Ready and Relevant

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Ready and Relevant Ready and Relevant is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing scholarships and services to young women.

We believe education is the key to helping women become more economically self-sufficient.

"So far, many Republican-led states have pushed legislation or other steps to limit how race and racism can be taught in...
10/11/2021

"So far, many Republican-led states have pushed legislation or other steps to limit how race and racism can be taught in schools.

Teachers unions, educators and social studies organizations worry the limits will whitewash American history by downplaying the role past injustices still play today. They also fear a chilling effect on classroom discussions.

Leading critical race theory scholars view the GOP-led measures as hijacking the national conversation about racial inequality that gained momentum after the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota.

Some say the ways Republicans describe it are unrecognizable to them. Cheryl Harris, a UCLA law professor who teaches a course on the topic, said it’s a myth that critical race theory teaches hatred of white people and is designed to perpetuate divisions in American society. Instead, she said she believes the proposals limiting how racism can be discussed in the classroom have a clear political goal: “to ensure that Republicans can win in 2022.”

Critical race theory has become a lightning rod for Republicans and an issue in the Virginia governor's race. But what exactly is it? Even those who condemn the concept struggle to define it.

"A recent study by Coqual shows that Black professionals are more likely than white professionals to identify as being “...
08/11/2021

"A recent study by Coqual shows that Black professionals are more likely than white professionals to identify as being “very ambitious” in their careers. However, they are also four times as likely as their white counterparts to believe that they must work harder to advance.

What does this imply?

Black professionals often have differentially higher ambitions than their white colleagues but are also painfully aware of the distinct obstacles that stand in our way. The study highlights a few of the most common roadblocks: Black professionals have less access to senior leaders and mentorship, and are more likely than any other racial group to encounter prejudice, insults, invalidations, and insensitivities at work.

Other studies affirm that the challenges we face are driving burnout and high levels of attrition among Black professionals — at every level. No matter how much I loved aspects of my job — the steep learning curve, the team dynamics, and the exposure to new challenges — the chasm between my experience and that of my white peers made it difficult to thrive. Ultimately, I burned out as a result of the limitless mental and emotional energy I spent trying to be the best at my job while constantly doubting my professional potential."

You need to be your own ruthless advocate.

"From childhood, Black girls and boys are told by our parents that we have to work twice as hard and be twice as good in...
03/11/2021

"From childhood, Black girls and boys are told by our parents that we have to work twice as hard and be twice as good in order to get the same opportunities as our white peers. Once we enter the real world, we learn that twice as good isn’t okay, we really have to be extraordinary."

We’re told from childhood we have to work twice as hard to get half of what white people get, but when job searching, sometimes even that’s not enough.

“Kendall became the youngest certified farmer in the State of Georgia. She’s the youngest African American 6-year-old wi...
16/10/2021

“Kendall became the youngest certified farmer in the State of Georgia. She’s the youngest African American 6-year-old with a business formation at both the state and federal level and has obtained her Farm and Tract ID. Kendall was able to create a safe space where kids can come and learn about the great adventure of being in nature and growing their own foods. She hosts an outdoor kids’ gardening club and marketplace. She intends to connect with local restaurants and juice bars, attend more speaking engagements to share about why she loves her garden, and become an influencer for all kids wanting to do what she does. She will be a part of the next generation who will thrive in this billion-dollar industry, with her family rooting her on.”

Kendall Rae Johnson Young South Fulton Farmer

"The stereotype of the “strong Black woman” creates an unrealistic idea that Black women need less support than others, ...
02/10/2021

"The stereotype of the “strong Black woman” creates an unrealistic idea that Black women need less support than others, said Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. And this stereotype has harsh consequences.

A 2019 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 67.1 percent of Black adults with any mental illness do not receive any sort of treatment.

“[Black women] tend to have greater rates of depression, and it’s not something that they talk about because again, that stereotype makes it seem like there’s nothing wrong,” Anderson said."

Experts say the growing number of Black women pushing back is making strides in the way society approaches mental health.

Black women will be inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame for the first time.
01/10/2021

Black women will be inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame for the first time.

Marian Croak and the late Dr. Patricia Bath will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. They're the first two Black women to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Check out these four agencies and platforms created by Black women committed to helping people find employment.
28/09/2021

Check out these four agencies and platforms created by Black women committed to helping people find employment.

These Black women-led recruitment firms offer tips on beating job search fatigue

Issues of racial disparity in home ownership, in valuation of homes, in giving lines of credit, in redlining - all of it...
27/09/2021

Issues of racial disparity in home ownership, in valuation of homes, in giving lines of credit, in redlining - all of it - are very real. It's infuriating and it happens in all neighborhoods.

From the article: "Perry said homes in Black neighborhoods are undervalued by $48,000 per home on average, amounting to $156 billion in cumulative losses.

The study also found metropolitan areas with greater devaluation of Black neighborhoods are more segregated and produce less upward mobility for the Black children who grow up in those communities.

"I expected to find gaps when doing this study, but I didn't expect them to be so large. We're talking hundreds of billions of dollars being lost. That's just an indictment of the American Dream and the very notion of fairness. Major institutions that drive wealth in this country systemically devalue Black assets," Perry said.

He said the Parkers' experience highlights how strong an impact racial bias can have on one's financial future and the intrinsic value whiteness plays in our society. It's a shame, he said, of how greatly the outcome changed once the Parkers replaced their family photos with a white family.

Perry found through his research that Black neighborhoods and homes are perceived as having less value or being worse automatically.

"Those perceptions are not only with appraisers but with lenders and real estate agents. When they evaluate risk, they don't see it the same way compared to a white person. That's why there's a need for more accountability," Perry said. "I think it's one of those things people have learned to live with."

He said there needs to be more transparency around the data for home appraisals, accountability for lenders, and a new model to evaluate homes. "

Appraisal discrimination is a problem that's well known within the Black community, but it's not widely acknowledged.

"There are cases like those of Breonna Taylor and Ma’Khia Bryant, whose deaths did spark a lot of national news coverage...
11/05/2021

"There are cases like those of Breonna Taylor and Ma’Khia Bryant, whose deaths did spark a lot of national news coverage — but they are the exception, not the norm."

When Lajuana Phillips was shot and killed by a police officer in late 2018, she was a mother of three children, a daughter and a cousin who was described by fam…

Have you checked out our amazing new website? Stay tuned for more information about the work we are doing and ways you c...
03/05/2021

Have you checked out our amazing new website? Stay tuned for more information about the work we are doing and ways you can help. Take some time to look at the website. You will see there are opportunities for volunteering and several options for giving. Thank you for your support!

Ready and Relevant is a non-profit that supports young Minnesota women of color as they cross the bridge to adulthood.

This is a lovely story of the power of love and hope. Values we impart at Ready and Relevant. “As Monyay aged out of fos...
03/05/2021

This is a lovely story of the power of love and hope. Values we impart at Ready and Relevant.

“As Monyay aged out of foster care without a mom, Leah learned she could still adopt her as an adult.

"It was important to me that she knew that she was wanted by somebody, that somebody loved her," Leah explained. "I could say that as many times as I want, but actions speak louder than words."

The two are now working to raise awareness, hoping to show others that teens are waiting to be adopted and in need of permanent homes”

A Manatee County teen finally received what she's longed for -- a mother. And while she's 19 years old, she's proving you're never too old to find the love of a family.

How tragic that this 16 year old child's life was cut short by police violence. How many more have to die before there i...
01/05/2021

How tragic that this 16 year old child's life was cut short by police violence. How many more have to die before there is real change? At Ready and Relevant we work with young women of color. This hits home in a very personal way. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution today (link in comments).

Ma'Khia Bryant loved styling her curly hair in front of her camera phone and posting about it on TikTok.

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