New Florida Law Enhances Statewide Probation System
Two of the results of the probation reform legislation that was signed into law in June by Florida’s Governor are an ease of reporting restrictions for people on probation in Florida and the creation of incentives for people on probation who attend college or find steady employment. Criminal justice reform organization REFORM Alliance was among […]
Dr. Bernice King’s “Ready for Life” to Address Housing Discrimination
Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in an image from LBJ Foundation, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Racial discrimination in housing was cited over the last decade by multiple think tanks as one of the leading drivers of the racial wealth gap in the United States. Policies and practices like […]
Nationwide Teaching Shortage Impacts Underserved Communities
In the last two years, a growing number of teachers have retired early or left the profession altogether, leading to a nationwide school staffing shortage. A 2022 national survey by the National Education Association found that 55% of teachers surveyed indicated that they were ready to leave their profession earlier than planned. A resulting nationwide […]
Jessica Watkins’ Space Mission Inspires STEM Diversity
NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins appears in her space suit at SpaceX headquarters in 2022. “NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins” by NASA Johnson is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0In 2022, Jessica Watkins, Ph.D. became the first Black woman to serve in the International Space Station, the live-in low-orbit satellite that involves space […]
Study Finds Racial Gap in Wells Fargo’s Mortgage Refinancing Applications
A recent Bloomberg study found that Wells Fargo rejected more than half of its Black applicants applying to refinance mortgages in 2020. The bank approved 72% of white applicants applying to refinance a mortgage, but only approved 47% of Black applicants. The racial gap in approval persisted across income brackets; in fact, the study found […]
Robert F. Smith and the United Justice Coalition: Addressing Social and Criminal Justice
Social and criminal justice reform have been central to American conversations for decades, but they seemed to come to a head over two years ago with the murder of George Floyd. At the time, Robert F. Smith spoke out on the tragic situation in a letter to Vista Equity Partners employees: “When I see the […]
Voting Rights Takes Center Stage in the 2022 Midterms
All eyes are on state and local elections as the country inches closer to the 2022 midterm election. Millions of voters are casting ballots in state primary races throughout the summer and will eventually determine which political party controls Congress over the next two years. Although many policy issues are up for debate in this […]
Black Environmentalist Hikes Oldest Underground Railroad Trail
The Underground Railroad Monument in Windsor, Ontario in Canada by jodelli, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. In April 2022, Detroit-born environmentalist Zwena Gray began hiking the Bruce Trail, a 559-mile trail that represents the oldest and longest marked continuous Underground Railroad passage in Canada. The hike took around six weeks to complete, and it […]
Carnegie Hall’s Commitment to Diversity in Classical Music
A scene from the 2019 production of Bohuslav Martinu’s “Julietta” at Carnegie Hall” by Peter Matthews is licensed under CC BY 2.0 African American and Latino people represent just 1.8% and 2.5% of classical musicians in U.S. orchestras, according to the League of American Orchestras. Increasing diversity within classical music is critically important, and Carnegie Hall – one […]