anti-racism resources

Talking to Kids  Understanding Racism 
Other ideas:
Reflect on what you know and what you don't 
Here's what I don't know
  • What it's like to be a person of color
  • What to say or do
  • Where to start
Here's what I do know
  • I'm beginner, woefully ignorant and ashamed of that truth.
  • I'm waking up to a reality that's been there the whole time.
  • I can be responsible for my own thoughts and actions and be proactive.
  • I can do better at reflecting, educating myself, and entering into the conversation.
  • I can speak up where previously I've stayed silent.
  • There are people I can learn from and I'm not powerless to change.
What I do know is what drives me forward.

Learn from others
  • When I don't know where to begin I start with others who are already leading the way. 
  • I'm following people on social media, reading articles, talking to friends, listening to speakers and doing the work.
  • Here are a few things I've found really helpful.
  • This short video from Ivirlei Brookes: What White People Can do​
  • This post/video from Chrystal Evans Hurst: So What Do I do? with a great list of books, posts, videos, films and podcasts if you scroll down under the video.
  • My friend Patrice Gopo's beautiful book All the Colors We Will See​
  • Lucretia Berry and her hubby Nathan run Brownicity an organization helping people get comfortable learning about racism through courses and resources. I'm about to go through their live program. Join me?​
  • Lamenting and learning can happen at the same time. Let's do both.

Take the first step
As fellow Brit, William Wordsworh said,
"To begin, begin."All I can do is start where I am and keep moving forward in love, grace and compassion, both for myself, my fellow learners, and my African American sisters and brothers. 

What You Can Do....
  • CONSIDER YOUR WORDS: how and what you need to say; then elevate the words.
    • Ask 'How can I lessen your burden?'
    • Ask 'How can I collaborate with you?'
    • Consider what privilege you bring that can help support the other.
  • DO HARD THINGS like get used to seeing and hearing the word "white" and learning to name “white supremacy.” For generations, the norm has been white. When you were identifying someone, you didn't have to use the word "white" because it was an automatic assumption unless specified otherwise. You may want to cringe when you hear or see the word "white", but others have had to experience this all along. Notice your discomfort, breathe through it, and keep going. We can do hard things.
  • BECOME actively anti-racist. The alternative to being a racist isn’t being not-racist, it is being anti-racist. Neutrality is not an appropriate response to racism or white supremacy. In the words of Elie Wiesel, “We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever people are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.” (Read Ibram X. Kendi's book on becoming anti-racist: )
  • WORK on your whiteness! Do the hard work of looking deeply at your own whiteness. Work through Layla F. Saad's new devotional workbook "Me And White Supremacy."). 
  • EDUCATE yourselves: Create a small group of white people in your religious community or your neighborhood to read the work of Black authors, activists, intellectuals, poets, and scholars and discuss white supremacy. There are many other resources for looking at whiteness, but it is a critical step for white people. Click here for an anti-racist reading list: 
  • NAME and ATTACK white supremacy anywhere and everywhere you see or hear it! (here are 5 ways and here are 75 more)
  • ADVOCATE for immediate Police Reform. Educate yourself on the current use of force policies so you can advocate for changes in your city's police department . 
  • CHALLENGE ELECTED LEADERS to root out racism and white supremacy in the police force and other areas of government, and to redirect funding from police departments to public education.
  • VOTE VOTE VOTE! Vote with this intention from Dr. Willie Jennings: "How will my vote impact the lives of poor Black women and their children?" In the words of Jim Wallis, “Our vote is our greatest weapon against the sin of white supremacy!” We can also protect our democracy by working to protect voting rights and defeat voter suppression efforts.
  • GIVE YOUR MONEY to Black led movements for justice. Give directly to Black Lives Matter  or the ACLU, or one of the many organizations working directly with protestors: 
  • LISTEN and FOLLOW Black and Brown leaders and organizations without allowing your whiteness to take over the space. Alongside the contribution of our financial resources, this is another way to participate in dismantling systemic racism and white supremacy. Check out organizations like the Equal Justice Initiative 
  • LEGISLATE with COMPASSION.
  • UPDATE YOUR FEED: Follow black activists and artists on social media (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) Here are a few activists.
  • RESOURCES:

For more resources (books, movies, and more): Check out Katie Couric's "A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources"