Southern Black Belt

The one in which we talk about the significance of the Southern Black Belt and where it stands today. The Black Belt is a very large stretch of land in the South that once brought great wealth to plantation owners there, and also brought many enslaved people to work the land to grow that wealth. Now many formerly enslaved people live there in poverty. 

Juneteenth

The one in which we talk about the critical importance and significance of Juneteenth – June 19th and why it is worth celebrating!

Minimum Wage

The one in which we talk about the real reasons behind the Minimum Wage and who stands to benefit the most from the way it is structured. 

Trouble with Taxes

With the impending tax deadline, taxes were on our minds. So, we decided to look into the systems of taxation and begin to explore racism within. We knew we’d find racism there; and we did. 

Marital Property

The one in which we explore the sexist, racist, patriarchal beginnings of the institution of marriage and how it has changed over the years; or has it? 

Radical Death Studies

The one in which we speak with Tamara T. Waraschinski, PhD, about Radical Death Studies. Dr. Waraschinski is Director of Communications for the Collective for Radical Death Studies and helped us round out our understanding of the racism and imperialism inherent in death practice and the need for sweeping changes. 

radicaldeathstudies.com

Medical Racism

The session in which we talk about the serious health disparities caused by racism. There is a long history in our country of inequality in healthcare and Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the US are still more likely to be negatively impacted by many contributing factors including provider bias, unequal access, quality of living and other factors. 

Crisis in Housing

The session in which we discuss the current Housing Crisis with Occupy PHA organizer, Nadera Hood. Nadera has been advocating for the needs of people without homes for the past several years. She has organized successful protests urging the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) to provide more adequate housing to people who need homes in the area. 

Tulsa Race Massacre

The session in which we learn together about what happened to the area in Oklahoma that became known as Black Wall Street. If you don’t know, it was the Tulsa Race Massacre – when Black residents and business owners were viciously attacked by an angry white mob. We only heard of it recently and indirectly when  a political rally was being planned to take place in Tulsa on the anniversary of this horrendous event. Doing some research, we found that even the Oklahoma educational curriculum did not include this as part of history. Nobody wanted to talk about it or have it be known. We’re doing our part to change that. 

tulsahistory.org

RedLining

We begin our 3rd season journey into learning and uncovering as much as we can about our truthful past with RedLining – a practice that purposely maintained segregation through discrimination in lending. We discuss its racist history, how it promoted both segregation and the wealth gap, and the continued forms it takes even today. 

A couple of books we mentioned to learn more about RedLining: 

Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

NationalFairHousing.org