We all know about the Fourth of July, but where’s the love for Juneteenth? Celebrated every year on June 19th, the lesser-known holiday commemorates the final abolition of slavery in every part of the former Confederacy. What is Juneteenth All About? While history books credit Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation for ending slavery, that’s Read More
PUBLIC ALLIES NEWS
“Pride in the Movement”: A Poem
By Elle Halo I am a strong, black, woman of trans experience . Every single time I say it, I feel so much better. —Britney Griner Pride in the movement is power That we built up for ourselves instead of the power stolen from us Stolen from the land And built upon our backs Read More
“A is for Asexual”: An Essay
By Rachel Zanoni My high school was rather queer. It was a small private school, where the dominant sexualities at play seemed to be straight (of course), bisexual, and pansexual. We were Tumblr-taught and as inclusive as our identity-focused education allowed. The first time I had heard of asexual was in a classroom discussion during Read More
“The Gender Question”: A Reflection
By Clay Horton My hands are shaking as usual as I grip onto the cold bathroom sink; water drips down my face, mixing with tears as I whisper to myself. I suffocate on the cotton candy scented soap that I’ve covered myself in. Clouds of doubt and self-hate swirl around me as I try to Read More
“What is Pride?”: A Poem
By Aiden Aizumi Pride is love. It is lifting each other up, standing together, crying together, celebrating together. Pride is a revolution. It is showing the beauty in our differences, letting our intersections shine. Pride is anger. It is the collective pain we feel when trans women of color are taken too soon. It is Read More
Public Allies Milwaukee Member Establishes New Art Gallery
The following is the transcript of an interview conducted by Public Allies Milwaukee with AmeriCorps member Ni’Sea Thurman-Wamubu, who is serving this year with Public Allies at the Victory Garden Initiative (VGI). Public Allies Milwaukee: Congrats on your Seeds of Liberation Gallery opening. The gallery is an inspiring creative project! Tell us the why of Read More
Direct, with Respect: Sending Email Like a Pro
Communication strategies are an essential piece of Public Allies’ professional development training. How you speak—and are spoken to—in the workplace can have a major impact on your own mental health and how others perceive you. Email is no exception. As straight-forward as it may seem, learning to send effective email can improve your daily experience Read More
AAPI Heritage Month: 4 Ways to Celebrate and Support
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Throughout the pandemic, AAPI communities have been subjected to increased hate and harassment. According to Stop AAPI Hate, hate crimes have increased by 1900%, with many cases involving elders. Together we can end this. Here are four ways to get started: 1. Keep Learning Use the countless books, Read More
These Terms Reinforce Mental Illness Stigma
Do you still throw around words like “crazy” or “psycho?” Despite being common (crazy is in the top 2,000 words used by Americans), terms like this actually reinforce stigma around those with mental illness. The Impact of Ableist Language Ableist language has several negative impacts: It draws on unconscious biases. Who decides what is and Read More
Allies in Action on Earth Day
On this Earth Day, we celebrate our Public Allies AmeriCorps members and partner organizations working daily for sustainability and environmental justice. Aiti Rai and Jayson Hughes (Connecticut) partner with KNOX to build greener, stronger, healthier and more beautiful neighborhoods in Hartford. “I believe that everyone should have access to healthy food,” says Aiti. “My passion Read More