02 ISSUE NO. 2 OCTOBER 2020
READY FOR ACTION NASHVILLE ALUMNAE CHAPTER A SOCIAL ACTION PUBLICATION THIS ISSUE
ELECTION CALENDAR FELONY DISENFRANCHISEMENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
LOCKED OUT & LEFT BEHIND ELECTION CALENDAR
EARLY VOTING: OCTOBER 14TH -29TH 3RD PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: BELMONT UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 22ND LAST DAY TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT: OCTOBER 27TH ELECTION DAY: NOVEMBER 3RD
BY KEEDA HAYNES, ESQ.
“Denying the right to vote to an entire class of citizens is deeply problematic to our democratic society.” The Sentencing Project LOCKED OUT: 5.17 million Americans are disenfranchised due to a felony conviction, and one in sixteen African-Americans of voting age is disenfranchised. LEFT BEHIND: In Tennessee, one is seven African-Americans is disenfranchised, which is twice the national average, and women account for nearly 1.2 million of the disenfranchised. Consider “Hope”, a black woman, Tennessee resident, and a felon. Hope was incarcerated for a felony drug conviction. Upon her release, Hope completed probation, regained custody of her children, and now works a full-time job. Like everyone else, she understands how important this election is, and she wants to make sure her voice is heard. But of the 4.4 million people registered to vote ahead of this upcoming election, Hope is not one of them. Why? Because Hope's voting rights are restricted as a result of her past conviction. Of the states that impede voting rights of the formerly incarcerated, Tennessee is one of the most restrictive. If the person has not paid all court costs and/or restitution or is in arrears with child support, he/she is prohibited from restoring their voting rights. This onerous provision places an additional hardship on low income individuals and keeps thousands of people across the state of Tennessee from the polls every election, amounting to voter suppression. Consider Hope again. She owes over $25,000 in unpaid court cost, and therefore is included in the more than 421,000 people disenfranchised by the state of Tennessee. Like Hope, many of these individuals have met all of their post-sentencing requirements but are prevented from voting due to outstanding fines and fees. Requiring individuals to pay a criminal-legal debt before exercising their right to vote creates a two-tiered system of citizenship: one for individuals who have the financial means to pay and vote immediately, and another for poor individuals who do not have the financial means to pay their debts, locking them out of participation in our democracy. cont. on page 4
KNOW YOUR FACTS: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT STATISTICS TENNESSEE RANKS 5TH IN THE NATION FOR WOMEN KILLED BY MEN. TENNESSEE RANKS 10TH IN THE NATION FOR DOMESTIC-RELATED HOMICIDES. THERE WERE 73,568 INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REPORTED IN TN. FEMALES ARE MORE THAN THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE VICTIMIZED BY MALES, ACCOUNTING FOR 71.1% OF ALL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN TN. JUVENILES ACCOUNT FOR ROUGHLY 10% OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS IN THE STATE. THE MOST COMMON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WEAPON REPORTED WAS THE PERSONAL WEAPON (I.E., FISTS, HANDS, FEET, TEETH). EVERY 73 SECONDS, AN AMERICAN IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. AND EVERY 9 MINUTES THAT VICTIM IS A CHILD. 14 TO 17 YEAR OLDS HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT COMPARED TO OTHER AGES IN TN. AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY AS WHITES TO BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
“Last night I heard the screaming; loud voices behind the wall. Another sleepless night for me, it won’t do no good to call the police. Always come late, if they come at all. And when they arrive they say they can’t interfere with domestic affairs between a man and his wife. And as they walk out the door, the tears well up in her eyes.” Tracy Chapman A lot has changed since Tracy Chapman wrote those haunting lyrics in 1988 about domestic violence. The criminal justice system now takes domestic abuse more seriously and the public is more aware of the issue. But one thing hasn’t changed. The number of women being beaten or killed by their intimate partners remains a disturbing problem. According to the Nashville Coalition against Domestic Violence (NCADV), 1 in 4 women experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner. That includes: beating, burning, strangling, stalking, and sexual violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported cases spiked. The reason has a lot to do with isolation, according to Robin Kimbrough-Hayes, legal expert and domestic violence consultant. “The pandemic has created a system of isolation from family and friends. That isolation increases lethality for victims of domestic violence.” But Kimbrough-Hayes says the increase in reported cases is not an indication that domestic violence awareness efforts are not working. “The work we have done over the years including increased funding, more legislation and the availability of shelters is helping to uncover these cases and create avenues for people to get help. The work we have done is not in vain, it is uncovering a problem that has been silent for too long in our communities.” If you or someone you know needs help, you can call the YWCA’s 24-hour Crisis & Support Helpline at 1-800-334-4628 or TEXT 615-983-5170 or contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).
WARNING SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit). Thickening or swelling of part of the breast. Irritation or dimpling of breast skin. Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
Protect Your Rack. Know the Stats. In the United States, approximately 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. In Tennessee, cancer was the second leading cause of death among all Tennesseans. Tennessee women who died of breast cancer died nearly 10.4 years earlier than expected. Among the country’s 50 largest cities, the breast cancer mortality disparity is highest in Memphis, Tennessee. Breast cancer mortality rates are higher among African-American women than White women. The mortality gap is widening as the breast cancer incidence rate increases in African-American (Black) women. Critical factors associated with higher breast cancer mortality rate include lower median household income and financial and geographical barriers to care. Disparities in cancer screening and treatment exist across other domains including age, health insurance status, and socioeconomic status. Late or advanced cancer can potentially translate into unnecessary coverage or healthcare costs, potential days missed from work, financial strain, reduced or significant loss of household income, psychological distress, etc. Remember to be PROACTIVE about your health, and begin regular breast cancer screenings at age 40.
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area. Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood. Any change in the size or the shape of the breast. Pain in any area of the breast.
Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.If you have any signs or symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away. Reference: www.cdc.gov
Locked Out & Left Behind No one should have to pay off the State in order to participate in our democracy. Electoral exclusion based upon unpaid fines and fees is no coincidence and is a form of voter suppression that impacts us all. It is undeniable that felony disenfranchisement has a racist past, but it permeates our present as it continues to limit and prohibit thousands of people from participating in democracy. Historically, the majority has attempted, often times successfully, to limit Black political power and hard won civil rights gained after the Civil War and the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, which protect minority rights. At the turn of the century, African-Americans had more rights and freedoms than they ever had before, so white lawmakers sought to uphold their power and white supremacy through the passage of Jim Crow laws. Though Jim Crow laws have long been abolished, it is important to note that with formerly incarcerated individuals, "it is perfectly legal to discriminate against [them] in nearly all the ways that was once legal to discriminate against African Americans.” Alexander, Michelle.The New Jim Crow. The News Press, 2010. Statistics show that African-Americans of voting age are more than four times more likely to lose their voting rights than the rest of the adult population, and in Tennessee, a staggering 21 percent (more than one in five) of Black adults are disenfranchised. More than 150 years after emancipation, and more than 50 years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, an increasing number of Black Americans are losing their right to vote each day, rather than experiencing greater access to political participation. Given the continued disproportionate impact that felony disenfranchisement has on individuals like Hope and on Black and low income communities as a whole, organizations like Free Hearts were created to help those who have been locked out of our democratic process and left behind because of unpaid fees and fines. At Free Hearts, we believe that the ability to vote should not be based upon one’s financial status. Until we are able to resolve the dissonance of idealizing freedom and democracy all the while maintaining an electoral cast system and the world’s highest incarceration rate, Hope and so many others will continue to be locked out and left behind. To donate to the Fees and Fines Fund, please visit https://secure.actblue.com/donate/freehearts or text payfees to 31996.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court and only the second women appointed to the court served from 1993 until her death earlier this year. Prior to her service on the USSC, Justice Ginsburg argued six cases before the court in an effort to have the equal protections of the 14th amendment applied to sex discrimination in the same way that they had been applied to racial discrimination. She won five of those cases. During her service on the Court, she was known for her powerful and stronglyworded dissenting opinions. Justice Ginsburg's legacy encourages women around the world to speak up, speak out and to let their voices be heard. Nashville Alumnae Chapter Social Action Committee SocialAction@NashvilleAlumnae.com www.nashvillealumnae.com Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse any political candidate, party, or cause. Ready for Action is a newsletter published by the Nashville Alumnae Chapter designed to inform and educate individuals about pertinent social and political issues that affect the local and national community.