Changemakers of the week: Third Act and HeartMath
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Every day on the Optimist Daily, we report on solutions from around the world. Though we love solutions big and small, the ones that emerge from our local communities often have the greatest impact. Welcome to the fifth round of The Optimist Daily’s Read More...
Statue of late civil rights leader John Lewis replaces Confederate monument in Georgia
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A monument honoring the life and work of civil rights icon John Lewis was unveiled in Decatur, Georgia, marking a major step in confronting America's racial past. For more than a century, a Confederate obelisk stood in the square where the new memorial now Read More...
Washington National Cathedral to retire Confederate-themed stained glass
Addressing racism in the 21st century often means confronting uncomfortable reminders of America’s history of slavery. The Washington National Cathedral is taking steps to confront its own legacy of oppression with the removal of stained glass depicting Confederate figures. The glass will be Read More...
Robert E. Lee statue set to be removed from Richmond, VA
A colossal 21 foot tall Robert E. Lee statue has been removed from Virginia's capital, state officials said on Wednesday. The statue stood for over 130 years as a monument to the Confederacy. "Virginia's largest monument to the Confederate insurrection will come down this week," Governor Ralph Read More...
How relocating urban highways is an act of racial justice
Many urban highways from the 1950s and 1960s were deliberately built through neighborhoods primarily occupied by people of color, effectively walling these families off from economic opportunity and disrupting their sense of community. Urban planning and public policy researchers Julian Agyeman and Read More...
These chefs are using dumplings to bridge racial divides in the Bay Area
As you may have seen in the news, attacks on Asian Americans are on the rise this year. One particular video from Oakland’s Chinatown drew demands for action after it depicted a 91-year-old man being shoved to the ground in the city. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the violence captured on Read More...
US Government to discontinue use of privately-operated prisons
A big hurdle in criminal justice reform in the United States is the abolishment of for-profit private prisons. In a system that already disproportionately convicts and incarcerates people of color, for-profit systems further exploit and profit off this system of injustice. As a major step towards Read More...
Finally! Illinois becomes first state to end cash bail system
In a huge win for racial justice, the state of Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to end wealth-based pre-trial detention. For those being accused of a crime in the US, the general rule is that you are innocent until proven guilty. Despite this, courtrooms across the US operate Read More...
Following Jacob Blake strikes, NBA to turn its arenas into polling stations
After committing to donate $300 million to support racial justice earlier this month, the NBA distinguished itself yet again as one of the most progressive sports leagues with a three-day athlete strike in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake. The league has agreed to recommence games this week Read More...
New NBA Foundation will donate $300 million to support racial justice
The NBA has a reputation as one of the most progressive sports leagues. Now, the NBA is taking another big step to support social justice with its newly established NBA Foundation which will donate $300 million over the next decade to boost economic growth in the Black community. The new Read More...