I had planned for another post to go up yesterday and decided against it. It didn’t feel right with everything happening right now. The racial injustice in our country has always been there, but now those of us who don’t experience it on a daily basis are watching it with our own eyes play out almost daily.
So instead, I’m going to put out a list of resources for white allies to help educate yourself on the best ways to support people of color and to advocate for anti-racism in America. As a teacher, educating and providing resources is my superpower. However, despite all the work I’ve personally been doing to educate myself, I will not pretend I am an expert, so I want to direct you to more knowledgable people.
It is important to remember that it is not the job of people of color to educate us and tell us what they need us to do. We need to educate ourselves and figure out the best ways to be allies and use our privilege to elevate oppressed voices and stories.
1.) Sign this petition for George Floyd here:Sign petition
2.) Here are some articles I have gathered from multiple sources to start your education:
Frances E. Kendall, How to Be an Ally if You Are a Person with Privilege
Peggy McIntosh, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack
Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Case for Reparations
Ali Michael Org, 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books For Racism and Sexism,
Allan Johnson, Excerpt from Privilege: Power and Difference
Margaret Biser, I used to lead tours on a plantation. You wouldn’t believe the questions I got about slavery.
Holy shit, being an ally isn’t about me!, Voices of WOC & Allies
Levana Saxon, Allyship and Accountability Glossary
Ryan Struyk, Blacks and whites see racism in the US very very differently
Matthew Hughey & W. Carson Byrd Born that Way: Scientific Racism is Creeping Back Into Our Thinking
NPR: Michael Martin, Fear of the Black Man, How Racial Bias Impacts Crime/Labor
Ernest Owens, 10 Messages of Wisdom We Need to Give Black Youth Right Now
Alexis Madrigal, The Racist Housing Policy that Made your Neighborhood
Goyette and Scheller, 15 Charts that Prove We’re Far From Post Racial
Julie Turkowicz, A ‘Historic Moment’ for Native Americans
Nicholas Kristof, When Whites Just Don’t Get It, Parts 1-7
Joy Sewing, Marrianne Williamson Asked White People To Apologize. She Got It Right
Tara Bahrampour, They Considered Themselves White, But DNA Tests Told a More Complicated Story
Ibram X Kendi, Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?
3.) Here are some books on race and white privilege that are recommended (Links are to Amazon but please consider purchasing local is possible):
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Olu
Trigger Warning with Killer MikeThe New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Witnessing Whiteness: The Need to Talk About Race and How to Do It by Shelly Tochluk
The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching About Race And Racism To People Who Don’t Want To Know by Tema Jon Okun
4.)There are a lot of great social justice documentaries out there. Two of my favorite dealing with race are:
The 13th- Netflix
The Innocence Files- Netflix (This one is not directly about race, but it is a huge theme throughout and eyeopening/heartbreaking in some episodes)
Again, while I have done a lot of work in this area, I am by no means an expert and would love to hear what other resources you would suggest. Leave a comment or send me a message. The reality is we all have some work to do, and this is just a small starting point.
Flourishing Boldly 