Try wearing a yarmulke
Thoughtful response from a reader:
I am so impressed with the work that you are doing. As informed women we believe we are aware of what is going on around us. But after reading your posts I realize how misinformed I am on certain topics. Your emails open my mind to what is really going on about very important subjects. Thank you for all that you have taught me and for the important work that you are doing.
Shelly Eager
Dear Leading Ladies,
In Manhattan, on one of the vertical LinkNYC digital billboards, you might see a new message that reads:
“Here’s an idea. Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if anti-semitism is real to wear a yarmulke for a week and then report back.”
Photo credit: https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com
The idea is a twist on the old adage attributed to a Cherokee Native American: “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” The group that authored and placed the yarmulke message, jewbelong, wanted to confront the problem but not be confrontational, to provoke thought and engage. Thus, their hot pink, can’t-miss-it challenge.
Leading Ladies is committed to fighting racism and discrimination of all kinds, so we were intrigued by jewbelong’s billboard challenge and came up with some of our own. Even if we don’t actually try them, we think they are conversation starters that can change behaviors and understanding. What do you think?
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is anti-Asian bigotry in our country to apply for a job with an Asian surname and accent. Or just to take a walk down the street the way Pak Ho did in Oakland, CA.
“One-third of Asian Americans fear threats, physical attacks and most say violence against them is rising,” according to Pew Research. Blame for the CoronaVirus is seen as the cause for the recent rise, though the history of anti-Asian American discrimination is long and vast.
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is anti-Black racism in this country to answer an ad for an apartment with a "Black-sounding name" like Ayesha or Taneesi. Then apply for the same apartment with a name like Kristin or Jason.
“In fact, companies are more than twice as likely to call minority applicants for interviews if they submit whitened resumés than candidates who reveal their race—and this discriminatory practice is just as strong for businesses that claim to value diversity as those that don’t,” according to Harvard Business School.
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is anti-Muslimi bigotry in this country to wear a headscarf or hijab for a week.
After 9/11, anti-Muslim bigotry rose exponentially. “Civil rights complaints filed with one Muslim advocacy group rose from 366 in 2000 to 2,467 in 2006, an increase of 674%,” according to the ACLU. One expert has found that Muslim women who wear headscarves are more likely than those who do not to face discrimination: 69% of women who wore hijab reported at least one incident of discrimination compared to 29% of women who did not wear hijab.”
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is prejudice – or, at the very least, discomfort – against people with disabilities to sit in a wheelchair for a week and negotiate streets, stores and elevators, as well as the indignity of being ignored.
“One-fifth of 18-34 year olds have actually avoided talking to a disabled person because they weren’t sure how to communicate with them,” according to a study by disability charity, Scope, and quoted in The New Statesman. “Imagine that on a daily basis. The receptionist talking to the person next to you. The shop assistant avoiding your eyes. This isn’t waiting for the bigots to die out but a fifth of the future population who say they respond to seeing a person who has a disability by actively avoiding acknowledging them.”
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is ageism to apply for the same job with two resumés, one that says they graduated in 2005 and the other that says they graduated in 1980.
“In 2017 research published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, job candidates between the ages of 29 and 31 received 35 percent more callbacks than those ages 64 to 66, despite having similar qualifications and skills on more than 40,000 dummy applications,” according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), even though research shows that “multigenerational workforces are more productive and have less turnover than those without age diversity.”
Let’s ask everyone who is wondering if there is discrimination against LGBTQ to hold hands with someone of their identifying gender at a football game and then kiss when there is a touchdown.
Renee Graham wrote last week in the Boston Globe about all the “out” athletes at this year’s Olympics. “For LGBTQ people, coming out is about rejecting shame and claiming power,” she wrote. “It’s an act of self-care that allows us to fully exist in the world.” Yet, she acknowledges, the courage of the athletes comes as LGBTQ lives and rights are under threat. For example, the Los Angeles Police Department reported in June, that “there were 40 instances of bias reported by gay men, lesbians, bisexual or transgender individuals from Jan. 1-May 15, a nearly 18% increase from the 34 instances reported during the same time period last year.”
By the way, in answer to the question of anti-semitism in our country, the Wall Street Journal reported in June that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 305 anti-semitic incidents in May 2021, “a 115% increase from the same period last year. This included 190 cases of harassment, 50 cases of vandalism and 11 assaults.”
Thanks again to Jan Plourde of The REAL literacy program in Lynn who invited us to visit last week and explain to parents how they can receive the Child Tax Credits to which they are entitled. Thanks, also, to aides in Rep. Seth Moulton’s office, who provided assistance to at least one family we referred to them.
Save the date!
Hungry to Learn
In Partnership with The Cabot Theatre?
Wednesday, September 8, 4 to 6 p.m.
FREE
Screening and Discussion of “Hungry to Learn,” the thought-provoking documentary about the food insecurity crisis on American college campuses. Two experts on the subject, from Bunker Hill College and UMass Lowell, will lead a conversation after the film. Registration is required. Register here!
We are looking for more sign-offs with the word “hope” in them. Send us your suggestions!
Stay cool,
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org