February 22, 2022
TWOsday: 02-22-2022
Dear friends,
It turns out that activism and civic engagement improve mental health outcomes for young people. A study conducted by Tufts University’s
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement found that amidst the pandemic, which has taken a “huge toll on young people’s mental health, ” civically engaged youth report higher wellbeing. Interestingly, the study found that most young people reported a desire to get involved politically, so “gaps in young people’s engagement patterns are more often driven by disparate access than disparate enthusiasm.”
This is good news for young people, who deserve some good news, and for democracy, which really needs the energy and vision of young people.
Unsurprisingly, anything that enables us to experience our own efficacy can be good for our mental health. One of my happiest childhood memories — apart from summer camp, which I loved — was learning to do laundry as soon as I was tall enough to use the top-loading machine. I still enjoy satisfaction and a sense of purpose when I do laundry, every single time.
First, teach the kids you love to do the laundry. Then, get them involved in a mutual aid effort, political action, or some other civic activity. Really.
One of my classes of sixth-graders is continuing to work on the problem of racist policing. We did a lesson last week on the roots of policing, using material from The 1619 Project. At the end of the lesson, I asked students about the most interesting thing they learned.
It started only to patrol Black people. - Hazel
There were more enslaved people than not in some parts of America. - Leo
The white people were scared of Black people. - Phillip
The cops were scared of Black people. - Silas
Then, I asked them to finish the sentence: I would like other young people to understand . . .
the truth behind the police, because they might not know why they’re treated differently - Kay
that racist policing has a direct tie to slavery and that it’s still a huge problem in the US. - Izzy
this is not supposed to happen. - Tais
that racism is real and you should take a stand and fight back for equal rights - Nolan
that POC have to be on edge almost every day in fear of getting killed or even sexually assaulted. - Akira
that people of color should not need to fear for their lives. - Hazel
They also had some good questions about taking action to get racist cops off the streets. Here were my two favorite questions:
Can we put signs up at police stations about how Black Lives Matter? - Alex
What will we do after we win? - Tais
Rebuilding democracy in the US requires that we bring people into the processes whereby decisions get made, so that everyone has both a stake and a voice in the outcomes.
Call on the mayor and council speaker to reduce the size of the NYPD and reinvest funding to help — not harm — New Yorkers. This action comes from the ACLU.
I suspect that what’s good for young people is also good for more experienced people, and so we’re going to run our own experiment: we will take action and see if it makes us feel better!
Today, the NAACP publicly announced its support of NYS Fair Pay for Home Care legislation, calling
“this important wage increase a matter of public health and social and gender justice.”
The bill sets a new state-wide minimum wage for care workers at $22.50/hour.
Please amplify this important announcement on your social media accounts. The tool kit is from Caring Majority, NAACP, and BPHA Caucus.
There’s still time to pressure New York’s legislative leaders to invest in climate action. When you join a call relay, you commit to make two phone calls using a simple call script at a time convenient for you. NY Renews has organized tomorrow’s call relay to demand a sustainable future.
Sign up for Wednesday’s call relay to make sure our leaders cannot ignore the people’s demand for climate investment.
Let me know if taking action helped!
And here’s more good news:
The Department of Justice successfully prosecuted Ahmaud Arbery’s killers on federal hate crime charges. There is no way to restore Arbery’s life AND the verdict is very important. His lawyer, Benjamin Crump, remarked:
Ahmaud Arbery was denied the opportunity to define his own legacy, but America, we have the power to ensure that it is one that propels our fight for equal justice and dispels hate from this world. That is how we continue to honor Ahmaud and make sure his death was not in vain.
Under the terms of the agreement, the women — a group of several dozen current and former players that includes some of the world’s most popular and decorated athletes — will share $24 million in payments from U.S. Soccer. The bulk of that figure is back pay, a tacit admission that compensation for the men’s and women’s teams had been unequal for years.
Perhaps more notable is U.S. Soccer’s pledge to equalize pay between the men’s and women’s national teams in all competitions, including the World Cup, in the teams’ next collective bargaining agreements.
In addition to being just, the settlement feels like a karmic reward for the athletes who have been most bold and vocal in fighting for justice for everyone!
The bill will still need to pass the state senate, although that seems likely. One of the clauses that won over opponents to the legislation
explicitly says that people without legal immigration status will not be registered to vote as a result of getting a driver’s license.
Licensing drivers creates a safer environment; licensed drivers must be insured, for one thing, and they have less reason to flee from a crash. The bill has the support of Massachusetts law enforcement, including the state’s attorney general, most of its sheriffs and DAs, and the Major City Chiefs of Police.
This legislation is a good way to bring people into the community, even if they are not yet eligible to vote.
Gallup polling predicts that the proportion of openly LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. should exceed 10% in the not-so-distant future, thanks largely to millennials and Generation Z. In short: As more people see LGBTQ+ people getting equal rights and protections, plus positive affirmation on the social level and better social safety nets for queer people, it’s likely and reasonable to assume more people will feel comfortable being open about their identities.
I hope you’ve had a great Tuesday!
with love,
L