Our nations fight for equality – by Maria Guadalupe Martos

by: Maria Guadalupe Martos

 

(06/04/2020) Yesterday, 44th President Barack Hussein Obama publicly addressed our nation in regard to something our current President Donald Trump has failed to. In partnership with My Brother’s Keeper and a panel of incredible black leaders they took the stage and addressed a vital issue we continue to face in the United States of America. Equality, and the lack thereof! As a morenita (brown skinned girl) in the United States I connect with this issue at a different level than most. In my young professional life, I have experienced this injustice firsthand and can relate with my fellow black brothers and sisters. Race, color, and gender should no longer be an issue; however, we still are faced with cases like George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and hundreds of similar cases in this country and around the world. It’s time for everyone to speak out and stand up for what it is right! Our lighter complected allies have a part to play in this too. Your support and empathy help us in building the bridge to equality.

 

The founding fathers were so meticulous in the way they finalized our U.S. constitution. I believe their hopes were for us all to live under this constitution striving for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Every life matters! Every person in this country deserves respect and consideration. We all have a responsibility to uphold our countries integrity and honor.

Become an MBK Community – Learn how your community can join the nearly 250 cities, towns, counties and tribal nations in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia who accepted the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. Click here to learn more!

Urge your Mayor to take the pledge – Mayors: Pledge to Take Action Now. Mayors and other City Council officials are uniquely positioned to introduce common-sense limits on police use of force. That’s why the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance is calling on mayors to commit to taking action. Click here to learn more!

Peacefully Protest – Community leaders around the world have taken a stand to share their views with the political leaders in office. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, and Dolores Huerta are some of the historical names that come to mind. In this time, it is extremely important to wear your mask, maintain social distance, and wash or sanitize your hands regularly. ¡Si se puede!

 

Directly donate to George Floyd’s family through the GoFundMe page.

 

Reclaim The Block – The organization’s mission is to invest money in areas including violence prevention, housing, resources for youth, housing, solutions for addiction, and emergency mental health response teams. You can donate here to help ensure that Minneapolis has the resources needed and learn ways you can further get involved with Reclaim The Block.

 

Legal Defense and Education Fund – A nationwide organization that fights for racial justify and investigates police-involved murders. Its donation page states, “Donate today to help us win landmark legal battles, protect voters across the nation, and advance the cause of racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.” If you want to contribute more than one donation, you can opt to donate monthly.

 

Black Lives Matter – Founded in 2013 following the murder of Trayvon Martin, this organization that builds power to provide justice, freedom, and healing to Black people all across the world. “We appreciate your support of the movement and our ongoing fight to end state-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy forever,” its donation page states.

 

Color Of Change – An organization that helps people respond effectively and take action to injustice in the world. “It doesn’t cost anything to be a member, but when you donate, you help us take on more winning campaigns, launch more strategic initiatives, and go after the people who are standing in the way of progress — for Black people and all people,” the donation page explains. Color Of Change designs campaigns to challenge decision makers and hold them accountable for policies and practices that promote inequality.

 

For more organizations click here!

 

Harriet – From her escape from slavery through the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman is told.

 

Selma – Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 

Malcom X – A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the ’50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

 

The Help – In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns her small town on its ear by choosing to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Only Aibileen (Viola Davis), the housekeeper of Skeeter’s best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair continue the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have quite a lot to say.

 

Just Mercy – After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian’s life.