Since January 2025, more than 600,000 Black women have been pushed out of the labor market. A degree, experience, and a strong work ethic are still not enough to overcome a system built with barriers they never put there. That has to change. https://brnw.ch/21x4NxD

Via the Emerald - Following Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes' departure, columnist Gennette Cordova argues that Seattle should look beyond the optics of who leads the department. Instead, she writes, residents should demand meaningful accountability for misconduct, rigorous hiring standards, and a clearer answer to whether Black communities are safer and more empowered. Read the full column on the Emerald: https://soseaem.org/3Ue1taC

Welcome to Deconstructing Race, Racism & Theatre! Drop: 🎭 Your name & pronouns 📍 Where you’re joining from 🖤 One reason you joined 📸 A photo of your workspace, rehearsal room, or favorite creative corner Bonus: If your life were a play right now, what would this chapter be called?

The conversation around cultural appropriation is often misunderstood because it is reduced to clothing, hairstyles, or music. At its core, it is about recognition, respect, and power. Imagine creating something that people ridicule you for. You are told it is unprofessional, unattractive, or even unacceptable. You are denied opportunities because of it. Then, years later, someone else adopts the very same thing, receives praise for it, profits from it, and is celebrated as innovative while the people who created it remain overlooked. That is the point this illustration is trying to make. Black culture has shaped global fashion, music, language, dance, sports, and beauty for generations. Braided hairstyles such as cornrows, Bantu knots, and locs have deep historical and cultural roots across Africa. These styles were worn centuries before they appeared on fashion runways or social media. Yet many Black students and professionals have faced discrimination for wearing their natural hair or traditional hairstyles. In recent years, several countries and U.S. states have introduced laws to prohibit discrimination based on natural hair because these biases have had real consequences in schools and workplaces. The same pattern can be found in music. Blues, jazz, rock and roll, hip hop, gospel, and many popular dance styles all emerged from Black communities. While many Black artists became legends, history also contains examples where their innovations were copied, repackaged, or made more profitable by others who had greater access to mainstream audiences and resources. At the same time, cultures have always influenced one another. People borrow ideas, recipes, clothing, languages, and traditions across borders every day. Cultural exchange itself is not the problem. The discussion becomes more complex when borrowing happens without acknowledgment, when the original creators are excluded from the benefits, or when the same practice is celebrated on one group but criticized or punished on another.

@Everyone No Study Sunday this weekend. I am volunteering for a playhouse event and will not be available. Also wanted to see if you all prefer 4pm PST or 6pm PST for meeting time. We were thinking of trying 4pm PST. Let us know! Tagging folks who attended before: @Davina Kerrelola @Amy Maez @Catherine Walters @Haiden Damaschke @Sam Kendall @Sarah Jones