Building community power

Yesterday, members of the Solidarity Council on Racial Equity held an urgent conversation focused on the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action (and other recent equity-related decisions) on university students and all people. Moderated by Maria Hinajosa, take a listen as Linda Sarsour, Kent Wong, Rachel Godsil, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner and john a. powell aim to inform, motivate and inspire others to stand in active solidarity.

The use of Asian American university students to build the U.S. Supreme Court cases that were used to rule against affirmative action in higher education last month by American Enterprise Institute Fellow Edward Blum exploited the Asian American community. WKKF grantee Chinese for Affirmative Action’s education equity program manager Sally Chen tells NPR, “This myth of affirmative action being harmful to Asian Americans is creating a deliberate racial wedge between communities of color.” Chinese for Affirmative Action is dedicated to fighting for the civil rights of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and works to dispel the model minority myth, increase public awareness about AAPI communities’ disparities and build cross-racial solidarity.

The Detroit Branch NAACP hosted June Jubilee events to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Walk to Freedom on Woodward Avenue and one of the first major presentations of his “I Have a Dream” speech in Detroit. June Jubilee kicked off with a commemorative march down Woodward and a Freedom Walk Summit with a series of panel discussions highlighting WKKF grantees and partners fighting for racial equity and justice. WKKF supported the 68th Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner featuring Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock as keynote speaker.

WKKF grantee LINC UP hosted the 14th annual Rock the Block Street Festival in Grand Rapids, Mich. The event connected thousands of community members to local resources while providing fun, food and entertainment offered by more than 100 vendors. LINC UP is working to advance racial equity in Grand Rapids by increasing community power and access to affordable housing and opportunity.

On June 23, the public radio show The World aired a powerful interview with two alumni of WKKF grantee Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP). Daphnée Charles and Josue Pierre managed to excel in school despite extreme financial challenges. They then received highly competitive scholarships from HELP that allowed them to graduate from college and begin meaningful careers. They are already having positive impacts on the lives of fellow Haitians, both through their jobs and their monetary contributions to HELP scholarships for other students.

A new federal law providing more protections and accommodations for pregnant and postpartum workers is now in effect. From scheduling flexibility for prenatal and postpartum appointments to providing chairs or stools on the job, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has the potential to reduce pregnancy discrimination and better ensure workers can keep their jobs while having a healthy pregnancy and birthing experience. The New York Times recently highlighted the law’s implementation and included insight from WKKF grantee the Center for WorkLife Law.