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Overnight News Digest for February 1, 2023 (Black History Month edition) [1]

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Date: 2023-02-01

Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, Magnifico, annetteboardman, Besame, jck, and JeremyBloom. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man, wader, Neon Vincent, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), rfall, ScottyUrb, Doctor RJ, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP) and jlms qkw.

OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00 AM Eastern Time.

February marks Black History Month, a tradition that got its start in the Jim Crow era and was officially recognized in 1976 as part of the nation's bicentennial celebrations. It aims to honor the contributions that African Americans have made and to recognize their sacrifices. It was Negro History Week before it was Black History Month In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, the scholar often referred to as the "father of Black history," established Negro History Week to focus attention on Black contributions to civilization. According to the NAACP, Woodson — at the time only the second Black American after W.E.B. Du Bois to earn a doctorate from Harvard University — "fervently believed that Black people should be proud of their heritage and [that] all Americans should understand the largely overlooked achievements of Black Americans."… There's a new theme every year Each year, the ASALH chooses a different theme for Black History Month. This year, the theme is "Black Resistance."… Recent controversies over how race is taught echo a time when Black history was often ignored For Dulaney, the culture wars playing out across the country over how students learn about race feel like a case of history repeating itself. x At my last Black History Month celebration at the White House, we had folks of all ages come together to celebrate—including Clark Reynolds. I hope we'll continue to build a brighter future for young people like him. pic.twitter.com/H9NagqrqmW — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 1, 2023

In his proclamation marking February as National Black History Month, President Biden said part of celebrating the legacy of Black Americans means acknowledging that America has never lived up to its promise that all people should be treated equal. “The struggles and challenges of the Black American story to make a way out of no way have been the crucible where our resolve to fulfill this vision has most often been tested,” Biden said in a statement on Tuesday. “Black Americans’ struggles for freedom, equal treatment, and the right to vote; for equal opportunities in education, housing, and the workplace; for economic opportunity, equal justice, and political representation; and so much more have reformed our democracy far beyond its founding. Black Americans have made a way not only for themselves but also have helped build a highway for millions of women, immigrants, other historically marginalized communities, and all Americans to more fully experience the benefits of our society,” the president continued. x Black History Month was established to teach the history of Black excellence and leadership in America and our history of resistance and resilience.



Black history is American history. pic.twitter.com/wX87ZqLSEY — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 1, 2023

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Annie Anderson of AFSCME. Annie Anderson is head custodian at the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy in Columbus, Ohio, where the students know her as “Miss Annie.” She makes sure her students know they are loved and can achieve great things. As an AFSCME member, Anderson uses her voice to ensure that she and her co-workers have the tools they need to provide a safe and colorful environment where kids can thrive.

If all you learn about Black History was that Martin Luther King Jr. wanted a “colorblind” society, it’s easy to buy into a pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality. Who needs affirmative action if we live in a “colorblind” world, right? If you don’t learn about queer Black figures like James Baldwin, you might struggle to understand the link between LGBTQ+ rights and the broader fight for Black liberation. … So consider this a call to arms. Don’t let these lessons die. Pick up a copy of Notes of a Native Son by Baldwin. Talk to your children and neighbors about the civil rights movement, slavery, and redlining. Demand answers for why our unvarnished history isn’t worth including in the winding arc of this country’s story. x “Why must you always concentrate on color?”



As always, this answer from James Baldwin is what you were looking for. Must watch.#BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/YsJcsmyxsT — Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) February 1, 2023

‘Black history is my father’ Growing up, he was exposed to negative stereotypes about Black people despite the priceless contributions we made to America. As my Dad acquired knowledge of the African diaspora, he taught me. We attended African history lectures, were activists and read books like “The Miseducation of the Negro,” because, “it’s your history, Miss.” My Dad encouraged me to become Princess Zurii, professional Griot. I eventually realized that I received gifts that many did not get until college, if that. My father’s teachings are why I have pride in my African name and my cultural birthright. It is because of him that I know my “why” — even on my worst day, even when I forget. He is why I know Black history is American and world history… ‘Keeping Black history alive’ When I was a little girl, my parents gave me a book of prominent Black Americans. They told me to choose one and write a short biography. Reading this book is how I learned about Ida B. Wells and eventually found myself on the path to being a journalist. As a young Black girl, I wanted to learn more about Black history throughout the year. I understand that might not be everyone’s experience. That’s why I appreciate Black History Month. It gives everyone an opportunity to reflect and learn more, especially those who might not ordinarily take a deep dive into Black history. If we are intentional about doing this, we will be surprised about what we learn. Maybe, just maybe, learning about Black history will give people a better appreciation of Black people who are living today. — Rebekah Barber, editorial fellow ‘We’re not a monolith’ Black History Month and the idea of Black excellence, to me, is really about allowing everyone across our lived experiences to celebrate the people and things they love the most. That Black person who innovated in video games? Shout ’em out. You joined a Black bicyclists group? Awesome, and kudos to the person who started it.

The post-Civil War Reconstruction era marked a period of massive social, political, economic, and cultural advancements for Black Americans. Between 1865 and 1877, formerly enslaved people gained citizenship rights, fought for land ownership and economic independence, ran for elected office, and established many civic, religious, and educational institutions that are still with us today. With these gains, however, also came fierce backlash to racial progress. White supremacists used violence and intimidation to reverse many of these advancements and ushered in a new era of Jim Crow laws. Despite the fact that Reconstruction is an important, influential chapter in American history — and that we are still dealing with the fallout of its end — many public and private school curricula do not give adequate attention to this era, spending more time on other periods in American history, such as the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. A report from the Zinn Education Project released early last year found that, nationwide, the Reconstruction era is seldom taught accurately in K-12 schools, and often not enough class time is spent discussing this period. As a result, the Reconstruction era is poorly understood. According to the Zinn report, state standards and history curricula nationwide fail to “teach a sufficiently complex and comprehensive history of Reconstruction.” Instead, students are often taught an inaccurate and racist depiction of the time. Jesse Hagopian, an educator and organizer with the Zinn Education Project, tells Teen Vogue, “Our report on Reconstruction discovered that the vast majority of states established education standards that ignore the role of white supremacy in ending Reconstruction, and they reproduce racist and false framings of Reconstruction that obscure the contributions of Black people to Reconstruction's achievements.” x For @TeenVogue, I wrote about the importance of learning about the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, which is often poorly taught and understood, despite being a period of massive social, political, economic, and cultural advancements for Black Americans.https://t.co/EkQNcO3HSq — Catherine Caruso 🔮 (@cacarusoo) February 1, 2023

Alicia Garza’s name will go down in American history as being one of the three women, alongside Patrisse Cullors and Ayọ Tometi, who conceived of and popularized the slogan #BlackLivesMatter nearly 10 years ago in response to Trayvon Martin’s 2013 killing. That hashtag went on to frame the 2014 Ferguson uprising, and the record-breaking racial justice uprisings of 2020. And yet, the question remains: How can this country ensure that Black lives matter? Garza frames her approach to racial justice within Black futurist visions—she refers to the month of February as Black Futures Month rather than Black History Month. According to her, “Black communities have always been futurists.” What that means is, “Because of the way that the rules have been rigged against our communities, we’ve been forced to imagine a new future with possibilities for freedom.” x If she was strong enough to survive this — then white kids should be strong enough to learn about it in school. Agree? #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/m6xQ5DiAeh — Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) February 1, 2023

In other news:

Progressive economists and advocates on Wednesday blasted the U.S. Federal Reserve for hiking the federal funds rate an eighth consecutive time despite fears of a recession and impacts on working people. "With today's rate hike, the Fed is pushing us dangerously close to an unnecessary recession that would spell disaster for low-wage workers, workers of color, and vulnerable communities," the Groundwork Collaborative declared. "Workers and families shouldn't have to pay the price for inflation." ..."Key indicators show inflation is slowing as our economic recovery remains fragile, which means the Fed's higher rates are only pushing the economy closer to a recession," she said. "Meanwhile, Fed economists have admitted corporations are the real culprit of high costs yet have still refused to relax rate hikes. It's time for the Fed to back down and let policymakers rein in corporate greed rather than risk it all on another rate increase."

x John Roberts: Still wondering why the public views SCOTUS as illegitimate under your watch?https://t.co/ca4166HS9r — Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) February 1, 2023

For the second year running, climate-focused media company Pique Action and the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have put together a list of top talent in this category. ...“They have a higher bar than a lot of traditional publishers [for] what they’ll talk about when it comes to climate,” Tyler Steinhardt, vp of business development and partnerships at Pique Action, told Adweek. “They’re not going to be greenwashing because they recognize [that it] could be an existential risk for their brand association.” It goes without saying that in 2023, no brand wants to be caught greenwashing—especially when that means being called out in a viral social post. One way to avoid that is by employing the help of creators with deep knowledge of the environmental and climate issues in addition to their audiences and their platforms. x here's one way to avoid greenwashing — partner with a creator who knows their shit on climate. @PiqueAction and @HarvardChanSPH today released a list of 17 climate creators to watch in 2023 👀https://t.co/xCwyXCrmNe — kathryn lundstrom (@klundster) January 31, 2023

Russia stole the election:

x Since McGonigal was arrested, I have been waiting for someone in the national media to point out that Comey's hand was forced by people in FBI counterintelligence in NY. Finally, @Will_Bunch says the obvious. This guy swung the 2016 election. https://t.co/bVPBxbGXUW — Carrie Kaufman (@CarrieKaufman) January 31, 2023

Powering the world with renewable energy will take a lot of raw materials. The good news is, when it comes to aluminum, steel, and rare-earth metals, there’s plenty to go around, according to a new analysis. In the 2015 Paris Agreement, world leaders set a goal to keep global warming under 1.5 °C, and reaching that target will require building a lot of new infrastructure. Even in the most ambitious scenarios, the world has enough materials to power the grid globally with renewables, the researchers found. And mining and processing those materials won’t produce enough emissions to warm the world past international targets. ...But for every scenario the team examined, the materials needed to keep the world under 1.5 °C of warming account for “only a fraction” of the world’s geologic reserves, says Seaver Wang, co-director of the climate and energy team at the Breakthrough Institute and one of the authors of the study, which was published in the journal Joule this week.

A Swedish mining company has announced the discovery of the largest rare earth oxides deposit in Europe, with 1 million tonnes of metal found beneath the ground in north Sweden. The state-owned company, LKAB, is in luck as the deposit is very close to its Kiruna iron mine, which is the largest of its kind. ...“This is good news, not only for LKAB, the region and the Swedish people, but also for Europe and the climate,” said Jan Moström, President and Group CEO of LKAB, in a statement. “This is the largest known deposit of rare earth elements in our part of the world, and it could become a significant building block for producing the critical raw materials that are absolutely crucial to enable the green transition. We face a supply problem. Without mines, there can be no electric vehicles.”

x ConocoPhillips’ Willow, advanced by @potus today, project would bring at least 219 wells, 267 miles of pipelines, & 35 miles of roads to a vast public lands area in Alaska’s Western Arctic, permanently altering a globally significant & ecologically rich landscape. pic.twitter.com/Psh2eiyVyg — Earthjustice Action (@EarthjusticeAct) February 1, 2023

Agroup of astronomers poring over data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has glimpsed light from ionized helium in a distant galaxy, which could indicate the presence of the universe’s very first generation of stars. These long-sought, inaptly named “Population III” stars would have been ginormous balls of hydrogen and helium sculpted from the universe’s primordial gas. Theorists started imagining these first fireballs in the 1970s, hypothesizing that, after short lifetimes, they exploded as supernovas, forging heavier elements and spewing them into the cosmos. That star stuff later gave rise to Population II stars more abundant in heavy elements, then even richer Population I stars like our sun, as well as planets, asteroids, comets and eventually life itself. “We exist, therefore we know there must have been a first generation of stars,” said Rebecca Bowler, an astronomer at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom...

What are you spotting tonight? Tell us all about it in the comments!

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