With all of the progress that our people have made over the last 400 years, freedom still eludes so many of us. The 13 Amendment abolished slavery for most Americans of African descent, however, many other types of slavery exist even today.
The criminal justice system is anything but just. Arrests, convictions, and sentences for virtually the same crime have completely different outcomes for white citizens and Black citizens. Black men who commit the same crime as white men receive federal prison sentences that are, on average, nearly 20 percent longer. And there have been cases where the sentences have been 100 percent and higher.
Education in the public schools in predominately Black or white neighborhoods still vary widely despite integration. Much of this is due to a skewed funding system based on the real estate taxes of the neighborhood. Black home ownership has not increased substantially in 40 years partially due to red lining and unfair lending practices. This is a major factor in why the schools for children living in a Black neighborhoods often have fewer resources and opportunities than school in white neighborhoods. But even if your child attends a predominately white school, the assumption of low expectations of Black students, especially boys, can become self fulfilling if not addressed.
https://waltenapride.weebly.com/blog/having-the-talk
Health care, even when it's available and affordable is often not the same for Black people and white people Black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women. And many chronic health conditions are more prevalent and even deadly in Black people than in white people.
But what does this have to do with freedom? Everything. In America, the extent to which one is free is based on power; political power and financial power. Almost every law and statute ever passed has been for the benefit of those with power and to the detriment of those without. This is why we must go out and vote in every election. The media focus is on the 2020 presidential election. But the rules and policies which mostly affect our daily lives are decided by the people who are elected in our state and local elections. We must vote!
It is our sacred duty to vote! Our ancestors have fought, been imprisoned, and murdered for us to have the right to vote. And for those of who believe that it doesn't matter who is elected and that your vote doesn't matter, you are wrong. It has been estimated that around 43% of all eligible voters did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. If every eligible voter votes, we can make a difference. We must vote!
It is virtually impossible to agree with everything that any candidate stands for, but we still need to reclaim our voice and vote. And if we are not satisfied with any of the candidates, we should still vote. And then maybe consider that it's time for us to run for office. Freedom ain't free. It's time for us to reclaim our voices and vote. Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.
The criminal justice system is anything but just. Arrests, convictions, and sentences for virtually the same crime have completely different outcomes for white citizens and Black citizens. Black men who commit the same crime as white men receive federal prison sentences that are, on average, nearly 20 percent longer. And there have been cases where the sentences have been 100 percent and higher.
Education in the public schools in predominately Black or white neighborhoods still vary widely despite integration. Much of this is due to a skewed funding system based on the real estate taxes of the neighborhood. Black home ownership has not increased substantially in 40 years partially due to red lining and unfair lending practices. This is a major factor in why the schools for children living in a Black neighborhoods often have fewer resources and opportunities than school in white neighborhoods. But even if your child attends a predominately white school, the assumption of low expectations of Black students, especially boys, can become self fulfilling if not addressed.
https://waltenapride.weebly.com/blog/having-the-talk
Health care, even when it's available and affordable is often not the same for Black people and white people Black women are 2 to 6 times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women. And many chronic health conditions are more prevalent and even deadly in Black people than in white people.
But what does this have to do with freedom? Everything. In America, the extent to which one is free is based on power; political power and financial power. Almost every law and statute ever passed has been for the benefit of those with power and to the detriment of those without. This is why we must go out and vote in every election. The media focus is on the 2020 presidential election. But the rules and policies which mostly affect our daily lives are decided by the people who are elected in our state and local elections. We must vote!
It is our sacred duty to vote! Our ancestors have fought, been imprisoned, and murdered for us to have the right to vote. And for those of who believe that it doesn't matter who is elected and that your vote doesn't matter, you are wrong. It has been estimated that around 43% of all eligible voters did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. If every eligible voter votes, we can make a difference. We must vote!
It is virtually impossible to agree with everything that any candidate stands for, but we still need to reclaim our voice and vote. And if we are not satisfied with any of the candidates, we should still vote. And then maybe consider that it's time for us to run for office. Freedom ain't free. It's time for us to reclaim our voices and vote. Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.