The Female Quotient’s Post

The original title for this piece was “Killing Us Softly: What Claudine Gay’s Resignation Reveals About Anti-Blackness & the Unraveling of Democracy in the U.S.” It had to be condensed in copy editing. I can abridge the title, but not blunt the precariousness of our reality. We are in a treacherous place, and we must be clear about the dystopian forces swirling around us—threatening justice, truth, education, and democracy. This is bigger than #DEI. #democracy #democracymatters #democracyinaction #collegesanduniversities #collegeadmissions #highereducation #highereducationleadership #societyandculture #socialjustice #diversityandinclusion #diversityequityinclusion #equityineducation #equityineducation

I recently got to share about my time at the Harris School for Public Policy Studies and how those experiences have shaped the work I do today. https://lnkd.in/gzh4hkrJ #HarrisSchool #Uchicago #Publicpolicy

Team members Jeremy Arnold and Reagan Williams attended the Collective Power for Reproductive Justice conference to connect and hear what's top of mind with the reproductive justice (RJ) ecosystem. For over 30 years, this conference has gathered leaders from different disciplines, backgrounds, and locations to share space, ideas, and perspectives. This year, the gathering fell during Black Maternal Health Week 2024 (#BMHW24)! It began with a plenary session titled: “Emerging Leaders Shaping the Future & Speaking Up for Justice”. As Reagan says, "Giving young people (in this case undergraduate students) the validation, respect and responsibility to kick off the conference spoke volumes to the dismantling of hierarchy and white supremacy culture. I was incredibly inspired as a ‘20 something’. I was reminded that young people have been critical to the progress of racial justice and defying white supremacy culture to carve out a space for marginalized people in spaces that were not created for us or by us. I was affirmed as a young black queer intellectual. I was reminded to honor my lived experience as expertise and that qualitative data allows us to piece together larger narratives in a mosaic of diverse perceptions. Philanthropy has an opportunity to make meaningful change, when funders intentionally relinquish power, capital and storytelling to the communities they seek to serve." As the Race, Healing, and Joy project continues, our goal is to center Black leadership in RJ and create transformative experiences of healing and joy for those closest to the issue. We deserve a vibrant reproductive ecosystem of contributors (including a funding community that puts its money where its mouth is.)  Let's continue dreaming in service of what's possible. Anything can happen when we build collective power. How do you fit into the #reproductivejustice ecosystem?

Women in America are forced to serve as the nation's social safety net. I was cruising to the lake listening to NPR Saturday night when I stumbled on, Dr. Jessica Calarco's "Holding It Together" and know it’s a must-read for anyone interested in gender equality and social justice. Her book exposes that women in America are forced to serve as the nation's social safety net, shouldering the immense burden of holding society together. Key Takeaways: Women's invisible labor is the backbone of our society This unpaid work has devastating consequences on women's lives Calarco's research calls for urgent policy reforms to alleviate women's overwhelming responsibilities A powerful voice advocating for gender equity and systemic change I can’t wait to get my hands on this important book and its insights into the hidden struggles of women in America. Id love to learn more from my connections, please share your thoughts and share any other books or podcasts you recommend on this topic.

During Women's History Month, we want to highlight six female Fellows who shared their experiences learning and challenging themselves each day to become better advocates. "Before joining the Fellowship, I had no direct experience working on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases," 2023 Justice Fellow Melinda Nguyen said. "However, once I started, I learned the nuts and bolts quickly by helping a staff attorney edit a manual on SIJS cases... Getting practical pointers and learning from the experience of other practitioners will make me a more effective advocate for my young clients." #IJCFellows #immigrationlaw #immigrantrights

On the question of "DEI Hire," I have so many thoughts. One, absolutely, I am proud to be a DEI Hire. What that means to me is that I do believe many of my past employers had in mind my lived experiences with regards to race, gender, queerness etc alongside my remarkable qualifications when it comes to civil rights expertise, community networks and more. We have to stop the incorrect and weird conflation of DEI and unqualified. Instead of being defensive about this term, unpack it. To me it has meant bringing on people who are completely qualified and also bring a range of identities and community contacts that we would not otherwise have because of so many barriers that continue to exist in our society. The truth is that employers and others continue to affirm that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are both good for business and sorely needed to create the multi-racial democracy we all need and deserve. Don't let up now. To that end I am excited to share two links. One, you are invited to this evening's 7pm Lost City bookstore event where I will be reading and in discussion with Dara Baldwin at the Line Hotel in Adams Morgan. The event is a celebration of Dara's new book and truth telling when it comes to race and disability justice work. Her book "To Be A Problem, A Black Woman's Survival in the Racist Disability Rights Movement" is educational and a must-read for all of us who want to do better in our broader movements. RSVP for the event here. https://lnkd.in/e3KXyWEr Second, I am proud to share our brand new report, (Safeguarding and Strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives), regarding the attacks on DEI over the past year as it helps to separate the actual legal concerns from the fears that our opponents want us to take to heart. Don't fall for it. This report reflects the work of many of my colleagues at Democracy Forward and it provides clear take-aways and examples of the range of contexts (gov programs, grants, workplace, education, health equity and more) where these fights are taking place. Check it out, and please share this report with your communities. Thank you for your continued solidarity and partnerships. https://lnkd.in/eHbkexJX

White Allies vs. White Co-conspirators: What's the Difference? While both play essential roles in the struggle for racial equity, there are vital distinctions between being a white ally and being a white co-conspirator in the fight against systemic racism. Here's a breakdown: 📣 White Allies: ✅ Support and Advocacy: Allies often advocate for marginalized communities and raise awareness. 📚 Education and Learning: They invest time learning about systemic injustices and how to combat them. 🔊 Amplification: Allies use their platforms to amplify the voices of marginalized groups. ⚖️ White Co-conspirators: 🛡️ Active Engagement: Co-conspirators take a more active role, directly challenging and dismantling systems of oppression. ⚔️ Taking Risks: They are willing to put themselves in uncomfortable or risky situations to stand up for justice. ✊🏽 Solidarity in Action: Co-conspirators move beyond words and take tangible actions, even when sacrificing comfort and privilege. 🤝 Why Both Roles Are Important: 📢 Awareness and Action: Allies help spread awareness and create a supportive environment for any movement. Co-conspirators push the boundaries by taking direct action that can lead to systemic change. 🔗 Complementary Efforts: Both roles complement each other, forming a comprehensive approach to achieving equity and justice. Reflect on your current role and consider how you can deepen your commitment to the fight for racial justice. Are you ready to take the next step from allyship to co-conspiratorship? #WhiteAllies #WhiteCoconspirators #RacialJustice #SystemicRacism #RacialEquity

Sharing because evidence is what I lean on. Article includes links to an evidence-based report that supports the importance of DEI in higher ed. If medical schools can't teach aspiring physicians about biases and social determinants of health, people from marginalized communities will continue to die at higher rates, maternal death rates for black mothers will continue to rise, LGBTQ+ folk will not get the care they need and so on. https://bit.ly/3vrIu0g

NEW ARTICLE from FrameWorks Senior Vice President of Research Interpretation, Moira O’Neil, and FrameWorks CEO, Nat Kendall-Taylor! They explain the rhetoric that's fueling the parents' rights movement and how we can have more productive conversations about the role of systems and policies in improving the lives of young people. Read the full article HERE:

Observation: I am noticing an increasing number of women, many that I knew growing up, in college and in early adulthood, now with partners that are not only unbendingly conservative (fine), but whose commitment to said political leaning mandates indiscriminate ridicule of folks that by and large stand for inclusion for all, not just some (not fine). Most of these women are not white women. This detail is important. Observing such widespread alignment with whiteness as a racial construct as a means of seeking passage to whiteness as a social status is so weird to me. I often see it manifest in the form of spousal support (and subsequent silence) in the face of bold-faced misogyny, racism, ableism and bootstrap economics, and it’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck. Not reading the history books doesn’t make historical precedent go away, folks. It tends to end in misery one way or another. You either: —Find yourself in a position where the oppression you’ve upheld comes back around to consume you whole (hey, reproductive healthcare!) —Wake up and realize you’re married to a complete neo-fascist after it’s too late and they’ve already destroyed many lives and livelihoods —Allow your lifelong allegiance to white supremacy cost you relationships with family and friends that grow up and learn better. —A and C only As someone that also has many white woman friends that have defected from generational political conservatism, many of which citing having not known better until they left their hometowns or moved away from home, there is something especially sinister about minoritized people—especially racially marginalized women—choosing this life. There was a time when folks across aisles could simply disagree and work to find common ground, times when grave issues of human rights, political sovereignty and bodily autonomy were not considered “differences in opinion.” Or maybe there wasn’t a time like that and we’re all a little delusional? If it has ever truly existed, however, I find myself wondering if in the unwritten history of humanity that this will ever be possible again. This is my omnipresent existential worry. That this is just the way things are now.