This is a weblog that I, Ashley Cooper, began writing in 2003. In 2019 the site crashed. All of the content was saved, but the formatting lost. Please forgive the appearance! You can find current content at www.AshleyPCooper.com
Right now I’m under my brown earth blanket with 3 journals open, reflecting on life, what I’m learning, this year, these last 3 years… synthesizing, drawing pictures, conjuring… cozy and incredibly grateful for this season of slowing down and turning inward.
As you’re reflecting on 2017 and setting goals for 2018, is there a line-item for addressing institutional racism?
What will it take to spur White Americans to action? We are living during a movement for racial justice. Will you spend the movement enjoying the privilege to ignore it, or will you join it?
Lobby your teachers, principals, school board members, and legislators to mandate Ethnic Studies.
This article asks some important questions, offers a ton of links for furthering your education, and offers some concrete suggestions for how you can be more active.
Thank you Marta Alcalá-Williams for pointing me to this article.
Interesting to see state leadership and environmental economics in this beautiful visual data. #CollagingLessons #FreeMagazines#ThingsIDontKnowAnythingAbout #ThankYouPublicLibrary
Article: The California Effect: With the U.S. government backing away from climate commitments, states are now taking the lead—none more profoundly than the Golden State. California’s pioneering carbon market is reforming industry while fueling conservation across the nation.
And there we have it. The new tax bill passed. For a couple of years, average-income folks will be lured into thinking that this is a good thing as they get tax breaks and the politicians tell them it is good. And then after 2 years, the breaks that average people experience will go away and the ultra wealthy and corporations will continue to bank in the benefits of this tax reform. Our system is held in place by the wealthy controlling the decisions of those in power, greed, power-obsession, intentional efforts to keep the poor uneducated, stressed, sick and poor, and a populace of people who are willing to be numb to the truth and pacified by words and promises that have no realness behind them, a populace that is eager and willing to follow and accept without critical analysis, without looking at the complexity of the systems impacted, and without self-reflection. May the wise warriors of the heart, the freedom fighters, and the souls who embody humane action and compassionate social change that effects the greatest good – may they be immersed in love, strength, community and resources to continue nourishing the tide shifts that are essential for human survival… and human thriving.
Who are the people whose ideas you are listening to? Whose leadership are you following or respecting? Are you making efforts to seek out and learn from the perspectives and insights of people who have been oppressed (for generations)? If not, PLEASE DO. Your life will be better and collectively we’ll be one step closer to a better life for all of us.
Not sure who to learn from? Here’s a list of 50 impactful creators, artists, and activists whose imaginations extend beyond normalizing and affirming the same mainstream messages, folks who have taken risks and are pushing us closer to democracy being a practice not a hope, and racial inclusion being a basic starting point instead of a goal. Google any of them and find some media to consume. Let it touch your heart and activate your spirit.
