Du Bois & Democracy

[View this email in your browser]( Michael’s Monday Motivation Democracy is not about a political party. Rather, it's about allowing us to be party to an Institution of possibility through policy and public service. Many dreams are realized through quality public policy. We too often don't make the connection of how Democracy leads to historic and practical changes in our lives. Don't just defend your party. Defend our Democracy. That way, we can all realize our Dreams Thank you to Ny Whitaker (Executive Director, Du Bois Freedom Center) for selecting me as their Inaugural Visiting Democracy Scholar. The mission of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for Freedom and Democracy is to educate the public about the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois and the rich African American heritage of the Berkshires. [Learn More about The Du Bois Freedom Center]( (From left to right) Jose Alfaro, Chief Strategy Officer, Indelible Solutions Honorable April H.M. Baskin, Chair, Erie County Legislator District Rosie Wang Program Manager, Vera Institute of Justice Assemblyman Jon Rivera Murad Awawdeh Executive Director, The New York Immigration Coalition Brennon Marcano, CEO, National GEM Consortium New York Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Caucus Weekend Recap Two weekends ago, [Indelible Solutions,]( [the National GEM Consortium]( the [Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids]( were prominently apart of the New York Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus weekend. We continue to implement KAIROS programming across New York and the country. White House Council on Environmental Quality Black History Month Webinar In honor of Black History Month, join the White House Council on Environmental Quality on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT for a virtual roundtable with Black conservation and climate leaders working to advance access to nature, climate justice, and the preservation of Black history. Speakers: - Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality - Rue Mapp, Founder and CEO, Outdoor Afro - Wawa Gatheru, Founder and Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist - Vince Leggett, Founder and President, Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation [Register and submit your questions]( [Alabama Rules Frozen Embryos Are Children, Raising Questions About Fertility Care]( "An Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos in test tubes should be considered children has sent shock waves through the world of reproductive medicine, casting doubt over fertility care for would-be parents in the state and raising complex legal questions with implications extending far beyond Alabama. On Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said the ruling would cause 'exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make.' Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Biden traveled to California, Ms. Jean-Pierre reiterated the Biden administration’s call for Congress to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law. 'As a reminder, this is the same state whose attorney general threatened to prosecute people who help women travel out of state to seek the care they need,' she said, referring to Alabama, which began enforcing a total abortion ban in June 2022. The judges issued the ruling on Friday in appeals cases brought by couples whose embryos were destroyed in 2020, when a hospital patient removed frozen embryos from tanks of liquid nitrogen in Mobile and dropped them on the floor. Referencing anti abortion language in the state constitution, the judges’ majority opinion said that an 1872 statute allowing parents to sue over the wrongful death of a minor child applies to unborn children, with no exception for 'extrauterine children.' 'Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory,' Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote in a concurring opinion, citing scripture. Infertility specialists and legal experts said the ruling had potentially profound effects, which should be of concern to every American who may need to access reproductive services like in vitro fertilization." [Read More]( [Black History Month 2024: Celebrate Black Excellence at these events!]( Weekly KAIROS Conversation with Barbara Arnwine Barbara Arnwine, Esq. Founder, Transformative Justice Coalition Barbara R. Arnwine, Esq, Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, is internationally renowned for contributions on critical justice issues including the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 2006 reauthorization of provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Currently, she also serves as Co-Chair and Facilitator of the National Commission for Voter Justice, the Millennial Votes Matters Convenings and the Voting Rights Alliance. She was the head of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law from February 1989 until June, 2015 and holds the honorific title of President Emeritus. She served as the Charles Hamilton Houston Chair for the North Carolina Central University School of Law from 2016-2017 and has also taught at Columbia University School of Law. She also created the legendary Voting Rights “Map of Shame” in 2011, which exposed the new modern wave of voter suppression in the states. Her groundbreaking civil rights and human rights advocacy has been honored with many prestigious awards. She is the radio host of Igniting Change and is a regular presence in the national media, and is often quoted in the press. A graduate of Scripps College and Duke University School of Law, she continues to champion civil rights and racial justice issues nationally and internationally in the areas of housing and lending, women’s rights, especially issues affecting intersectionality and African American women and girls, community development, employment, voting, education, policing restructuring, and environmental justice.  On May 2nd 2021 Duke University conferred the Honorary Doctorate Of Law upon Barbara Arnwine esq. The Transformative Justice Coalition Presents: Gen Z & Millennial Votes Matter Training Phoenix, AZ | April 3rd – April 7, 2024 - HBCU All-Star 2024 - Paid Leadership Opportunity - All Expenses Paid - $500 Fellowship Stipend - Ages 18-35 [Read about The Transformative Justice Coalition Presents: Gen Z & Millennial Votes Matter Training]( See you Wednesday! Wednesday, February 28 · 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST Video call link: [( Or dial: ‪(US) +1 651-571-1259‬ PIN: ‪460 226 103‬# More phone numbers: [ Our Time. Our Moment. Our Democracy. KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT exists to promote social welfare and civic betterment by mobilizing and engaging Communities of Color and Young Adults through Issue Advocacy and awareness on the impact of safeguarding our Democracy on their everyday lives. From deploying local Influencers and surrogates of Color from the KAIROS Communications war room to hosting KAIROS CONVERSATION Listen & Learns to executing a targeted media and message mobilization, the KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT will be the go to place for engaging Leaders of Color around Issues and Democracy in the country, not just for one election but for future generations. [Sign up and Donate Today!]( New Poll: Voters Strongly Support FDA Rule Prohibiting Menthol Cigarettes – Including 62% of Black Voters Results Show Rule Does Not Harm President Biden’s Electoral Prospects  WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the White House considers the FDA’s final rule prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes, a new [poll]( shows that voters support the rule by a substantial 29-point margin (58% to 29%) and Black voters support it by an even larger 37-point margin (62% to 25%). Contrary to claims made by the tobacco industry, implementation of the rule would not harm President Biden’s electoral prospects, with no change in Biden’s overall standing after voters were asked to assume that the Biden Administration ended the sale of menthol cigarettes, the poll shows.  The poll was conducted by The Mellman Group, a leading political research firm, on behalf of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  “There is clear evidence that the menthol rule has no meaningful electoral impact,” the pollsters wrote in a [summary memo](.  To test the menthol rule’s potential electoral impact, the poll asked an initial presidential horse-race question between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, which gave Biden a two-point lead over Trump, 44% to 42%. Then, after introducing the proposed FDA menthol rule, the poll re-asked the horse-race question, prefacing the question with, “If the Biden Administration ended the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes in the United States…” Assuming the Biden Administration ended menthol cigarette sales produced no change in the margin, with Biden maintaining a two-point lead (45% to 43%).  “This new data proves what we already know to be true – Black voters want to see a menthol ban,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Now, it’s time for the Biden Administration to put people over profits and swiftly enact a rule that will save countless Black lives. We’re done waiting. The NAACP will continue to do everything in its power to hold this Administration accountable to their promises to our community. Enough is enough. Our lives are at stake.”  “These poll results demonstrate that voters, especially Black voters, strongly support eliminating menthol cigarettes, and they debunk the tobacco industry myth that moving forward will be a political liability,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “The Biden Administration must issue a final rule without further delay. There is no other single action the Administration can take that would do more to advance health equity and help achieve the goals of the President’s Cancer Moonshot.”  The Biden Administration in December delayed issuing the final menthol rule shortly after meeting with tobacco industry representatives, with [media reports]( indicating the delay was influenced by political concerns and a poll commissioned by tobacco giant Altria. The Altria poll, which was presented to the Administration but not publicly released, claimed to show that the menthol rule would turn off “Biden’s core voters,” who were defined as non-White voters and non-conservative White voters under 45 (“a very debatable definition of Biden’s base as it contains a significant number of Trump voters,” according to the Mellman polling memo).  The Mellman poll refutes these claims, finding that the menthol rule has no net electoral impact overall or among Biden’s base voters: - The President’s margin among Black voters remained unchanged at 58 points (74% Biden to 16% Trump) after respondents were asked to assume the Administration implemented the menthol rule. - Biden’s margin among 18-29-year-olds increased by two points to 56% Biden, 27% Trump, after assuming implementation of the menthol rule.  Other publicly released polls have also found strong support for eliminating menthol cigarettes. A [Morning Consult/Politico poll]( released in May 2022 found that voters supported a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes by 58% to 24%, with 55% to 29% support among Black voters.  Under consideration for more than a decade, the menthol rule is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence showing that menthol cigarettes are more addictive, easier for kids to start smoking and harder for smokers to quit. For decades, the tobacco industry has marketed these products to Black communities, causing devastating and disproportionate harm to the health of Black Americans. Research shows that prohibiting menthol cigarettes will save up to 654,000 lives within 40 years, including the lives of [255,000 Black Americans](.  The FDA’s rule is [supported]( by a wide range of organizations, scientists and elected officials. Supporters include [members of the Congressional Black Caucus]( the [NAACP]( other [Black civil rights and health organizations]( [100 Black Men of America Inc.]( the [U.S. Conference of Mayors]( and [over 300 faith leaders]( from across the country. A coalition of more than 100 public health, social justice, medical, parent, community and other organizations [voiced strong support]( in comments submitted to the FDA. Applications are now open for the 2024 Fellowship for Impact Fund I Managers, VC Include's (VCI) signature program that educates the next generation of institutional grade asset managers in Venture Capital, Private Equity + Impact Investing and we need your help to spread the word!  Created in 2018 by Bahiyah Yasmeen Robinson, VCI is committed to accelerating investment into historically underrepresented emerging managers – Women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ people – to drive economic growth through the power of diversity.  Applications for the VC Include Fellowship are open now through Monday March 4, 2024. [Learn More]( Upcoming KAIROS Conversations March 6 Dan Kanninen Battleground States Director Biden-Harris 2024 March 13 Kevin F. Beckford Senior Associate, Pretrial Justice Institute Co-Founder, The Hustlers Guild Doctoral Student, Vanderbilt University March 20 Terri Broussard WilliamsAuthor of “Find Your Fire: Stories and Strategies to Inspire the Changemaker Inside You” Save the Dates Feb 26th & Feb 29th KAIROS & athLEDA at CIAA in Baltimore February 27th @ 7pm University of Maryland Eastern Shore where up to 255 student athletes will be present February 29th @8:30am Student Athlete Empowerment Symposium KAIROS "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive MOMENT" "The right or critical MOMENT" [Website icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [YouTube icon]( [Facebook icon]( Copyright (C) 2024 Atlas Strategy Group. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Atlas Strategy Group 837 Washington Ave Bronx, NY 10451-4842 USA Want to change how you receive these emails? 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