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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2014)
January 8, 2014 $în rifiutò (Dhserutr Page 15 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Triumphs Pointing the way forward 2. George Zimmerman Acquittal: targets A frican Am ericans and unemployment rate at 12.5 percent, of middle class and low-wage work African Americans and people of Latinos, was unconstitutional. An these cuts fell especially hard on ers are falling into poverty and strug goodwill throughout the nation were appeals court subsequently over African Americans, who still have gling to make ends meet. This phe stunned by the July 13 not guilty turned that ruling. Mayor-elect Bill double-digit unemployment. The 17- nomenon worsened in the wake of by M arc H. M orial verdict in the trial o f G eorge de Blasio has pledged to make day Government Shutdown in Oc the recession and has only widened As the sun Zimmerman, the man who shot and changes in the policy, which is prac tober also had an out-sized impact through the recovery. This growing rises over the killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed ticed in communities across the on African Americans who make up inequality is not only unjust; it is p ro m ise o f a 17-year-old high school student on country, and has appointed a new a larg e sh are o f the F e d e ra l unsustainable for our economy. In b rig h te r new Feb. 26,2012. The killing reminded police commissioner. workforce. Thankfully, Congress has 2013, Pope Francis, President Obama year, we have us of the persistent gap in racial African American shoppers in taken necessary steps to avoid a and a growing number o f econo put together a attitudes in America and generated stores across the country have also repeat in 2014. However, while "gov mists sounded the alarm. list of the top 10 new calls for an end to racial profil been unfairly profiled. The New York erning by crisis" has ended for now 9. The Death o f Nelson Mandela: events of 2013 ing. S tate A tto rn ey G e n era l has and there is partial relief from seques On Dec. 5, the world lost one of the that have particularly affected Afri 3. March on Washington Anni launched an investigation into se tration cuts, a major flaw of the bud greatest champions for freedom, can Americans and communities of versary: 2013 marked the 50th anni curity practices at a few retailers get deal is its failure to include a justice and peace ever to walk this color over the past 12 months. versary of the 1963 March on Wash after at least four customers claimed crucial extension of federal jobless Earth. After 27 years of political Presented in no particular order, ington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s they were unfairly targeted for po aid where more than 1.3 million work imprisonment as a leader in the fight this list is a mix of triumphs and historic “I Have a Dream” speech. lice action while shopping in the ers will immediately lose unemploy against apartheid, Mandela was re tragedies that mark the progress On Aug. 24, the National Urban stores. The National Urban League, ment benefits - a vital source of in leased from prison in 1990. In 1994, w e’ve made, highlight the problems League joined thousands of citi National Action Network and other come that covers basic family needs. he became South Africa’s first demo that still plague us, and point the zens in a return pilgrimage to the civil rights organizations were in 7. African American Leaders cratically elected president. His lead way forward in 2014. Lincoln Memorial and the new King strumental in working with several Convening/Release of the 21 st Cen ership was marked by his constant 1. Voting Rights/V oter Suppres Memorial to commemorate that his national retailers on the release of a tury Agenda for Jobs and Freedom: reliance on forgiveness, reconcilia sion: Despite an unprecedented toric moment in a march for Eco "Customers’ Bill of Rights" aimed at At the National Urban League's tion and unity in the building of a outbreak of voter suppression ef nomic Power and Justice - and to protecting customers from profiling "Redeem the Dream" Summit dur new South Africa. His life and legacy forts across the nation and the Su call for a continuation of the work practices. We will continue to work ing the 50th Anniversary March on will forever inspire the world. preme Court’s appalling ruling in that remains undone. with the retailers on recommenda Washington celebration in August, 10. Banner YearforBlackFilms: June that Section 4 of the Voting 4. Affordable Care Act: While tions towards high standard, best- national civil rights leaders joined This year was a notable one for Rights Act was unconstitutional, start-up problems have plagued the in-industry store security protocols together for the first time for an Black films ranging from the true African Americans are going to the roll-out, the new law expands ac and cultural sensitivity efforts that historic release of a policy agenda event-inspired stories of the "The polls in record numbers. In fact, cess to affordable health care to can be adopted by retailers across addressing five urgent domestic B u tler," “ 12 Y ears a S la v e ,” Black voters were decisive in ensur more than 30 million people, includ the country. goals for the nation - the 21 st Cen “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” ing the second inauguration of ing 6.8 million African Americans 6. Government Shutdown/Ef- tury Agenda for Jobs and Freedom. and “Fruitvale Station” to the highly Barack Obama last Jan. 20. African who make up the largest share of the fects of Sequestration: The across- It covers critical areas including jobs anticipated “Best Man Holiday” and American voter turnout in the presi uninsured. This isn't about politics. the-board “sequestration” budget and the economy, healthcare, edu holiday classic “Black Nativity.” dential election surpassed white It's about people. cuts that went into effect in 2013 cation, voting rights and criminal In the words o f Oprah Winfrey, voter turnout for the first time in 5. S top-and-F risk/S hop-and- slashed funding for Head Start, justice system reform. “Cheers to a New Year and another history. As voter suppression ef Frisk: On Aug. 12, a District Court youth job training, long-term unem 8. Rise of Economic Inequality: chance for us to get it right." forts grow more intense, African Judge ruled that the New York City ployment benefits and other critical While the richest 1-percent have Marc H. Morial is president and • Americans must continue the fight police department’s stop-and-frisk human service and safety net pro seen their incomes rise astronomi chief executive officer o f the Na where it matters most - at the polls. program, which disproportionately grams. With the nation’s highest cally over the past 20 years, millions tional Urban League. This Low-Carbon Diet is Good for You and the Planet Reducing consumption of animal products by J ill R ichardson 2014. A new year. The time to make reso- lutions. It’s when we all join gyms, sign up for dating sites, and start new diets — only to quit them a few weeks later. If you’re into resolutions, I’ve got one for you to consider: In 2014, try a low-carb diet. Not a low - carb(ohydrate) diet, but a low-car bon one. As in carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas causing the climate crisis. If you think it sounds a bit strange, hear me out. Humans produce greenhouse gases several ways. The most obvi And a low-carbon diet is actually ous one is burning fossil fuels. Heat, healthier and often cheaper than air conditioning, transportation, and what most Americans eat already. electricity all fall into this category. How do you do it? The short And I’ll be honest. I’d love to answer is “eat less meat.” But please reduce the amount of fossil fuels I keep reading before you dismiss use. But I have very little ability this as a vegetarian rant. to make my city improve its pub It takes 40 calories of energy to lic transportation, walkability, produce just one calorie of beef, and bike paths, Some people can with a similarly lousy ratio for eggs, afford major investments like and an even worse one for lamb. It solar panels or even better insu takes 14 calories to produce one lation for their homes, but I can’t. calorie of either milk or pork, and And neither can many other four calories to produce one calorie Americans. of chicken. But an awful lot of greenhouse That’s because we grow enough gas emissions come from agricul grain to feed 800 million people, and ture. Including the impacts of defor we feed it all to livestock. Those estation due to agriculture, getting animals do produce meat, milk and our food from farm to table accounts eggs, but they also bum a lot those for more than 27 percent of global calories off as they grow. emissions. The amount of calories fed to The good news: Changing your livestock is far greater than the calo diet is affordable— even delicious. ries humans obtain from their meat, We all eat three times a day, after all. milk, and eggs. It’s far more efficient for humans to eat plant foods our hum mus for a snack. Have a bean selves. burrito or munch on fresh fruit. There are also other paths to a Personally, I think reducing your low er carbon diet. Choosing lo animal product intake is easiest if cally grown foods, buying o r you crowd out meat, milk, and eggs ganic, gardening, and avoiding with plant-based food that you en processed foods all help. But the joy. If you’re busy stuffing your sim plest, most reliable, and most face with crisp apples or roasted impactful way to shrink your foot butternut squash, you’ll be too full print is by eating lower on the to feel deprived. food chain. Best o f all, y o u 'll help your T his is n ’t new s. S c ien tific health as well as the planet. As it Am erican wrote about it in 2011, turns out, vegetarians and near and the United Nations Food and vegetarians are 24 percent less Agriculture reported on it in 2006. likely to die of heart disease than Anna Lappe published a book on meat eaters. That m eans a resolu clim ate and diet called Diet for a tion to reduce your meat consum p Hot Planet in 2010. tion will help ensure that y o u ’ll be If you aren ’t ready to go veg, around to enjoy many more New d o n ’t worry. Baby steps are bet Years to come. ter than nothing. T h at’s the idea OtherW ords colum nist Jill beh in d the M eatless M onday Richardson is the author o f Recipe cam paign. Just avoid meat one for America: Why Our Food System day a week. Eat some vegetarian Is Broken and What We Can Do to chili or lasagna. Dip veggies in Fix It.
