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Use the link HERE to sign the #NoHateInMyState pledge (you'll get a sticker!) I pledge to fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) equality in my state and across the country. No one deserves to be discriminated against — and I will stand up against hateful and discriminatory legislation. When rights are at risk, I advocate for full equality for all by signing petitions, contacting my elected officials, and sharing my beliefs with others. I will stand up against hate — because no person deserves to be treated like a second-class citizen. 
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Our past struggles and successes form a foundation on which today’s progress can be made. As we work toward equality and dignity for all, we remember a recent and monumental Supreme Court ruling that instantly changed millions of lives. Today, we encourage you to watch these expressions of joy after the recent Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage. Let’s use this energy as fuel, and remember that every win is worth fighting to protect. Click here to watch video of reactions around the country. And below, you can catch a video posted outside the Supreme Court the moment the verdict was announced: Wondering what LGBTQIA stands for? Check out our reference tool explaining some key terms that will be helpful to know this week. Take 100 seconds today to get informed and explore the rich spectrum of sexuality and gender identity. Thank you to the Center for Community Solutions, Gender Equality Resource Center from the Department in the Division of Equity and Inclusion, The Center in Northern Colorado, and to Nico Storrow and Sarah Roush for informing these resources.  
Successful collective action relies on our ability to stay connected and in the loop. Thanks to our friends at Eventable, you can now sync up the campaign with your calendar and receive daily action reminders to keep you informed and maximize our daily impact*. As we prepare for another week of action, we'd love for you to click HERE and get synced up. We will be announcing our Week 6 action theme tomorrow, so stay tuned. *We will also continue to post daily actions here on the site and on our social accounts   Image credit: Netflix “When they cast these shows, they’re like, 'We already have our minority guy or our minority girl.' There would never be two Indian people in one show. With Asian people, there can be one, but there can't be two. Black people, there can be two, but there can't be three because then it becomes a black show. Gay people, there can be two; women, there can be two; but Asian people, Indian people, there can be one but there can't be two.” - Aziz Ansari, to Vulture.com In many ways, Hollywood is a mirror of our lives, and informs the way we see and interact with race and diversity. From last year’s #oscarssowhite controversy, to the more recent conversation about that took place after the Grammys this month, race in entertainment has become a national discussion, with good reason. Today, we’re asking you to support diversity in Hollywood by making a commitment to check out a new show this weekend that departs from the traditional Hollywood model and features racially diverse main characters. Here are a few suggestions from our #First100Ways Team (click to link): Master of None Fresh off the Boat Insecure Blackish Atlanta Luke Cage The Mindy Project And here are some shows for kids  Racism isn’t going to fix itself! SURJ (Standing Up for Racial Justice) takes a unique approach to racial equality by training and encouraging white people to engage proactively with issues of racial justice. If you identify as white, stand up and push back against racism. If you don’t identify as white, explaining the systems behind racism shouldn’t all be on you - utilize SURJ as a resource and point friends in their direction when they ask about the topic. Locate and sign up to join your local SURJ chapter HERE  The United States has 5% of the world’s population, but incarcerates a staggering 25% of the world’s prisoners. Mass incarceration is hurting thousands of communities, especially communities of color. For this reason criminal justice reform is a racial justice issue. Mass incarceration is the systemic over-imprisonment of communities, especially communities of color. The worst element of mass incarceration is the overcriminalization of communities through excessive mandatory minimum sentences, in particular for those involving drug offenses. This means that if you are stopped and arrested for a drug offense, you may go to trial. At trial the prosecutor will likely ask for a mandatory minimum sentence, meaning you will have to go to prison for no less than x-number of years. Sometimes these prison sentences are lengthy or stacked and can result in decades-long sentences. Last year, Congress almost passed vital reforms that could have helped thousands, but they didn't reach the House and Senate floors. Today, we have the power to urge our representatives to persist with those reforms this year! Use this simple 'click and send' template to contact your reps HERE. For more background on this issue, check out this powerful video from the Equal Justice Initiative: http://eji.org/videos/slavery-to-mass-incarceration  During Gender Equality week, we launched a virtual book drive featuring books with empowering female protagonists. You responded generously - to date, we have received more than 130 books donated through our Amazon Registry. Today, we’re continuing our virtual drive with books featuring main characters of color being themselves (inspired by this article) - which will be bundled and donated to school libraries in underserved communities along with the other contributions we've received over the last two weeks. We hope that these books inspire children of all backgrounds to embrace who they are and promote a more diverse and inclusive world :) Check out our new list and contribute a book to the collection: Racial Equality Book Drive (Most are priced between $6 and $10; select "First 100 Ways Gift Registry" when asked for address)  President’s Day - established in 1879 to honor George Washington - has become a celebration of our American Presidency and the democratic process it represents.
As we remember great Presidents of the past (and look forward to great Presidents in the future) we’re highlighting a brand new organization dedicated to protecting the democratic process by making sure our elections truly represent the voices of all Americans. Let America Vote helps to inform citizens and increase awareness of voter suppression (which often takes the form of voting laws that disproportionately discourage members of black and minority communities from exercising their right to vote). Today, sign up for LetAmericaVote and stay in the loop. Sign up at https://www.letamericavote.org It may be easy to point out racism in others, but recognizing our own blind spots is often much trickier. Uncovering and understanding our implicit bias (or “hidden” bias) is critical in becoming a champion for racial equality. Researchers at Harvard University created a test designed to do just this, called the IAT (Implicit Association Test). It runs you through a series of exercises, and then gives you a report identifying unconscious racial biases you may carry. It takes about 10 minutes to complete, so we encourage you to use your 100 seconds to either start it, or to plan a time today to take it. Take the Harvard Implicit Associations Test HERE. (select "Race IAT") Don’t have time to take the test? Check out this article to explore the concept of hidden bias further: http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/living/implicit-bias-tests-feat/  |
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