Celebrating and Commemorating Juneteenth

Massachusetts Appleseed’s office is closed today in observance of Juneteenth, the annual holiday marking the day that federal troops marched into Galveston, Texas and freed those who remained enslaved more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This act reminds us that freedom and justice are never easily given but must be fought for, and that the enforcement of legal rights is as essential as their mandate.

Once again, our commemoration of Juneteenth coincides with powerful, community-led demands for systemic change and renewed opportunities to dismantle the structures that fuel white supremacy and perpetuate racial injustice. As we confront the ways systemic, anti-Black racism has continually evolved and taken shape through destructive policies that deny access to justice, safety, and opportunity – from redlining, to the school-to-prison pipeline, and countless more manifestations – this Saturday serves as a reminder that America’s history is not past, but continues to inform our present inequities.

We are glad to see Massachusetts mark Juneteenth as an official state holiday this year, and there continue to be many ways to celebrate:

To our Black colleagues, leaders, and partners, we hope today and tomorrow are days of celebration, joy, and rest. To our white and non-Black colleagues of color, we invite you to join us in commemorating Juneteenth through education, reflection, and action by elevating and giving space to Black voices, engaging with Black history that too often goes untaught, and honoring and remembering the organizers and activists who have always pushed this country to live up to its foundational ideals. Together, we can take steps forward in our pursuit of a future where the full humanity of every person is protected and the promises of freedom, justice, and equity are realized.

 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Participates in the 2021 Stand Against Racism Campaign

This spring, Massachusetts Appleseed joined over 250 companies, schools, community organizations, and others as participants in the 2021 Stand Against Racism Campaign, hosted by the Alliance of YWCAs of Massachusetts. Through three discussion sessions during April and into early May, Massachusetts Appleseed staff and Board members gathered together to discuss and reflect on the ways in which white supremacy is embedded in our education systems, experiences in employment, and every facet of our lives.

Massachusetts Appleseed staff and Board members participate in the 2021 Stand Against Racism Campaign.

Participants from three separate discussion sessions: Deborah Silva (Executive Director), Melanie Rush (Research and Policy Assistant), Madeline Poage (Development and Communications Associate), Peter Tobani (Board Member), Zeia Fawaz (Spring Research Intern). Not pictured: Melanie Todman (Chair of the Board of Directors) and John Shutkin (Vice Chair of the Board of Directors).

Together, staff and Board members discussed, “The Muddled History of Anti-Asian Violence” by Hua Hsu, “Racism Is Not a Historical Footnote” by the legendary Bill Russell, “Rotundamente Negra (Rotundly Black)” by Shirley Campbell, and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s keynote address at the 2016 Women of the World festival.

A number of themes emerged throughout our conversations, with participants reflecting on the failure of the American education system to adequately educate students about systemic racism, the consequences of this failure, the impact of microaggressions, the importance of engaging directly with all perspectives, and more.

Our final discussion centered predominantly on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s keynote address, which resonated with staff particularly strongly. In it, Dr. Crenshaw describes the origin of the #SayHerName campaign and lists some of the many Black women killed through racist police violence – Eleanor Bumpurs, Margaret Mitchell, Michelle Cusseaux, Tanisha Anderson, Natasha McKenna – and how the women in these examples were being evicted, experiencing homelessness, in need of mental health services, or vulnerable in other ways. But rather than being treated with understanding or support, they were met with brutality, violence, and silence. At its most fundamental, Dr. Crenshaw’s address reminds us that racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and poverty are intertwined, and until we treat them as such, they will continue to persist.

Massachusetts Appleseed staff also utilized the digital pledge board provided by YW Boston during the campaign, committing to specific ways we will each participate in the fight to eliminate racism in our work and in our lives. Through these pledges, staff members aim to strengthen our ongoing work to develop projects through the lens of anti-racism and ensure all components that make up Massachusetts Appleseed – from governance, to programs, to fundraising – align with our Statement of Values. The Statement of Values was created collaboratively by staff and the Board of Directors in 2020 and through it, we are explicit in affirming that our commitment to promoting access to justice and opportunity goes hand in hand with our commitment to combating all forms of systemic racism.

Massachusetts Appleseed's digital pledge board, completed during the 2021 Stand Against Racism Campaign.

Massachusetts Appleseed’s digital pledge board, completed during the 2021 Stand Against Racism Campaign.

Massachusetts Appleseed has recently deepened its decade-long work to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline by focusing on the specific ways girls of color are targeted and excluded from their learning environments. As we convene students, educators, advocates, and other community members together to inform and guide our research and advocacy efforts, the tools provided through this campaign will help us build an anti-racist, intersectional foundation on which to do so.

We are so grateful to YW Boston and the Alliance of YWCAs of Massachusetts for providing these resources, and to all the guest curators for their selections and discussion guides. We look forward to continuing to make space for these collaborative and essential conversations, hold ourselves accountable, and center anti-racism in our work to build a more just, inclusive future.

Recommendations for further reading and watching from Massachusetts Appleseed staff and Board members:

 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Equitable Access to Boston’s Exam Schools

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice has signed onto an amicus brief filed by Brown Rudnick LLP, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, and the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts in support of the Boston School Committee’s Admissions Plan for Boston Exam Schools for the 2021-22 academic year. The interim Admissions Plan was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and would also address long-standing issues of racial, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity in Boston’s three elite education institutions: the Boston Latin School, the Boston Latin Academy, and the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science.

The changes to the Exam Schools admissions process being challenged include: 1) elimination of the entrance exam, 2) allocation of 20% of seats based on GPA, and 3) allocation of the remaining 80% of seats based on a combination of student GPA and home ZIP code, with each ZIP code receiving seats based on the percentage of school-aged children living in that ZIP code. These changes would help ensure talented and capable students from a diverse range of communities have equitable access to the high-quality educational opportunities Exam Schools provide.  

The legal challenge to the plan was brought by the Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence Corporation, a group of parents and students from high-income neighborhoods who stand to lose seats under the new plan. The lawsuit was filed against the School Committee and argues the Admissions Plan is unconstitutional on the basis that ZIP codes are being used as a proxy for race.

As the brief notes, while race, poverty, and geography are undoubtedly linked – particularly against the backdrop of Boston’s long history of segregation – this argument fails to recognize Boston’s diversity within and across ZIP codes. Additionally, the Admissions Plan does not classify students by race, but uses ZIP codes to improve the prospect of Exam Schools reflecting the diversity of Boston’s entire student population. There are also compelling and legitimate goals the Admissions Plan takes steps towards; for example, providing the educational benefits of a diverse student body, which students carry with them into the workforce, and repairing the harms of past discrimination.

“Massachusetts Appleseed is proud to join Brown Rudnick LLP, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, and nearly two dozen allies in educational and racial justice to support the Boston School Committee’s proposed Admissions Plan,” said Deborah Silva, Executive Director of Massachusetts Appleseed. “Education can make a radical difference in a child’s life, and all Boston students should have a fair and equitable opportunity to access the resources and academic rigor available at Boston Exam Schools. This policy would open the doors to students who have been too often left behind – low-income students, students experiencing homelessness, and students of color whose families have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Amici Curiae

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, LatinoJustice PLRDEF, Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts, American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, Autism Sprinter, Center for Law and Education, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School, Citizens for Public Schools, EdVestors, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, Greater Boston Association of Black Social Workers, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Hispanic Federation, Jamaica Plain Progressives, Mass Insight Education & Research, Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Northeastern University School of Law, Center for Health Policy and Law, Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale, Quality Education for Every Student (QUEST), Roslindale is for Everyone (RISE), VISIONS, Inc.

 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Condemns the Anti-Asian Violence in Georgia

The murders that took place in Georgia this week robbed eight people of their lives, six of them Asian women. Our hearts and thoughts are with their loved ones and communities in Atlanta, and with everyone around the country feeling afraid, unsafe, or alone in the wake of this senseless violence.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen people with the most power scapegoat Asian communities and the number of assaults on Asian Americans rise, while the nation’s response to the pandemic has failed to protect immigrants and communities of color. We cannot ignore that this is the context in which this week’s violence – fueled by white supremacy, misogyny, and xenophobia – has occurred.

We stand in solidarity with the AAPI community across Massachusetts and remain committed to eliminating the policies that perpetuate white supremacist violence and dismantling the systems that discriminate against and marginalize Asian, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. We call on our leaders to take action against hate crimes that does not rely on increased policing, reject historical narratives that dehumanize and erase Asian Americans, and support policies that promote language access, provide economic relief for vulnerable communities, and create pathways to justice for victims of discrimination.

Join the Massachusetts Town Hall on Anti-Asian Racism, happening Thursday, March 25th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.

In solidarity,

Deborah Silva
Executive Director
Massachusetts Appleseed

Melanie L. Todman
Chair of the Board of Directors
Massachusetts Appleseed

 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Statement on the Passing of Kevin J. Curtin

Kevin J. Curtin

Kevin J. Curtin

2020 has been a year of tragedy, and of lost champions.

We were stunned and deeply saddened to learn late last night of the sudden passing of Kevin J. Curtin, a member of Massachusetts Appleseed’s Board of Directors.

Kevin was a devoted and passionate advocate of access to justice and equitable opportunity, who spoke persistently about the need to confront the core inequities we face as a society. A teacher, mentor, and pillar of the Massachusetts legal community, he brought his years of expertise and compassionate commitment to the rule of law to our work. Our Board and staff remember him as a dedicated partner with an inquisitive and easygoing nature, who consistently pushed for bold action against injustice, discovered fellow graduates of Boston College Law School with unbridled joy, and was endlessly generous with his time and enthusiasm. His untimely and tragic death is a devastating loss for us all.

Through his personal and professional life, Kevin showed that the pursuit of social justice and the legal profession are not just intertwined, but inseparable. He had a steadfast belief that the law can be a tool in the service of good, and that lawyers have the power to make a difference. In a year already filled with so much struggle and pain, and amidst our own personal grief, these beliefs fuel our work in the days ahead.

We keep returning to something Kevin said in a recent meeting, about an upcoming initiative we hope to pursue in 2021. He noted that it will probably garner plenty of opposition. Then he smiled, raised his fist, and said we should stand tall and fight for it until the end.

Kevin brought this irresistible energy and will to all his work with Massachusetts Appleseed, and it is what we carry with us today as we mourn and remember him.

Upon joining the Board, Kevin said, “Together, I hope we will continue to help bend what the Rev. Martin Luther King called the long ‘arc of the moral universe,’ so that the idea of justice may become a little more real in the world.” As 2021 approaches, we hold his words close to our hearts and consider this a renewed call to action, for all of us at Massachusetts Appleseed.

In these past few months, we have lost far too many champions of the legal community. There is no way to describe the time we had with Kevin as he served on our Board as anything but a privilege and a gift. The days ahead will be emptier without him, and our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with his family, friends, and colleagues.

When he first joined the Board, Kevin was picking up the torch and building on the powerful and profound legacy of his father, Jack Curtin. Now it is our turn, and we hope we honor him and his own legacy by standing tall, taking bold action in service of our mission, and never giving up the fight for a fairer, more equitable future for all.

 

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Racial Justice and Policing Reform: Many Youth-Specific Provisions Included!

In response to the nationwide protests against police brutality and white supremacy this summer, the Massachusetts legislature has been working to pass a sweeping police reform bill. Working alongside coalition and community partners, we’ve been advocating for youth-specific provisions within the bill that help to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and address the over-policing of Massachusetts schools that disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx students.
 
Yesterday evening, the conference committee that has been negotiating the bill for several months released their finalized version, and I’m excited to report that many of the provisions we’ve been fighting for made it in!
 
Public Accountability on School Policing:
  • Removes state mandate to assign a School Resource Officer (SRO) and shifts the decision to superintendents
  • Requires public reporting of arrests/law enforcement referrals and mental health support spending and staffing
Preventing Racial Profiling of Students:
  • SROs subject to restrictions on sharing student information
  • Restricts sharing student information with Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), Commonwealth Fusion Center, and gang databases
School Resource Officer MOUs:
  • Requires public reporting of every district’s school policing MOU annually
  • Requires schools to adopt model MOU and publicly file MOUs with DESE
Training for School Resource Officers:
  • Requires SROs to be certified and trained
While there’s still work to be done, this is a big step forward in the right direction to help us promote racial justice and police accountability in schools, protect the rights of young people, and ensure all students feel safe and supported in their pursuit of educational opportunity. 
 
Our thanks to House Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Spilka, and the members of the conference committee for including protections for young people in this key piece of legislation. Many thanks to Citizens for Juvenile Justice as well for their leadership of the Juvenile Justice Coalition and rapid analysis of the finalized bill!

 

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In Remembrance: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Our hearts are heavy this week.

Just a few days following the tragic passing of Massachusetts’ own Chief Justice Gants, we have lost another beacon of light in the judiciary. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her decades-spanning career fighting to make the American promise of “equal protection under the law” a reality, and she will be profoundly missed.  

A cultural icon, perhaps her most enduring legacy is as a champion of women’s rights. This week, a credit card in the wallets of women is not just a piece of plastic; in the days since Friday, it’s a memorial to Justice Ginsburg’s tireless work to end sex discrimination and ensure women are able to achieve financial autonomy and pursue all the opportunities life has to offer, free from legal barriers. She proved to us, time and time again, that no injustice is too great to overcome and to be committed to justice means to be in it for the long haul. A trailblazer of the legal community, Justice Ginsburg reminds us that rights are rarely given. They are fought for.

The challenges of 2020 exposed how far we still have to go – for racial equity, for immigrant rights, for the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in cycles of poverty by systemic failures of our society. Through her persistent dedication to the rule of law, Justice Ginsburg laid the groundwork for much of the powerful advocacy work grounded in social justice we see today. Relentless in the pursuit of justice and searing in her dissents, she illustrated that we not only have an obligation to fight the impossible fights – we can win them. And in so doing, we can build a better world based in justice, fairness, and equity.

All we can do is say thank you, and vow to keep the work going. May her memory be a blessing. May we live up to the legacy she leaves behind and bring about the world she knew is possible.

 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Statement on the Passing of Chief Justice Gants

Image of Chief Justice Gants

Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants, and join the Massachusetts legal community in mourning the loss of an extraordinary leader.

Chief Justice Gants had a consummate understanding of the powerful ways the courts can shape and redirect people’s lives, and the imperative need to ensure the civil justice system is accessible to all. A passionate advocate of access to justice, he imbued the judicial system with his endless compassion and commitment to the rule of law. Armed with his trademark wit, humor, and thoughtful brilliance, Chief Justice Gants raised the standard of the entire legal profession, challenging tradition in the pursuit of a fairer, more equitable society. 

At Massachusetts Appleseed, we feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with the Chief Justice over the years. A featured speaker at our 2017 Access to Justice Conference and our most recent Annual Meeting, he was a steadfast supporter of our work to improve the courts and unshakable in his commitment to creating a civil justice system that serves everyone – not just those who can afford an attorney.

It was a privilege to witness him in action as co-chair of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission. He approached this work with seemingly boundless energy, tenacity, and a generous spirit, easily dispensing encouragement to those around him. The journey towards justice is certainly long and difficult. But after each Commission meeting, listening to Chief Justice Gants speak, a better world often felt close at hand.

This week has been a painful one. The future always seemed a bit brighter with the Chief Justice lighting the way, and to lose him at this moment in time is hard to accept. Yet we feel his impact all around us, from the newly-released report he commissioned studying the systemic racial inequities within criminal court sentencing, to the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission’s recent 2019-2020 Annual Report – detailing the many exceptional collaborative efforts he oversaw and guided as co-chair.

To have the head of the state’s highest court so tirelessly champion justice for all is no small thing, and Chief Justice Gants leaves behind a tremendous legacy and unfathomably large shoes to fill. We send our sincere condolences to his family and his friends, and those who knew him best.

Today, September 18th, the courts are closed to honor the memory of Chief Justice Gants. On Monday, they reopen, and the work to which he was so dedicated goes on. While we take this moment to personally work through our grief, we will remember the Chief Justice in all we do – in each policy change that supports our most vulnerable residents, each reform effort that makes our courts more welcoming institutions, and each small step towards a world where every person experiences equal protection under the law. We know we could not have come as far as we have without him. And we hope we honor his legacy by continuing the fight for justice.

 

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Cell phone bans eliminated in all Massachusetts state courts!

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice commends the Trial Court for Emergency Administrative Order 20-10, issued on June 24th 2020, which takes effect on July 13th and temporarily eliminates bans on the use of cell phones and other personal electronic devices (“PEDs”) inside all Massachusetts state courthouses. Our 2018 report, Cell Phones in the Courthouse: An Access to Justice Perspective, examined the disproportionate impact courthouse cell phone restrictions have on self-represented litigants and low-income court users. 
 
As that report demonstrated, many self-represented litigants need to use cell phones within the courtroom to display evidence, conduct legal research, or access language translation services. In addition, many court users require their cell phones to coordinate aspects of everyday life, such as ensuring proper childcare, obtaining transportation, or communicating with employers. Our report found that without access to these resources through their cell phones, self-represented litigants are placed at an even further disadvantage compared to litigants with attorneys. To fully correct the unintended consequences of these cell phone bans, Massachusetts Appleseed recommended that the Commonwealth adopt a universal permissive policy that allows cell phone use in courthouses statewide.
 
The Court’s Order temporarily eliminating all cell phone bans is a significant step towards that goal and has the potential to greatly expand access to justice in Massachusetts. We are extremely grateful to the Trial Court for this essential progress, but we urge the Trial Court to make this temporary change permanent in order to further increase self-represented litigants access to justice.

 

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Appleseed Network Response to the Murder of George Floyd and the Ongoing Fight Against Systemic Racial Injustice

America is hurting. The unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others have sparked a national movement to hold our leaders accountable for the insidious racial inequality that penetrates both consciously and unconsciously throughout American society. People across the nation are fighting to overcome generations of pain caused by white supremacy, racial injustice, police brutality, and a broken criminal justice system that penalizes Black citizens at disproportionate rates. This is increasingly obvious as we are suffering through a global pandemic that is impacting communities of color at far higher rates than white communities due to the inequities these communities are forced to endure. We continue to see the over-policing of Black communities and the unjust use of force against Black citizens. Segregated schools and segregated educational opportunities reproduce inequality and racial disparities. These societal issues entrench racial injustice in our schools, neighborhoods, and jobs, which ultimately lead to the violence perpetrated against innocent people such as George Floyd.
 
Black Lives Matter. We stand in solidarity with Black voices and Black-led movements across the country who are organizing and mobilizing citizens to fight for justice for all.  We share a common belief that change is necessary. In addition to calling out injustice, Appleseed actively works to find local solutions to national issues and make change happen at the state and local level through our 16 Centers across the country. Our Centers work tirelessly to fight racial injustice and transform our system into one that eliminates structural inequality in our society. We work to integrate schools, improve prison conditions, reduce jail populations, expand social safety net programs, increase access to basic services regardless of one’s country of origin, equalize access to healthcare, increase affordable housing, afford all people the training and education they need to compete for better jobs, fight unfair policing, and change unfair laws.  
 
For example, here are some of the projects our Centers are working on to improve the lives of people in historically marginalized communities:

This is only a small selection of the broad array of projects our Network works on every day. Please see below for a list of our affiliate Appleseed Centers with links to their websites, social media, and their latest work, press statements, or publications.
 
Additionally, we support those who are exercising their right to protest against racism and we strongly condemn the use of needless force by law enforcement against peaceful protesters. We encourage our supporters to check out the following resources on anti-racism shared by our Kansas Appleseed Center:

“Resources and Tools Regarding Racism & Anti/Blackness (& How To Be a Better Ally)”
“Anti-Racism Resource for White People”

    Appleseed Centers:

Alabama Appleseed – Twitter: @AlaAppleseed | Facebook: @AlaAppleseed

Chicago Appleseed – Twitter: @ChiAppleseed | Facebook: @ChicagoAppleseed

DC Appleseed – Twitter: @DC_Appleseed | Facebook: @DCAppleseed

Georgia Appleseed – Twitter: @GaAppleseed | Facebook: @GeorgiaAppleseed

Hawai’i Appleseed – Twitter: @HIAppleseed | Facebook: @Hawaii.Appleseed

Kansas Appleseed – Twitter: @KansasApple | Facebook: @KansasAppleseed

Louisiana Appleseed – Twitter: @La_Appleseed | Facebook: @ LouisianaAppleseed

Massachusetts Appleseed – Twitter: @MassAppleseed | Facebook: @MassAppleseed

Mexico Appleseed – Twitter: @AppleseedMexico | Facebook: @mexicoappleseed

Missouri Appleseed – Twitter: @MissouriApples1 | Facebook: Missouri Appleseed

Nebraska Appleseed – Twitter:  @neappleseed | Facebook: @neappleseed

New Jersey Appleseed – Twitter: @NJ_Appleseed | Facebook: NJ Appleseed Public Interest Law Center

New Mexico Appleseed – Twitter: @NMAppleseed | Facebook: @new.appleseed

New York Appleseed – Twitter: @AppleseedNY | Facebook: @NYAppleseed

South Carolina Appleseed – Twitter: @AppleseedSC | Facebook: @AppleseedSC

Texas Appleseed – Twitter: @TexasAppleseed | Facebook: @TexasAppleseed

In solidarity, and on behalf of the Appleseed Network,
 
Sarah Pacilio
Network Manager
Appleseed Network

 

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