If you followed the news at all this past year, you probably heard about Critical Race Theory and what students are learning about race and racism in schools. Today, we are going to take the time to explore what CRT is, dispel some common misconceptions, and take a deep dive into the origins of this important academic movement.

The backlash against Critical Race Theory in schools is partially a reaction to a push by teachers to correct the stereotypes and narratives in their curriculum that devalued people of color’s contributions and experiences. Today, we are going to talk about some of the ways that schools have failed to teach difficult truths and erased people of color.

Because of the racism embedded in the school curriculum teachers have moved to update their lesson plans with an antiracist lens. These resources discuss how teachers have made necessary changes, how students are responding to this richer view of history, and why these conversations are so important to have with children and young people.

Truth-telling is vital to a functioning democracy, even if it is painful. Unfortunately, that is becoming more difficult in our classrooms as more States pass bills banning Critical Race Theory in schools. Barred from talking openly about the impact of systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia, educators are left with the choice between failing to teach their students basic facts about American history and potential legal consequences that could end their careers.

The backlash against Critical Race Theory is a symptom of our unwillingness to talk about or acknowledge racism. In order for our country to heal we need to be willing to have difficult conversations about the harm systemic oppression has done and is continuing to do to people of color. Today’s resources share stories about how other countries reckoned with their painful history and how we as Americans can use these examples to find our own way forward towards justice and growth.

A living wage is defined as a minimum income necessary for an individual to meet their basic needs such as food, housing, clothing, etc. The weekly median salary for full-time workers is $49,450. That means half of the full-time workers make less, and when they have children, the math looks even darker. The pandemic put into sharp focus the importance of historically undervalued jobs in retail, health care, and food service. It is long past time to ensure that full-time workers make a living wage. Use these resources to find out what the living wage would need to be in your community to provide a decent standard of living.

When the federal minimum wage was put into place in 1938, employers were required to pay their workers $.25 per hour. Contrary to popular belief, President Franklin Roosevelt intended this to be a living wage that meant more than subsistence. Since then, the minimum wage has not kept pace with increased productivity or even inflation. Today, we are going to learn more about the history of the minimum wage, how and why it no longer reflects the needs of everyday Americans, and its disproportionate impact on people marginalized by racism and sexism.

Tipping was gained popularity in the United States shortly after emancipation as a way to avoid paying black people a wage for their labor and when the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed, it specifically excluded tipped workers from receiving a minimum wage. Today women and people of color are most likely to be tipped workers who make a subminimum wage of just $2.13 an hour. Although employers are supposed to make up the difference if tips do not reach the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, a One Fair Wage Report found that 35% of tipped employees experienced wage theft.

YWCA is committed to the health, safety, and economic empowerment of women of color. Because people marginalized by racism and sexism make up a disproportionate number of low-wage workers, raising today’s minimum wage to a living wage has the potential to be an important tool for achieving economic justice and closing the racial and gender pay gaps.

Increasingly, people are reevaluating what they need from their workplaces. This year, employees resigned in record numbers to take care of their families, to find jobs that were more flexible or offered better pay, or to find a workplace that shared their values. Paying a living wage is an important way that employers can continue to attract workers, demonstrate that they value their employees, and are committed to creating an equitable organization.

The first celluloid film was shot in 1888, just 23 years after the end of the civil war. Since then, the medium of film has been a powerful tool, both for perpetuating white supremacy and for challenging it. One of the darkest chapters in the history of Hollywood is the institutionalization of the Hays Code 1934 and 1968, a self-imposed set of guidelines that ensured that ideas and depictions in opposition to institutionalized racism, sexism, and homophobia, would not have a platform in mainstream film of the time.

2020 was a high watermark year for LGBTQ+ representation in media. We have come a long way from the Hays code ban depicting gay and lesbian people and the stereotypical gay best friend characters of the ’90s and 2000s. Although a greater number of more nuanced and diverse depictions of queer people are still badly needed, young people searching for representation have a wider variety of characters and stories than ever to share both the struggles and joys of the LGBTQ+ experience.

Othering is the conscious or unconscious assumption that certain groups pose an imminent threat to the group in power. Othering in mass media has been used to deadly effect and has been one of the most successful strategies for perpetuating white supremacy. Today, we will be exploring the topic of othering through the lens of Islamophobia and the American media’s response to 9/11 and the War on Terror and its continued impact.

Colorism and anti-blackness are a bias against people with darker skin and any other features that differ from white, Eurocentric beauty standards. Children with darker skin experience more discipline in school than lighter-skinned people of color and as adults, they face higher rates of hiring discrimination. It is no different in film and television where light-skinned people of color are more likely to be featured, particularly as protagonists and romantic leads than dark-skinned actors.

Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Film and Television have a unique power both to inspire us to achieve our goals and to perpetuate harmful stereotypes that keep marginalized people from reaching their full potential. These resources explore both how a lack of representation can be extremely harmful, and how diverse representation can empower people marginalized by racism, sexism, and ableism.

Each month, 800 million people get their period and need access to menstrual products and resources, but these are not always accessible. Period poverty is inadequate access to period products and menstrual cycle education. According to Days for Girls, 25% of people who menstruate experience period poverty. Even in the richest country in the world, many people do not have the essentials they need, particularly if they are a part of marginalized communities.

What is taught about sex, relationships, and our bodies looks different everywhere and reflects the beliefs and values of the culture we are raised in. However, regardless of where we grow up and who we learn from, knowing the basic facts about how our bodies work is critical for our health and safety, particularly for women and girls. Today we are talking about how comprehensive sex education can be used as a tool for creating equity and forming healthy relationships with those around us.

In 2021, the United States has seen the highest number of abortion restrictions ever made in a single year. Despite the laws being passed by state legislatures that have the effect of ending abortion access for many women, these rules do not reflect the opinion of the majority of Americans. Although abortion access is often talked about in the media as a highly polarized political issue, everyday Americans hold space for the complexities the abortion and understand how personal it is. Only 11% of Americans would deny abortion access to save the life of the mother, only 33% of Americans agree with restricting abortion after 6-8 weeks of pregnancy, and 24% say that providers should be criminalized for providing abortions. Abortion is an essential part of healthcare, particularly when it comes to racial, gender, and economic justice. Use these resources to learn more about abortion restrictions in your state and their impact.

Women need to have the bodily autonomy to make the best reproductive choices for themselves and their families. Rather than ending abortion, state abortion restrictions would have a disproportionate impact on low-income women, particularly low-income women of color, who do not have the resources to travel to access reproductive care. These pieces highlight the stories of women who have had or were denied, an abortion, and the impact that it had on their lives.

Reproductive justice is a wider set of ideas than just ensuring women can decide if and when to have children. Reproductive Justice advocates are shining a light on how systemic racism, including police violence against black and brown people, violates the rights of women of color to raise their families in a safe environment, free of the physical and psychological impact of systemic racism. These resources explore the powerful link between the black lives matter movement and the movement for reproductive justice.