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African American Policy Forum

@aapf.org
902 followers 48 following 129 posts

Think tank focused on intersectionality, anti-racism and democracy Co-founded & led by @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social Home to #SayHerName & #BlackGirlsMatter linktr.ee/AAPolicyForum

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Intersectionality Matters! with Kimberlé Crenshaw Podcast @imkcpodcast.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
In Episode 82 of Intersectionality Matters!, host @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social is joined by Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Salamishah Tillet to reflect, through a Black feminist lens, on Gloria Steinem’s life, legacy, and impact on the feminist movement. Listen here: pod.link/1441348908/e...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 08/09/2026
We are grateful to everything Lonnie Bunch gave to this country, and we vow every day to fight to protect it.
When you erase history, you naturalize the inequalities that our history has produced.  When the state takes over official public institutions and insists that only happy stories can be told about our country—effectively erasing the stories of Black, indigenous, women, queer and working Americans from the narrative—that's not living in a democracy. That's fascism. That's white supremacy. We cannot both-sides the state seizing control over the power to decide which history is legitimate and which is not. The Smithsonian should belong to all of us; not to unchecked government officials dead-set on discrediting the truth for their own political gain.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 31/08/2026
Fresh off her victory and reinstatement at The Washington Post, @karenattiah.bsky.social joins us this Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST! The internationally acclaimed journalist and writer will discuss censorship, the media’s role in shaping national truth, and more. Register here: bit.ly/DemocracyDef...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 30/08/2026
Join us on Wednesday, September 2nd at 7 PM ET for our Democracy Defenders Reunion as we reconnect after the Legacy, Literacy & Liberation Summit in Montgomery! Register Here ⬇️ bit.ly/DemocracyDefenders_Reunion26 #DemocracyDefenders #AAPF
The Legacy, Literacy, and Liberation Summit brought scholars, organizers, educators, and artists to Montgomery this past July at EJI's Legacy Sites in Montgomery. Join us for a virtual convening to keep that momentum moving. We'll share what emerged from the week, hear how it has traveled into your classrooms, campuses, congregations, and communities, and map the concrete next steps ahead.

This gathering is open to everyone, whether or not you were in Montgomery. If you couldn't make the trip and have been wondering how to plug in, this is your entry point. Come find out what's underway and where your hands are needed.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 18/08/2026
Jason Arday deserved better in life, and he deserves better in death. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, students, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 06/08/2026
As we acknowledge the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, we must continue the fight to #restoretheVRA and defend our multiracial democracy for generations to come.
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Intersectionality Matters! with Kimberlé Crenshaw Podcast @imkcpodcast.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
New episode! 🎙️ Host @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social talks with @jamilahlemieux.bsky.social about publishing their first memoirs, reclaiming “baby mama,” respectability politics, Black families, and what keeps Lemieux backtalking despite the backlash. Listen here: pod.link/1441348908?u...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 04/08/2026
A week ago, AAPF joined @eji.org in Montgomery for our 3rd Annual Democracy Defenders Summit: Legacy, Literacy, and Liberation. We gathered to learn, strategize, and strengthen our shared commitment to protecting our multiracial democracy. Thank you, Bryan Stevenson and EJI, for your partnership.
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Fordham Law School @fordhamlawnyc.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Fordham Law Professor Tanya K. Hernández (@professortkh.bsky.social) is participating in the 3rd Annual Democracy Defenders Summit (@aapf.org) this week in Montgomery, Alabama—connecting the census research in her forthcoming book to the deliberations on democracy. Pre-order her book today:
bookshop.org
The Global Erasure of Blackness: The Civil Rights Crisis of Census (Under) Counting
A historical examination of the Black census undercount as a transnational civil rights issueUS census taking is more accurate today than when the practice was implemented over two centuries ago—yet, ...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 28/07/2026
The AAPF team will be on site at @eji.org Legacy Museum all week unpacking the history of slavery in the United States! We’re only on #Day1 and already so much knowledge has been gained. Stay tuned all week as we drop more facts straight from the Legacy Sites!
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 21/07/2026
More than 300,000 Black women lost their jobs in 2025. But this conversation can’t stop at employment. Black women deserve fair pay and a workplaces that values their labor. #BlackWomensEqualPayDay
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 14/07/2026
Join us and @eji.org at this summer’s Legacy, Literacy & Liberation Summit. Connect with advocates and leading scholars as we honor histories of resistance and strengthen the movement for racial justice. 📍 Montgomery, AL 🗓️ July 27–31 🔗 Register here: www.aapf.org/legacysummit...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 30/06/2026
Birthright citizenship was created as a corrective to slavery and the attempt to erase it for immigrants is rooted in our nation’s long-history of anti-Black racism.

Freed Blacks did not advocate for a unique set of rules that catered only to their situation. Nor did they seek to advance their own position relative to, or at the expense and exclusion of, other marginalized groups. Instead, those whose gatherings helped galvanize the push for full equality understood that “[a] diverse origin does not disprove a common nature, nor does it disprove a united destiny.” The firmest foundation for freedom would require an anticaste reset—“both for his sake and for ours”—and would benefit all.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 19/06/2026
On #Juneteenth, we recognize true history, recommit to the constant struggle for liberation and vow to backtalk against those who would deny progress towards a different, better American experience. @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social
“On this Juneteenth, we take a moment to deeply reflect on freedom, resilience, history, and progress. We carry the heavy knowledge that liberation is a constant, ongoing struggle, and the rights we hold dear were paid for with the blood, sweat, and lives of our ancestors. As we see the very rights they died for being dismantled today, we honor their profound sacrifice by backtalking against any claim that the world we currently experience is the only way it can be.”
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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 19/06/2026
"I go into Juneteenth with an appreciation of the fact that it shows us that equality making is like an onion, you peel off different layers of the preexisting condition, and that in and of itself can be an interrupted process."
motherjones.com
Kimberlé Crenshaw Says Juneteenth Reminds Us “Freedom Is Not a One and Done Situation”
Her new memoir explores the personal and historical events that led her to coin “intersectionality.”
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 17/06/2026
Kohen Wiley should be alive today. Reaching for his mom. Instead, he was killed by the state, as an officer fired into a car where his mother was trying to signal that a baby was present. We cannot become inured to this violence. We cannot allow Kohen’s memory to be erased.
mississippifreepress.org
Mississippi Police Officer Shoots and Kills 1-Year-Old Child in Response to Shoplifting Call
A Mississippi police officer shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley at a Walmart while responding to a shoplifting call.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 10/06/2026
Yesterday’s baseless hearing on @splcenter.org had one purpose: undermine the civil rights infrastructure that works every day to keep Americans secure and free. Without organizations like SPLC, all of us are less safe. This weaponization will not end with SPLC, and we will not remain silent.
"The Southern Poverty Law Center is under attack because they are standing up against the erosion of our democracy." 

- Rep.Hank Johnson 
At the second House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Southern Poverty Law Center
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I want to give a huge thank you to the NY Liberty @wnba.com team for choosing @aapf.org as a partner for this year’s Commissioner’s Cup. I couldn’t make it to game 1 but waking up to my favorite players holding copies of #Backtalker was AMAZING. Congrats on the Game 1 win ❤️
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 09/06/2026
wonderful piece from @clintsmithiii.bsky.social that, among other things, makes abundantly clear that pete hegseth and the trump administration are engaged in a racist purge of black officers under the belief that being black and having "merit" are mutually exclusive.
theatlantic.com
The Betrayal of Black Patriots
They devoted their lives to serving the United States. Now the nation’s top military leader is sending the message that they’re not welcome.
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Had such an amazing time last night at @phbookstores.bsky.social 💙 Thank you so much for hosting me—it meant a lot. And huge thanks to my sister and fellow backtalker @nhannahjones.bsky.social for joining the conversation. The perfect way to celebrate my book launch 📚✨
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 01/05/2026
In the wake of Louisiana v. Callais, ASALH President Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead, AAPF Executive Director @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social , historian Carol Anderson, and AAPF Senior Fellow Tim Wise break down what this moment means for our democracy. RSVP: bit.ly/UTB_ConfrontingCallais
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
I join so many Americans across the country in outrage over #SCOTUS’s egregious attack on voting rights in #Callais and reject this attempted erasure of Black citizenship. I’m grateful to @perrybaconjr.bsky.social for giving me an opportunity to speak about this moment.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 30/04/2026
@kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social is live with @perrybaconjr.bsky.social right now! newrepublic.substack.com
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made multiracial democracy possible, and it should still fully be law of the land. There is no legal basis to roll back voting rights.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 29/04/2026
We must resist accepting the faulty logic of an illegitimate Court and organize around the kinds of systemic reforms necessary to stop democratic backsliding and rebuild a judicial system actually oriented toward justice.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 27/04/2026
The @theguardian.com interviewed our executive director, @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social, on her upcoming memoir—Backtalker—and what it means to fight for racial and gender justice in 2026.
theguardian.com
‘I saw the backlash coming’: civil rights activist Kimberlé Crenshaw on America and race
She coined the term ‘intersectionality’ and helped to develop critical race theory, now her life’s work is under attack by Washington’s war on ‘woke’. As her memoir is published, the legal scholar exp...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 21/04/2026
AAPF stands with @splcenter.org. For civil rights. For justice. For democracy.
Statement from Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder and executive director of AAPF: 

Civil rights must be fought for, protected and sustained in order for all people to live freely and in democracy. Only authoritarians would try to attack and intimidate organizations committed to justice and civil rights. Today's announcement from the Department of Justice that it has criminally charged the Southern Poverty Law Center is alarming and yet only the latest sign that this administration is weaponizing the DOJ to target its perceived enemies as opposed to maintaining its essential function in upholding the law. AAPF stands with the SPLC and with all those committed to justice. We will not be intimidated.
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Dr. Cerina Fairfax is remembered as a mentor and community leader as officials call attention to the broader impact of domestic gun violence toward Black women
13newsnow.com
Virginia governor, advocates remember Dr. Cerina Fairfax
Dr. Cerina Fairfax is remembered as a mentor and community leader as officials call attention to the broader impact of domestic gun violence toward Black women.
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Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley @pressley.house.gov · 07/04/2026
My Books Save Lives Act makes it clear: discriminatory book bans are a violation of federal civil rights law. I held a read-in at All She Wrote Books in Somerville to announce this bill to fight book bans and emphasize the importance of inclusive literature.
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
To protect a multiracial democracy, we must confront the anti-Black racism that has long shaped citizenship in the U.S. We stand with all who call this country home. Racism and democracy are incompatible.
With today’s Supreme Court oral arguments, we should be clear that the racist idea baked into our Constitution that Black Americans never were and should not be considered as full American citizens—the very fallacy that the 14th Amendment was designed to rectify—is now being weaponized to devalue the citizenship of Americans of all walks of life. This is proof positive that racism and democracy are incompatible, and the only way to truly realize our democratic ideals is to acknowledge, confront and rectify racism head-on. Instead, in this moment when we are sliding into authoritarianism, our elite political and media infrastructure is doing the exact opposite. Civil Rights and the fight for democracy cannot be severed.
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Backtalker: An American Memoir publishes six weeks from TODAY! Thank you so much to Bryan Stevenson for his kind words and support of this deeply personal project. You can order your copy here: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Backta...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 23/03/2026
As we enter the final week of Women’s History Month, here at AAPF we’re uplifting the #StatusOfBlackWomen. ✨ Stay tuned for daily facts highlighting the experiences of Black women across different fields—from tech to journalism and beyond.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 20/03/2026
Breonna should be alive today, and she and her family deserve unequivocal recognition that her killing was egregious, unjust and a violation of civil rights.
Statement on DOJ attempt to drop remaining charges in Breonna Taylor case

“It is appalling that the Trump administration is seeking to drop all remaining federal charges against the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylor’s death. Breonna should be alive today, and she and her family deserve unequivocal recognition that her killing was egregious, unjust and a violation of civil rights. Though the most serious charges in this case already have been dismissed, the government’s desire to make permissible state lies about the circumstances of Breonna’s killing is the latest attempt to erase the power of her life and the galvanizing impact she had on the movement for Black lives. May her memory continue to be a revolution.”
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ACLU @aclu.org · 19/03/2026
The Senate is debating whether to advance an extreme voter suppression bill, the SAVE America Act, that would make it harder for millions of Americans to register to vote. It’s up to us to stop it. Tell your Senators now to vote NO.
aclu.org
Stop Anti-Voter Bills Now
The SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, and MEGA Act could keep millions of eligible U.S. citizens from being able to vote. Urge Congress to reject these bills.
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Fortunately some of us are….
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Kimberlé Crenshaw @kimberlecrenshaw.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
COMING SOON: Backtalker: An American Memoir. On sale May 5. Pre-order available now! : www.simonandschuster.com/books/Backta...
simonandschuster.com
Backtalker
One of the most influential public intellectuals in the world and the architect of the two biggest ideas to reshape the American conversation about...
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 12/03/2026
"Black women were disproportionately impacted by DOGE cuts. A year later, they're rebuilding careers for themselves and each other."
cnbc.com
Black women were disproportionately impacted by DOGE cuts. A year later, they're rebuilding careers for themselves and each other
Black women make up 12% of the federal workforce and experienced the largest federal employment losses between 2024 and 2025.
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ACLU @aclu.org · 25/02/2026
No child should be kicked off their team and deemed an outcast by their government just because of who they are. Like Kara Young said — freedom isn’t just possible, it’s necessary. Learn more about our work defending trans student athletes at aclu.org/morethanagame-bpj
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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.blacksky.app · 24/02/2026
this is some bullshit. the Court is giving sovereign immunity to postal workers who allegedly engaged in intentional racial discrimination Thomas's rationale is that you can't sue the government over lost mail, but there's a difference between mail that's lost and mail that's withheld bc of racism!
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 17/02/2026
As we face this perilous moment in our democracy and the fight for equal rights, may Rev. Jackson's memory be a guiding light for us, connecting us to our past and revealing to us the necessary conditions for the multiracial democracy he and our movement forebears imagined.
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Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
The Story of Hazel Scott, the first African American to host a variety show broadcasted into American living rooms in 1950, is one about power and influence. And maybe that’s why McCarthy didn’t just blacklist her, he erased her. Free Press' Cristina Escobar reflects on her legacy with @aapf.org:
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
“The SAVE Act will require voters to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections…” “Only half of Americans hold a valid passport…Birth certificates are also problematic for many married women [whose] name may be different than the name on her birth certificate.”
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The Revival Lab @revivallab.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
This is tonight! Join @aapf.org and @freepress.bsky.social for a "The Story of Us" virtual broadcast and live talkback.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 10/02/2026
we would love to see you tomorrow night!
eventbrite.com
The New McCarthyism: Why Authoritarians Fear Storytellers
Join us on Wednesday, 2/11 at 7pm ET for a virtual Under the Blacklight broadcast of our acclaimed 2026 The Story of Us event!
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Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The African American Policy Forum works to dismantle structural inequality. At Sundance, AAPF hosted "The Story of Us: The New McCarthyism: Why Authoritarians Fear Storytellers," moderated by Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder and executive director. Learn more about @aapf.org s work: www.aapf.org
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Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Sundance isn’t just about the wattage of attendees. The festival brings together the united, pluralist society that racists are so scared of — making it a prime space for organizing. Free Press’ Cristina Escobar reflects on her experience, and @aapf.org's star-studded event on storytelling. A 🧵:
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 06/02/2026
On today's AI slop from the president: The world is watching us. Our children are watching us. And anything short of outright condemnation, outrage and reflection on the systemic failures that brought us here—the consistent apologies or obscuring of racism in our national discourse—is unacceptable.
MAGA and its enablers have moved overt anti-Black racism back into the mainstream while civil society has time and again managed only a muted response to egregiously racist attacks. As one side uses abject racism to openly galvanize its supporters, and another shies away from confronting it directly, this dangerous asymmetry is pushing us further into crisis and away from democracy.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 30/01/2026
🎯🎯🎯
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Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Arresting Black journalists is also vice signaling. Their base is racist and hates journalists and they want to get them excited again. The mainstream media industry has never protected Black journalists or journalists of color the way it should.
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African American Policy Forum @aapf.org · 23/01/2026
"Fear is contagious, but so is courage." Last night at @sundance.org for the #StoryOfUS, Ava DuVernay reminded us why artistic freedom is an expression of democratic freedom. Thanks to her, Jacqueline Stewart, @vietthanhnguyen.bsky.social, Kara Young & Jon Hill and more for their brilliance.
A photo of seven people on stage: Justin Emeka, Jaqueline Stewart, Ava DuVernay, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Viet Thahn Nguyen, Kara Young, Jon Michael HillKimberlé Crenshaw listening to Ava DuVernay, holding a microphone and addressing a crowd at our Story of Us event at Sundance.Posing in front of the step-and-repeat for a fitcheck for freedom.The standing-room-only crowd at Sundance last night for AAPF's "Story of Us: Why Authoritarians Fear Storytellers." Seated and standing audience members in the house, under faux trees and lighting.
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