What is Anti-Racism?
Anti-racism is not an identity or a checklist. It’s a practice. It’s an ongoing decision to uproot the ways white supremacy resides within you, your relationships, and the systems you navigate each day. – Andrea Ranae
“I see no color” is not the goal. “I see your color, and I honor you. I value your input. I will be educated about your lived experiences. I will work against the racism that harms you. You are beautiful. Tell me how to do better.” That’s the goal. – Carlos A. Rodriguez
The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And, it’s the only way forward. – Ijeoma Oluo
I want every white person in this room who would be happy to be treated as this society, in general, treats our citizens – our black citizens – if you, as a white person, would be happy to receive the same treatment that our black citizens do in this society, please stand. You didn’t understand the directions. If you white folks want to be treated the way blacks are, in this society, stand. Nobody’s standing here. That says very plainly that you know what’s happening. You know you don’t want it for you. I want to know why you’re so willing to accept it or allow it to happen for others.’ – Jane Elliot
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. – Desmond Tutu
In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist. – Angela Davis
Non-black people must do better. To learn is to listen. Keep in mind that black people are not obligated to teach us how to care for them. Look into your honest self, your discomfort, your learned anti-blackness, and your family history. Call your racist family members out. Move beyond the internet to show your outrage and grief. Take action, and do not remain complicit. Remember that black communities have supported and taught every radical movement in history. It has long been our time to play our part in destroying white supremacy and everything that upholds it. This remender can no longer be gentle. – Mimi Zhu
Note to White People
I’m getting more and more furious. I’m completely heartbroken. I’m so beyond sick and tired of racism and gun violence. Racists are not fearful of someone different than them. Please don’t ever get that twisted. Racists don’t care about anyone who has a different color of skin than they do. I used to be ignorant and naive. Not long ago. Then, I realized the truth.
White privilege is a very real thing. Racism is everywhere – blatant and hidden. I’ll never know what it’s like to be discriminated against. I’ll never know what it’s like to fear for my life because of the color of my skin. I’ll never know what it’s like to feel like I have to be so careful and cautious every single day just living my life.
I never thought that I would maybe need to be their protector. My boyfriend’s and my son’s protector. I will never go through what my boyfriend and our son might face or go through because of the color of their skin. I am DETERMINED to always protect them. NO. MATTER. WHAT. Determination is my superpower, and I’m a fighter. Always have been.
It’s racist cops, unstable white women, racist white men, and other racist people that I need to protect them from. I am not afraid to speak up, stand up, or even fight. What I am afraid of is that I cannot control everything. I can’t control what other people do, and I can’t defend or help people in a situation if I’m not there with them.
Something needs to be done. Things need to radically change. White people, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. Complete change is needed. Educate yourself. Find out what you can do. Take action. Rachel Cargle says, ” To show up, you must come forward boldly with three things: KNOWLEDGE + radical EMPATHY + radical ACTION.”
What is White Privilege?
White privilege doesn’t mean your life hasn’t been hard. It means your skin tone isn’t one of the things making it harder. There’s plenty of other privileges (socio-ecomomic, male, heterosexual, cisgender, christian, able-bodied, etc.), but white privilege is perhaps the most enduring throughout history. White privilege exists as a direct result of both historic and enduring racism, biases, and practices designed to oppress people of color. White privilege means you actively benefit from the oppression of people of color.
You are the dominant representation on all media. You don’t get harassed for existing in public locations. No one questions your citizenship. Products are designed for you first. People at work look like you. You have inherited power and wealth. Your actions aren’t perceived as those of all your race.
Systemic racism exists at every level of society. The wealth gap is 90% white owned and 10% people of color owned. Black students are 3 times more likely to be suspended. Black graduates are 2 times more likely to be unemployed. Black Americans make up 40% of the prison population. Black women are 4 times more likely to die from childbirth. Black Americans are 30% more likely to get pulled over. Black Americans are shown 18% fewer homes. This is only a small part of the oppression.
So, what should you do with your white privilege?
1.) Teach other white people the barriers to success for people of color.
2.) Promise to listen to and amplify the voices of people of color.
3.) Be more than “not racist,” but actively anti-racist.
4.) Confront racial injustices even when it’s uncomfortable.
This information is from Courtney Ahn.
What is White Supremacy?
White supremacy is the racist belief that white people are superior to people of other races and should be dominant over them.
“The United Staes government continues to the tactic of gaslighting (A form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group, covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment, often evoking them in cognitive dissonance and other changes including low self-esteem. Using denial, misdirection, contradiction, and misinformation, gaslighting involves attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim’s beliefs. Instances can range from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents occurred, to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.) and manipulation to address what is happening as the black community responds to the recent deaths in our community.
If I could just for a moment offer a bit of knowledge that may lead to your radical action in these times. I’ll be teaching from the framework of the acromym DARVO and the research of Dr. Jennifer Freyd (Freyd, 1997).
D-deny
A-attack
RVO-reverse victim/offender
D – White America loves to tout itself as a ‘post racial’ society in an attempt to dismiss the one standing violence against black bodies. The cries of ‘I can’t believe this is still happening’ is a slimy attempt to suggest that anything has ever improved for the livelihood of the black community. Also, the deep denial and cognitive dissonance happening that suggest that rioting and revolution haven’t over all of history been the way people have gained liberation, including America itself.
A – The President of the Unitesd States tweeted ‘When the looting starts, the shooting starts’ in response to the upraising of black citizens in Minneapolis. This concept of blindness to the reasons uprising is occuring is an attempt to gaslight the black community into believing that they aren’t justified in their outrage and genuine attempts to enact meaningful and permanent change.
RVO – This leads to the boldness that white supremacy and the state takes in becoming the victim of ‘black rioting as violence’ as opposed to the realities that they are being held accountable for the harm done to black bodies, black communities, and black livelihoods today and in generations past.” – Rachel Cargle
Black Lives Matter
“Let me be clear: our stating that black lives matter doesn’t insinuate that other lives don’t. Of course all lives matter. That doesn’t even need to be said. The fact that white people get so upset about the term black lives matter is proof that nothing can center the wellbeing and livelihoods of black bodies without white people assuming it is to their demise. Let’s get back to the issue of countering Black lives matter with the phrase ‘All Lives Matter.’ I’ve come to describe this as a collective gaslighting from the white community. Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entitity, in order to gain more power (or in this case, keep their own peace), makes a victim question their reality.
Why do those who counter black lives matter act as though black people aren’t aware of the glaring disproportionate statistics of police brutality, of health care racism, and of mass incarceration? This is our reality. You deciding to ignore it for your own comfort doesn’t make it any less true.” – Rachel Cargle
“White Silence
If you’re reading this, you likely care about issues surrounding race; but if you are white, you will always have the ability to opt out of this conversation with your silence. However, a true ally will work to engage others in their community in this fight to eradicate racism. White America is speaking up, but we need more of it. We need you. White Silence: When a white person falls silent against racism and hard conversations about white supremacy. White silence is not supportive. White silence is violence. White silence is not neutral ground. Please do not stay silent.” – Teresa Baker and Chelsea Murphy
“Dear white people,
I’m tired of hearing you say:
‘I’m shocked.’
‘I can’t believe this.’
‘I had no idea.’
‘This can’t be real.’
That is in all actuality wildly offensive that our pain is so far off of your radar that the mention of it shocks you. It’s actually hurtful to know that the news that’s been keeping me up at night hasn’t even beeen a topic of conversation in your world. Instead, when I keep you informed on the blatant abuse, racism, and trauma happening to women of color and their families, I need to hear:
‘I’ve found an organization that helps in these types of instances, and I’ve donated money.’
‘I’ve brought this topic up to my co-workers and family, so we can talk through what’s happening.’
‘I’ve researched more on this, and I have learned more about the history of this particular race issue we have in our country.’
Your shock isn’t enough. Your wow isn’t solidarity. Your actions are the only thing I can accept at this point.” – Rachel Cargle
“When you say, ‘All lives matter’, you seem to forget the fact that white lives always have. If reading this makes you uncomfortable, check your privilege.” – Yolanda Renteria
“Black Lives Matter is not political. It is not politics. It’s not controversial. These are people’s lives.” – @yunhoszn on Twitter
The Media
As you know, the media doesn’t always share every side. A lot of times, the media is a part of the problem and not a part of the solution. The media so often tells the wrong narrative only fueling more hate and division in the world. Regarding racism, there have been and are many upon many peaceful protests all across the world. The media truly can be a part of the solution and has a responsibility.
“In working to correct the white-supremacist media narrative, we can end up reproducing police tactics of isolating the individuals who attack property at protests. Despite the fact that if it were not for those individuals, the media might pay no attention at all. If protestors hadn’t looted and burnt down that QuikTrip on the second day of the protests, would Ferguson be a point of worldwide attention? It’s impossible to know, but all the non-violent protests against police killings across the country that go unreported seem to indicate that the answer is no.
It was the looting of a Duane Reade after a vigil that brought widespread attention to the murder of Kimani Gray in New York City. The media’s own warped procedure instructs that riots and looting are more effective at attracting attention to a cause. However, in trying to correct this media image – in making a strong division between Good Protestors and Bad Rioters, ot between ethical non-violence practitioners and supposedly violent looters – the narrative of the criminalization of black youth is reproduced. This time it delineates certain kinds of black youth – those who loot versus those who protest.
The effect of this discourse is hardening a permanent category of criminality on black subjects who produce a supposed crime within the context of a protest. It reproduces racist and white supremacist ideologies (including the tactic of divide-and-conquer), deeming some unworthy of our solidarity and protection, marking them, subtly, as legitimate targets of police violence. These days, the police, whose public-facing racism is much more manicured, if no less violent, argue that ‘outside agitators’ engage in rioting and looting. Meanwhile, police will consistently praise ‘non-violent’ demonstrators, and claim that they want to keep those demonstrators safe.” – Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Questions to Ask Yourself:
1.) What is violence? Every day, systemic white supremacy enacts actual emotional, psychological, and physical violence on oppressed people, up to, and including death. But, some bemoan the loss of property as if it means more. Inanimate objects are protected and will be replaced. George Floyd won’t be. Osterweil posits that property damage isn’t even close to violence like white supremacy. Rather, it is “not non-violent.” Chew on it.
2.) Who decided how we weigh violence? Each year, American kids are taught the Boston Tea Party as an exemplar of liberatory creativity. Was that tea party not property that was “looted” and destroyed? What’s the difference? Think on it.
3.) Is any black protest “acceptable” here? Black people are told we are wrong when we march, rally, disrupt, drop a banner, turn our backs, sit in or walk out. We can’t even kneel, in silence, as the veterans we supposedly offended told us to. Ask Colin Kaepernick. When does America ever approve of Black protest? Consider it.
4.) What could we accomplish together if we cure the conditions instead of judge the reaction? I don’t have to participate to understand and not condescend others. What if we chose to end “looting” by ending systemic racism? Ponder it.
These self-reflection questions were created by Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
It is not your choice to determine how an oppressed group protests. Yes, rebellion feels uncomfortable because it is uncomfortable. Racism is also uncomfortable. When as a white person you say, ‘Violence is not the answer,’ you are saying, ‘Peaceful protests and negotiation are the answer.’ You are denying the fact that marginalized groups aren’t often heard. When you say, ‘BIPOC use this as an excuse to get liquor and televisions,’ it takes the spotlight off of the real issue and further reinforces the stereotypes around minorities. If reading this makes you feel uncomfortable, check your privilege. – Yolanda Renteria
Implying there are other ways minimizes the frustration and provides no answers or solutions. It just points, with privilege, to do things a different way that doesn’t disturb your comfort. People seem to forget that George Floyd died because people were trying to follow the law and negotiate peacefully. If reading this makes you feel uncomfortable, check your privilege. – Yolanda Renteria
Rebellion is not the problem. Rebellion is a symptom of the problem. If it’s difficult for you to understand why people resort to violence, it probably means your privilege has protected you from being put in a situation where you feel that you have no other choice. Violent protests have consequences. People will die, people will go to jail, people will lose everything they have. How far does someone have to be pushed to risk it all? Sit with that. If reading this makes you feel uncomfortable, check your privilege. Am I advocating for violence? No, I’m not advocating for violence. What I’m saying is that I see pain and I ask myself, ‘How far does someone need to be pushed until they figure this is the only answer to be heard?’ – Yolanda Renteria
The media has a responsibility to tell a narrative, and as usual, they’re not telling the narrative correctly. There are more peaceful protests than there are violent ones. There are people getting mad about this because they value possessions and property more than they value lives. Plain and simple. This is a rebellion, and all of this “looting” and “rioting” will never be as violent as lives being taken. The media is telling the story that violence is effective at creating change and brings attention. None of these protests start out violent. The media is abusing their responsibility by not telling the whole narrative and not telling it correctly. Those are my thoughts.
Say Their Names
All of these people were murdered because of the color of their skin. Never forget about this. Never forget them. Think about them every time you stand up for what’s right. Say their names. George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Tamir Rice. Trayvon Martin. Oscar Grant. Philandro Castile. Samuel Dubose. Sandra Bland. Walter Scott. Terrence Crutcher. Eric Garner. Nina Pop. Tony McDade. Sean Reed. Bothem Sean. Atatiana Jefferson. Stephon Clark. Jordan Edwards. Alton Sterling. Aiyana Jones. Mike Brown. Charleston Nine. David McAtee. These are some. I know there are many more.
Dismantle the System
We need to stand together in solidarity to black people and other people of color.
We need to be a mouth to speak out against injustice. We need to be a nose to sniff out implicit bias. We need to be eyes to identify privilege. We need to be ears to listen to the experience of people of color. We need to be a heart to cultivate for the oppressed. We need to be hands to take action and make a change. Change your heart. Change your home. Change humanity. Read the signals. These suggestions are from Danielle Coke.
Helping during race conversations is listening when people of color are sharing their experiences, speaking when you witness injustice or have an opportunity to educate and advocate, and amplifying the messages of people of color so their thoughts and ideas are heard in their own vioce. These points are from Danielle Coke.
Thoughts that your minority friend might have are telling people that, “I’m your friend” does not excuse your racist behavior, my people are not a monolith, I am not the spokesperson for my entire culture, I don’t have to fit into common stereotypes, and you can ask me questions and do your own research. The dangers of the “I don’t see color” mentality are that it allows you to ignore complexities of racial issues, you’re not actively dismantling your own prejudices, it minimizes the struggles of people of color in today’s society, it limits your ability to appreciate individualism, and you can’t fix something you can’t see. The following ideas are from Danielle Coke.
Areas that you can diversify in your daily life are your inner circle and friendships, the leaders you learn from, your place of worship, your beauty standards, the toys you buy for your kids, and the businesses you patronize. These ideas are from Danielle Coke.
Kids are not too young to talk to about race. Silence about race can reinforce racism by letting children draw their own conclusions. At birth, babies look equally at faces of all races. At 3 months old, babies look more at faces that match the race of their caregivers. Children as young as 2 years old use race to reason about people’s behaviors. By 3 years old, most children use race to choose playmates. Expressions of racial prejudice often peak at ages 4 and 5. This information was adapted from work by the Children’s Community School.
Black and latinx children in research settings show no preference toward their own groups, as compared to white children at this age, who are more likely to be strongly biased in favor of whiteness. By kingergarten, children show many of the same racial attitudes held by adults in our culture. They have already learned to associate some groups with higher status than others. Explicit conversations with 5-7 year olds about interracial friendship can dramatically improve their racial attitudes in as little as a single week. This information was adapted from work by the Children’s Community School.
“If you’re not sure how to respond, listen. If you’re not sure what to read, research. If you’re not sure what to do, donate. ‘Not sure’ becomes ‘not my problem.’ It’s not enough to be ‘not sure’ when racism is still taking lives.” – Ruby Ph
“Speaking back to racism is almost always uncomfortable. We can survive this discomfort. How to tell someone you love they are being racist:
– In the moment, you can say, ‘That is really racist/offensive/ignorant.’
– Set a boundary that you will not accept racist comments – ‘Don’t make racist jokes around me. If you do, I’m leaving.’
– You can also go back to it after the fact- ‘What you said the other day isn’t sitting well with me.’
– Focus on your feelings/the impact of their words – ‘When you say that, it makes me feel angry/disgusted/confused.’
– Ask questions – ‘Where did you learn that?’ ‘How would you feel if you experienced that?’
– Offer stories and examples – ‘Imagine fearing for your safety when …’
Blocks to confronting your friends’ and family’s racism or anti-blackness:
– Avoiding discomfort
– Believing it costs too much emotional energy
– Worry they will feel bad
– In the moment, you experience a kind of freeze response
– Anything that threatens the relationship feels frightening
– Believing that if black people aren’t present, it’s not harmful
– Seeing it as their “‘indifference of opinion’
– Dismissing it because of where or when they grew up
– Believing they won’t change their mind
When people in your immediate circle express anti-blackness or racist sentiments, speaking back is one way to take meaningful action. Speaking back is honoring your boundaries and values.” – Jordan Pickell
Journal Prompts and Conversation Starters to Explore White Privilege and White Supremacy by Lisa Olivera:
What is your earliest memory around skin color? Race? Difference? Privilege? Heirarchy?
How did your parents talk to you (or not talk to you at all) about whiteness, privilege, and racism?
What narratives did you learn (or not learn at all) in school about whiteness and white privilege?
What have you been taught about power? What have you witnessed about power?
What have you not had to worry about because you are white?
What media do you consume? Who is represented in that media and how are they represented?
How do you feel when you witness blatant racism? What about less obvious forms of racism?
How do you feel when you consider your own internal racism and biases?
What comes up for you when you hear the phrase White Supremacy?
How has wanting to be good, nice, and likeable, kept you from engaging in discussions of racism?
How do you feel about the privilege that you have?
What fears arise when you think about addressing and examining racism?
In what ways have you placed your own comfort ocer the wellness of Black and Brown people?
In what ways have guilt and shame stopped you from engaging in anti-racism work?
What feelings come up when you are around BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)?
What are your values, and does your current relationship with anti-racism reflect those values?
If not, what do you want to commit to engaging with, learning about, and taking action around?
Who can you have conversations with about white privilege, white supremacy, and anti-racism?
Who do you want to learn from and how can you compensate them for their labor?
What do you want the world to look like for all humans?
“Check in on your black friends, family, partners, loved ones, and colleagues. This is an emotional and traumatic time for the community, and you checking in means more than you can imagine. Ask how you can provide support.
Be prepared to do the work. Understand that coming to terms with your own white privilege will not be a pretty or fun experience. It is necessary to feel feelings of guilt, shame, and anger throughout the process.
Read up on anti-racist works. It is not enough to dislike racism. You need to work towards anti-racism. The following will be essential for your learning: Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad and How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Avoid sharing content which is traumatic. Whatever your intentions are, it is vital to consider sharing videos of black people being abused and hurt can be both traumatic and triggering for many black people. Avoid sharing this content as it increases also to the dehumanization of black people.
Do not center this narrative around yourself. While it is nice that you can relate and empathize, now is not the time to insert your personal experiences into a narrative that isn’t about you. This is actually harmful and takes away from the severity of the situation. Leave your ego.
Keep supporting after the outrage. It should not take an act of brutality or the virality of a situation for you to suddenly show your support. Keep supporting black media, black initiatives, charitable organizations, and continuing your work after the attention has died down.
Stop supporting organizations that promote hate. If you read pieces on media platforms that promote hate or fund supremacist and hateful organizations, you are contributing to the problem. Equally, stop supporting organizations that love ‘black culture,’ but fail to speak up on issues affecting the black community.
Donate to funds and support initiatives. Consider supporting platforms and initiatives which support black people, such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund, support black-owned funding platforms like Kwanda and sign petitions. Put your money and pen where your mouth is.
Start your long-term strategy. How are you making a long-term impact or affecting change? Can you mentor a young person? Can you become a trustee for an organization that supports the black community? Could you offer your time to volunteer? Make the effort to do something valuable over a long-term period.” These resources are from Mireille Cassandra Harper.
I’m not black, but I see you.
I’m not black, but I hear you.
I’m not black, but I mourn with you.
I’m not black, but I will fight for you.
What Does Anti-Racism Have to Do With Veganism?
You may think that anti-racism has nothing to do with veganism, but it does. Dr. Judy Brangman explains this well. She says, “What really baffles me is how some people call themselves vegan, but don’t value or fight for human lives. You know, the ones who protest, are confrontational, and very vocal about animal cruelty, but say nothing about cruelty towards black people, minorities, poor people, or non-Americans, too, for that matter.
Humans do belong to the animal kingdom, too. That includes black humans as well. This may not sit well with some, but you cannot be a true ethical vegan if you don’t value ALL animal lives. You can’t say that you value animal lives, but support cruelty towards humans and people of color.
Also, it is uncaring and lacks empathy to say things like race doesn’t matter, I don’t see color, or everything is not about race. Everyone views the world through their own unique experiences and is coming from different backgrounds. I’m sure many of us don’t have to experience physical abuse or unfair treatment to empathize with someone who is sharing their story of such treatment. Most wouldn’t question or blame the victim either.
But for some reason, when it comes to black people sharing their personal experiences of unfair biased treatment in America, a few white people (who obviously have never experienced such), feel it is their place to discredit the black person’s experience and say somethong like, ‘Not everything is about race.’ That’s like saying, ‘Not everything is about animal cruelty.’ But to that person, in that moment, it may be just about that. So America, let us live, let us breathe, let us walk, let us jog.”
“You can advocate for human rights and animal rights at the same time without taking away anything from either of them. Don’t compare their suffering, understand their suffering. Be consistent in your stance against oppression of both human and non-human animals.” – Donny Oberoi
If you’re vegan, and you only care about animal lives, are you really vegan? Come on, now. There is animal rights that we fight for and speak up for. There is also human rights that we fight for and speak up for. It makes absolutely no sense to only speak about and care about animals lives if you talk about living vegan and cruelty-free. That needs to be extended to humans, too. If you don’t have empathy for people that are different than you going through things that you will never go through, then you need to check yourself. Empathy is the foundation of veganism, and it is the most important part of veganism. Period. EMPATHY. EMPATHY. EMPATHY.
What You Can Do
It all starts with us, and we can change things. There are petitions you can sign, protests you can attend or organize, black-owned businesses and initiatives you can support, money you can donate to organizations and funds, books you can read, films you can watch, research you can do, converstations you can start and have, people you can help, ways you can share messages and amplify black voices, vote, stand up, speak up, and take action.
Find out whether or not your local police department currently outfits all on-duty police officers with a body-worn camera and requires that the body-worn camera be turned on immediately when officers respond to a police call. If they don’t, write to your city or town government respresentative and police chief to advocate for it. The racial make-up of your town doesn’t matter. This needs to be standard everywhere. Multiply your voice by soliciting others to advocate as well, sharing on social media about it, writing op-eds, etc. – Rachel Cargle
Donate to anti-white supremacy work such as your local Black Lives Matter, The National Council for Incarcerated Woman and Girls, the NAACP, Sothern Poverty Law Center, United Negro College Fund, Black Youth Project 100, Color of Change, The Sentencing Project, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, A New Way of Life, and Dream Defenders. Join some of these list-serves, and take action as their emails dictate. – Rachel Cargle
Support and share about Rachel Cargle’s The Loveland Foundation non-profit that provides mental health care access for Black women and girls and her monthly online learning platform The Great Unlearn. You can go to her website, for more. She also has a list of different important books to read listed in her Elizabeth’s Bookshop + Writing Centre she founded that is an innovative literacy center designed to amplify and celebrate marginalized voices. Watch Rachel Cargle’s public address On Revolution: Revolution Now.
Support these organizations: Showing Up For Racial Justice, Civilrights.org, Ethel’s Club, #8CantWait, TGIJP, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Snap 4 Freedom, Black AIDS Institute, The Transgender District, LGBTQ Freedom Fund, House of GG, Trans Justice Funding Project, Youth Breakout, Until Freedom, Grassroots Law Project, African American Policy Forum, Unicorn Riot, Movement For Black Lives, and United We Dream.
Support the people you are learning from.
Monique Melton has classes you can take, consultation calls you can have with her, workbooks and guides you can buy from her that she has created to eliminate racism. She also has a podcast called Shine Brighter Together.
Ericka Hart has courses you can take.
Blair Imani has a monthly online learning platform.
Austin Channing Brown has a web series called TNQ (The Next Question) that engages leading voices on critical topics of racial justice in America. She also has ACB Academy where you can enroll to learn and start your journey toward racial justice. Here is a list of books to read that Austin Channing Brown recommends. Follow her on Instagram where she lists anti-racism homework to do in her posts with resources.
Trudi Lebron has a blog post called Facing Race, Equity & Diversity in the Coaching Industry: 10 Considerations.
Simone McNish has a blog post about diversity in business.
Dr. Tee Williams has courses you can take about social justice.
Sonya Renee Taylor has lectures you can watch and listen to about intersection of identity, justice, and social transformation.
Desiree Adaway has a class to share concrete ways that see white dominate culture manifest in organizations and actions to mitigate them and other programs and trainings.
Louiza Doran has a lot of educational and consultring resources plus a podcast and a blog.
Ibram X. Kendi has essays and other resources on his website in addition to his book. He also has the Antiracism Center.
Andre Henry has resources on his website as well as his podcast and music.
Deray McKesson has a book and a podcast.
Go to bit.ly/antiracismresources, whenwestandtogether.com, and pb-resources.com for you to find out how you can take action further.
Cleo Wade has a number of resources on her website about helping to stop Asian hate and how to stand in solidarity with Asian Americans.
Talk to your kids, family, and friends about anti-racism, racism, white privilege, and white supremacy.
Support and volunteer at local organizations or foundations in your community to enact change and help.
Open your eyes to anti-blackness. Pay attention.
Pay attention to your white experience.
Speak up.
Know your history. Educate yourself on anti-blackness, systemic oppression, privilege, and the role you and your communities play in upholding systems of white supremacy.
Stop appropriation. Stop picking apart pieces of Black culture for your convenience, profit, and social currency.
Listen. Don’t labor. Listen to resources from Black women, Black community, Black leaders, Black activists, Black authors, and Black podcasters. Do not put the labor on Black people to educate you.
Stay updated from trusted and repuatable resources.
Watch these films: 13th (on Netflix), American Son (on Netflix), Dear White Pople (on Netflix), See You Yesterday (on Netflix), When They See Us (on Netflix), If Beale Street Could Talk (on Hulu), The Hate U Give (on Hulu), The Black Power Mixtape (on Amazon Prime), Clemency, Fruitvale Station (on Tubi), I Am Not Your Negro (on Amazon Prime), Just Mercy, Selma, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap (on Netflix), Time: The Kalief Browder Story (on Netflix), Who Killed Malcom X? (on Netflix), The Invisible Vegan (on Amazon Prime), Freedom Riders (on Amazon Prime), The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross (on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Vudu) .
Watch this talk in two different parts (Part 1) (Part 2) moderated by Jeff Johnson on the Shea Moisture Instagram account with Tanya Miller, Angela Rye, Tiffany Dena Loftin, and Thema Bryant.
Watch these TED Talks: We Need to Talk About an Injustice by Bryan Stevenson, The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History by David Ikard, Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice by Megan Ming Francis, How America’s Public Schools Keep Children in Poverty by Kandice Summer, and The Symbols of Systemic Racism – And How to Take Away Their Power by Paul Rucker.
Subscribe and listen to these podcasts: 1619 by The New York Times, About Race, Code Switch by NPR, The Diversity Gap, Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberle Crenshaw, Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, Pod For the Cause from the Leadership Conference of Civil & Human Rights, Pod Save the People by Crooked Media, Hope & Hard Pills, Shine Brighter Together hosted by Monique Melton, That’s Not How That Works hosted by Louiza Doran and Trudi Lebron, Real Talk With Tamera (Ep. 161 What You Can Do About Racism), Scene On Radio: Seeing White.
Read these books: Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins, Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper, Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon, How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Redefining Realness by Janet Mock, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism For the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, This Bridge Called My Back: Writings For Radical Women of Color by Cherrie Moraga, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo, Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad, The Geometry of Being Black by Ogor Chukwuu, This Will Be My Undoing: Living At the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America by Morgan Jenkins, Choke Hold: Policing Black Men by Paul Butler, The End of White Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide by Zerlina Maxwell, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong, America’s Original Sin by Wallis, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge, Good Talk by Mira Jacob, Blindspot by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? by Moustafa Bayoumi, The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward, When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bendele and Patrisse Khan-Cullors, An African American and Latinix History of the United States by Paul Ortiz, Citizen by Claudia Rankine, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Mindful of Race by Ruth King, Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson, The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, Have black Lives Ever Mattered? by Mumia Abu-Jamal, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi, This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Ibram. X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson, Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Dear Martin by Nic Stone, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin, The Geometry of Being Black by Ogorchukwu, I’m Judging You: The Do Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi, Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism From Two Sisters by Aph Ko and Syl Ko, Racism As Zoological Witchcraft: A Guide to Getting Out by Aph Ko, Veganism of Color: Decentering Whiteness in Human and Nonhuman Liberation by Julia Feliz Brueck, Veganism is An Oppressive World: A Vegans-of-Color Community Project by Julia Feliz Brueck, Unapologetic: A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements by Charlene Carruthers, Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist by Franchesca Ramsey, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Solidarity by Albert Woodfox, On rhe Other Side of Freedom by DeRay McKesson, Hood Feminism: Notes From the Woman that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall.
Read these: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh, Letter From Birmingham by Martin Luther King, Jr., and watch: Systemic Racism Explained by act.tv on YouTube.
Look up James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, The Combahee River Collective, The Tenets of Reproductive Justice, Ella Baker, and June Jordan. Learn about them. Learn from them. I found out about them from Sonya Renee Taylor.
Donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund that is working to help jailed protestors, Reclaim the Block that is working to move money into their community, Black Visions Collective that is taking a healing and transformative justice approach for all black lives, and Campaign Zero that is reducing public violence.
Learn about power mapping, and take action. Power mapping is a visual tool used by social advocates to identify the best individuals to target to promote social change. Do the research on this, and find out how you can do this. I learned about this from Tiffany Dena Loftin.
Women to Learn From
I’ve learned a lot from these women, and I continue to. Rachel Cargle, Indya Moore, Austin Channing Brown, Layla F. Saad, McKensie Mack, Haile Thomas, Rachel Ricketts, Ijeoma Oluo, Zerlina Maxwell, Angela Rye, Blair Amadeua Imani, Andrea Ranae, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Ericka Hart, Monique Melton, Iye Loves Life, Sonya Renee Taylor, Desiree Adaway, Louiza Doran, Ogorchukwu, Luvvie Ajayi, Trudi Lebron, Simone McNish, Kenidra R. Woods, Charlene Carruthers, Kimberle Crenshaw, Franchesca Ramsey, Ivirlei Brookes, Azure Antoinette, Tamika D. Mallory, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Myisha T. Hill, Leah Thomas, Mikaela Loach, Aja Barber, and Dr. Jennifer Mullan.
Important Things to Know
1.) Listen to black people, and let them lead the way. Every resource I’ve gotten into was created by a black person, because why wouldn’t it be? They know, and we need to listen to them. We do not need to take over. We need to let them lead and teach us.
2.) We need to be self-aware and check ourselves. Pay attention. Go deep within yourself. If you feel the need to prove that you’re not racist, that’s a red flag. Something’s wrong there, and you need to fix it. Pay attention and be self-aware about what you say, do, and think. That reveals so much that you may not have even been aware of before.
3.) This isn’t a trend, and this isn’t over when all of the attention may fade away. This is a life-long fight. It will never end until we dismantle white supremacy, and we can do that. We must.
4.) Educate yourself. There are many different people you can learn from. Support their work. Read books, watch films, listen to podcasts, watch videos, read essays, posts, and articles, listen to talks, sign petitions, amplify black voices, attend protests, donate to black organizations, foundations, and funds, support black businesses and initiatives, start and have conversations about racism, white privilege, white supremacy, and anti-racism, write, film, create art, create music, speak up, vote, volunteer, etc. Don’t make it the responsibility of black people to find out what you can do. It’s your responsibility, so do better.
5.) Check in on black people you know. Ask them how you can support. Listen to them. Black people don’t need or want tears from white people. They need white people to create lasting forever change for them so that they can have liberation, and live their lives safely as they should be able to in the first place.
Ending Thoughts
White people are the ones who need to, have to, and can fix and change this. We also must be aware of our actions and of what we say.
You should not feel the need to tell people that you’re not racist. Check yourself. Be self-aware. Pay attention. Go deep within yourself.
Educate yourself. There are many different people you can learn from. Support their work.
There are many resources. Dig deep into them, and find out what you can do to help. It’s your responsibility to find out what you can do. The resources are out there. Research. Find out for yourself. Don’t make it the responsibility of black people to tell you what you can do to help. You’re the one who can make change, so go and do it.
“My friend Maude once said, ‘There are times when we must speak, not because you are going to change the other person, but because if you don’t speak, they have changed you.'” Silence doesn’t change the world. It changes us. It shrinks us. It takes our stories and feelings away from us and buries them alive. Unearth what is buried within you. Free yourself in this way. – Cleo Wade
Don’t ignore something because it makes you uncomfortable. – Dom Roberts
How To Stay Connected To Your Soul:
When something happens in the world that is wrong, don’t try to move on with your life like it is right. The voice within you that says, “This is not okay,” is a direct call from the basic goodness of your spirit. Pick it up. Every time. Pick it up and stay on the line until you figure out how to help. – Cleo Wade
And may the appalling hate of others fuel you to step more deeply into your work as a warrior of love, justice, and freedom in the fight against oppression and bigotry. – Cleo Wade
Resistance is not a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is organizing, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do not feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them. – Lindsay Young
Awareness without action helps no one. Take your activism past social media. Give your platform to community activists. Support mutual aid networks. Have uncomfortable conversations with your circle. Social media is a tool, but it is not the endgame. – Sara Li
Change comes from the voice inside your head that finally gets fed up and screams at you to make a move. Change comes from taking responsibility for your thoughts, words, and actions instead of placing the blame on others. Change comes from you deciding that the same old patterns just aren’t working anymore. Change comes from the desire to open your mind to new ideologies and perspectives. If you want change, be the catalyst that sets that change in motion. Break the cycle and begin a new season. – Esther T.