Grow Beyond Yourself
I’m sorry. I’m listening. I’m learning.
I’m truly so disappointed in myself that it has taken me this long to open my eyes to the racial systematic injustices in this country.
The racial injustices that have taken place over the last few weeks around this subject are just the small threads that weave together such a major flaw in the fabric of our society as we know it. There are so many lives that we have lost due to systemic injustice. There are countless lives that have been prosecuted because of systemic racial injustice. And this needs to stop.
We need to stop ignoring the problems. We need to stop going along conversations and ideologies just to “avoid” conflict. We need to start having tough conversations. We need to start speaking for those who no longer have voices to lend.
However before we do this, we need to educate ourselves.
For myself, I am wildly and unacceptably uneducated and this is all my own doing. I haven’t been listening. I haven’t been paying attention to the right issues. I have been blinded by a system that only benefits me–but I’m making a change.
I want our children to be better than we were. I want racism to end–everywhere, not just in the United States (because it is everywhere). We need to honestly learn, and commit ourselves to deepening our knowledge around systemic racism. For as a white woman, I will never fully know what racism is like. It is my privilege to be able to seek out knowledge about racism, instead of encountering it my whole life first hand. This week we donated to Color of Change after listening to this podcast, it was amazing to hear her experience and perspective.
This past week I’ve reflected and taken time to start this change. I’ve searched for resources, spoken to friends, and researched different organizations whose purpose centers around racial injustices in black communities. I’ve listened to (the first of many) eye-opening podcasts that have helped me understand the complex, historical and systemic framework that allows racism to live in divisions such as education, health, public safety and politics.
And this is only the beginning. I’ve only been at this for a week. But black people have been living this from day one. They have stood at the face of racism and oppression long before any of us cared to open our eyes. This sickens me.
And so this post is dedicated to a variety of resources that I have gathered to help expand our knowledge of understanding racial injustices at their core. It is our duty and privilege to not only use these resources–but put them into action in our daily lives. My first step is education, followed by swift daily actions to help be a better creative ally. Please do comment with other helpful resources, I think that diverse perspectives are vital to lifting this further off the ground. I also linked (just a few) great people to follow, because as we all know–Instagram is such a beautiful outlet for inspiration.
Watch:
How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion | Peggy PcIntosh
Let’s Get To The Root of Racial Injustice | Megan Ming Francis
How To Overcome Our Biases? Walk Them Boldly | Verna Myers
How We’re Priming Some Kids For College–And Others For Prison | Alice Goffman
13th Documentary | Ava DuVernay (also on Netflix)
King in the Wilderness | Peter Kunhardt (also on HBO Go & Hulu)
Just Mercy | Destin Daniel Cretton
When They See Us | Ava DuVernay (on Netflix)
The Central Park Five | Ken Burns (Amazon Prime)
The Urgency of Intersectionality | Kimberle Crenshaw
Listen
A Decade of Watching Black People Die | NPR (22 mins)
Anger: The Black Woman’s ‘Superpower’ | NPR (19 mins)
Small Doses With Amanda Seales | Amanda Seales (Apple Podcasts, Spotifty)
1619 Podcast | NY Times (42 mins)
The Limits Of Empathy | NPR (36 mins)
What About Your Friends? | NPR (50 mins)
Read
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack | Peggy McIntosh
About the Weary Weaponizing of White Woman Tears | Awesomely Lvvie
26 Ways To Be In The Struggle Beyond The Streets
So You Want To Talk About Race | Ijeoma Oluo
The 1619 Project | NY Mag
Racism In Interfaces | Maxim Gronzy
White Fragility | Robin J. DiAngelo
Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria | Beverly Daniel Tatum
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness | Michelle Alexander
The Bluest Eye | Toni Morrisson
Song Of Soloman | Toni Morrisson
Who Gets To Be Afraid In America? | Ibram X. Kendi
The Case For Reparations | Ta-Nehisi Coates
How To Be An Antiracist | Ibram X. Kendi
75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Injustic | Corinne Shutack
Organizations
Color Of Change
National Council For Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
NAACP
Southern Poverty Law Center
Black Youth Project 100
The Sentencing Project
A New Way Of Live
Dream Defenders
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Local Black Lives Matter Chapters
Zinn Education
Other Amazing Recourses
Justice in June
How To Demand Justice For Black Trans People Right Now
Donate To Local Bail Funds
@Follow
No White Saviors
Layla F. Saad
Ava DuVernay
Yara (يارا) Shahidi
Ijeoma Oluo
By no means is this list inclusive of all the great souls and organizations out there doing amazing work. These are just a few that I have found incredibly helpful. As I continue to grow and learn, I’ll of course share more–however I’d love any and all suggestions. This is just the beginning.
