The UPDATE

The UPDATE is a weekly recap of DC Action's research, data, policy advocacy, coalition activity and news clips. Each week we'll cover one or more of our policy priority areas– racial equity, economic justice, early childhood, health, education, voting and democracy. 

Celebrating International Women's Day

"I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."
–Audre Lorde

“There are many, many different kinds of intersectional exclusions ― not just black women, but other women of color. Not just people of color, but people with disabilities. Immigrants. LGBTQ people. Indigenous people. The way we imagine discrimination or disempowerment often is more complicated for people who are subjected to multiple forms of exclusion. The good news is that intersectionality provides us a way to see it.” –Kimberlé Crenshaw

On this International Women’s Day, DC Action lifts up the importance of intersectionality. We recognize the struggles that women face are multiplied when faced by Black, brown, indigenous, LGBTQIA+ women and women with disabilities. All of us at DC Action are committed to advocating for and with all women and girls to promote equity for all. 

Breaking News
American Rescue Plan Clears Two Legislative Hurdles but Faces One More Before Going to President Biden’s Desk

On March 6, the US Senate passed its version of the American Rescue Plan, President Biden’s massive stimulus bill that includes significant safety net spending and, if signed into law, would be the most meaningful anti-poverty legislation in decades. The bill currently includes:

• One-time payments for hundreds of millions of Americans
• Expanded unemployment benefits 
• Resources for coronavirus vaccination distribution 
• Assistance for schools, cities, and small businesses
• Tax credits for families with children
• Increased child care funding
• Expanded eligibility for the Affordable Care Act
• Expansion of nutrition programs and rental assistance  

DC Action is eagerly awaiting the resolution of the two versions of the bill once they are returned to the House of Representatives for a final vote, expected to come on March 9. 

DC Kids Count

As we approach the inauspicious one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it’s clear that the socioeconomic effects are as far-reaching and damaging as the physical sickness. DC Action Research and Data Manager Rachel Metz reported on the latest data reflecting the impact of the pandemic on District residents. 

Economic Justice

According to the 2021 State Index on Youth Homelessness, the District of Columbia was ranked #1 in the nation for addressing youth homelessness. This is due to the dozens of collaborative partnerships, including youth leaders, and the District’s Youth Homelessness Advocacy Coalition, ensuring federal and state investments are ongoing and equitable, and focused on preventing and diverting young people from a path toward chronic homelessness as adults.

While we’ve made progress toward ending youth homelessness, there is still much work to do to ensure that every young person has a safe place to live.
 

Education

Next in our OST Blog Series, coalition member, Audrey Walker, Director of Youth Services for Jubilee Housing, explains how her organization has safely provided in-person camps, activities, tutoring, and other programming for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Recognizing the intense emotional toll of the pandemic on children and youth, Jubilee Housing’s programs have emphasized participants’ social and emotional wellbeing and promoted social interaction while also strengthening academic skills. Thanks to strict health and safety protocols, the program has kept COVID cases to zero. 

Read, Watch, Listen

READ/LISTEN
We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice
By Mariame Kaba
Organizer and educator Mariame Kaba discusses abolition within the prison industrial complex and shares her vision for collective liberation. 

Sum Of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
By Heather McGhee
Strategist, Heather McGhee explores the devastating effects of racism not just on Black Americans but on our democracy and our moral center. 

WATCH
The Urgency of Intersectionality
By Kimberlé Crenshaw
In this TED Talk, civil rights activist and attorney Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term intersectionality, explains why it matters and how it moves us forward. 
 

ICYMI:
Recent DC Action Testimony on Agency Oversight before DC Council Human Services and Health Committees