Posts by Tammy Mills

Day 18: Creating inclusive spaces – allyship What does it mean to be an ally? An ally is someone who does not belong to an oppressed group but works to actively advocate with and for that group. To do this well, allies work to understand what it feels like for another person or group to…

Day 17: Showing up as your whole self For many people holding oppressed identities, navigating spaces requires a careful calculation of how much of themselves to show. Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) often engage in a practice called code-switching, adapting their speech and behaviors to their environment. This is something many of us…

Day 16: Criminal Legal System Today, we’ll explore the impacts of the criminal legal system on oppressed populations. Some who advocate for change in this system prefer the language of criminal legal system over criminal justice system to describe policing, prosecution, courts, and corrections because these systems disproportionately target and impact people with oppressed identities. This shift in language…

Day 15: Wealth and Income Wealth is more than just how you earn a living. It includes income, homeownership, family support, access to high quality K-12 and higher education, retirement savings, and more. On nearly every measure, disparities exist along the lines of ability, race and ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation, and gender. Banking, housing,…

Day 14: Educational Equity Educational equity means that all students have equal opportunities to access high quality education, safe and inclusive learning environments, and the tools they need to be successful. In the Supreme Court’s ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, the Justices delivered a unanimous decision that State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.…

Day 13: Heterosexism and Cissexism How do systems of oppression show up for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other (LGBTQIA+) people? While all oppression seeks to dehumanize and exclude, this shows up in different ways for different identities. Here are some ways for us to understand how oppression impacts LGBTQIA+ communities. Heterosexism describes…

Day 12: Mental Health Mental health is a broad category that includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It impacts every part of our day-to-day living. Like our physical well-being, mental health is impacted by our individual choices and systems. More than 1 in 5 adults in the United States live with a mental illness. While…

Day 11: Racism There is no biological basis for race. It is a social construct, meaning that it is understood, defined (and redefined), and enforced by ideas people have about themselves and others based on the color of their skin. While it is a category people made up, race creates very real consequences. Race plays a…

Day 10: Healthcare Identity strongly impacts living conditions, access to quality health care, and chronic stress in the body. As a result, many people with marginalized and oppressed identities live shorter life spans and have a higher likelihood of adverse health outcomes.  Consider these findings:  Disparities in health outcomes are rooted in discrimination across systems…