2021 – #WeMustDoBetter as people, a community, a nation, and a world.

Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

According to Entrepreneur.com, there are twelve actions to take to be a better person and leader:

1. See yourself for who you are – know your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Forgive and let go of anger.
3. Accept responsibility – you are the only one responsible for your actions.
4. Admit when you are wrong and apologize.
5. Be a good listener – actually hear what the other person is saying.
6. Be polite – let kindness be your compass.
7. Have respect for others (and yourself).
8. Set goals for yourself.
9. Live with integrity – your actions are in tune with your beliefs.
10. Recognize opportunities to grow and change – don’t allow fear to hold you back.
11. Be part of a community.
12. Embrace the journey – there will be good times and tough times, but combined those times will get you where you need to be.

“And so, it is time to revise everything. We must revise the way we speak, the way we work, the way we think and the way we act. We must do better. And we must do it now. We just can’t wait any longer, “ Samora Pinderhughes, The Root.

An important Supreme Court ruling related to Black Lives Matter protests came through just a month ago. CNN Supreme Court Reporter Ariana de Vogue wrote, the Supreme Court wiped away a lower court option that critics argued would chill the speech rights or demonstrators and dismantle civil rights era precedent that safeguard the First Amendments’ right to protest. The lower court allowed a Louisiana police officer to move forward with lawsuit to hold the organizer of a Black Lives Matter protest, DeRay Mckesson, accountable for injuries the officer sustained in 2016 when he was hit by a heavy object. Mckesson himself did not hurl the object; the person who did is still unidentified. The case explores the reach of the First Amendment when it comes to civil rights protects and it comes as the country is reeling from renewed demonstrations this summer. The Supreme Court has held that lawful protestors cannot be held liable when someone within their ranks commits unlawful activity. “The Supreme Court has long recognized that peaceful protesters cannot be held liable for the unintended, unlawful actions of others,” said American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Director David Cole, who is representing Mckesson. “If the law had allowed anyone to sue leaders of social justice movements over the violent actions of others, there would have been no Civil Rights Movement. The lower court’s ruling is a threat to the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.”

“The First Amendment does not condone physical violence,” a group of First Amendment lawyers represented by Acting Solicitor General Walter Dellinger told the court in support of Mckesson. Dellinger argued that while the Constitution does not excuse the attacker’s “criminal, tortious and morally indefensible conduct,” it does protect the organizer who “neither committed nor incited” the illegal activity. “What is at stake here is not the officer’s right to seek redress for his injuries, but the First Amendment rights of organizers to use protest to express political and social views,” Dellinger wrote. DeRay Mckesson tweeted, “I’ve been in this legal battle since Nov 2016 and the Supreme Court vacated the 5th Circuit decision against me that said that individual organizers can be civilly liable for injuries/damages. This is win for every organizer & activist. Let’s keep fighting.”

Consider the impact of protests in our history.  Consider the influence of the First Amendment.  Know and consider your rights when organizing a protest, attending a protest, and/or documenting a protest. Know and consider the rights of others as they organize a protest, attend a protest, and/or document a protest. Consider the power of your voice when protesting today.

Resources:

• National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement | Free Speech Guides by Jonathan Friedman
• ACLU Know Your Rights | Protesters’ Rights

 

Thanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the harvest and of the preceding year. As my family plans to come together (virtually this year), I reflect on my childhood I realize I was really only taught one side of history and in a very culturally appropriated way. Through my education later in life, I realize History ALWAYS has at least two perspectives and in most instances I was only taught one; and Thanksgiving is no exception. What we learn about Thanksgiving starts in grade school. Consider this- challenge yourself and your family to learn about and teach a different perspective of history this year.

Things to avoid:

• Construction paper “Indian Headbands” with feathers
• 10 Little Indians song
• The phrase “sit Indian style”
• Giving out Native American names
• Making “Indian drums”
• Cultural Appreciation, in general

Suggestions for Thanksgiving Lessons:

• Bring in Native American presenters
• Create a map just showing where different nations/tribes are from
• Work with a native/tribe near you
• Replace “Indian” or “Pilgrim” with specific names (the Wampanoag and the English or Separatists)
• Culturally appropriate lessons
  (inspired by “A Story of Survival: The Wampanoag and the English” lesson booklet)

This week, CBS announced that it will implement new equity targets for reality TV programs starting in 2021. This means that shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, Love Island, and Big Brother will contain at least 50% contestants who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Steps are also being made behind the camera too, with 25% of CBS’s annual unscripted budget going to projects created by BIPOC producers. Back in June, CBS made a similar announcement about scripted TV, with targets for at least 40% BIPOC writers in every series (CBS Steps Up With New Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives for Unscripted Shows).

Movies too are being looked at differently. Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the group that oversees the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars), announced new inclusion standards for award eligibility. Factors like onscreen representation, creative leadership, story themes and narratives, and industry access and opportunities, will be factored into decisions about which films are eligible to be named the best motion pictures starting in 2024 (The Oscars Will Add a Diversity Requirement for Eligibility).

Critics of these measures say that instituting “quotas” limits authentic diversity and tokenizes individuals of color, while industry leaders point to persistent disparities in representation and longstanding exclusion of BIPOC creators and artists as the need for increased oversight.

What do you think? Why do you suppose inclusion standards like these are being implemented in 2020? What are some benefits this might bring, and what could be some negative effects? Should studios implement such equity targets?