Black lives. In a 2015 report, AAPF explained that, "Say Her Name sheds light on Black women's experiences of police violence in an effort to support a gender-inclusive approach to racial justice that centers all Black lives equally."
We've also included two reading lists from award-winning historian Dr. Keisha N. Blain on Black women's history and the intersections of race, politics and activism; multiple articles on how to be a better ally in the fight for Black lives; and a must-read essay by Dr. Michele Goodwin on her personal experiences of racism while living in Minneapolis.
We at "Ms". think you'll find the many resources in this week's articles helpful in guiding your activism and action.
* [ [link removed] ]* For equality,


*Kathy Spillar*
Executive Editor _________________________________________

*If you've enjoyed the "Ms". Weekly Digest, we ask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, unique reporting-we can't do it without you.*

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*This Week's Must-Reads from "Ms".*

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*#SayHerName: Happy 27th Birthday, Breonna Taylor [ [link removed] ]*





BY JENNA ASHENDOUEK | Yesterday should have been Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday. But in March, Louisville, Ky. police officers opened fire, fatally shooting Taylor at least eight times in her home while she was sleeping. We must #SayHerName and demand #JusticeforBre.

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*Addressing Racism's Toll: My Minneapolis Experience [ [link removed] ]*

BY MICHELE GOODWIN | "At a certain point, it becomes hopeless and seemingly pointless for people of color to talk about the myriad ways in which racism affects their lives if white friends, coworkers and 'allies' are not listening."

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*On Being an Ally: Change Is Necessary and Painful [ [link removed] ]*





BY GENIE HARRISON & AMANDA MONROE | "Many white allies find themselves wondering how they can show up for the Black community in the wake of inexcusable, racially motivated crimes. The short answer: Try anything, except nothing."

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*Eight Recommended Books by Women to Understand the Uprisings [ [link removed] ]*





BY KEISHA N. BLAIN | Dr. Blain put together a list of eight books-all written by women-which have shaped her own thinking on race, politics and activism. Consider them required reading.

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*Required Reading: Ten Books on Black Women's History [ [link removed] ]*







BY KEISHA N. BLAIN | "Black women are so often marginalized in mainstream accounts of women's history. Yet, their ideas and experiences are central to understanding the intersecting dimensions of race, gender, and class." Dr. Blain put together a list of ten of her favorite books that capture the depth and richness of Black women's history in the U.S.

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*Six Simple Ways White Women Can Be Feminist Allies to Black Communities [ [link removed] ]*





BY TYNISHA MEIDL & ANNA CZARNIK-NEIMEYER | "White women, if you are going to start speaking, pause-do not take center stage immediately. Listen for the stories, struggles, suggestions and triumphs of Black women, and let the first reaction from your lips be one of support, not of questioning their truth."

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*Jane Fonda on the Centuries-Old History of Racism [ [link removed] ]*







BY JANE FONDA | "Let's work on ourselves-especially us white people-to understand why it is we benefit from white privilege. Read Black histories; learn about the legacy of racism."

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*Weekend Reading on Women's Representation: The Feminist Tipping Point [ [link removed] ]*





BY CYNTHIA RICHIE TERRELL | Our friend, Cynthia Terrell, founder and executive director of RepresentWomen, is back with another installment of her weekly column, rounding up some of her favorite stories about women's representation in the news this week.