This Is Why - IWES

08/31/2022

Shoutout to Pharrell Williams for bringing opportunities to the many underrepresented and disenfranchised entrepreneurs out there! His goal is to bridge the gap in the business world for Black and Latinx people and his organization Black Ambition will provide capital and mentorship to those who need it most. Read more:

Pharrell tells us why Black Ambition, his pitch competition that’s helped Black and Latino founders secure startup capital, is back for a second year.

08/28/2022

In light of the 17th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina & the premiere of the profound documentary , TOMORROW, Monday 8/29 our Founder/CEO Denese Shervington will be LIVE on The Takeaway at 8:45amCT w/Melissa Harris-Perry discussing the trauma experienced by so many. Tune in to this important conversation.

08/24/2022

Laverne Cox continues to make history by recently becoming the first transgender person to have a Barbie doll created of them! This accomplishment is even more special for her, as she shares that as a child she wasn't allowed to play with dolls. We hope this achievement helps you heal childhood wounds and we're so happy to see Barbie take this beautiful step to provide more representation!

When kids are growing up they love to see themselves in the dolls and action figures. It adds a special little spark to a shopping trip when you hear your child say “it looks just like me.”

08/23/2022

Did you know that 1 in 4 women in the U.S. have a loved one behind bars? For Black women, this statistic unfortunately is 1 in 2.

The incarceration of a loved one can be an isolating and painful experience. That is why Essie Justice Group is joining together as women with incarcerated loved ones to heal and build a loving, powerful community. Their nine-week Healing to Advocacy Program fights the stigma of having a loved one behind bars, shares resources, builds confidence, and advocates for change.

Nominate yourself or a woman with an incarcerated loved one to their Healing to Advocacy Program today at bit.ly/nominate-a-sister for the following cohorts:

❤️ Regional cohorts across California!
❤️ A Reentry Cohort specific to women and gender nonconforming people whose loved one(s) are coming home soon or has already come home within the past year.
❤️A National Cohort for ANY woman and gender nonconforming person with an incarcerated loved one outside of California.

Nominate Someone You Love to Essie Essie Sister Circles are loving and supportive groups of women and gender non-binary people with incarcerated loved ones. Many of us are also formerly incarcerated women. We come together to heal and strengthen our …

08/22/2022

The husband of a Black woman who died shortly after childbirth is suing a hospital in Los Angeles because he believes her death was caused by racism at the hospital. To prove his case, he must show "a pattern of discrimination." While we don't know about the practices at this hospital, we do know that pre-pandemic rates of death in the US due to childbirth were 2.5 times higher for Black women than White women, and one of the factors in this complex and multi-layered issue is systemic racism. ! We encourage you to watch this case and see how it develops. We're curious to see if the outcome impacts how hospitals around the country provide care so that we can have .

A man whose Black wife died shortly after giving birth to their second son has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai hospital alleging her death was the result of a culture of racism.

08/17/2022

It's so good to see Black people cast in historic roles. We know it was announced back in May, but we're STILL EXCITED to see that Ncuti Gatwa has been cast as the Doctor on the longtime UK hit, Dr. Who, making him the first Black male Doctor on the show since it began airing in 1963! One day we'll reach a point where a Black person cast in a major role won't be headline news, but until then, let's congratulate Ncuti!

What does it really mean to have the first black Time Lord? Writers Tade Thompson and Jenny Colgan and director Mark Tonderai on why he’ll alter the whole Whoniverse

08/15/2022

It may have been announced a while back, but we're still celebrating! Congratulations to Karine Jean-Pierre for becoming President Biden's new press secretary back in May! Not only is she the first Black woman to hold this position, but she's also the first openly gay person to be POTUS' press secretary! Read more: https://nbcnews.to/3Ot5NKR

She will succeed Jen Psaki, who has served in the role since the beginning of the administration.

08/10/2022

Childcare is hard to come by, even for Olympic athletes! Allyson Felix is planning to change that. Over the summer she announced a plan to offer free childcare services to Olympic athletes, coaches, and other participants at the 2022 U.S. National Championships in June. This could be the beginning of a new opportunity for athletes to have longer careers all while building their families. Read more:

The most decorated female track and field Olympian is running one last season for a cause

08/08/2022

Although racial disparities exist in health care, collective action can change that! This Harvard Business Review article explores an approach to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in health care, specifically designed to address discrepancies in cancer treatment. Learn from them here:

Racial disparities permeate U.S. health care. Cancer is no different. To help tackle this problem, new approaches to clinical trials must be implemented. But to make them scalable and sustainable, members of the health care ecosystem — both public and private entities — must work together. They ...

08/03/2022

What does joy look like to you? National Geographic posed this question to several Black creatives in hopes of them capturing what joy means to them. Check out their photographs and videos of Black love, joy, and what it means to them:

Black creators chronicle the experiences that nourish their communities.

08/03/2022

New research suggests that new mothers' should (if possible) breastfeed longer, and that doctors should be more inclusive with their language about breastfeeding. We understand that the topic of breastfeeding can get very complicated and that it's not always an option for all birthing families, but we do encourage folks to check out this article explaining some of the great benefits breastfeeding can provide!

The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging doctors to have “nonjudgmental conversations” with families about their feeding choices.

07/29/2022

Have you had issues getting birth control? If so, Advocates for Youth wants to hear about your past or current struggles, at any age. 🗣️ Even if you didn't have any issues, share that story too. They are looking to see the full picture on this issue to then fight for birth control pills to become more accessible to all without a prescription. Visit this link to fill out the survey that should only take 4 minutes at the most: https://bit.ly/3PnWhcy