With all of the current events surrounding the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement around the country, there is an increasing focus on how to address racism.
I want to first point out that this is not a new issue. This struggle is long-standing. There are centuries of history leading us to our current day and in order to fully understand the movement, we must understand how we got here. For a full account on these issues, I recommend further reading, which I will list below.
I also want to address that I am a white woman writing about racism. Inherently, I cannot know the true experience of racism and I acknowledge that is my privilege. In line with my values, I want to use the privilege I have in order to share knowledge and educate others where I can to do my part to support communities of color.
What you can do (and continue to KEEP doing)
Vote
Vote in the major elections, vote in the primaries, vote in ALL elections that you can. Your voice matters and electing officials that support justice is an important step to take.
Donate
- The Loveland Foundation: supports free therapy sessions for black women and girls who would not otherwise have access.
- Donate your points on Sephora: if you have points in your Sephora account you can donate to The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), which is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. You can donate $10 with 500 points, $20 with 1,000 points, and $30 with 1,500 points.
- The Equal Justice Initiative: The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): The mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
- The NAACP Empowerment programs: NAACP Empowerment Programs engage primarily in training, education, and advocacy at the national and local levels. Donations are eligible for tax deductions.
- National Black Justice Coalition: The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), which is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
Educate yourself and those around you
Books:
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- “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
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- “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F Saad
- “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi
- “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander
- “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo
- “Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race” by Beverly Daniel Tatum
- “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son,” by Tim Wise
- “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts” by Resmaa Menaskem
- “They can’t kill us until they Kill us” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Courses:
Films and shows:
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- When they see us- Netflix
- 13th- Netflix
- American Son- Netflix
- See you yesterday- Netflix
- Dear White People-Netflix
- The Hate U Give- Hulu
- King in the wilderness- HBO
- Just Mercy- streaming free for the month of June
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Podcasts:
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- Code Switch
- 1619
- Throughline
Support black-owned businesses
Check out this link from 303 Magazine with 400+ Black Owned Businesses in Denver
Here are additional ways to support black owned businesses online