Wednesday Nov 4, 2020

Somatics 101 Listen to your body and avoid burn out

This workshop is led by Prentis Hemphill, a somatic instructor and social justice leader. 

Speaking Of… How to stop “doomscrolling” during election week

Now what?

As Americans await the results of the election amid increasingly heated rhetoric, it’s a good time to revisit some of the mental wellness advice The Washington Post has published to help us deal with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic. The election, after all, is generating similar feelings of anxiety, helplessness and uncertainty, which, unfortunately, also might not be resolved soon. What follows is a roundup of articles we hope will help you focus on what you can control — even if it’s just your breath — so you can maintain your equanimity until all the election results come in, and through any legal battles or political upheaval beyond.

Learn to breathe: This story suggesting 10 things to help you get through the pandemic into the fall has a lot of good tips. But, right now, scroll down to the section by Amanda McCracken about how to belly-breathe.

Try to be adaptable: Maybe you thought, despite what the pundits said, that we’d know the result Tuesday. You need to adapt to this new uncertainty, and all the others that the pandemic has thrown at us. Adaptability may be your most essential skill in the covid-19 world, this article tells us. Here’s my favorite quote from one of the experts in it, who encourages a perspective known as “positive uncertainty”: “We start by accepting that we’ll get through this. Accepting that the world is uncertain and being comfortable with that uncertainty gives us the confidence to be flexible.”

Work on becoming emotionally resilient. Among these science-based tips from psychologist Jelena Kecmanovic is accepting negative emotions, rather than try to push them away. “Notice negative emotions, thoughts and physical sensations as they come up, look into them with curiosity, describe them without judgment and then let them go. This is an essence of mindfulness, which has been consistently linked to good psychological health.”

Read the story on Washington Post

Feel Good BLM organizer becomes the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress

Cori Bush, a progressive community leader and veteran Black Lives Matter activist, won a House seat in Missouri, becoming the state's first Black woman to represent the state in Congress, according to CNN projections.

Bush defeated newcomer Republican Anthony Rogers by a 79% to 19% margin in the race to represent Missouri's 1st congressional district, which covers St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County. She was expected to win the general election after her upset in the Democratic primary over incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay -- a Black lawmaker who, along with his father former Rep. William Clay Sr., had represented the district for 50 years.

"This is definitely a night to remember," Bush said in a speech on Tuesday.

Bush, a nurse and a pastor, became an organizer and protest leader after the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014. She ran on a progressive platform, championing policies including Medicare-For-All and the Green New Deal.

"As the first Black woman and also the first nurse and single mother to have the honor to represent Missouri in the United States Congress, let me say this: To the Black women, the Black girls, the nurses, the essential workers, the single mothers, this is our moment," she said.

Read the story on CNN

More of This For the first time ever, two gay Black men are headed to Congress

Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres made history Tuesday night as the first two openly gay Black members of Congress. Jones, 33, was elected as the representative to New York’s 17th congressional district, including areas of Rockland and Westchester Counties. Torres, 32, was elected to represent New York’s 15th District, which covers portions of the West and South Bronx. Torres identifies as Afro-Latino.

Both candidates’ historic wins have been anticipated since they won their Democratic primary races last June, riding an insurgent wave of Progressive Democratic candidates. In a conversation with Jamilah King on The Mother Jones Podcast in early September, Mondaire Jones explained that he’s already on group 
texts with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

“There’s never been an openly gay Black member of Congress in the 244 year history of the United States, and it was only in the past few years that I began to think that it was possible,” Jones said on the podcast, acknowledging the barriers that his campaign was on the brink of breaking. Jones also addressed the homophobia he experienced as a candidate and talked about the pieces of his personal story that kept him going: “For me, policy is personal. I grew up in section eight housing and on food stamps. It’s not academic for me.”

Read the story on Mother Jones

More of This Too The first ever Transgender state senator in US history 

Sarah McBride has won her Delaware state Senate race, poising her to become the first and only openly transgender state senator in the U.S. and the country's highest-ranking transgender official.

"I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too," McBride, 30, tweeted Tuesday night after the election was called. "As Delaware continues to face the Covid crisis, it's time to get to work to invest in the policies that will make a difference for working families."

She easily defeated Republican Steve Washington to represent Delaware's 1st Senate District. Incumbent Democrat Harris McDowell, who did not seek re-election after 44 years, had endorsed McBride.

The 1st District covers Bellefonte, Claymont and parts of Wilmington, the state's largest city.

"I've spent my life fighting for people to have dignity, peace of mind, and a fair shot at staying afloat and getting ahead," McBride said in a statement announcing her candidacy last year. "Sen. McDowell's retirement at the end of this term is a well-deserved cap on a remarkable career of public service, and now our neighbors need someone who will continue to fight for them."

Read to the Story on NBC News

ChangeLawyers is hiring!

We've hiring up to 10 immigration lawyers for two-year fellowships  in either California’s Central Coast or Central Valley. Apply here

November 10 at 12 Noon PST