Hopewatch
Hopewatch amplifies the unwavering commitment of people who tirelessly advocate for racial and social justice.
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
When the People Rise: Juneteenth, George Floyd and the Black resistance legacy
Juneteenth marks the day the last people who were enslaved in Texas learned they were free â 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Itâs a celebration of freedom fulfilled. But the truth is, freedom for Black people in America has often been delayed and denied â but always demanded. That legacy didnât begin in…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Waves of Los Angeles ICE raids erode our democracy, drown our humanity
Right now in Los Angeles, fear beats louder than the helicopter rotors overhead. My neighbors are terrified. Not just stressed or on edge; Iâm talking stay-inside-and-donât-even-answer-the-door type of fear. Iâve seen teachers online telling parents they would bring students home after school because their parents are too scared to leave the house. Grocery store runs?…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
SPLC president: Ongoing fight against hate essential to our democracy
The Southern Poverty Law Centerâs annual Year in Hate and Extremism report this year is a warning bell. And, in an op-ed published this week on Daily Kos, SPLC President and CEO Margaret Huang lays out the dangers that we face as the forces of hate, bigotry and extremism ooze their way into the mainstream.…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Offended by the truth? Good. White supremacy has always feared education
The war on public education is nothing new. Itâs a modern tactic rooted in a long history of denying Black people access to knowledge. During slavery, it was illegal in many Southern states to teach enslaved people to read. After emancipation, white mobs burned Black schools and attacked Black educators. During Jim Crow, unequal funding…
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- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
5 things $45 million could pay for instead of a massive military parade
On June 14, the U.S. Army plans to roll tanks and march troops through the streets of Washington, D.C., in a massive parade to celebrate its 250th anniversary. The parade, which will reportedly cost taxpayers up to $45 million, also coincides with President Donald Trumpâs birthday. Though the parade has not been officially linked to…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Whether a natural disaster strikes or not, Floridaâs voters deserve better
When a Category 5 hurricane tears through a Florida community, voters should not have to wait for the governor to issue an executive order just to cast a ballot. Yet thatâs exactly what happens in Florida. State law does not allow local election officials to act quickly in response to an emergency, even though they…
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Five reasons you should oppose the backward House budget reconciliation bill
The U.S. House of Representatives last week narrowly passed its budget reconciliation bill that cuts billions from Medicaid and SNAP â to give massive tax breaks to corporations and wealthy people. Here are five reasons why you should oppose this bill: 1. It forces children and families to go hungry. The bill slashes nearly $300…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Power of the vote will sustain democracy through and beyond AAPI Heritage Month
Each May, during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I reflect on my familyâs journey to this country â and the path that brought me to public service. My grandparents were refugees of the Korean War. My mother came to Georgia in the 1980s seeking the American Dream â not riches, but dignity. A…
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- Ending Unjust Imprisonment
Five years after George Floydâs death, anger and work toward justice remain
âSay your ABCs. But say it without singing the alphabet song.â This was the first of two commands I was given during a traffic stop in 2002. I was a 25-year-old graduate student in North Carolina, driving home from campus that night. A police officer pulled me over for allegedly speeding on the interstate and…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Civil Rights Memorial Center to host art and activism showcase, block party
The Southern Poverty Law Centerâs Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) will partner with 21 Dreams Arts & Culture to showcase art and activism in its many forms this month. Whether through exhibits at local museums and historic sites, local gatherings or sporting events and activities, there are a plethora of spaces that share the story…
