When we say that BIPOC communities are overpoliced, that also includes our pets.

Constant surveillance of working poor communities by Animal Control creates an extra layer of anxiety and fear that hangs over the neighborhood.

These families can’t afford to accidentally leave the backyard door open and have the dog run loose. One honest mistake could result in the forced surrender of their smallest family member.

This is poverty policing.

This is how we criminalize underserved communities and traumatize pet parents for making honest mistakes that families in well-resourced neighborhoods can make without consequence.

#AnimalControl #BIPOC #AnimalWelfare #HumanAnimalWellbeing …

Here’s your friendly reminder to STOP referring to Indigenous people as if they’re already extinct.

The portrayal of Indigenous communities as “long gone” contributes to the harmful colonial myth of Indigenous people being “phased out” of humanity.

These harmful myths undermine Indigenous land, culture and human rights, creating pathways for corporations and colonial nations to steal their land and exploit their people under the guise of “no one even lives here.”

Whether we’re discussing Indigenous Americans, Amazonians, Australians, or Maya folks, we need to recognize that many Indigenous communities are still alive today, so we can also be reminded of the fact that their exploitation and oppression has never stopped.

#Indigenous #Indigenouspeople #Decolonized …

Poor folks experiencing hardships cannot afford to “wait” for the economy to improve.

They need solutions NOW.

Their schools need funding, their neighborhoods need healthier and more abundant food options, their playgrounds and parks need rehabbing, and more resources need to be invested in improving access to social and animal services.

But none of this can be accomplished if we only measure the success of our nation by the strength of our economy and stock market.

Humanity is better than that, and marginalized communities deserve better than just wishful economic thinking.

They deserve action.

#animalwelfare #socialjustice #unhoused #CARECenters …

One of the most common (yet often ignored) forms of discrimination is epistemic racism, or the idea that some forms of knowledge are superior over others.

This is especially prominent when it comes to the stories, lived experiences, and oral history of BIPOC.

We see this whenever BIPOC communities share their frustrations, only to be ignored because:
– They didn't speak in "the right tone" and are mislabeled as "aggressive"
– Their accent is misinterpreted as "untrustworthy"
– They're stereotyped as "ghetto" or as a perpetual foreigner

That's all it takes to gaslight the experiences of BIPOC communities. And it happens on a daily basis.

BIPOC communities are often told to "prove" the authenticity of their words by showing the right facts, the right statistics, and the right studies to back up their claims. As if we're suspicious by default. Guilty until we can prove otherwise.

And that's not okay.
This is an exhausting way to live.

Our knowledge matters.
Our history matters.
Our voice matters.

We shouldn't have to write a novel to convince people we matter too.
_______________________
"Not recognizing or valuing oral history is a form of racism called epistemic racism — where certain forms of knowledge are considered superior to others."

Tweet: @RicharLisa
#socialjustice #animalwelfare #BIPOC …