Free Your Mind, Man! Free Your Mind! - Advancement Project - Advancement Project

Free Your Mind, Man! Free Your Mind!

On honoring your ancestors by doing what they did for centuries-being bold and courageous enough to have a stubborn belief.

February 12, 2018

by Robb King

I reached a quarter-century of life this past November, experiencing 25 full rotations around the Sun; 9,132 planetary spins of the Earth’s axis; and 219,168 hours of time breathing-and yes, I accounted for leap years. See, some folks see life as being short, like a fleeting shadow; but for some reason, life seems quite long to me-long enough to create, assess and reinvent one’s self over and over again. And as my 24th year of life set, my assessment of what I had created illuminated before my eyes.

In that time of living, I noticed I still lacked a quality understanding of the term liberation. For the majority of my life, I thought liberation was a seat at the table and I spent much of my time striving for that seat. In my naiveté, I failed to realize that changing who sits at the table only changes the people at the table, not the table itself-which started to feel like a problem. I thought success would bring me liberation. Yet, I slowly came to realize that my definition of success was never really mine but one given to me by those who “knew better”. Ain’t that something? I was out here chasing things I didn’t even want and in the process, negotiating pieces of myself to get it.

Now, I know for many people 25 ain’t a long time; but for me, it was enough time to realize that liberation was something I had to define on my own terms. You see, I had spent so much time seeking a distorted view of physical liberation that I had neglected the liberation of my own mind. For as the mind thinks, so the body commits to action; and my actions were preceding anything my mind had established. Liberation, for me, has to start from within now; it must be born internally from a stubborn belief in one’s self and the life one deserves to live. A true, sustainable concept of liberation cannot be born out of physical accomplishments, accolades or seats earned; nor from the beliefs and definitions of others-for it can only be sustained by one’s own stubborn belief.

So to celebrate this 25th year of life, I decided to dedicate an entire year to doing just that-liberating my damn mind by doing things that force me to create a stubborn belief in myself. Things that force me to see myself for who I am and to embrace it without apology. And isn’t that the best way to celebrate not just Black History Month but Black history? Honoring your ancestors by doing what they did for centuries-being bold and courageous enough to have a stubborn belief. So, as the beautiful, Black sirens of Black history (aka EnVogue) once sang, “Free your MIND and the rest will follow!” That’s what I’m doing.

Peace.

KEEP READING

Advancement Project and Alliance for Educational Justice React to New Federal Resource on Race Discrimination in School Discipline

WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a joint resource on race discrimination in school discipline.  The resource reiterates the civil rights obligations schools have to protect students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, and provides examples of investigations into discriminatory school discipline policies and practices and how those investigations were resolved.   “Black students and other students of color are experiencing escalated police violence, school push out, and attacks on their freedom to learn, grow…

Read More
White Paper Released as Louisiana Legislature Hears HB 396 to Streamline Voter Registration Process for People with Felony Convictions this Wednesday

New Orleans, LA – Today, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), Advancement Project, and political scientist Dr. Ariel White released a new white paper titled “No Surrender, No Retreat! Removing Barriers to the Ballot Box for Formerly Incarcerated People in Louisiana.” The white paper unveils the 64-parish survey of the registrars of voters, while also highlighting the historical challenges faced by Louisiana voters with felony convictions when trying to register to vote.   Shockingly, only 23 out of 46 parishes, or 50%, correctly stated that…

Read More
Movimiento Poder Asks to Join Lawsuit Challenging Denver Public School District Board of Education’s Behind-Closed-Door Reversal on Police Free Schools

DENVER,CO–  Today, on behalf of Movimiento Poder, Advancement Project and Eric Maxfield Law, LLC asked the Denver District Court to allow it to intervene, or join,  in a lawsuit over the Denver Public School District Board of Education’s closed-door decision to suspend a policy prohibiting police in schools (the “Police Free Schools policy”). This reactionary decision came about in response to a tragic school shooting at East High School in Denver, and allows police in schools through June 2023. Movimiento Poder, a grassroots organization led by Denver parents and students who have organized for decades to…

Read More
Plaintiffs Challenging Florida’s SB 90 React to 11th Circuit Reversal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court decision and allowed Florida to continue to force communities of color to navigate unnecessary obstacles in order to vote.  This decision undercuts the thorough analysis of the district court which rightfully found that Florida’s SB 90 was adopted with the intent to discriminate against Black voters in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments as well as section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Additionally, the 11th Circuit reversed the decision by the lower court…

Read More
Puente Youth and Advancement Project Call on Phoenix Union High School District to Reject Return of Harmful Policing and Invest in Students

PHOENIX, AZ — Yesterday, Phoenix Union High School District (the District) heard testimony on a school safety committee’s recommendations, including on bringing School Resource Officers (SROs) to the District after voting to remove school police in 2020.  The District also temporarily extended an agreement with the city for off-duty police officers.  Young people with Puente Human Rights Movement spoke out about the harms of school policing and advocated against adopting the committee’s recommendations. “The District must follow through on its commitment to a community-driven vision of school safety, and must reject the school safety committee’s reactionary…

Read More
National Campaign for Police Free Schools Rejects Call for More Police in Schools in Response to Nashville School Shooting

WASHINGTON, DC — In response to the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, the National Campaign for Police Free Schools released these statements from Advancement Project and Alliance for Educational Justice, co-conveners of the campaign: “Once again we are mourning alongside a grieving community. We are devastated by the tragic murders of three children and three adults in Nashville. Young people deserve to be safe and nurtured while they learn and grow,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of the Advancement Project. “In moments…

Read More
National Campaign for Police Free Schools Demands Reversal of Denver School Board Decision to Bring Back Police

WASHINGTON, DC — The Denver Public School Board has suspended its policy prohibiting police in schools through the end of June. This sudden decision came about in response to a school shooting at East High School in Denver, the third shooting at that high school this year. It is the latest in a nationwide trend of decisions to walk back commitments made following the uprisings in 2020 to remove police from schools. “This hasty decision, made without community, is a reactionary approach that will only fail students and families.  Police do not…

Read More
Advancement Project and Tenants and Workers United React to Alexandria City Public School Board’s Refusal to Fully Fund Holistic Supports for Students

Washington, DC — On February 16th, 2023, the Alexandria City Public School Board (ACPS) voted to approve a proposed budget for the 2024 school year that includes only minor increases in funding for student mental health supports and restorative practices. At the same time, the Board voted to add funding for security guards and equipment and adopted a recommendation that the city fund school police. This is the latest step to reverse the City Council’s 2021 commitment to permanently remove police from schools. “Though we are disappointed by this decision, the fight continues,” said Evelin Urrutia,…

Read More
Racial Justice Organization Advancement Project Responds to President Biden’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC – In reaction to the State of the Union, Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project, a national racial justice organization, issued this statement: “Tonight’s State of the Union, held just weeks after the killing of Tyre Nichols, did little to address the core problems inherent in policing.  “While President Biden acknowledged the pain and grief of families like the parents of Tyre Nichols, his administration’s efforts to put more money and resources into policing will only result in more murders of Black people by the hands of police.

Read More
Advancement Project Responds to Reports Of Memphis Police Officers Charged Over Tyre Nichols Killing

Leading Racial Justice Organization Calls for World Where Black People Are Free WASHINGTON, DC —  In response to reports that five former Memphis police officers are charged with the murder and kidnapping of Tyre Nichols, Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of Advancement Project released this statement: “Today, three weeks after Tyre Nichols’ brutal killing, it was announced that five former Memphis police officers were indicted on charges including murder and kidnapping. While it is rare to see cops face any accountability for their actions, this is hardly a victory. Nothing can bring…

Read More