Systemic Racism is a much bigger problem than a simple instagram picture or black square can solve. I am a white female and know that brings privilege, it doesn't mean I never went through hardships, but what it does mean is those hardships never had to do with my skin color. Our country has been in dire need of change and it has been FAR too long. I almost want to thank the 20th century for allowing things such as video recordings and social media for making these issues far more prevalent, because sadly I think there are people out there who wouldn't believe it without it (heck there ARE people who think its not there even with actual evidence). After everything that has happened over the years I have finally realized that staying silent does more harm than speaking out against something that is so inhumane. Speaking for myself, I feel like it happens because we are either scared to share our thoughts, uneducated and don't know WHAT to say, or simply don't know where to begin.
This week I have only just begun to do the work that should've been started years ago. I felt like this needed to be in a space that is far more permanent than an instagram post or instagram story. No inspirational quotes or trending hashtags, just ways to make a change that go beyond clicking that share button.
And of course the biggest way to really change is to vote. Please make sure you are a registered voter andare educated on the matters and who is running.
Also, these are just things I have come across doing my own research, following POC and digging into what I need to do to make a change. If you have additional resources you would like me to add just let me know!
PETITIONS TO SIGN
BOOKS TO EDUCATE
While some of these might be sold out, I would look into buying the kindle version, audible or check out spotify!
+ White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson
+ Freedom Is A Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis
+ Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt
+ The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America by Khalil Gibran Muhammad
CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Picture Books
+ Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester
+ The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
+ Freedom on the Menu by Carole Boston Weatherford
+ Say Something by Peggy Moss
+ These Hands by Margaret H. Mason
+ Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazzard
+ We Rise, We Resist, We Raise our Voices by Wade Hudson
+ When Aidan Became a Brother By Kyle Lukoff
+Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History+Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
+ Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry
+ The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson
+ My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera
+ Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
+ My Family Divided by Diane Guerero
+ I Am Not a Number by Jenny kay dupuis and Kathy Kacer
+ Lailah's Lunchbox by Reem Faruqi
+ The Day you Begin by by Jacqueline Woodson
Chapter Books
+ Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks
+ Front Desk by Kelly Yang
+ Number The Stars Lois Lowry
+ The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
+ Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
+ Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
+ The Clay Marble by Minfong Ho
+ Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
+ Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
+Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
+ Lu by Jason Reynolds
DONATE
+ NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Mission is to secure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights in order to ensure a society where all individuals have equal rights without race-based discrimination.
+ The American Civil Liberties Union: fund their critical work to protect voting rights, demand that vulnerable people in prisons, jails and immigration detention centers be released, and fight to ensure reproductive health care remains open and accessible to all who need it.
+ Fair Fight: Ensures fair elections and combats voter suppression
+ Know Your Rights Camp: Provide resources for Black/Brown communities, including hiring defense attorneys for anyone arrested protesting police brutality
+ Black Lives Matter: Further resources, education, and straight links to petitions.
+ The Sentencing Project: The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration
+ Black Visions collective: A Black, trans and queer-led organization that’s committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence, and shifting the public narrative to create transformative, long-term change.
+ LDF: Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.
+ ACLU: The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.
+ National Police Accountability Project: The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.
+ The Innocence Project: They exonerate the innocent through DNA testing and work to reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO
DOCUMENTARIES/ MOVIES/TV
+ 13th (Netflix)
+ American Son (Netflix)
+ Dear White People (Netflix)
+ If Beale St Could Talk (Hulu)
+ King in the Wilderness (HBO)
+ See You Yesterday (Netflix)
+ The Hate You Give (Cinemax)
+ When They See Us (Netflix)
+ Fruitvale Station (Amazon Prime)
+ Get Out (Amazon Prime)
Sources: I would like to thank Danielle from Surviving the Middle for some of the resources she posted about what to do next, Vera from the Tutu Teacher for all her amazing children's book recommendations and for all the content she puts out daily, Sophie Horowitz for resources on donating and sites to petition, Mavic (mavicdcastro) for her amazing resources and how to support POC.
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