August 26, 2021, the 101st anniversary of the 19th Amendment – giving women the right to vote- it was a great step forward, BUT WOMEN STILL DON’T HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS!
The Equal Rights Amendment still isn’t the law in the United States of America. Women are still discriminated against in the workplace.
Hear what the President of the League of Women Voters, Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, has to say for Women’s Equality Day in this video.
Auguskt 18, 2021
This summer, the U.S. is experiencing unprecedented heat waves, wildfires, and floods due to human-caused climate change. These climate related events will continue to become more catastrophic if we do not take action and curb greenhouse gas emissions immediately. Co-incidentally, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just come out with Code Red Report for Humanity indicating that we can only slow climate change if we make drastic changes immediately!
One of the best strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to halt new fossil fuel infrastructure.
In spite of the recently enacted Climate Leadership and Community Protective Act and a state ban on fracking, two power plants: the Danskammer Power Plant in Newburgh, NY and the Astoria NRG Power Plant in Astoria, NY, have applied for air permits from the DEC. These plants want to construct new gas burners capable of using fracked gas. A 60 day public comment period began on July 1st and goes to August 29th. Here is your chance to be heard. Let them know about this illegal proposal by sending comments to Danskammerenergy@dec.ny.gov or through the stoptheplant.org website.
August 10, 2021
As redistricting looms, residents say having part of county in North Country district makes it hard to reach regional solutions.
ALBANY — A handful of Saratoga County residents told the state's Independent Redistricting Commission they want to be included in a congressional district that represented the Capital Region, and not the North Country. More…
Read article from the Times Union at this link: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Capitol-Region-residents-advocate-to-remove-16352851.php by Joshua Solomon, Aug. 2, 2021, updated: Aug. 3, 2021
“We stand with the women who came forward to tell their story and commend them for their tremendous bravery. Attorney General James’ office has completed a thorough, independent, and detailed investigation which they believe shows credible evidence that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple staff members and members of the public. It is unconscionable that Governor Cuomo has made statements minimizing the experiences of his victims and sexual harassment survivors everywhere. This is unacceptable. The League of Women Voters of New York State calls on the Legislature to carry out its constitutional responsibility and hold Governor Cuomo accountable for his actions.”
League of Women Voters of New York
August 3, 2020
by Linda McKenney, July 19, 2021
I grew up in a white, largely Catholic, small town. Right across the river was a mixed-race city, where we did most of our shopping. When I made my purchases in the popular department stores, I never wondered why all of the other shoppers were also white. The only person of color I did see was the elevator operator. My girlfriends and I would try on our plaid wool skirts and mohair sweaters, not aware that a person of color wasn’t allowed to try on clothes, if they could even afford to shop in those stores.
There were no persons of color in my town, and I never questioned that. I didn’t know, as a child, that there were forces in that town consistently preventing anyone of color from moving into it. Most of the homes were two-family and often occupied by more than one generation. If a flat became available, it was never advertised but rented via word-of-mouth.
We never talked about other cultures or ethnicities among family or friends. My parents never disparaged anyone of color, so looking back, I would not consider myself racist. I was one of those people who said, “I don’t see color.” I took for granted the advantages afforded to white me; government systems, affordable housing, preferential education and medical care to name a few.
I existed in my lovely bubble of white privilege unaware that I was contributing to systemic racism that created and maintained racial inequality in nearly every facet of life for people of color. Also called structural or institutional racism, it is the complex intersection of culture, policy and institutions that create the disparities we see in our communities today regarding wealth, the criminal justice system, education and health care. To better understand, let’s dig a little deeper.
One example of systemic racism in education is how the promised benefits for higher education via the G.I. Bill turned out to be an illusion for people of color. The bill enabled my father and men who looked like him to prosper in the postwar years, but didn’t deliver on that promise for veterans of color. Most universities and colleges used a quota system for enrolling people of color, which limited the number able to attend. That wide disparity in the bill’s implementation helped drive growing gaps in wealth, education and civil rights.
My parents bought their home with backing from the G.I. Bill as my father served in World War II. But when it came to housing for people of color, policies created by the Federal Housing Administration and implemented by lenders and realtors, mapped out neighborhoods according to the color of one’s skin. Those inhabited by blacks or other minorities were outlined in red on maps, commonly referred to as “redlining,” deeming them dangerous. The government's efforts were primarily designed to provide housing to white, middle-class families. People of color were left out of the new suburban communities and pushed instead into urban housing projects.
I cannot change my childhood or what I didn’t know then, but what I can do is educate myself on systemic racism. I can stumble my way forward with curiosity, because when I know better, I can be better. Learning about systemic racism and white privilege is a journey, and there are many resources to help.
The League of Women Voters NY has an upcoming presentation with Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White and Finding Myself in The Story of Race. You’ll learn more about this from League emails. But save the date – 8/17/21. https://www.debbyirving.com/
Race Forward brings systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity. The link below is a collection of short videos that help us better understand systemic racism.
https://www.raceforward.org/videos/systemic-racism
If you wish to engage in conversation about racism and white privilege, the link below offers some tips on how to talk to family and friends.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/07/06/how-to-guide-talk-racism-white-privilege-with-family-friends/3278514001/
“There is no social change fairy. There is only the change made by individuals.” – Winona Laduke, executive director and a co-founder (along with the Indigo Girls) of Honor the Earth.
