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Black kids aren’t safe, and these numbers explain why. Over the last few years, tens of thousands of kids under the age of ten have had an experience no child deserves. They’ve been arrested, and for our community, these numbers are especially worrisome.

The relationship between kids and the justice system is pretty disturbing.

From 2013 to 2018, at least 30,467 children under the age of 10 were arrested in the U.S. For kids between the ages of 10 and 12, it’s even worse, with 266,321 arrested. 

Being in prison or jail is bad enough, but being sick on top of that can get deadly. 

If you’re ill or in need of medical care, the facility you’re locked up in is SUPPOSED to provide care. However, many don’t want to deal with sick prisoners - and act maliciously to avoid doing so. 

Research has shown that cities with larger Black populations rely more heavily on fines and fees. This isn’t by accident - it’s by design. 

And as Black America pays the price, it’s fair to ask, “How is this sort of racism going unchecked?” Well, this is how it works. 

According to the study, “Who Pays for Government? Descriptive Representation and Exploitative Revenue Sources,” conducted by political science researchers at the University of Memphis and Vanderbilt, the “use of fines and court fees for local revenue” disproportionately affects Black people.

For centuries, it was illegal to teach our enslaved ancestors to read or write - and violations were punished violently.

The reason is clear: education is dangerous. People who can read and write are more likely to escape slavery, communicate with others, and rise up in power to resist.

The same is true today. This racist strategy to prevent us from educating ourselves is the reason why Black students were segregated into under-resourced schools, and why today, segregation - and school disparities - persists.

Fewer than 3% of the public monuments in the United States are dedicated to women, and even fewer to Black women. Most are to white men, plenty of which celebrate slave owners or Confederate generals.

A community’s monuments reflect its values. And massive, public statues celebrating racists sends quite a message. 

That’s why the She Built initiative in New York, which is creating monuments across the city honoring women - primarily Black women - is raising eyebrows and getting accolades.

Content Warning: This story contains details of torture and violence against women that some may find disturbing. 

Chantelle Glass was tortured. 

In July of 2018, after being locked up over missing a court date, Chantelle made a simple request to make a phone call. But twisted guards had something else in mind. 

You have the RIGHT to make a phone call when you’re locked up, but guards denied Chantelle this. When they did, she asserted demands - which is ALSO her right. In response, guards took matters to an unacceptable level.

Kaia is a little girl who’s only 6 years old. Unfortunately, she got treated like an adult in one of the worst ways possible thanks to a cop who decided Black children are a big enough threat for him to make arrests. 

Kaia’s grandmother was horrified to learn her elementary-aged grandchild was arrested, booked, and charged. A mugshot was taken and everything! So what did Kaia do?

According to reports, she simply threw a tantrum. Since when do we arrest KIDS for that?! 

Black people have a long history of being used and abused in the USA so it’s understandable that the census might make some feel concerned. The thing is, whether someone wants to participate or not doesn’t matter when it comes to how being counted affects us. 

Black people are one of the primary groups considered most likely to be overlooked in the census. While estimates vary, the crucial thing to understand about the count is, whether we participate or not, the numbers will STILL affect us. 

The census matters and you need to know why. While some people view it as just a survey, it’s much more than that. Who is counted, how they’re counted, and why they’re counted is something that affects our communities on a day-to-day basis!

The U.S. Constitution calls for proportional representation based on the population. This means that the U.S. House of Representatives and the seats in the House are based off of census population counts. If Black people are undercounted, it means we lose representation!

Corporations make money off of prisons, period. Yes, we need to ban private prisons just like California, New York, and Illinois have. But remember, just because your state does ban private prisons, that doesn’t mean corporations aren’t finding other ways to make money off prisons!

A lot of companies don’t mind mass incarceration because they’re raking in cash. How? Think about these services: food, transportation, healthcare, and communication (phones, video calls, etc). And that’s not all. They make money off of prisoners getting released, too. Think probation and monitoring!