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First, a motivational thought:

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People’s words and actions can actually shape your brain — a neuroscientist explains how

We humans are a social species. We live in groups. We take care of one another. We build civilizations.

Our ability to cooperate has been a major adaptive advantage. It has allowed us to colonize virtually every habitat on Earth and thrive in more climates than any other animal, except maybe bacteria.

Part of being a social species, it turns out, is that we regulate one another’s body budgets — the ways in which our brains manage the bodily resources we use every day. For your whole life, outside of your awareness, you make deposits into other people’s body budgets, as well as withdrawals, and others do the same for you. This has pros and cons, as well as profound implications for how we live our lives. Read More.

What Kyle Rittenhouse’s $2 Million Fundraiser Reveals About the Unequal System of Justice in America

The same day he walked free, a Black mother struggled to raise money to cover her son’s funeral costs. … Families often struggle to gather enough money for expenses after police shootings. Many state governments offer financial assistance to the victims of violent crimes, but victims of police violence don’t qualify. Read More.

Meet a new visiting scholar from The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice

Join The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice … on Thursday, Dec. 3 for a special post-election discussion! 🇺🇸🗳️ Moderated by @dr.smithers_tammy & featuring Sergio Gonzalez, Anna-Kaye Rowe, Leah Hollis, and Tanisha Williams 🌟

N.J. saw ‘alarming increase’ in school discipline. 9% of state’s Black students suspended.

More New Jersey students were suspended from school in 2018-19 – including about 9% of all Black students – despite a national movement to reimagine discipline, according to new state data. The percentage of students suspended from school grew from 3.6% to 4% in one year, according to an analysis by The Education Law Center. While 9% of Black students were suspended, fewer than 3% of white students were. Read More.

Some people are high-functioning, but that doesn’t invalidate their mental health

Having a high-functioning mental illness does not put you in a category above others dealing with mental health. It doesn’t mean you’ve got a strong grasp of your condition and understand how to manage it. It doesn’t mean your struggles are less than those who cannot function in the same way, and of course doesn’t mean yours are worse. Everyone’s issues are relative. Read More.

How Families Are Fighting Racism And Disability Discrimination

Many parents of children with special health care needs — regardless of race — report struggling to receive prompt diagnoses and access to adequate therapy and support services. But for families of color, particularly those who are Black and Latinx, the struggle is more acute.

These families often grapple with biased attitudes from medical, service and education providers. Sometimes the bias is unconscious, but the net result is the same — poorer care than white families typically receive. Health systems also don’t often account for the impact of institutionalized racism on people of color — such as higher poverty rates, less access to jobs with flexible and paid time off to care for kids, and greater transportation challenges — and that lack of awareness can often exacerbate the inequities. Cultural and language barriers can make it hard for these parents to navigate California’s labyrinthine system for children with disabilities, advocates said. Read More.