Juneteenth (short for June 19, 1865) is effectively when slavery ended in the United States. It's a day that's remembered in history when Abraham Lincoln freed the remaining slaves in the South. But did you know that it was January 1, 1863 when Lincoln declared slaves freed? Did you also know the US and US-businesses still participate in modern day slavery? 

At MamaP, we stand for equality and openness and we believe that knowledge is power. That's why we've pulled together information so we may all:

1. Learn the history behind Juneteenth
2. Understand the implications of the 13th Amendment
3. End racial discrimination and modern day slavery in the US

 

What Is Juneteenth?

According to history.com, "Juneteenth marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate States in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

Why did it take two and a half years to enforce this law?
"In reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free any slaves. The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control (like Texas). However, as Northern troops advanced into the Confederate South, many slaves fled behind Union lines.

From Slave To Criminal With The 13th Amendment

The 13th amendment makes it unconstitutional for a person to be held as a slave, "Except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." Why are we highlighting this amendment if slavery was abolished?

"The United States is home to 5% of the world's population, but 25% of the world's prisoners. Think about that." 13th, a documentary and free to view, opens with President Obama sharing this startling statistic.

1 in 4 people on Earth are locked up in the "Land Of The Free"

Around 2.3 million Americans are currently incarcerated. Of that number, 40.2% are Black men. Consider that Black men make up only about 6.5% of the US population. As Senator Cory Booker states, “Right now, we now have more African-Americans under criminal supervision than all the slaves back in 1850s.” 

We haven't even folded in all people of color.

When slavery was abolished, the loophole was exploited and Black men were targeted. 

"They were arrested for extremely minor crimes like loitering and vagrancy. And they had to provide labor to rebuild the economy of the South after the Civil War."

Targeting black and brown communities has continued since slavery was abolished - with racial profiling, "stop and frisk" policies, and police quotas. Another eye opening documentary to watch is Crime & Punishment - it spotlights how a progressive city like NYC still has a police force that targets people of color and their communities. There are police officers who want to help the community but have challenges due to pressure from the department to hit quotas.

Where Does This Leave Us Today? 

Black Lives Matter is a movement, not a moment. It's not saying that all lives don't matter, but that Black and Brown communities need help right NOW. As we remember Juneneeth and how it took 2.5 years for a law to be fully executed (with loopholes), it's time for the human community to fight for equality and justice for our Black family.

Now's the time to take action - it will take a local-level and nationwide approach to start implementing change. We've put together a list of what you can do now and in the near future.

1. Keep Educating Others And Educating Yourself
Read books and articles. Watch documentaries. Discuss with people in your network. There are so many places to start, just start. Find your own path, build your knowledge.

2. Start Making Changes In Your Local Community
Do leaders in your community represent your views? Here's a breakdown of the elected offices that could be on your ballot: City Council, Mayor, Sheriff, District Attorneys, and Judges. Your vote counts.

3. Register To Vote In November - And Rally Others To Register
You can vote for Governors, State Legislator, Senators, Congress, and the President. Every election matters. Make sure your voice is heard. 

4. Check if your favorite companies use prison-labor. If they do, tell them you don't approve. A new report released by New York-based advocacy group Worth Rises detailed some 4,100 corporations that profit from the country’s prisons and jails. It identified corporations that support prison labor directly or through their supply chains. Do you use Zoom Calls? They're listed on the report.

 

There are so many ways to take action - choose one and start somewhere.

#KnowledgeIsPower #ActNow

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On May 25th, a 46-year-old black man named George Floyd bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. He died at the hands of police brutality. SInce then the world has shown a spotlight on the systemic racial inequality in our culture. Climate change and race are connected. Join us to learn more. Continue reading

To stay silent is to be complicit. We at MamaP believe #BlackLivesMatter and we stand with activists who are demanding change. Equality is what bands us together as a human race. It's clear there is progress yet to be made. To everyone who is hurting, feeling pain, or just angry, we see you, we feel you, we are with you. While some of us are on the ground joining local rallies, not everyone may be able to do that. We've put together a few things you can do to take action. To the black community, we are with you and we support you.

Art by Sacree Frangine

5 Ways to To Make A Difference and Demand Change:

1. Find a local rally. Ensure you do your research to make sure it's being credibly organized. There are reports that fake rallies are being organized by the opposition. A Forbes article notes:

• The George Floyd Memorial Fund - The official gofundme.org from the family of George Floyd. His brother writes, "On May 25, 2020, my life shattered as I learned of the tragic passing of my dear brother, George...This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund." They also provide an address for cards and gifts.
• Sign a Change.org Petition: The “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org already has 10.5 million supporters. That sends a big message. 
• Black Lives Matter - Donate to a local #BLM chapter or find ways to get involved in the movement. You can also create your own local #BLM Chapter.
• Campaign Zero - A nonprofit dedicated to ending police violence
• Sign a petition by Color of Change: Civil rights group Color of Change launched a petition asking that all the officers involved in Floyd’s death are brought to justice.  

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We launched MamaP in the winter of 2018. Our launch party was in Venice, CA. For supplies, we went to this really hip grocery store by the name of Erewhon. Walking in, it just felt like a store that was "Woke." Walking in, we gave each other a glance and both said, "One-day MamaP will be in there stores." That day is today! Continue reading

We love bees. But we also love butterflies, humming birds, and moths. What do they have in common? They are all pollinators. Think about it, do you love pizza? Or maybe your jam is strawberry jam on your waffles? Both the tomato sauce on your pizza and the jam is made of fruit. And to make fruit, you need pollinators. Continue reading

It's easier to start with one thing at a time - baby steps! We've put together 5 easy ways to start your eco journey! 1. BYOB - bring your own..... Continue reading

🌎 Earth Day is everyday here at MamaP. That's why since Day 1 we've said goodbye to plastic and hello to Earth-friendly. When we first started a few years ago, many of the other bamboo toothbrush brands used plastic packaging. When seeing this, all we could think was "Doh!" That's exactly what we were trying to get away from - all that PLASTIC.

 

Our packaging has always had for undyed, kraft paper with soybean oil ink. It was simple and modern, with curved bristles. We loved how the packaging was compostable. Isn't this a dreamy photo of the bamboo toothbrush packaging on a bed of strawberries 😍 We also ship in a kraft paper mailer that's also compostable (double win!).

 

Starting out as a new brand doing things differently, it was a hard sell to retail buyers, "But you can't SEE the toothbrush in its packaging," was a common phrase. Here's the thing - even when our packaging was different, we told our story and give back message. After a few months, people starting catching on. Stores were selling out and kept reordering. We learned that people care about the planet and wanted to give back. Thank you to our early store buyers who believed in our mission. 💚

 

After hearing how much fun and colorful the brushes were, we wanted to bring that same excitement onto the packaging. Each package now tells you which cause the color supports. Guess which color yellow stands for 😉

 

Here's a list of ways our packaging enriches the planet and soil:

🌿 Fully compostable (throw it in the compost bin with your banana peels and use it in the garden, hello regenerative agriculture and circular economy!)
🌿 No plastic or faux plastic
🌿 Made of recycled kraft cardboard paper (hello again circular economy)
🌿 Soy ink is a natural dye that doesn't hurt the soil
🌿 Information on how you brush with purpose with each purchase

 

 

Check out a few other blogs:

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I got to sit down with the lovely team at Hey Social Good! to talk MamaP's beginnings, brands' responsibilities in consumer education, and tips for living a greener life.

Hey Social Good! Is a company that connects people to companies who are proactively making a positive impact. They rank companies based on give back and sustainability efforts, and include badges on each profile denoting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Couple that with the Founder Cindy Lin's vision to use data and analytics to rank, it's no wonder this ex-EPA lawyer turned founder is leading the charge in brand transparency.

Cindy and I met last year in 2019 - we met on social media and had an instant connection. "You're tackling brand transparency too? Awesome!" Was our first words to each other. Both female founders and entrepreneurs, trying to make this world a better place. When Cindy was visiting NYC, we just had to meet in person. It was refreshing speaking with Cindy - we had many shared values and interests. Hey Social Good was still in the building-phase and MamaP had only launched in Fall 2018. It was cool sharing building-stories.

 

 

Earlier this year, Hey Social Good's platform launched and Cindy invited me on her podcast - The Good Smack. Listen to the episode here.

Here's an excerpt from the podcast:
"MamaP founder, Suz, got sick of plastic waste all around us and decided to do something about it. She's on a mission to eliminate over 1 billion disposable plastic toothbrushes in one year. Listen to how Suz spats out toothbrush stats like you've never heard and how it's on businesses to better educate consumers. She previously worked at the athletic company, Nike, and used her skills to create a brand that offers better designed eco-friendly and ergonomic products, such as authentically sustainable bamboo toothbrushes. Each toothbrush tip is uniquely colored and gives to a specific cause, such as ocean protection, bee hives, and more."

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When was the last time you brushed your dog's teeth? According to PetMD, "To prevent serious dental disease, it's recommended to brush your pet's teeth 2-3 times a week." Here's the 4-step guide..... Continue reading

It's Earth Week and we want to give props to all the advocacy work that @leonardodicaprio has done for climate change. Our world is ever evolving and challenges arise constantly.

 

First thing, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is an environmental foundation that is dedicated to the protection and wellbeing of all Earth's inhabitants. It's also been around for 20 years as they've "celebrated nature". That's right, we've watched Leo on the big screen and in the meantime he's worked behind the scenes to support the planet.

 Leo demonstrates a great balanced approach to saving the planet. While most people know him as a celebrity (professional), many climate activists know him for his Foundation's work (personal). He's struck the right balance here and it's something for us to all consider: How can we live a balanced life that blends different parts of our selves into one? Without going too extreme or letting the pendulum swing too far.

 

 

Let's keep working on building a more sustainable future filled with a world that we can all thrive in. Humans, the sea creatures, land animals, the forests and oceans. What we have realized lately is that we have the capacity to change and adapt, and to do it with speed. There are silver linings to each hardship, we hope that during this time we see that change is possible. Thank you @leonardodicaprio for keeping the light lit 🌿🌎

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