The killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the unnecessary deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have stirred deep emotions in our communities along with global outcry for change. Many people, including our team members, are filled with rage at injustices, overwhelmed with sadness, moved to action, and are having thoughtful conversations that may make some uncomfortable.
We have paused and taken some time to reflect. This was not a passive pause; our team has been listening, reading, and learning. Our voices are no more important than anyone else’s, but it is crucial that we add our voices to the chorus of those calling for equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
It is not enough to say, “I’m not racist.” We must actively engage in fostering an authentic sense of belonging through the diversity of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, experiences, and the inclusion and equality of people regardless of race, color, or any other number of differences. To be an ally is an ongoing process, and we are committed to do better.
We are gaining perspective by listening to voices, some of which are new to us, on a variety of platforms. Below is a compilation of what we have been listening to, reading, and watching, along with resources to help us support the need for justice, fairness, inclusion, anti-racism and fairness for all.
According to Black Lives Matter activist, Chimwemwe Undi, there is no single right way to be an effective ally, but there is a wrong way. She said, “Anti-racism activism must mean more than hashtags, emojis and Instagram posts. Becoming an anti-racist is not a self-help endeavor, akin to donating household objects that do not spark joy; it is a political ethos and a political movement. Anti-racism must inform every aspect of your life: the way you hire, the way you vote, the way you act at work and school and brunch.”
Articles to read:
- America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us by Adam Serwer | Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
- Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement (Mentoring a New Generation of Activists
- George Floyd’s Autopsy and the Structural Gaslighting of America | Scientific American
- Goldman Sachs executive’s email making plea for racial equality goes viral at firm | Reuters (June 4, 2020)
- Maintaining Professionalism In the Age of Black Death Is … A Lot | Medium (May 28, 2020)
- My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant by Jose Antonio Vargas | NYT Mag (June 22, 2011)
- Reflections from a Token Black Friend | Medium (June 4, 2020)
- NFL On Kneeling Players’ Protests: ‘We Were Wrong,’ Commissioner Says | NPR (June 5, 2020)
- Talking ‘The Talk’: Words Seem Futile When Videos Speak for Themselves | Law.com (June 2, 2020)
- Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups developed by Craig Elliott PhD
- The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine
- The Combahee River Collective Statement
- The Intersectionality Wars by Jane Coaston | Vox (May 28, 2019)
- To white organizational leaders, silence is violence: Here’s what you should do now |Generocity (June 1, 2020)
- Your Bookshelf May Be Part Of The Problem |NPR (June 6, 2020)
- We need to talk about how media and creatives portray Black people | Fast Company (June 4, 2020)
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
- Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
Books to read:
People and Organizations to follow on social media:
Podcasts to listen to:
- 1619 (New York Times)
- About Race hosted by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- Code Switch (NPR)
- In Black America (NPR)
- Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
- Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)
- Pod Save the People (Crooked Media)
- Seeing White
- Still Processing (Kaepernick)
- Truth Be Told hosted by Tonya Mosley
- United States of Anxiety
TV series and films to watch:
- 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
- American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
- Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
- Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
- Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
- Coming together: Stand up to Racism Available on CNN and Sesame Street
- Crime + Punishment – YouTube
- Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
- Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
- I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
- Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent for free in June in the U.S.
- King In The Wilderness — HBO
- See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
- Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story – Nextflix
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
- The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
- When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
Videos to watch:
Websites to check out and read:
Looking for more anti-racism resources? Here are some lists to get you started.
Ready to take action? Here are ways to get started.
We hope the resources listed here are helpful. We look forward to adding to this list and we welcome additional resources and perspectives.
