The Ally: Feb 2021 Black History Month
It’s not an understatement to describe the events of the past year as historic, and particularly for Black Americans. The nation elected its first Black vice president, a woman and a graduate of a historically Black university, and Georgia send its first Black senator to the Capitol. (Both of these realities were possible through the tireless organizing efforts of women like Stacey Abrams of Fair Fight and LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter.)
This period also had Black Americans experiencing disproportionate deaths and job losses from Covid-19, police brutality and myriad race-fueled attacks. The killing of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody, ushered in a period of collective reckoning — one that prompted widespread protests, a push for racial justice and a re-examination of the education system’s failure to teach the accurate history of Black and Indigenous people.
By Adrienne Gaffney
New York Times
Related Articles
Note from the Associate Director
Recently, I was having a conversation with one of our philanthropic member organization directors and remarked to him how thrilled I was to learn of his family’s contribution to Meridian, MS. His grandfather owned and operated the E.F. Young Hotel which was a place that black travelers could find quality lodging during the years of […]
Member Spotlights: Northeast MS Habitat for Humanity
For the last two years, I have had the privilege of doing the most purposeful and fulfilling work by helping families help themselves. Our affiliate, Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity, is small but mighty. We’re about helping families in Lee County, Mississippi build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.Currently, we’re working with five families helping […]