Social Justice

While on vacation, I read a series of interesting tidbits about the U.S. and spying…the economic theory that claims that markets are pretty much always good…and other things that I dislike.

So here are the original articles:

1.  Twitter is suing the U.S. government. Very interesting. And even more interesting because it is published in the Nonprofit Quarterly. I love NPQ’s tagline: “Promoting and active and engaged democracy.” That is, after all, a primary purpose of the nonprofit sector worldwide. It seems that Twitter is really annoyed that the Department of Justice and the FBI don’t want Twitter to inform all of us about how much Twitter is required to turn over, etc. Remember that free speech thing?

2. Here’s another startling article: “The Trillion Dollar Fundraising Time Bomb,” from The Agitator. Roger Agitator comments on a Forbes article about student debt… And just imagine the impact on the economy and giving and fundraising and…

3. And this next article makes me very very very very happy: See the New York Times article (October 13, 2014; author, Binyamin Appelbaum) about the French economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics…for his work on regulation. YES! Jean Tirole’s work actually questions the “widely held view in academia long associated with the University of Chicago economics department.” Tirole actually thinks that markets fail!!!!! And he has clarified “what sort of regulations…we want to put in place so large and mighty firms will act in society’s interest…”

By the way, apparently it is the “second consecutive year that the [Nobel] committee has honored an economist whose work essentially assumes that markets are often inefficient.” I’m so glad that some people are actually questioning the markets. I only wish that the U.S. Department of Justice had actually jailed some of the 2008 Wall Street people. Fines aren’t good enough for their ilk.

4. And how about a big dose of sexism…violence against women? I shouldn’t be amazed. But I’m continually angered. I wonder when it will stop – if it will ever stop. And what jerks those gaming corporations are.

Do you believe in social justice? Are you trying to make social change – as a donor, volunteer, staff person?

Are you a fundraiser or other staff person focused on social media – and hoping it’s the answer? You know, forwarding stories and signing petitions, and…

Read this great article NOW! “Why social media won’t transform our politics” by Stephen Hopgood, September 2014.

What is social media good for? Information sharing and coordination. But, Hopgood notes, “there are important caveats” to social media. For example, demonstrating impact is hard.

And so, Hopgood asks: “Do information sharing and coordination actually create real leverage in the form of irresistible pressure for change?”

“[H]ow effective can [these activists be] if all they do is sign an online petition while sitting at their desks?” (Check out Malcolm Gladwell’s article “Small Change: Why the Revolution Won’t be Tweeted,” October 24, 2010.)

Hopgood ends his article with this statement: “However fast social media move, the reality of people living in real places, controlling real material resources, and meeting face-to-face in rooms and coordinators and across the barricades, will always be where the real action is. Clicking the mouse button is only the beginning.”

Hopgood’s article appears in the online e-news called “Transformation: Where love meets social justice.” Do visit www.opendemocracy.net. A great place for all of us to spend some time.

The police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri makes me think of privilege more and more.

How disappointing that so many of us white people “just don’t get it.”

On August 28, 2014, Charles M. Blow wrote in his NYT op-ed: “When one has the luxury of not being forced to compensate for societal oppression based on basic identify, one is in fact privileged in that society.”

Unearned privileges are things like: Race/ethnicity. Gender. Sexual orientation. Class. Physical disability. And so forth.

Privilege doesn’t mean one is evil or bad. And, of course, those with unearned privilege are often allies of those without the privilege. White people marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Heterosexuals fight for marriage equality. Men are feminists who fight for women’s rights.

But Nicholas Kristof writes about “When Whites Just Don’t Get It.” Apparently, “many white Americans say they are fed up with the coverage of the shooting…in Ferguson.” Kristof notes that “A plurality of whites in a recent Pew survey said that the issue of race it getting more attention than it deserves.”

I’m flabbergasted. Do white Americans actually think that just because we elected Barack Obama, we live in a post-racial society. I’m not only flabbergasted – I’m really angry. The U.S. is still a racist society. Just read the research.

Kristof pushes back against what he calls “smug white delusion.” Kristof gives details like: The net worth of the average black household is 5.7% of the average white household. American whites own almost 18 times more than blacks – and that’s worse than Apartheid South Africa back in 1970. And all that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The facts are appalling. White privilege is very very very real. Yes, even being poor and white is better than being black in the U.S. of A.

And then there’s the great opportunity of education. Yes, indeed. But as Kristof notes, black kids grow up in broken schools. So this society fails them.

Kristof ends with a starting point for conversation and change: “…[T]hose of us in white American [must] wipe away any self-satisfaction about racial progress. Yes, the progress is real, but so are the challenges…. [T]he first step is to acknowledge that the central race challenge in America today is not the suffering of whites.”

Do you know who Hermione is? She’s one Harry Potter‘s pals. We’ve watched her grow up.

And even if you don’t know Hermione Granger is, you want to pay attention to a woman named Emma Watson, film star, graduate of Rhode Island’s Brown University.

But most importantly right now… Emma-Hermione-Watson is the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. And just a few days ago, Hermione  Emma announced the HeForShe Campaign at the UN.

Watch it on YouTube. If you work in the social justice movement, make all your staff and board members watch it. Talk about what it means. It’s time to use the word “feminism” without silly comments and denials and …

Watch Emma. Speak out.

And by the way… Emma refers to Hillary Clinton’s famous speech to the UN’s Fourth Women’s Conference. Beijing, 1995.

Women’s rights are human rights. When will we win the war? And always remember…There are men who are true feminists. And there are very definitely women who are not feminists… even though some of them think they are.

Today is July 5, 2014.

Yesterday was July 4th, U.S. independence day. The annual big day when the U.S. celebrates its specialness, its greatness – even more than the U.S. does seemingly every day every year always.

But some people asked us to reflect, not just celebrate. Some writers challenged us all, and challenge us regularly . . . To truly examine. To question. To acknowledge – and fight – racism, sexism, poverty, corporate power, the 99% and the 1%.

If one is really and truly American… Then maybe U.S. independence day should be a bit more about self-examination and evaluation… Just a bit more of that than celebration.

Sixty-Five Million Left Out of July 4th Celebration by Bill Quigley

“The greatest time bomb ever laid beneath history was laid 238 years ago today.” Our Most Important Struggle Remains: “To Be Self Evident.”

“How do we restore the sense that it’s still terrific to be Amerian?” Celebrate the Revolution – And Keep It Going by Bill Moyers and Bernard Weisberger

It’s getting worse, not better.

How weird. Within 60 seconds of posting this morning’s blog – “Racism and the United States” – I read Charles Blow’s “Yes, All Men,” in the New York Times.

“Yes, All Men” motivated me to write this companion piece to my blog “Racism and the United States.” “Misogyny and the United States” is a good partner for “Racism and the United States.” And we can add in “Homophobia and the United States,” too. I blog about these various items fairly regularly. And I speak up when I present and I write.

So here goes…. Again and forever until we have equity for all!

“Sexism” … A bit of an easier word than “misogyny.” But are they different? Not in action. Socialized and institutionalized behaviors. Even women can be misogynistic.

Check out Wikipedia:
Sociologist Allan G. Johnson says, “misogyny is a cultural attitude of hatred for females because they are female…misogyny…is a central part of sexist prejudice and ideology and, as such, is an important basis for the oppression of females in male-dominated societies… Misogyny functions as an ideology or belief system that has accompanied patriarchal, or male-dominated societies for thousands of years and continues to place women in subordinate positions with limited access to power and decision making.”

Yes, that still happens. Yes, the U.S. is that kind of society. Did you know that the U.S. has a larger gender gap than 22 other countries? Did you know that the U.S. ranks 84th in the world in the number of women in elective office at the federal level? (We used to rank 82nd.)

The gender gap. Sexism. Misogyny. In the U.S. In many countries. In various religions. Part of various political philosophies.

“I believe it’s very important for everyone to be a feminist.” That’s what Mr. Blow’s son said to him… And that’s how Blow begins his op-ed piece today.

Blow continues with: “Yes, we should all be feminists, but too often we believe that the plight of the oppressed is solely the business of the oppressed, and that the society in which that oppression is born and grows and the role of the oppressors and beneficiaries are all somehow subordinate.”

But that’s just plain wrong, as Blow notes. “Fighting female objectification and discrimination and violence against women isn’t simply the job of women; it must also be the pursuit of men.  Only when men learn to recognize misogyny will we be able to rid the world of it.” (Actually, fighting any oppression is the responsibility of everyone, not just the oppressed, not just the marginalized. White people marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. Straight people march with the LGBTQ community. Men march with women.)

Sexism. Misogyny. It’s real – just like human made climate change is real. Facts prove it. YES, FACTS!

• Check out the World Economic Forum annual gender gap report. Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the United Nations, written at the U.N.’s founding. Check out the U.N.’s WomenWatch, the gender equality news feed.
• Are you familiar with UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women?  Have you read the requirements of the Commission on the Status of Women – and the requirements for gender equality?
• And there is so much more research and documentation and facts about the poor status of women…

So are you a feminist? I’m so tired of hearing women and men say “Well, I just don’t identify with that word but…” Again, from Wikipedia: “Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in education and employment. A feminist advocates for or supports the rights and equality of women.”

A feminist advocates and supports the rights and equality of women, equity for women. What’s not to like? Cut the simplistic crap and the word games. Are you a feminist? Do you believe in equity – for women and men and people of color and homosexuals and heterosexuals and and… ?

(Guess what I just learned? Charles Fourier, a Utopian Socialist and French philosopher, apparently invented the word “feminism” in 1837. And the terms appeared in France and the Netherlands in 1872.)

By the way, philanthropy and the nonprofit/NGO sector are enmeshed in this same moral dilemma of inequity and power.

Okay. That’s the end of today’s ranting. I’ve got client work to do.

“… [I]t is all About Race, even though it can’t be About Race because nothing ever is About Race.” What a glorious statement from Charles Pierce, Esquire, referencing the U.S. Senate’s vote not to approve Debo Adegbile’s nomination as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.

See this article, “The Senate Democrats Chicken Out in Nominating Debo Adegbile.

How can people think we’re living in a post-racial society … just because we elected a black president?  Racism runs rampant in the U.S. Racism is institutionalized – and we’re socialized.

It’s all About Gender, too …  even thought it can’t be About Gender because nothing ever is About Gender. Hmmm…

In my state, the previous governor, Donald Carcieri appointed 3 (or was it 5?) white men to the judiciary in his first few months in office. Like there are only white men in Rhode Island? Like they’re the most competent? Like who in his administration was aware of or concerned about racism and sexism?

Or how about a board/staff planning retreat that I facilitated. Participants talked about valuing diversity. I asked what they meant. They responded, “things like race and gender.” I responded that the board was composed of all white men – about the same age. The board member participants responded: “But it’s so hard to find competent women and people of color.”

To be NOT about racism, sexism, or homophobia … we actually have to be so aware of those things that we proactively seek to avoid them. There is no such thing as blind justice. We have to see in order to remove injustice.

I just listened to a podcast from CBC (that’s Canadian public radio). The podcast is: Checking Privilege – Movement sprats debate on college campuses (May 8, 2014).

Worth listening to – for everyone. What’s your privilege? Are you comfortable exploring your privilege – in conversation with others?  What’s my privilege? (If you’ve ever heard me speak or read my stuff … you’ve probably heard me say: “I’m a white, well-educated, affluent, heterosexual woman. I win the privilege lottery … except for gender… because it’s a disadvantage to be a woman in every country in the world. But as a white, heterosexual woman – I won the lottery.)

And by the way, what’s the privilege of your donors and your board members? And what are the implications?

My colleague Andrea Hlady, Cohort 17 at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (Masters Program in Philanthropy and Development) – sent me the podcast link yesterday. She knows how the issue of privilege is so dear to my heart and brain.

Thank you Andrea.

And hey out there. Listen to it. Maybe with your staff colleagues. Maybe with your board.

I am sure that many of you have seen this. It’s amusing. And then we say to ourselves, “Of course, we don’t do this now.”

But maybe we do? There isn’t gender equity yet – not on any country in the world – except Iceland, which actually has a law and studies progress. I wonder if there was the same “guide” for “hiring men?” Would you like to make a bet?

So check out these tips – for men supervising women in the workforce during WW II.

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn’t be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work award and to deal with the public efficiently. (Hmmmm… Flirtatious? Wouldn’t work if they didn’t have to?)

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are included to be cantankerous and fussy. (What can I say? Really?)

3. General experience indicates that “husky” girls – those who are just a little on the heavy side – are more even temperated and efficient than their underweight sisters. (Wouldn’t you just love to see the scientifically-valid research that documents this statement?)

4. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick, and wash her hands several time a day. (I know that, for me personally, tidy hair is a constant stress. And I’m always worried about my lipstick, e.g., picking colors and keeping it fresh for that next gentleman, or husky woman, or that elderly cantankerous gal who might come near me.)

5. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can’t shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a women – it breaks her spirit and cuts her efficiency. (Isn’t it marvelous that men are insensitive clods who don’t mind the harsh critique and ridicule offered by those all-too-qualified male bosses? Wow.)

I’ve just picked 5 of the 11. I cannot pick more. Because actually, this isn’t amusing. This was real. Some of this is still real. Yes, still real. But since it’s politically incorrect (and illegal), the behaviors may be more subtle.

What do you experience at work – whether you are a woman or a man?

“Nous allons vers un monde que je n’ai pas voulu, mais c’est le monde vers lequel on va.”

“We are heading for a world that I didn’t want — but that’s the world we’re heading for.”

This comes from the Franco-Canadian television show XIII.

That is certainly how I feel. A world that I don’t want…With the NSA spying on everyone. (And I think Edward Snowden is a hero like Daniel Ellsberg was with the Pentagon Papers.) A world of Tea Party Republicans. A dysfunctional U.S. Congress where the behavior of so many should be illegal and worthy of jail time. A still racist and sexist and homophobic U.S., along with so many other countries. The 1% beating the 99%. Fact deniers. And so much more.

A world that I don’t want. But that’s the world we’re in and heading for even more deeply, I fear.

Thanks to Jean-Claude for telling me this quote. Fab, my cousin and Jean-Claude, her husband, live near us in France.