Sarah Birnbach

Lady Justice, originated from Justitia, the goddess of Justice in Roman mythology. She is intended to represent the morality of the justice system. Many modern depictions of Lady Justice show her holding the sword in her left hand and scale in the right hand. The pair of balance scales represent the obligation of the law to weigh the evidence…

When I went to my gym to work out on Friday morning, the man at the check-in desk, Charles, was wearing the above t-shirt. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I was fascinated by it. What I learned peaked my interest. Charles’ grandfather, Charles DeBow, was one of thirteen Black cadets to…

Since my newsletter of March 21st, where I shared the provisions of voter suppression bills that were passed in the Georgia legislatures, Governor Brian Kemp has signed into law “The Election Integrity Act of 2021.” At the risk of sounding like a boring woman who has no life, I read the entire 98-page law to…

THE GOOD NEWS! This past Monday, President Biden’s administration extended the federal eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021. The moratorium had been scheduled to end this past Wednesday, March 31st. The extension and enforcement of the moratorium will help keep millions of renters stably housed during the pandemic and prevent further spread of and deaths from…

Black residents of Montgomery, Alabama, waiting for rides to work during the bus boycott, protesting racial segregation on the public bus system. Photo taken in 1956 by Dan Weiner; copyright John Broderick Many people know the names Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Sojourner Truth, but many other exceptional Black…

Last week I wrote about the passage of H.B. 531 in the Georgia House of Representatives and S.B. 241 which passed the Georgia State Senate earlier this month. Provisions of these two bills include: Reducing the number of voting precincts Requiring photo ID for mail-in ballots Ending no-excuse absentee voting Disposing ballots cast in the wrong…

How many picture ID’s do you have? Maybe you have a state-issued driver’s license? Or an employer-issued photo ID? Or maybe you have a passport? But what if you don’t drive and don’t have a driver’s license? What if you work in a low-wage job where your employer doesn’t require a photo ID? And what…

A man sits with his son and a sign asking for money near an upscale hotel in downtown Portland, Oregon. Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press “Evictions?” you might ask. “I thought there was a moratorium on evictions.” And you would be right. Currently, President Biden and the CDC have extended the moratorium, prohibiting landlords nationwide from…

To close out Black History month, instead of lengthy prose, I am sending links to videos and TED talks that will continue to educate you to the issues of race in America and the ways we can combat racism. These are in addition to lists of videos that I have suggested in previous newsletters. To…

While most Black folks see systematic racism as a persistent reality, many Whites seem either uncertain or flatly deny its existence. I recently had the privilege of attending a three-evening course called, “A Long Talk about the Uncomfortable Truth.” One of the readings for that course was Tim Wise’s essay, “20 Questions for Those Who…