#And how this is used to uphold structural brutality for the benefit of privileged classes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

emma-what-son · 3 years

Text

Eat the Rich: Classism in the UK Entertainment Industry

Ohnotheydidnt Jan. 2020: To take you back a few years ago, right when HP was coming to an end, there was HP Blue-ray bonus documentary where Emma claimed to have come from a poor family. How she got pencils as gifts for her bday and how her dad didn’t afford to send her to the school she went to. This post is a great addition to posts I’ve made a few years ago about how Emma wasn’t actually poor growing up. You can find the posts here.

# TimesYa Grammar Kween Emmione Granger has come a long way since her # HeForShe days, taking the criticisms levelled towards her white feminism to heart and upping her activist game. Since that B.A. in English lit from Brown has gotta go somewhere, one only has to look as far as her Twitter and Instagram feeds (I appreciate that she at least uses her massive platform to lend exposure to women of colour, Ireland’s abortion rights, workplace harassment and from someone who has struggled brutally with gender dysphoria, trans visibility—no sarcasm there). Though once upon a time, Justin Bieber’s Disney Doll was under the impression that she could persuade her legion of fans she enjoyed an ordinary upbringing. Notably, in 2009/10 during a set interview for Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (included in the four-disk Blu-Ray bonus documentary When Harry Left Hogwarts) she presented herself in a vulnerable light, stating that when her parents divorced when she was five years old her financial situation was “tight” (transcribed in the gifs below because the doc is no longer on YouTube, boo!).

YUUUSSS KWEEEN! Hermione is an ONTD member like the rest of us! Or *dot dot dot* is she? While her words sound inspiring and classy at face value and being the cute bae that she is she doesn’t deny she was well-educated, what is missing from her version of the tale and her carefully manufactured image, however, is that both the good sis’ parents are lawyers. From around 1995/96 until 2003, she attended the co-educational pre-prep and prep day and boarding institution, Lynams nursery and the Dragon School in Oxford (Tom Hiddlebum and his one shirt was also a pupil). The fees [applied to 2019/20] eat up as much as £31,686 for boarders and £21,768 for day pupils each schoolyear (there are three academic terms in British schooling). Circa 1999-2000, Emma was also a pupil at the Stagecoach Theatre Arts School Oxford Headington, a franchise part-time theatre school (about ten minutes away from the Dragon). According to their website, “The cost per term for Early Stages is £168 and for Main Stages it is £336.” This is simply a luxury skint kids cannot receive without a grant or hardship fund and based on one version of events Emma has told us, it was while she was in attendance at Stagecoach when she was spotted (along with other potentials) by the Potter casting team for the role of Hermione. (I also discovered through related Google searches that some other minor actors from the Potter series, particularly Daniel Radcliffe’s “son” Albus Potter and “mother” Little Lily Potter went to the Dragon School and Stagecoach in Oxford, respectively. “Lily” was even taught by Emma’s former drama teacher and principal, Maya Sprigg—which tells me this woman’s hustle is not a coincidence.) From there, Emma attended Headington until the age of 18, an independent girls’ day and boarding school. The admission fees for Upper 3-5 and Sixth Form day pupils [applied to 2019/20] is £6,090 per term (£18,270 a year); full boarders pay up to £36,630 a year. Last year, the cost for day pupils was £5,884 per term (£17.5k/yr.). In 2016 before the UK referendum, fees for boarders were roughly £28k a year. As for her parents’ professions, her father Chris Watson is Head of the CMS Technology, Media and Communications Group (he has a M.A. from the New College, Oxford). We also know from a December 2010 British Vogue interview that he owns a vineyard in France where Emma spent the summers as a child. Her mother Jacqueline “Jackie” (nee Luesby) joined the Smith & Williamson financial services firm in 2007 as a senior manager for their tax team in London (she previously worked for Morgan Cole, a commercial law firm in Oxford and from circa 1990-95 the tax team Ernst & Young, an accounting firm in Paris, Emma’s birthplace). In a September 2015 British Vogue interview, Emma confirmed her parents worked full-time: “My parents couldn’t take the time off; they had careers and they weren’t together. They couldn’t swap in and out like Rubert Grint’s [sic] and Dan Radcliff’s [sic] parents.” Emphasis on careers, not occupations.

My basic bitch research skills are unable to track down the estimated salaries of her parents’ positions, but the Great British Class Survey classifies lawyers (including telecommunication lawyers and solicitors) as “elite” and the average household income is placed at £89,000 a year. Me thinks her parents weren’t blowing through £89k on pasta, toast and beans. Post-Potter, Emma pulled in $3 to $15 million for 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (obviously, this was a decade ago, but in 2010 she was making around $32 million). In 2018, she donated £1 million ($1.4 million) to Justice and Equality, an anti-sexual harassment fund (disappointing however, the superior Emma Thompson only donated £500, GIRL?!). Guess she figured she should finally throw away pennies of that Potter money from her offshore accounts (‘cause you can’t take it with it you)? In 2019, her estimated net worth is $80 million (about £60.9 million). Before Hermione blessed her with bad hair, Emma was already the slaying Speak & Spell singing Disney princess we deserved. Although, it seems she has since educated herself and changed her tune. In 2018, she introduced Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race for her Goodreads book club, writing: “When I heard myself being called a ‘white feminist’ I didn’t understand. […] It would have been more useful to spend the time asking myself questions like: What are the ways I have benefited from being white? In what ways do I support and uphold a system that is structurally racist? How do my race, class and gender affect my perspective?” No one needs to award her brownie points and even if I (along with most of ONTD) am not fond of her tightly controlled PR image, it’s one step towards acknowledging she’s part of a structural, systematic problem and it’s more than what most privileged celebs are willing to do when called out. On the other hand, homegirl needs to be educated on tax evasion. In the meantime, the Oatmeal Queen is living her best life with her Pop Rocks.

#parents

15 notes · View notes

3aris · 4 years

Text

“nothing will work unless you do” - Maya Angelou

BLACK LIVES MATTER

WE KNOW ALL LIVES MATTER

BUT RIGHT NOW BLACK LIVES ARE THE ONES IN DANGER!

RACISM:

a complex system of beliefs and institutions that elevates whites at the expense of non-whites.

we all exist in and benefit from this system, whether we notice it or not.

WHITE PEOPLE CANNOT EXPERIENCE RACISM!

- discrimination is not racism

- our society prioritizes and caters to the experiences and benefits of white people.

- white people hold the power in society. the ones in power cannot be the victims

* IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON RACISM INSTEAD OF EXPERIENCING IT *

HOW THE F*CK DOES RACISM STILL EXIST? [@cicelyblaincolsulting]

1. Racism Is Upheld By:

- Systems (media, education, law, healthcare...)

- History (our society is informed by centuries-old habit, biases, & disparities)

- Privilege (difficult to notice, address, and sacrifice. as long as one group benefits from the oppression of another, racism will still exist)

- Micro-Aggressions (everyday slights, comments, & actions uphold racist power structures)

2.The Formation Of Anti-Blackness

- Capitalism (Black bodies have been used as the means of production (worker labor, tools, machinery) to create wealth for Europeans.)

- Slavery (Black people were stripped of autonomy, citizenship, rights, and treated as objects for over 300 years)

- Colonialism (the land we occupy was stolen from indigineous peoples and continues to be pillaged for raw material, natural resources, and human capital for white gain first and foremost.

3. EVEN THE SMALLEST ACTS OF RACISM UPHOLD DOMINANT POWER STRUCTURES

4. Racism Is An Iceberg

- Tip / Visible Part (KKK, neo-nazis, police brutality, racial slurs, hate crimes)

- Majority / Hidden Part (all lives matter, your English is so good, you’re so pretty for a Black girl, what about Black on Black crime, can I touch your hair, where are you really from?)

ANTI-RACISM:

the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, policies, practices, and attitudes in order to redistribute and share power. [NAC International Perspectives: Women and Global Solidarity]

WHITE PRIVILEGE:

white privilege doesn’t mean your life hasn’t been hard, it means that the color of your skin isn’t one of the things making it harder

WHAT’S WRONG WITH POLICE [@leftnortheast]

1. Origins of Police in America

- slave patrols of armed white men to enforce slavery & chase down runaway slaves

- after slavery, these same patrols continued to enforce segregation & reinforce violence against Black ppl perpetrated by the KKK

- during the 19th century, the ultra-rich business owners relied on police to stop workers and immigrants from organizing labor unions

- LA’s “thin blue line” enforced segregation in the 1950s. look up “Black Wall Street”

- HISTORICALLY THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THE POLICE IS TO PROTECT WEALTH & ASSETS BY PRESERVING INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

2. Police Today

- when police commit crimes, the investigations are performed by the police themselves (union officials & internal affairs departments)

- only 33% of investigations end in police being convicted, compared to 68% in general pop.

- at least 40% of police families have experienced domestic violence, compared to 10% in the general population

3. ACAB: What It Means

- all cops are bastards

- it does NOT mean that individual cops are incapable of doing good things, but that the institution of policing is harmful and beyond saving

- the laws that “good” cops enforce work to uphold a harmful status quo that keeps working class and POC socially disadvantaged. therefore, there are no “good” cops

- EX: the three other officers who stood and watched Derek Chauvin kill George Floyd. they may be “good” because they didn’t kill Floyd, but they did nothing to prevent Chauvin from doing so.

THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF CALLING THE COPS [@freedomtothrive]

1. Don’t Feel Obligated To Defend Property

- is someone being actively hurt or endangered by property “theft” or damage?

- if “no,” let it be

2. If Something Of Yours Is Stolen...

- consider going to the police station instead of bringing cops into your community, you may be inadvertently putting someone art risk by calling the cops

3. If You See Someone Exhibiting “Odd” Behavior...

- don’t assume they are intoxicated

- ask if they are ok, if they have a medical condition, and if they need help

4. If You See Someone Pulled Over With Car Trouble...

- stop & ask if they need help or if you can call a tow truck for them

- calling police may result in unnecessary ticketing, target undocumented ppl, etc.

5. Keep A Contact List Of Community Resources

- EX: suicide hotlines, mental health assistance, etc.

- ppl with mental illnesses are 16x more likely to be killed by police

6. Check Your Impulse To Call The Police On “Suspicious” People

- is their race, gender, ethnicity, class, or housing situation influencing your action?

- calling the cops on such people can be death sentences (EX: Trayvon Martin)

HOW WILL WE STAY SAFE WITHOUT POLICE? [@mpd_150] [@wretched_flowers_]

1. Community Members

- mental health service providers, social workers, victim/survivor advocates, religious leaders, neighbors & friends need to look out for one another

- not armed strangers with guns who likely don’t live in the communities they patrol (police)

- society expects police to do too much: violent crimes, traffic stops, chasing loose dogs, etc.

2. What About Violence?

- crime isn’t random, it happens because ppl are unable to meet their needs EX: money, food, rent, etc.

- this problem can be solved with an emphasis on jobs, education, community centers, mental health resources.

- cops don’t prevent violence, they invite it through constant violent disruption of our communities

3. It’s Not Impossible

- look at the abolition of slavery, the 40hr work week, etc. those were accomplished through gradual progress

- redirect funds away from the police department toward those community-based alternatives listed above. LOOK UP HOW MUCH YOUR CITY / STATE SPENDS ON POLICING.

14 WAYS WHITE PPL CAN MAKE LIFE LESS FRUSTRATING FOR p.o.c. [@privtoprog]

1. trust / listen to POC assessment of a situation

2. don’t assume all POC have same views

3. don’t guess / assume ppl’s race

4. read & share articles relating to daily POC experiences

5. just because you have a POC friend / relative / partner doesn’t mean you can’t be racist. if anything, it means you should be more critical of your actions / words & how they affect those around you

6. don’t play devil’s advocate on race conversations. JUST. LISTEN.

7. understand that America has what it has because it stole land from indigenous people and stole people from Africa to build America

8. care about race on the other 364 days that aren’t MLK Day

9. don’t assume you know what it’s like to experience racism. you don’t & can’t. that’s the point.

10. nothing in your life has been untouched by your whiteness. everything you have would have been harder to come by if you had not been born white.

11. don’t get defensive when someone calls you out on racism, be grateful. it’s a learning moment.

12. move past white guilt. guilt it’s unproductive. just BE BETTER.

13. fighting racism isn’t about you. it’s about liberating POC from a racist world / system.

14. being an ALLY is a verb, not a noun. you can’t be an ally just because you say you are. actions are louder than words.

WHAT WHITE PPL CAN DO OVER TIME [@prettydecent]

1. Research & Learn In Public

- identify, name, & challenge the norms, patterns, traditions, structures,and institutions that keep racism & white supremacy in place

- TALK TO & EDUCATE OTHER WHITE PEOPLE. it’s YOUR job, not POC, to teach white ppl how to fight racism

- let people you care about know this is something you care about

2. Open Your Eyes To Anti-Blackness

- there are no race-neutral spaces, “colorblindness” does not exist.

- Anti-Blackness is the way in which Black ppl have been targeted & stripped of their humanity

- pay attention to CODED LANGUAGE. what do we mean by “good” neighborhoods & “good” schools?

- who starts trends? who gets credit for them? EX: rock & roll

3. Pay Attention To Your White Experience

- we will never full understand Black ppl’s experiences

- look at how your whiteness has impacted your life: encounters with police, airport security? job interviews?

- what are you “good at” and how might your race have affected that?

- white experiences are the social “default,” EX: “Is The Country Ready For Its First White President?”

4. Speak Up & Argue With White People

- silence is a privilege & acts in directly upholding the system of white supremacy

- look at how movies, TV, and other media treats Black and POC, and call it out when you see it.

- hold other white ppl accountable, THERE IS NO GROWTH WITHOUT DISCOMFORT. we make mistakes but that does not mean we can’t learn & grow from them.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR FAMILY ABOUT RACISM [@jenerous]

1. Intent & Impact

- white ppl say that we don’t INTEND to be racist.

- intent doesn’t matter if the IMPACT of our actions harms someone and/or upholds a racist system

2. Watch Your Tone

- we don’t get to tell Black ppl how to talk about their own oppression (“tone policing”)

- when we talk to other white ppl about race, we need to speak in a way that best conveys the information, feelings aside

3. Tell Stories Of Your Own Privilege

- tell your family members a specific way your white privilege has protected you

- this is also a great opportunity for you to reflect on & better understand your own privilege

- WE LEARN BY TEACHING

4. Share Some Of Your Own F*ck Ups

- admitting you’ve been wrong before helps normalize personal growth

- makes it easier for your family to reflect on their own failures & move on

- vulnerability is strength

5. Make It Okay To Ask Questions

- ask your family if they have questions about racism

- this may bring up stuff you don’t know either, a great opportunity to learn together!

6. Keep Asking “Why Do You Think That Is?”

- find a race-related statistic that you both agree on (EX: “Black ppl are jailed for weed more than white ppl are”)

- ask your family member why they think that statistic is true until there’s no answer that makes sense besides “racism”

7. Plant A Seed Of Doubt

- unlearning a racist system means flipping everything we know on its head.

- that requires small steps, such as getting your family members to question their existing logic around ONE topic (Black hair, cultural appropriation, affirmative action, etc.)

- when they say “hmm... i never thought about that,” you’re making progress!

8. Commit To The Idea That It Is Possible To Change Someone’s Mind

- your own anti-racism journey is proof!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF [@is_siigii]

1. Who taught you about race & culture?

2. What can you do to support POC in your community?

3. What are you committed to doing outside of social media to fight racism?

4. How do you behave when you are confronted with racist behavior?

5. What do you want to learn more about?

6. What information could you teach people?

7. In what ways have you ignored this behavior in the past?

8. Why is it important for everyone to work toward ending this injustice?

9. How can you use anti-racist knowledge to change & progress?

10. Do you owe anyone an apology?

11. How do you handle conflicts?

#black lives matter #anti-racism #anti-racist #defundthepolice #defund the police

2 notes · View notes

rickymanguson · 4 years

Text

Dental students’ role in the fight for racial equality

The appalling death of George Floyd put a national and international spotlight on the racial injustices rampant throughout the United States. Millions of protesters all over the world have come out on the streets and online to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the months since. Protestors’ voices call for the defunding of police departments, for the end of mass incarceration and prison labor, for equity in Black communities and for so much more — all inequalities and disparities that our country needs to unpack to begin healing from centuries of oppression.

The focus of this movement is on ending police brutality and other racially motivated violence against those in the Black community, such as the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown and a devastating number of others. With so much pain and violence surrounding both the current events and entire history of these topics, it’s often difficult for us to know how to respond in our everyday lives, especially when feelings of helplessness or futility arise. As dental students who are overwhelmed with the everyday stresses of exams, patient care, loan debt, etc., and as Americans living through an uncontrolled pandemic and economic recession, we often don’t see how we could possibly create an impact in a society with issues so deeply rooted and elaborately compounded.

In these times, I believe it’s imperative we widen our lens of focus to the many ways racism is prevalent in our everyday lives as students with the privilege of attaining higher education in dental school. The word “racism” here isn’t referring to Merriam Webster’s dictionary definition regarding prejudice against any race — what I mean is societal, or structural, racism. Societal racism is rooted in the historically charged societal disparities between white people and those of other races, especially Black people, and to be racist means to consciously or subconsciously uphold a system that disenfranchises and marginalizes people based on their race. In this definition, to disregard the way our society treats Black people is be complicit; thus, this inaction is racist.

Here’s a thought experiment: When you looked around your classes on the first day of dental school, did you ever notice the lack of people who look, spoke and had the same culture as you? For the majority of us, the answer is no. However, for just a handful of people at almost every dental school, this answer may feel disheartening and isolating. If you are reading this, it is more likely that you may be white or Asian than any other race, especially Black or Indigenous.

The American Dental Education Association’s 2018 Applicants and First Time Enrollees by Race and Ethnicity report states that of dental school enrollees in 2018, only 0.2% were Indigenous and 5.3% were Black. Furthermore, of all the dentists in the United States, the American Dental Association reports that in 2015, only 3.8% were Black. With Black and Indigenous people making up more than 15% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, we can see that the underrepresentation of this group in dentistry is extraordinary.

In my own 2022 class of 150 students at University of the Pacific, there is only one black person. Recently, I posted a spotlight of her on our Pacific ASDA Instagram to help tell her story of the barriers she faced throughout her education, in her journey applying to dental school and now as the sole Black person in our class. The response was tremendous, with many people applauding her bravery for retelling her experiences, and many people realizing for the first time the true lack of diversity among our peers. While it is true that she is incredibly courageous, as the only Black person in our class, she cannot change this issue alone or with only our applause.

Though it may seem like eradicating social injustice is so out of our reach as dental students and American citizens, it is precisely these roles that grant us the opportunity to create a difference. We often say we don’t have the financial means, political status or even free time to rally for Black Lives Matter, to advocate for health care reform, to speak to our representatives and so on. However, to speak on the ways we cannot make a difference neglects the privileges and capabilities we do have.

As students of higher education, future health care providers and citizens of the world, we have a responsibility to our peers, colleagues, patients and every person or child who suffers from the historical pain and suffering that majority of us in this field are currently benefitting from. We have a responsibility to create a profession that ethically upholds the quality of care for all people. We must start by asking ourselves: What more can we do to check our privilege? How else can we educate ourselves on racism and the best way to be an ally? How can we, as non-BIPOC students, show up for those who are BIPOC?

I am an Asian woman, and though I have faced discrimination in other ways, I am writing this post because I recognize my privilege as a part of the majority in this field. I hope to amplify the voices of Black women and men who do not always have the ability to speak freely in our dental school classrooms. Moreover, I believe it should not be the responsibility of the oppressed to educate their oppressor. Part of my allyship is a commitment to speaking out for those who are BIPOC in whatever ways on whichever platforms I have the ability to.

No one individual can radicalize the racist structures on which our country was built but what we can do is join the fight. We can confront the ways we are perpetuating a structure built on racism. We can go into community health and help service BIPOC communities that are low income. We can advocate for more diverse recruiting practices. We can create safe spaces for, listen to and learn from our Black patients and colleagues to understand and help alleviate their hardships. We can share their stories. And as we fight for them, we can also facilitate the healing and reconciliation it takes to make amends for our history and the pain it still causes today.

~Winna Pham, Pacific ’22

from Dental Tips https://www.asdablog.com/dental-students-role-in-the-fight-for-racial-equality/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

#Dental Tips

0 notes

erickanobble · 4 years

Text

Dental students’ role in the fight for racial equality

~Winna Pham, Pacific ’22

from Dental https://www.asdablog.com/dental-students-role-in-the-fight-for-racial-equality/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

michaelandy101-blog · 4 years

Text

Black Lives Matter.

New Post has been published on http://tiptopreview.com/black-lives-matter/

Black Lives Matter.

The time to use our platforms and privilege to speak out against the deep racism that plagues our society was years ago. I regret staying silent in those moments. The next best time is now. Silence is harmful because it prioritizes the comfort of those of us who benefit from racist policies at the expense of those exploited and victimized by them.

It’s not enough to simply “do no harm” or “not be racist.” That well-trodden path has produced the same brutal results again and again. At Moz, we’re moving to a higher standard. The creation of a more just world requires us to be loudly, unceasingly anti-racist.

We must acknowledge that human rights exist beyond politics.

We must hear and validate the lived experiences of people of color and amplify their voices.

We must show up.

We must reinforce, loudly and often, that Black lives matter.

This is an uncomfortable conversation for most of us. We’re afraid of saying the wrong thing, offending people, losing relationships, jobs, customers, and in some cases physical safety. By design, white supremacy has made it uncomfortable to speak out against white supremacy. Fearing angry backlash for speaking out against the risks and injustices people of color face every single day only serves a system designed to keep us silent — a system that has been shaped over centuries to oppress and exploit people who are not white. At Moz, we will practice the courage to speak out and show up for love and justice. Maya Angelou said wisely, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

Today, we express solidarity with Black people grieving the losses of David McAtee, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many, many others. We share and honor the outrage rippling through our country. We stand with you and we stand for justice and love.

We want to amplify the signal of inspiring people doing powerful work. Activists like Rachel Cargle and her work on The Great Unlearn project. Resources like the Intentionalist, an online directory that allows you to discover and patronize diverse local businesses in your community. Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want to Talk About Race illuminates the harsh reality of police brutality, inequitable mass incarceration, and other lived experiences of Black people in the United States and gives us tools to talk about race and racism. EmbraceRace is an organization focused on helping parents, teachers, and community leaders raise children to think and act critically against racial injustice. Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Anti-Racist asks us to think about what an anti-racist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. Ross Gay’s poem, A Small Needful Fact, is a powerful memorial that says so much in a few beautiful words. I invite everyone to re-read or listen to Martin Luther King Jr.’s full Letter From a Birmingham Jail. His statements and questions are heartbreakingly relevant today. May you be moved beyond thought to action, as we are.

Be well and love each other.

Update 6/4/2020: We’ve heard your concerns and questions about what steps Moz is taking to address racial injustice. In writing this post, our goal was to support the cause and the Black voices that deserve to be listened to, especially at this critical moment. It didn’t feel right to center Moz when the conversation should be focused elsewhere. After listening to your feedback, we realize we missed the mark by staying quiet about our own efforts in this area. It’s important to share not just our words, but the actions that uphold them.

What we’ve done in the past hasn’t been enough. We must improve. Understanding that we have more work to do, Moz also has a history of working toward equality within the tech space.

Internally, we offer support and training to employees as part of our ongoing work to create an inclusive, equitable, anti-racist work environment. All employees are required to participate in implicit bias training, and we encourage Mozzers to take our additional training in Understanding Microaggressions, Owning Our Rank & Power (a course about understanding and using privilege for good), and Allyship.

We partner with amazing companies doing the important work of addressing the root causes of systemic injustice:

Techbridge provides STEM education to girls from low-income and under-resourced communities. We regularly invite Techbridge classes to visit Moz and learn from women whose work in tech can inspire and energize them.

IGNITE Worldwide works to improve gender equality in STEM opportunities. Similar to our partnership with Techbridge, we invite IGNITE classes to come to our office and speak with the women at Moz who have forged careers in tech.

Year Up connects young adults facing social and economic injustice to opportunities in tech that can grow their skill sets and forge new career paths. We’re proud to call our Year Up program alumni colleagues.

Ada Developers Academy provides tuition-free coding education to women and gender diverse adults, with a focus on those with low-income and from diverse backgrounds and the LGBTQIA+ community. We’ve welcomed multiple Ada graduates into our software engineering teams as full-time Mozzers.

Un-Loop provides opportunity to students in Washington State prisons, building a path toward careers in web development. Their first program graduate interned with us and we’ve hosted a fundraiser for the program.

HERE Seattle fosters an inclusive and diverse community in technology. Moz was an inaugural sponsor and partnered on events.

As CEO, I’ve chaired the diversity and inclusion committee in the Washington Technology Industry Association (from which programs like Apprenti launched), as well as lobbied for stronger equal pay laws in Washington State. Twice a year, Moz examines its pay structures by race to ensure equitability, and we regularly review and adjust our hiring practices to increase the diversity of our workforce.

We know we have more work to do. While our gender diversity has increased, we have not made substantial progress on racial diversity. In the coming weeks, we’ll share an update on what further steps we’ve taken to support the Black community — both in this time of crisis and in an ongoing capacity. To hold ourselves more publicly accountable, we plan to create and maintain a page on our site that gives transparency to the actions we’re taking.

For now, though — today, this week — we want to share our support for the cause of equality and leave space for Black voices that need to be heard.

Editor’s note: We’re disallowing comments on this post to make sure the focus remains on the problem at hand: the indiscriminate mistreatment and murder of Black people in the United States. In addition, we will be forgoing our typical publishing schedule to make space for the more critical conversations that need to be held.

Source link

#General

0 notes