Fortune - 'Black moms have always been there.'

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July 30, 2020

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Congresswomen grill Big Tech CEOs, a new VC fund wants to back products for seniors, and activists are extending the ‘Wall of Moms.’ Have a terrific Thursday.

– More bricks in the wall. Have you been following Portland’s ‘Wall of Moms’ movement? A lot of people have been, it seems—the New York Times reports that new Wall of Moms collectives are starting to spring up in a number of other cities.

The group—which isn’t afraid to lean into the inevitable mom jokes, with protests signs that read, “Schedule: Bath time, Bed time, Fight fascists, Defend Black lives, Repeat”—nevertheless has a deadly serious agenda: amplifying and attempting to protect their fellow anti-racism protesters. Their very, well, momliness also makes them a rebuke to people who might otherwise try to write off protesters as violent troublemakers—and a very effective symbol. Activist Julianne Jackson told the NYT, “When you see a mom get tear-gassed, and they’re very clearly labeled a mom, they’re not starting trouble, they’re wearing high-waisted pants and trying to live their life — when you see that, it’s an incredible sight.”

Of course, implicit here is that most of the Wall of Moms members are white women. The group is cognizant that those racial dynamics play into how they’re perceived, noting that they’ve been able to capture attention—see this newsletter, for example!—in ways protest groups led by Black women have not. The group’s online tool for starting a Wall of Moms chapter, “stresses that groups should reach out to local Black Lives Matter and racial justice organizations,” reports the Times. “Wall of Moms members are directed to take cues from local activists: to not speak at protests unless they’re asked, and to donate any funds raised to Black-led organizations.”

And crucially, the story makes another importantly point, one that must not get lost in the chuckles over mom jeans and clever slogans: activism by mothers—and specifically Black mothers—is nothing new. The NYT calls out the Mothers of the Movement, Mothers Against Police Brutality, Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings as some of the groups organized and led by Black moms. So, while it’s wonderful to see the Wall of Moms—many of whom are first-time protesters—join the fight, let’s not forget who started it.

As Jennifer Kristiansen, a Portland Wall of Moms member, tells Times: “Black moms are leading this. Moms didn’t just show up a couple nights ago. Black moms have always been there.”

Kristen Bellstrom
kristen.bellstrom@fortune.com
@kayelbee

Today’s Broadsheet was curated by Emma Hinchliffe.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Tech it out. In yesterday's Congressional hearing, members of Congress grilled Big Tech CEOs. Notable questioning came from Rep. Lucy McBath, who asked Jeff Bezos about Amazon's policies that she said threatened the livelihood of a bookseller; Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a strong critic of Amazon; and Rep. Val Demings, who called Google's breadth of user data "staggering." Washington Post

- Veepstakes. A group of Joe Biden's supporters are reportedly waging a "shadow campaign" to stop Biden from choosing Sen. Kamala Harris as his VP. Some of the senator's opponents have a familiar complaint: that Harris is "too ambitious" and would only be focused on becoming president. (We'd love to see a list of all the unambitious politicians!) CNBC

-Bailing out babies. Yesterday, the House passed a pair of bills that would provide a total of $220 billion over 10 years to bail out child care providers, who've been decimated by the pandemic. While the GOP-led Senate is unlikely to pass them, HuffPost reports that "there are signs that the party is coming around to the idea that child care is absolutely essential to a functioning economy." Huffington Post

- 40 over 40. Abby Levy, a former SVP at SoulCycle, has teamed up with 85-year-old veteran venture capitalist Alan Patricof for Primetime Partners, a new fund that will invest in companies related to aging and the needs of senior citizens. The pair also aim to back founders over the age of 40. Fortune

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Teresa Sebastian, CEO of the Dominion Asset Group, joins the board of Juul. Telemundo promoted Mónica Gil to EVP, chief administrative and marketing officer, and Ana Siegel to EVP, general counsel. Fidelity Investments hired Wendy John as head of global diversity and inclusion. XPO Logistics hired LaQuenta Jacobs as its first-ever chief diversity officer. Annabel Chang is Waymo's new head of state policy and government affairs.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

- Abortion decision. Mexico's Supreme Court yesterday rejected a bid to decriminalize abortion. The case came from the state of Veracruz; abortion is legal in only two out of 32 Mexican states. BBC

- Page-turners. Oprah Winfrey is the patron saint of book clubs, and some Black women are following in her footsteps—with groups that cater more directly to readers of color. The rapper Noname started her book club last year: New York Times

- Hindsight in 2020. Some white women who voted for President Trump in 2016 now regret that decision. "I really failed my fellow American citizens,” says Trump voter Claudia Luckenbach-Boman. Another adds: "“I just want to apologize to the world." Guardian

ON MY RADAR

Alanis Morissette and Liz Phair talk songwriting during an apocalypse and rock-star self-care L.A. Times

Gisèle Halimi, trailblazing French feminist MP and lawyer, dies aged 93 Guardian

Netflix adds Moesha and six other classic Black sitcoms to its library LA Times