Monthly Archives: September 2021

A report released by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on Wednesday found that Latino and Hispanic characters accounted for only 5% of speaking roles in 1,300 popular films. This number was despite the Hispanic and Latino population accounting for almost 20% of the U.S. population and almost 50% of the city of Los Angeles population, according to the study.

Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,300 Popular Movies (Graphic courtesy of Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Study)

However, authentic representation is necessary because films are a powerful medium to shift culture.

Casting a positive light on Latinx characters, normalizing the breadth of our identities and making sure we are proportionally represented on film is how we challenge stereotypes and shift the narrative for generations to come, said Ana Flores, the founder and CEO of the #WeAllGrow Latina network.

The report titled Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,300 Popular Movies also found that only 3.5% of leads in these movies released from 2007 to 2019 were Hispanic or Latino, with over half of them being women.

Actress Cameron Diaz was the top performer, appearing as a lead in five of the 1,300 films.

One piece of data that really stood out is that the top actor in the shortlist of Latinx leads/co-leads across 1,300 top-grossing films is Cameron Diaz, Flores said. No one can deny anyones identity, but the fact is that Cameron has never led with her Latina culture nor is she widely seen by audiences as a Latina. If we account for actors who authentically represent the vast Latinx cultural experience, then the number dramatically dwindles.

The study also found that the medium of film continues to propagate stereotypes. Characters are often typecast in stereotypical roles, with 29.8% of characters portrayed as criminals, 39.3% participating in organized crime and 21.4% shown in depictions of violent crime, the study found.

Ana Tessier, a senior communication major and a student researcher at the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, highlighted that the visibility was not reflective of the breadth of the community.

The representations that we do see tend to be pretty homogenous, excluding Afro-Latinos, queer Latinos, disabled Latinos, Tessier said. When you look at who holds power in Hollywood and who has held power since its inception, unfortunately these findings are not surprising.

In a sample of 100 films in 2019, 35 films had no Hispanic/Latino character, 59 had no Hispanic/Latina character, 95 films had no Hispanic/Latino characters with disabilities and 98 films had no LGBTQ Hispanic/Latino characters.

Another finding shows that only 4.2% of Hispanic/Latino directors worked on the 1,300 top grossing movies. This number was even lower when it came to female directors, with only 3 out of 1,447 directors of the sample size identifying as women of Hispanic or Latin origin.

Tessier, however, called for more intentional representation.

Representation is more than studios filling numbers and hiring Hispanics or Latinos just because, Tessier said. We need to make sure traditionally marginalized Latinos are leading the way and telling their stories.

Yalda T. Uhls, founding director of UCLAs Center for Scholars & Storytellers said she agreed effective representation is critical for young people to see themselves in media in addition to challenging stereotypes.

I found research done by Nickelodeon to be a very poignant example of this kind of impact, said Uhls, who works in bridging the gap between research and media creation. They found that when kids are asking how they would cast a Hispanic/Latinx person, many said I dont know, demonstrating how little they see this ethnicity on screen.

Increasing authentic representation in movies is a business imperative for studios too. A 2019 white paper, released by movie research firm Movio, revealed that when a marginalized community was represented on screen, audience attendance increased by twice the usual rate. For example, the Latinx audience for the movie Coco increased by 75% compared to the attendance for Incredibles 2.

Previous research by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has made waves in Hollywood circles and has become a measuring scale for film critics.

Film critics pay attention to our reports so when big blockbuster movies are released, people use our reports to assess the merits of such media, Tessier said. This might not seem too important, but its a big step were telling these studios that were not just passive consumers and we see how theyre excluding us.

Original post:

Facing the facts: Latino and Hispanic communities continue to be marginalized in film - uscannenbergmedia.com

When my New Mexican father came to Iowa in the early 1960s to join the faculty at Iowa State University, the Latino population in our state was sparse and often misunderstood. My father was also often misunderstood. Many Iowans did not even know New Mexico was part of the United States, and few had any understanding or appreciation of Hispanic culture beyond movie stereotypes.

Today Latinos (which refers to a persons culture or origin regardless of race, and is alternatively called Hispanic or the more recent term Latinx) are Iowas largest racial or ethnic minority group and one of the fastest growing populations. Just as my father moved here for his academic career, Latinos have come to Iowa for a variety of reasons and many have stayed for generations. Latinos have lived and worked in Iowa since the19th century, playing an important role in shaping the states economy, culture and communities.

With a declining population overall and need for a vibrant workforce in Iowa, Hispanics will increasingly have a large part in our states economy. As a report from the recent White House Hispanic Community Action Summit stated: Given the role that Hispanics will increasingly play in our labor force, in our economy, and in our public education system, it is undeniable that the success of our nation is inextricably tied to the success of the Hispanic community.

The same is true here in Iowa, but despite our long history here, Latinos have not been particularly visible.Thats why Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, is vital to recognizing and celebrating the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, I asked local Latino leaders,Why is it so important to the future of Iowa to support and advance leaders from diverse cultures, and from Hispanic cultures in particular?

Marta Codina, region bank president, Midwest Central Region, Wells Fargo Bank: We are the fastest growing segment of the population in the country. We bring a mix of cultures that only enriches our communities. Its important to have representation in leadership so this growing population sees their potential. If you can see it you can dream it!

Joe Gonzales, executive director, Latino Resources, Inc.: Latinos are a fast growing segment of the population. We offer talent and another voice, a voice that is growing but lacking when it comes to representation in leadership positions. When Latinos see Latinos in power, they envision something more for themselves. We dont want Latinos to settle for less. We want to nurture and mentor standouts in our community.

Tar Macias, president, Hola Iowa: The latest census numbers tell us that there are now over 215,000 Latinos living in the state of Iowa. We are the largest minority in the state yet we are not seen by the mainstream media and corporate America. We are the invisible minority. That is why we need to uplift our young Latino talent.

Sonia Parras Konrad, attorney at law, Law Offices of Sonia Parras PLLC: Research shows a positive link between diversity and an organizations performance. Supporting diverse perspectives, including those of Hispanic cultures, especially in the leadership ranks, helps attract talent and promote job satisfaction. As a result, organizations gain the powerful perspective of leaders whose culture and values are deeply and powerfully connected to the American Dream.

Manny Toribio, business development lead, McClure: Iowas future depends on having diverse decision makers in leadership roles. Having these individuals in place will provide a wide variety of perspectives and critical thinking to solve future problems.

The Latino community in Iowa has expanded significantly since my father arrived, and hopefully understanding and appreciation of this rapidly growing and important community will continue to advance. As Parras Konrad says, The world is getting smaller but we can grow bigger and have a stronger presence because of the commitment of Hispanic leaders to Iowa.

Ways to advance Latino leadership in your organization:

Commit to DEI: Toribio points out that inclusion does not happen without concentrated efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and having those uncomfortable conversations about why we are different. Gonzales echoes this, saying, One size fits all does not work, even in a majority white workplace. You have to create a genuinely personal and welcoming work environment.

Uplift your Latino employees. Be intentional, says Macias, pointing out that the average age of Latinos in the state of Iowa is 24 compared to 39 for the rest of the population in Iowa, a 15-year gap that deserves attention. He advises leaders to promote Latinos in positions of visibility and to include them in the decision making process. Says Parras, Hire, develop, empower and prepare to be amazed!

Create connections: We are a community minded group we like to connect and share our various diverse cultures, says Codina, sharing that Employee Resource Networks are a successful way for Latinos to connect as well as empower growth and development.

Celebrate Latino culture at the Iowa Latino Heritage Festival

This years Iowa Latino Heritage Festival, Living la Fiesta, will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 25 and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 in Western Gateway Park, 1330 Grand Ave. in downtown Des Moines.

Attendees can taste Latino American foods and experience a variety of entertainment from martial arts performers to folkloric dancers, and displays about the history of Latin American cultures. There will be musical entertainment both days, as well as cooking demonstrations of Latino meals.

Free parking is available in the Nationwide ramp at 1100 Walnut St.

Cost to attend the festival is $5 for adults; children 12 and younger are free. For more information, visit http://www.latinoheritagefestival.org

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On Leadership: The success of Iowa's economy tied to the Latino community - Business Record

Water Street to close for railroad work

LEWISTOWN The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation alerted motorists that the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority scheduled work to replace a railroad crossing on South Juniata Street in Lewistown Thursday, Sept. 23.

According to a press release from PennDOT, the crossing is at the intersection of South Juniata and Water streets. This work requires a closure of Water Street that will impact travel in the area; the work period ends Wednesday, Sept. 29.

PennDOT advises drivers that the crossing work and the Water Street closure will be in place during the weekend of Sept. 24-25.

Workers will not enact a detour, but drivers on South Juniata Street could encounter roadway flaggers, lane shifts and 10-foot width restrictions during daylight hours. Overnight, drivers will experience channelized lane shift patterns and 10-foot width restrictions, according to the press release.

PennDOT reminds drivers to follow detour signs, approach railroad crossings with care, and always expect a train.

MCHS to sponsor local tie dye event

LEWISTOWN Mifflin County Communities That Care and MCSD PAWSitive Vibes, a student group at Mifflin County High School, is sponsoring a tie dye event to be held at the school on Wednesday.

White T-shirts, with the groups slogan, Be kind, on the front and replacing negative thoughts with beautiful colors and positive energy on the back, will be provided for students and community members to tie dye in recognition of suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

The community of Mifflin County will be encouraged to wear their shirt (or any tie dye item) on Oct. 1 in support of the initiative.

Also on Oct. 1, Mifflin County will host Milton Hershey at 7 p.m. in football. Mifflin County Communities That Care and MCSD PAWSitive Vibes will have a giveaway for 200 attendees that show their support by wearing something tie dyed to the game.

MCHS PAWSitive Vibes club, has a mission/vision that MCSD will be a positive, emotionally healthy and safe environment that promotes kindness, compassion and a sense of belonging for all students. In collaboration with Communities That Care and The Mifflin County School District, PAWSitive Vibes will raise awareness, promote positivity and advocate for no student to feel alone, one good vibe at a time. Through intentional acts of kindness, PAWSitive Vibes will create a climate where students are recognized, accepted, empowered, and free from mental health stigma.

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In the region | News, Sports, Jobs - The Sentinel - Lewistown Sentinel

BOSTON (SHNS) There are parts of 29 municipalities that the Cannabis Control Commission considers to have been disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition, but the city with the largest Hispanic/Latinx population, Lawrence, is not among them.

Commissioner Nurys Camargo is hoping to change that, presenting the commission on Friday witha memooutlining the reasons it should take this brave and bold step in repairing the damage done to individuals and a community most impacted by adding Lawrence to the official list of disproportionately impacted areas (DIA).

The omission of a city of Lawrence for the past four years has created inequities in our programming and in our mission. It is imperative that we make an exception to the overall process before its too late for one of the most disproportionately harmed communities by the War on Drugs in Massachusetts, she said. And honestly, I think everyone here agrees [Lawrence] would fall in the top tier of any list, and should have been added to the list, the first list, four years ago.

The Merrimack Valley city has the highest Hispanic/Latinx population in the state (making up 82 percent of the citys population and 8.2 percent of the states Hispanic/Latinx residents), its residents have a median income of $44,618, and it releases the ninth-most inmates back into its community, the commissioner said.

But Lawrence was not designated as an area of disproportionate impact when the CCC first madethe listin 2018 due to limited data and a March 2021 study that remains under CCC review similarly left Lawrence off its list for the same reason, Camargo said. She said similar data limitations existed for Boston, but that CCC officials actively reached out to Boston officials to ensure Bostons consideration.

Lawrences omission from the DIA list and the absence of intentional municipal outreach to resolve the noted data limitations has left a significant eligibility gap in the Commonwealths largest Hispanic/Latinx community, Camargo wrote. The eligibility gap in Lawrence risks widening inequalities in the legal cannabis industry and participation in our Social Equity Program for the Hispanic/Latinx community.

Being added to the DIA list would benefit Lawrence and its residents in two main ways. To be eligible for the CCCs Social Equity Program, an applicant must meet two of four criteria, one of which is living in a DIA for five of the last 10 years. If Lawrence were added to the CCCs list, residents who currently only meet one of the programs requirements would become eligible for free technical assistance and training.

All marijuana establishment applicants are asked to present the CCC with a plan for helping disproportionately impacted communities and many companies propose making donations to community organizations in those areas. Camargo noted to reporters after the CCC meeting Friday that one licensee reviewed during the meeting was going to donate $100,000 to community groups.

Lawrence is missing out on resources back to their city, to the nonprofit organizations, she said.

The CCCs current list of DIAs includes some or all neighborhoods in Abington, Amherst, Boston, Braintree, Brockton, Chelsea, Fall River, Fitchburg, Greenfield, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lowell, Lynn, Mansfield, Monson, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Southbridge, Spencer, Springfield, Taunton, Walpole, Wareham, West Springfield, and Worcester.

After about 45 minutes of discussion and debate Friday, the commission voted 4-1 to table the matter until its Oct. 14 meeting and to ask Lawrence officials to provide the CCC with some of the data that was not captured in earlier reports in the meantime. Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion was the lone dissenting vote.

Commissioner Kimberly Roy, the newest member of the CCC, asked for the one-month delay and pointed out that the March report thats still under review included a list of 36 areas that could be considered for DIA status.

There were 36 communities in this [disproportionate impact] report that we have punted on that have high DI scores, Roy said. So, when asking this regulatory body to make an exception for one community when there are 36 that have been sitting in limbo for six months, I dont know if that is the best process.

Commissioner Bruce Stebbins pointed out that the March report included a line indicating that while the researcher did not have the necessary data to include Lawrence on its list based on the demographics and economics of Lawrence, though, it is highly likely the city would rank high on the DI score if all data were available.

After the meeting, Camargo said she became comfortable with the one-month delay after hearing the perspectives of her fellow commissioners. Executive Director Shawn Collins had said the more broad review of the March report and DIA list is almost certain to extend into 2022.

It allows me to work with the city of Lawrence, to get some data, to get some proxy data, she said. We all know Lawrence should be on the list. We all know it should have been there four years ago.

Hoffman said the issue with Lawrences data reporting became apparent pretty early on in the process of determining areas of disproportionate impact. He said the CCC agreed on a methodology and data sources with the contractor hired to conduct the initial study.

During the course of his work, we recognized that some communities did not contribute to the data sources that we agreed we would rely on, the chairman said. And at least two of those, there might be more, one was Boston, one was Lawrence. We reached out to both those communities. It took work. We got data from Boston, we did not get data from Lawrence.

Hoffman added, I know that Lawrence should, by all criteria, be part of this. On the other hand, I dont think we can just be arbitrary and say because we believe Lawrence should be part of it, they should be part of it. We need to have some objective data and I think thats what were continuing to try to accomplish.

The rest is here:

CCC commissioner presses to add Lawrence as disproportionately impacted area - WWLP.com

By Walter Ryce

September 15 marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15 (Sept. 15 is also independence day for several Central American countries). This week also commemorates Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Week, which the White House recognized with a proclamation on Sept. 13.

Jacinto M. Salazar III is CSUMBs transfer student success coordinator.

During both HSI Week and Hispanic Heritage Month, it is important for the campus community to learn about the student population that makes the HSI designation possible, Salazar said.

CSUMB, which has been an HSI since 1998, has a number of programs underway to celebrate and elucidate HSI Week.

The federal government defines an HSI as not-for-profit, degree granting colleges and universities that enroll at least 25% Latinx students, Salazar said. Once we move beyond the official definition, there is a great variety of interpretations as to what constitutes an HSI.

That could take into account equitable retention and graduation rates, or culturally relevant curriculum and campus life.

As an HSI, CSUMB has received millions of dollars for staffing, faculty and student services to support all students intentionally and comprehensively, he said.

Some highlights of CSUMBs history as an HSI include:

In addition to structural support, the HSI designation also brings an affirming message, according to Maria Joaquina Villaseor, a professor of Chicanx-Latinx Studies in the School of Humanities and Communication.

HSIs offer Latinx young people a valuable combination of opportunity, access, community and belonging, Villaseor said. Opportunity and access without a sense of community and belonging, can be alienating and can hinder not only academic success, but more importantly, well being. HSIs are intentional about the way they serve Latinx students. They name their commitment to those students, and maintain the conditions within which Latinx students can thrive.

Salazar said that staff, faculty and administrators often work behind the scenes to support Latinx students and improve academic outcomes.

Latinx students and the communities they come from, especially in the tri-county area, he said, play a critical role in the success of the university, our local area, and the country.

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National Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic Serving Institution Week converge | California State University Monterey Bay - CSUMB

Imagine that its Monday morning and youre in your kitchen filling up the coffeemaker before starting the work week and nothing comes out of the tap. Now imagine by Friday you still have no water not for coffee, your morning shower, your cooking, cleaning, or to flush toilets. Imagine for five days being unable to do these mundane activities youve come to take for granted every day. And thats just the impact to you, personally. Without water and wastewater service, many businesses cant open. An entire communitys ability to function begins to degrade. The fact remains that drinking water is fundamental to life and our expectation is to have this convenient service (along with wastewater service) at our fingertips every minute of every day of every year. When its gone, its not only extremely disruptive to us individually, but its absence also threatens an entire communitys ability to thrive.

Twenty years after 9/11, the challenges to maintain normal operation of water and wastewater systems continue to increase as the water sector works to improve drinking water security and resilience. In response to 9/11, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107- 188) was passed on June 12, 2002. This legislation amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and required approximately 8,400 community water systems serving greater than 3,300 people to conduct vulnerability assessments (VAs) and prepare emergency response plans (ERPs). This legislation authorized (but didnt appropriate) funding for preparing the VAs and ERPs and for emergency grants to states and utilities. This legislation directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), not the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to review methods to prevent, detect, and respond to threats to water safety and infrastructure security. EPA set up a Water Security Division (WSD) and focused its initial efforts on foreign and domestic terrorist threats, improving physical security, and on detecting intentional contamination by adversaries. This legislation did not require water systems to make security upgrades to address potential vulnerabilities, but many water systems made physical security improvements such as improving access control to their facilities.

In the same timeframe, DHS identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the country that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health, or safety. Water and wastewater systems are one of the 16 sectors, and guidance and resources have been developed by DHS and EPA to assist systems in improving security and resilience but there is much more to do.

As the water sector increased its knowledge on security and resilience, and there were zero or a limited number of incidents of physical attacks or intentional contamination, it became apparent that an all-hazard approach was needed that addressed extreme weather events such as hurricanes, flooding, ice storms, wildfires, etc., as well as cybersecurity and other threats. The water sector then established Water/Wastewater Response Networks (WARNs) across the country to provide a system for utilities helping utilities in the aftermath of an extreme weather event. In many cases, the WARNs have been effective ways to bring people and equipment in to assist prior to the arrival of federal resources and to aid in navigating the federal process for reimbursement of response and recovery expenditures.

Louisiana National Guard Soldiers distribute food and water to citizens in the wake of Hurricane Ida, in Westwego, La., Sept. 1, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Renee Seruntine)

Extreme weather events occur on a regular basis and Hurricane Ida and its impacts on water systems in Louisiana are the latest example. As of 9/11/21 (12 days after Ida made landfall) at 3 p.m. CDT, according to the Louisiana Department of Health website, the impacts to its water systems included:

The above statistics show the power of extreme weather events to impact water systems, even in areas like Louisiana that are used to hurricanes. They know better than most how to prepare and how to respond. But theres only so much a utility can do with 150 mph wind, several inches of rain, and substantial power outages. Supplies of treatment plant chemicals became an issue in the aftermath of Ida. The strength of Ida created water service impacts for approximately 25 percent of Louisianas population, and considerable impacts to water and wastewater systems in other states.

System resilience goes beyond response and recovery into design and operational issues that also need improvements. For example, EPA regulates around 50,000 community water systems, where people live and work every day. Remember that EPAs focus, as defined by the SDWA, is ensuring that these systems meet the standards for more than 90 regulated contaminants. Meeting the standards is essential for public health protection but having an adequate water source is part of the equation. Approximately half of those systems serve fewer than 500 people, and its likely that most, if not all, of them are groundwater systems with a single well and single storage tank. With only a single source of water, the well pump cant be pulled and maintained as it should be, and the well casing and screens also cant be checked and maintained.

While its a small system issue, it becomes a big problem in the community when theres no drinking water. Additionally, there are no federal requirements for back-up power, nor are there state-level requirements for back-up power and fuel storage for generators vary from state to state.

Time marches on, and Congress responded to the increasing number and diversity of threats to water systems with another round of legislation. The Americas Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was passed on October 23, 2018, and AWIA Section 2013 required approximately 10,000 community water systems serving greater than 3,300 people to develop or update risk and resilience assessments and ERPs. The law specifies thecomponents that these assessments and ERPs must address and establishes deadlines by which water systems must certify to EPAcompletion of the risk and resilience assessment and ERP.

After two rounds of federal legislation and two cycles of assessments and ERPs, where are we today in the water sector? The short answer is that we are still facing many, many challenges. First, a significant challenge is the sheer number of public water systems. There are more than 150,000 public water systems and more than 50,000 community water systems (CWSs) where people live and work. Another challenge is that the majority of CWSs are publicly owned and become easily tangled up in politics and resistance to raising rates to buy insurance, i.e., make improvements to protect against low-probability events.

Second, neither round of federal legislation nor the systems assessments required systems to make any improvements to address any of the vulnerabilities that were identified. Its up to the governing board or the city council to make the financial decisions on whether to invest in the necessary security and resiliency improvements. Progress on these improvements is unknown.

Third, after 9/11, many states passed exceptions to Sunshine Act or other public disclosure laws for security information. These protections are logical, as one wouldnt want adversaries to know the strengths and weaknesses of any systems security improvements. But these protections present challenges for federal and state regulators to understand the breadth and depth of potential security problems. The national scope of the problems is unknown, i.e., what is the total national need (cost) for security and resiliency improvements?

Fourth, there is no systematic reporting of security breaches and outages at water and wastewater systems, other than at the state level as previously discussed for the recovery from Ida in Louisiana. When there is a power outage in an area, sometimes the system has adequate backup power and enough fuel to sustain the generators during the outage, but in a sustained power outage maintaining an adequate fuel supply can be problematic. There is no systematic reporting of impacts to water and wastewater systems during power outages and there is a legitimate issue on what the data would be used for if collected.

Theres only so much a utility can do with 150 mph wind, several inches of rain, and substantial power outages

Fifth, an understanding of the relative risks of the threats (physical destruction, versus intentional contaminant, versus cyberattacks) is needed to prioritize investments in improvements so that the most likely risks are addressed. Research is needed on how to harden water and wastewater infrastructure in a cost-effective manner.

Finally, cybersecurity in the water sector has emerged as a top priority in the past couple of years. In 2019 and 2021, well-publicized incidents in Ellsworth, Kansas and in Oldsmar, Florida, respectively, are prime examples. The media carried the story of the 2021 indictment of a former employee in Ellsworth, and law enforcement held a news conference in Oldsmar to report the attack (no indictments yet). But many other cyberattacks in the water sector dont make the news and we dont know how many attacks occur or how significant the attacks are to system operations. Increased automation in water and wastewater systems has improved efficiency but has likely increased the risk of cybersecurity attacks. The water sector is lacking a baseline estimate of how many systems have remote access but its likely at least 50 percent. Cybersecurity tools and resources have been developed by EPA and others, such as the American Water Works Association (AWWA), but its unclear how many systems have taken advantage of these resources or made any of the improvements noted in a cybersecurity assessment.

So, whats next for the water sector? Several questions need to be answered in a collaborative manner, so that everyone agrees with the path forward for improving security and resilience in the water sector:

The above list of questions sounds simple, but it represents a staggering research agenda that needs significant federal funding for making progress on the necessary security and resiliency improvements to our water and wastewater systems. A coordinated effort is needed as soon as possible, as its critical that the speed of the progress be increased through a collaboration between federal and state agencies and the water and wastewater systems. The alternative to stay with the status quo means the water sector will continue to make slow and steady progress on improving security and resiliency, while many more extreme events occur, likely leaving communities without water, which will continue to destabilize their economies and the lives of the people within them.

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State of Infrastructure Security: Protecting Water Lifelines from Physical and Cyber Threats - Hstoday - HSToday

Sarah Brown

For far too long, the rhetoric around mobility in the active transportation field has been deeply rooted in White supremacy, classism, and other intersecting oppressions that violate our fundamental and collective human rights. And yet we still try to build equitable approaches upon this toxic foundation.

This will not work.

We need space to question our language,to disrupt these systems, and most importantly, to uproot what makes us unable to work toward justice.

This was the motivation behind my recent research into how top transportation organizations tend to frame conversations about safety, equity, and policing and how that language is evolving. In my paper which is built upon the concept of Arrested Mobility coined by Charles T. Brown I closely analyzed 44 articles and communications published by ten active transportation thought-leaders, before and after George Floyds murder on May 25, 2020.

Ten thought leaders with power and privilege were chosen because of their large outreach and influential advocacy. Most importantly, each organization responded to Floyds murder in some capacity. The results of my work were broken down into the three main categories: safety, equity, and police.

When transportation leaders spoke about safety prior to the murder of George Floyd, they tended to focus on safety performance measures: crashes, injuries or fatalities, trips, and number of people who are physically active on U.S. roads. These are essential, but they do not capture a complete definition of safety, which includes safety from all racist and discriminatory barriers to transportation.

Most organizations also tended to talk about safety for all users. Some took care to acknowledge that certain identities are more vulnerable than others because of racism and other targeted oppressions but some organizations did not.

In the immediate aftermath of George Floyds murder, this rhetoric subtly shifted. Nine out of ten organizations spoke explicitly to safety from police brutality and violence, and they openly condemned acts of racism by police following the events of May 25, 2020.

Many spoke specifically to how the concept of safe streets means more than bike lanes and sidewalks, and how no one should fear traffic violence or police harassment and brutality on our streets a more of expansive definition of safety than had never been so collectively visible in transportation discourse before May 25, 2020.

Before George Floyds murder, most of the organizations in this study alluded to the concept of mode equity, which concerns the mobility and modality choices available to different people, distinct from each persons fundamental right to mobility.

When the language of mode equity excludes the intersectional identity of the person whos moving, though, this rhetoric is dehumanizing, because it works to separate a persons specific lived experience from the way they choose to move around even as the realities of systemic racism, police brutality, and other intersecting oppressions have a profound impact on those very mode choices.

After Floyds murder, organizations spoke more specifically about the human right to walk or bike without becoming the target of violence from police or other community members a right which is often denied to our BIPOC communities since the origins of colonialism and slavery in the U.S.

In the first phase of this study, seven of the ten organizations spoke to disparities in traffic enforcement and those were the same seven that talked about working with police to end those disparities.

All of these organizations acknowledged there are disparate and harmful impacts on Black communities and other marginalized groups, but none of them expressed an active commitment to working to end police partnerships or to remove police from traffic safety efforts altogether.

Instead, many advocated for data-driven enforcement as a politically viable work-around to help diminish these disparities.

Less clear, though, was what specific sorts of enforcement changes this data would actually drive and who gets to make those decisions about the enforcement and policing of our communities.

After Floyds murder, only two organizations in my sample the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the League of American Bicyclists wrote explicitly about ending partnerships with police.

Both of these organizations dropped the E of enforcement from the five Es of Vision Zero framework that often guides traffic safety advocates, and explicitly stated that enforcement does not equal safety because policing actively puts Black lives at risk and perpetuates white supremacy.

As advocates seek to uproot toxic frameworks from their language, here are three takeaways to bear in mind.

Be intentional and impeccable in how you talk about safety, and fully embrace that safety from police brutality is an essential part of our active transportation work. Safety, equity, and re-examining the role of police in transportation are intimately intertwined; pretending they are distinct concepts is unacceptable.

Today, almost every active transportation thought leader in this study has explicitly said that safety from police brutality would become a focus of their work. Now, we must hold this industry accountable to keeping that promise.

Safe and dignified mobility is a human right, and anything that impedes that right for BIPOC communities and other marginalized groups is a blow to our collective humanity. Police brutality on our streets and sidewalks too often violates or removes the right to walk, bike, drive, and take transit as well as the right to simply be connected to the world.

To paraphrase Dr. Destiny Thomas, mobility justice is less about mode choice and is more about freedom of movement and the freedom to navigate space in the absence of racism.

We must utilize the rhetoric of mobility rights because it is far more powerful than any language around modes or choices.

Data can be used to oppress, police, and surveil. But it can also be used to heal and bring justice.

Data justice is essential to transportation because we can use it to deeply examine and challenge power and privilege.

As Charles T. Brown emphasizes, to begin to fill that void, we must start disaggregating everything we collect by race and ethnicity. We need new data sets and performance measures that shape our evolving definitions of safety and success.

Until we do this, questioning data-driven enforcement is key. Because of course, pretextual and discretionary stops by police that target Black and low-income communities are examples of data-driven enforcement strategies, too.

This is not an exhaustive list of every instance of inequitable framing in transportation advocacy circles. But as we work towards true mobility justice, we must make an ongoing commitment to being intentional in how we write and how we speak, and we must recognize how our language choices fundamentally affect how we approach our work.

To be silent about racism in the transportation realm is not just a failure. It is actively violent. We are here to serve our communities and do good, equitable work, and anything less than that in transportation is inexcusable.

Sarah Brown is a researcher at the intersections of mobility and data justice. She previously completed this work as a part of her Master of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently a Transportation Analyst at Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Find her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter at @sarahbrow_nn.

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Study: How We Talk About Racism in Transportation And Why it Matters - Streetsblog New York