Jeff Love is fundraising
Help Jeff Raise Funds to Fight Racial Inequity
One of the most influential people in my life, whether he knows it or not, is one of my best childhood friends, Stefen Short . During the Black Lives Matter movement, Stefen was patient with me as I did what a lot of white folks did…turned to our black friends to ask questions to unpack it all. I now realize that I was asking a lot of him on top of the awesome work Stefen does every day with the Legal Aide Society (check out the link above and consider donating there too please) to help some of society’s most vulnerable. But one thing he challenged me to do was continue to educate myself and sent me a copy of The New Jim Crow . A staple I knew of, but never took the time to read. It’s taken me a year+ to get through it, and I’ll admit I did buy an audible subscription to finish it - but it stuck with me, and now I want to help do something about it.
Did you know:
1. We imprison more people than any other country
2. People of color represent 60% of people behind bars
3. 75% of people in state prison for drug conviction are people of color although blacks and whites see and use drugs at roughly the same rate. In NYS, 94% of those imprisoned for a drug offense are people of color.
4. According to the American Psychiatric Association, on any given day, between 2.3 and 3.9 percent of inmates in state prisons are estimated to have schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder; between 13.1 and 18.6 percent have major depression; and between 2.1 and 4.3 percent suffer from bipolar disorder.
5. 68% of people who are released from prison return within three years.
I’ve found myself donating here and there to different causes, including the Legal Aid Society, but this time I wanted to focus on the health of these folks, both mental health and physical health. COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact our nation’s most vulnerable, and the mental health improvement continues to not be properly addressed. That’s why I was drawn towards helping the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation , they have three main focus areas and pillars, and one new one given COVID’s impact:
1. Mental Health Support In Urban Schools
2. Reduce Prison Recidivism Rate
3. Increase the Number of African-American Therapists
4. Helping the above during the COVID pandemic (bonus here if you’re a Daily Show Fan)
I’m also doing more than fundraising and donating myself. I’ll be shaving off my beard I’ve had since I was 18 and rocking a mustache (similar to awareness raising campaigns of Movember) and when folks ask why…I’ll help spread the word. Using my privilege and position to help those who need it, something I can thank Stefen for pushing me on.
The man himself, proof of my beard…and proof we both have terrible taste in basketball teams.
Did you know:
1. We imprison more people than any other country
2. People of color represent 60% of people behind bars
3. 75% of people in state prison for drug conviction are people of color although blacks and whites see and use drugs at roughly the same rate. In NYS, 94% of those imprisoned for a drug offense are people of color.
4. According to the American Psychiatric Association, on any given day, between 2.3 and 3.9 percent of inmates in state prisons are estimated to have schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder; between 13.1 and 18.6 percent have major depression; and between 2.1 and 4.3 percent suffer from bipolar disorder.
5. 68% of people who are released from prison return within three years.
I’ve found myself donating here and there to different causes, including the Legal Aid Society, but this time I wanted to focus on the health of these folks, both mental health and physical health. COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact our nation’s most vulnerable, and the mental health improvement continues to not be properly addressed. That’s why I was drawn towards helping the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation , they have three main focus areas and pillars, and one new one given COVID’s impact:
1. Mental Health Support In Urban Schools
2. Reduce Prison Recidivism Rate
3. Increase the Number of African-American Therapists
4. Helping the above during the COVID pandemic (bonus here if you’re a Daily Show Fan)
I’m also doing more than fundraising and donating myself. I’ll be shaving off my beard I’ve had since I was 18 and rocking a mustache (similar to awareness raising campaigns of Movember) and when folks ask why…I’ll help spread the word. Using my privilege and position to help those who need it, something I can thank Stefen for pushing me on.
The man himself, proof of my beard…and proof we both have terrible taste in basketball teams.- G
- R
- A
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