Anti-Racism Resource List

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I haven’t done enough.

Have you?

I was invited to be a part of a book club to educate white people on systemic racism about a year ago, and I said I’d like to join, but when the time came to buy the book and participate, I was too busy.

I made my projects and privilege more important than becoming an active participant in this conversation.

There is no more time to bypass this issue.

There is no more time to pretend I’m not a part of this broken system.

It is not okay to stand by, calling myself an ally, and doing nothing about it.

We have been in a melting pot of home-stays, fear, and trauma for months now, and it is nothing compared to the world that BBIPOC have to live in Every. Single. Day.

That’s why I’m trying to do better.

I know I will fuck this up.

I know I can’t do it right or perfect.

I know that I can’t do ‘nothing’ any longer.

Here are the resources I’m focusing on:

(As much as possible, I’m looking to people of color to navigate the discussion on race. While I’m sure amazing resources have been put forth by white people on this subject, it’s time we allow the narrative to be led by the people most affected.)

ARTICLES:

BOOKS:

Petitions to SIGN:

After signing one of those first two at Change.org, you’ll be prompted to share the petition, and then “one-click” to sign a handful of others. Use your best judgement. I signed about 25 of them.

Podcasts:

Campaigns I’m personally funding:

1. NAACP -LDF

2. ACLU

3. Jamii Linguists – to support the translation of this movement into other languages.

My personal political desires:

  1. Community censorship of the police and how they are held accountable. Calling for citizens’ oversight committees and independent auditors to keep our communities safe.
  2. I want to see the end of qualified immunity for government officials and police. Possibly through privatized police.
  3. Peaceful protests.

Other things we can do:

  • Stand up against racism when you see it.
  • Speak out, make your voice heard. Especially if you’re white as your voice can be heard by more white people.
  • Demand change in any way you see an opportunity to do so. Look for more opportunities to do so.
  • If you are a leader or entrepreneur, take action to alter the way you make your work and business structure inclusive. Look out for, and give access to marginilized communities to level the opportunities to participate in your offerings. (Trudi Lebrón is an amazing resource for this kind of knowledge/shift.)
  • Put your money where your mouth is. Buy books by POC authors. Tune into their feeds and channels. Support causes financially and email your local legislators with your opinion on these matters.

More action items from my friend Caleb Arring:

  • Find out whether or not your local police are required to have body cams, and if not call your local chief of police to demand they start using body cams.
  • As local budgets are passed, fight to defund the police.
  • Advocate for ending cash bail– an outrageous number of innocent people (disproportionately people of color) are sitting in jail without ever having been convicted of a crime.
  • Find out if your state still allows the death penalty, and if it does advocate against it. The death penalty is state sponsored murder of, you guessed it, disproportionately people of color. As an aside I don’t believe the government shouldn’t be killing people regardless of guilt, but the American people would be shocked and dismayed if they realized how many innocent people are actually on death row. (…and ultimately murdered by the government.)
  • Contact your state official to advocate for legalizing marijuana. (NOT because black people smoke weed more than white people, but because black people are arrested at outrageously disproportionate rates for minor drug offenses, and are also given outrageously disproportionate sentences for minor drug offenses.)
  • Share details of the actions you are taking – not so you can feel like a good white person, but so that you can invite others to join you.

If you are protesting, please keep it peaceful.

While I was not against the radical attack on a precinct, as a way to make it outrageously clear that we mean business and we will no longer stand for this bullshit — I am against the burning down of small businesses, the looting, and the attack of our neighbors.

This is about the system. This is about the hierarchy, privilege, double-standards, and blatant racism that is still so ingrained in our culture. The system is not brokem, it was built this way. It’s time to build a new system. That may mean tearing down the one we’ve got. 

This is not about burning down our neighbors homes & businesses, or bringing more violence to the world. It means demanding change, and doing whatever the fuck it takes to make it happen. 

Write emails, sign petitions, fund initiatives, share your voice beyond just posting on social media, post on social media about what you are doing, and above all educate yourself on what more you can do… and do something.

Here are some other extensive lists like this one, that I found when researching:

(Don’t get overwhelmed. Choose one or two things to act on now, and keep making an effort to educate yourself and show up.)

Here is a resource that talks about the Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community.

If there is something you think must be on this list that isn’t, please add it in the comments or message me molly(at)wildheartsriseup(dot)com and I will make edits.

Thank you for showing up.

Thank you for taking action.

Thank you for choosing to pro-actively demand this system changes today.

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