Equal Justice Society (EJS)

Congratulations to EJS President Lisa Holder on being named to TIME's list of 'The Closers' recognizing 25 Black leaders working to end inequality. See the list at https://time.com/closers.? #Time #TimeClosers #TheClosers?

"Amazon agrees to pay $6M and block sales of skin-lightening creams containing mercury, settling a decadelong lawsuit" Congratulations and much appreciation to Suma Peesapati and everyone involved in this critical victory! We stand with you in fighting against profit over the wellness of Black and Brown women.

EJS celebrates #WomensHistoryMonth with a tribute to the women who founded our organization 25 years ago! Women powered the formation of EJS and we remain a women-led organization! Our founders include: Eva Paterson, Abim Thomas, Susan Serrano, Carrie Avery, Sheila Thomas, Michelle Alexander, Joan Graff, Margaret Russell, Margalynne Armstrong, Shauna Marshall, Angela Harris, Stephanie Wildman, Cheryl Stevens, April Williams, Norm Spaulding, and H. Jesse Arnelle.

History is still being written. #EyesOnThePrizeIII is now streaming on @streamonmax Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gPBSskKE

Historical injustices and continued anti-Black racism impacts Black Californians throughout their lives. Left unaddressed, these inequities have long-term social and economic costs. Reparations for Black Californians is an investment in the future of California’s Black communities and youth. We’re fighting for K-12 Black studies, an end to law enforcement in schools, and culturally responsive training for early educators. Together, let’s work toward righting historical wrongs and creating a foundation for a more equitable future. On this #ReparationsAwarenessDay, please invite your network to learn about and endorse the California Reparations Task Force report. https://lnkd.in/gdKEYtjj Video by Asian Law Caucus! #keepupthefight #reparationsnow #reparationstruth #ReparationsNow #California4Reparations #CaliforniaStrongforAll #TruthAndHealing

Sojourner Truth would become one of the most powerful advocates for human rights in the nineteenth century. Notably, she was the first Black woman in the U.S. to win a lawsuit against a white man. After experiencing a religious conversion, Isabella became an itinerant preacher and in 1843 changed her name to Sojourner Truth. During this period she became involved in the growing antislavery movement, and by the 1850s she was also involved in the women’s rights movement. At the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention held in Akron, Ohio, Sojourner Truth delivered what is now recognized as one of the most famous abolitionist and women’s rights speeches in American history, “Ain’t I a Woman?” She continued to speak out for the rights of African Americans and women during and after the Civil War. Sojourner Truth died in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1883. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g6ANWYzZ #BlackHistoryMonth

Almost 40 years ago, Eyes on the Prize set the standard for the cinematic exploration of the Black experience in America and the long struggle for civil rights. This week, HBO returns with a new installment of the documentary series: Eyes on the Prize: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015. https://lnkd.in/dXdF2P-4 ? The six-part series, featuring the talents of many of the country’s top nonfiction filmmakers, premieres on HBO on February 25 and will be available to stream on Max. In 2015, EJS connected with Judi Hampton, president of Blackside, and sister of the late Henry Hampton (1940-1998), to share Eva Paterson's idea to translate the 14-hour "Eyes on the Prize" documentary series by Blackside into Spanish and Mandarin. Through the translations, we hoped to make the long struggle to end decades of discrimination and segregation more accessible to other communities. Although the translation effort didn't progress past our conversations, EJS continued to evangelize "Eyes on the Prize" and we're thrilled for Part III to be shared with a country that so desperately needs to understand the stories of the Black experience in America and the long struggle for civil rights. Congratulations to Leslie Asako Gladsjo and the #EyesOnThePrizeIII team on this achievement!

Today, February 19, is the #DayofRemembrance memorializing the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans and Japanese people during World War II. EJS board member Don Tamaki and Dr. Cheryl Grills spoke at the “Justice Through Action: Black Reparations-Reparative Justice” event hosted by local chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in Sacramento on Feb. 8. https://lnkd.in/gejMbp9Z Don and Cheryl are former reparations task force members and now leaders of ARRT, the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth. We invite California organizations to endorse the California Task Force Report to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. Our list is 636 and growing! Add your group's endorsement https://lnkd.in/gdKEYtjj.

Cells from Henrietta Lacks, used without her consent, help study diseases and treatment effects on human cells without having to test on actual living humans. Her cells have been instrumental in creating many vaccines including for polio and COVID-19. Despite the enormous contribution her “immortal” cells have made to medicine, the misappropriation of Lacks's cells is also the case of an individual exploited by the healthcare industry. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g6ANWYzZ #BlackHistoryMonth

The Equal Justice Society announced a new advisory board of advocates, leaders, and creatives to further strengthen EJS’s leadership and assist the organization’s growth as a racial justice leader. We're excited to welcome Ellen Barry, John Bonifaz, Ernest Crim III, Eric Gibbs, Kim Kruckel, Seith Mann, and Nate Smith to the EJS family! Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gB7cS8AC.