AH&A “Our House” Ep.14: Justin Maffett
A gifted speaker grabs the bullhorn
Justin Maffett is a lawyer and activist living in Yorkville on the Upper East Side. Here’s his story of growing up as a Black kid in predominantly white spaces, becoming an activist, and how a protest in his local community helped him find his voice in the recent and ongoing Black Lives Matter demonstrations following the horrific police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
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OUR HOUSE Credits:
Speech audio from Carl Schurz Park via @justinmaffett.
Production and editing by Jeff Rose.
Music by Audioblocks.
Hosted by Nicole Ferraro.
BLACK LIVES MATTER: How to take action
Fighting for Black lives does not end when the media stops covering protests, or even when the street demonstrations eventually stop.
Being an anti-racist must be an active choice we make and improve upon every day.
In addition to looking into how your own communities can and should change their budgets and laws to put an end to state-sanctioned systemic racism – and contacting your local legislators until they do so – please see this list of resources below for more ways to learn and get involved in the fight for Black lives and racial justice:
Follow and support Black Lives Matter. Check out Toolkits for community resources.
Follow and support the Movement for Black Lives. Read about the vision to Defund the Police. Learn about the BREATHE Act and sign up to receive updates and actions.
Watch and share this Vox video: “What ‘defund the police’ really means.”
Learn about 8toAbolition to understand why abolition can’t wait.
Bookmark and use this link to find more ways to help and get involved, including ongoing petitions, fundraisers, educational resources, etc.
Check out this extensive list of Antiracism Resources for articles, podcasts, books, films, and more.
White people: Find and join your local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice.
New York Resources:
Visit BlackOpportunities.com for BLM-endorsed policy demands.
Follow @justiceforgeorgenyc on Instagram to find and join a local protest.
Get acquainted with New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU).
For updates on the nightly Carl Schurz Park vigil, community forum, and march discussed in this episode, check out @ues4blm on Instagram.