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Dear friends,
Every other week for the last 2+ years, I’ve been opening the McPherson Memo with my thoughts and observations. If I had written about every mass shooting in the U.S., that’s literally all I would have written about. Yes, they occur that often. But the vast majority of us in this country want change – will Uvalde be the one that puts us over the edge? It sure as well better be. Personally, it does feel like we’re at a breaking point this time, and we CAN create the momentum needed to override useless political discourse. Now is not the time to give up.
I turn to Brandeis University law professor and leading voice on sexual harassment prevention Anita Hill, who stated this week at the Fortune MPW Summit, “As bad as the current news is, we have to all remember that out of dark times when the Supreme Court makes colossal decisions, there have always been very powerful dissents that inform the law in the future.”
And my thoughts go to an angel the world lost this past week. My dear friend and McP client, Jill Iscol, was a social justice champion, educator, author, and supporter of hundreds of non-profits, and never gave up or gave in. May the life she led be a beacon to us all. Never give up hope, and never stop advocating.
Warmest,
Susan
PS: On a lighter note, back in 2017, while discovering that we shared the same shoe size, Jill gifted me 12 gorgeous pairs of shoes (as she was keen to leave her days of walking in high heels behind her). My feet will never be the same. Thank you dear Jill.
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ON OUR MINDS
Brought to you this week by NYC Area-based Senior Account Executive, Deja Cromartie, who is always searching for new restaurants on TikTok.
The two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder
George Floyd's terrible death two years ago provoked an extraordinary worldwide outpouring of outrage and pledges for reform. People of all races marched to demand responsibility, justice, and criminal justice reform. But for Black America, Floyd's death was profoundly personal. It hit us like a punch in the gut, a stark reminder that we are all vulnerable — it could have been me or my partner, brother, cousin, or uncle. George Floyd is Black America, a new biography that looks back 150 years into how racism shaped every part of his life, starts with the story of Floyd’s great-great-grandfather who was born enslaved and had any generational wealth he accumulated after the Civil War stripped away. Today, the most visible signs of the movement are fading, while we reckon with the realization that not much has changed. Some Black leaders see signs for hope and progress, but there is more that needs to be done.
27 school shootings have taken place so far this year
Nineteen children and two adults were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas in the deadliest and most horrific mass shooting this year. This comes just 10 days after 10 people were killed in a racist shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Since 2018, Education Week has been keeping track of school shootings; over 100 events have been recorded in its database to date. According to Axios, guns have become the leading cause of death for American kids Here are a few ways that we can support the families impacted by this tragedy:
- Donate blood in the days and weeks ahead - University Health System, the area's largest blood transfuser, is asking residents to donate blood to local hospitals and centers.
- Support vetted fundraisers - GoFundMe has set up an online center of verified campaigns to support the victims and loved ones of the shooting, which you can find here.
- The Uvalde community is seeking pro bono legal services - According to a Facebook post, the San Antonio Legal Services Association is looking for volunteer attorneys who are licensed to practice in the state of Texas. During the month of June, the group is requesting those qualified to email them with their areas of practice and availability
Police reform is a reproductive justice issue, too
While some argue that we need more police to solve the problem of gun violence, the interconnectedness of the problems dominating the news this week makes it clear that we need more than just law enforcement to ensure public safety. Gun violence, police violence, racism, and reproductive justice are all connected. As a Black woman, my experiences with law enforcement have been terrifying. It’s troubling that as a law-abiding citizen with no criminal history, my skin color ultimately determines how law enforcement treats me. It’s troubling that there is no accountability for law enforcement. It’s troubling that when you advocate for police reform you are labeled as anti-police. I encourage those who side with that viewpoint to consider a different perspective, that police reform is pro-life. The way police violence both rips up existing families and snatches the children that Black parents already have demonstrates the link between reproductive justice work and eliminating policing. Reproductive justice is frequently presented simply in terms of birth control and abortion access, but it is also intimately linked to the end of police violence and the harm it does to Black families.
ON OUR RADAR
Read:
- The share of woman-led Fortune 500 companies has hit a record high, with 44 female CEOs at the helm of some of the largest corporations in the U.S.
- McP client Street Business School is featured in Giving Compass, in an article about equipping women with business training to address poverty.
- At least 357 sitting Republican legislators in closely contested battleground states have each used the power of their office to discredit or try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
- McP client Leadership Now Project, in partnership with the Black Economic Alliance and Public Private Strategies, launched the Business & Democracy Initiative, which works to rebuild trust in democratic institutions. The Initiative also released a new poll that reveals the business community wants to be active in protecting democracy, and consumers support them.
Listen:
Watch:
- Farai Chideya, the creator and host of Our Body Politic, joined McP client Tulaine Montgomery for a wide-ranging conversation about news, politics, race and womanhood on her IG Live show Say More.
- WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn takes a look at the community-centric ideal that sent the little coworking venture sky-rocketing and then investigates what was really going on behind the scenes.
- Penguin Random House partnered with Margaret Atwood and Sotheby’s to offer a burn-proof edition of the novel, The Handmaid’s Tale.
- Florida High School Class President Zander Moricz was told by his school that they would cut his microphone if he said “gay” in his grad speech, so he replaced gay with “having curly hair.” Watch the speech here.
- The Asian American Foundation produced for AAPI Heritage Month, AAPI Heritage Heroes on Hulu.
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