This week I have been spending a lot of time thinking about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Nina Pop and the many other black folks killed by cops or white vigilantes this year. I have been thinking about the summer of 2016, when Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and Korryn Gaines were killed by the police, and I have been thinking about Freddie Gray (2015), Tamir Rice (2014), Mike Brown (2014), Trayvon Martin (2012), and Emmett Till (1955).
(If you don’t recognize any of these names, pause reading, and take a moment to learn about their lives).
I stand in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people who have been protesting this week, and with everyone who has been a part of the centuries long fight against racism and white supremacy in this country. This current moment is part of a much longer history of brutal violence against black people and communities of color. And yet, white privilege and white supremacy means that some folks have been able to remain ignorant about what is going on, or have been able to choose not to participate.
This week, quite a few of my friends have asked me “What can I do?” or “What books do you recommend?” so I wanted to create a post to share information that I have gathered as an anti-racist educator and social justice organizer. If you are a white person or a non-black person who is coming to racial justice activism for the first time, welcome. I hope this list is useful and that you will go and learn from the many amazing black activists that have been doing this work for decades. I also hope that you will not sit down again when the protests are over, but that you will continue to be engaged in anti-racist action.
What Can I Do?
LISTEN to black folks, read black authors, listen to black podcasts, support organizations led by black activists.
EDUCATE yourself. There are tons of books, and essays and podcasts, and movies, and tv shows that can teach you about racism (see below for some suggestions). Don’t ask your black friends or friends of color to do that work for you. Learn about slavery, Jim Crow Laws, desegregation, red-lining, the war on drugs, black feminism, the Civil War, the Black Panthers, the Movement for Black Lives, black farming and food justice, Stonewall, the Compton Cafeteria Riots, the bombing of Black Wall Street.
DE-CENTER YOURSELF: this is not about you, or how you feel about racism. If you need to process your feelings, do so with other white folks engaged in anti-racist work rather than with friends of color. I am happy to be a resource for processing feelings and can help you move through them towards advocacy and activism.
AMPLIFY the voices of black folks: black activists, authors, artists, musicians, small business owners, scholars, scientists, healers. Share information on social media, talk to your family and friends about what you learn, teach the children and young people in your life about the rich history, culture, and advocacy of black communities.
ADVOCATE: Do something. Here is a list of 75 things to do. (some of them include things I listed above like read/educate yourself, but the list also includes policy change, mentorship opportunities, and ways to tackle racism in your police department, schools, and communities.) Know that protesting is important, but there are many other ways to get involved as well. And many ways to support protesters beyond being on the streets: donate supplies, provide medical care, help with child-care, provide space for rest, and more. (26 Ways To Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets).
DONATE/SUPPORT FINANCIALLY: If you have financial means, please donate to the Movement for Black Lives, your local bail fund, legal aid for protesters, BYP 100, Trans Justice Funding Project Pink and Black, your local NAACP chapter, or other local black organizations near you. Also, support local black-owned businesses, and consider putting money in black-owned banks.
Resources:
Over the last few days I have seen long lists of resources circulating on social media, and encourage you to check them out. My list here is not meant to replace any of them, but to highlight some books, podcasts, and essays that I have found useful for understanding my own whiteness, and racial inequality. I have also included the longer resource lists below for you to delve into as well.
Resource Lists
#blacklivesmatter (list of orgs, actions, petitions, missing people, educational resources)
Anti-Racism Resource List (another long list of books, tv shows, movies, etc)
Scaffolded Racial Justice Resources (list with guided questions and suggested steps for moving through the different aspects of racial justice)
Resources for addressing race and racism with young children (info on how to have difficult convos, supporting children through trauma, studies on children and racial bias, and resource lists)
Non-Fiction Books:
Note, I will not be linking to Amazon. (Talk about looting, Jeff Bezos has made billions during this pandemic!!). I know that sometimes it is the only way for folks to access goods, but I want to encourage everyone to order books instead from one of these black-owned bookstores.
How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
Black Girl Dangerous by Mia McKenzie
Waking Up White by Debby Irving
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in an Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
The Color of Law : A Hidden History of Our How Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde (all of her work is amazing!)
This Bridge Called My Back edited by Gloria Anzaldua and Cherrie Moraga
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Why I Am No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (see my review of this book here)
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
Fiction
The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemison
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (see my review of this book here)
Children’s Books:
See also: A Teacher’s List of Favorite Books on Racism
Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham (Link goes to a video of the text being read out-loud)
Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard (Link goes to a video of the text being read out-loud)
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Counting on Community and A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara
Anti-Racist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
(Invisible Strings, the Queer Children’s Bookshop that I helped start recently added books on racial justice to the inventory. )
Essays/Articles
In Defense of Looting by Vicki Osterweil (I have been sharing this 2014 article a lot recently)
How to respond to “riots never solve anything!” by Rafi D’Angelo
The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde
26 Ways To Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets
Mapping Your Role in Your Social Change Network (The Solidarity Is Project)
Recognizing and Dismantling Racism in Animal Rescue on the Sniff
Podcasts:
Uncivil (I especially recommend “The Ring” episode)
About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
The Spaces In Between 
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