Learn, Speak Up, Do Something
Black Lives Matter. There are so many powerful stories, essays, and videos to describe how the Black community feels right now, and it’s impossible to read and watch without feeling heartbroken and outraged.
This metaphor from White Fragility really resonated with me because it underscores why everyone needs to be anti-racist to make this moment a real turning point:
Take women’s suffrage. If being a woman denies you the right to vote, you ipso facto cannot grant it to yourself. And you certainly cannot vote for your right to vote. If men control all the mechanisms that exclude women from voting as well as the mechanisms that can reverse that exclusion, women must call on men for justice.
Fighting systemic racism is a massive and complex problem, but it starts with many individuals taking small steps towards personal accountability and action. Here are a few links to start learning, speaking up, and doing something about racism in our country.
- How George Floyd Was Killed (NYT Video) - Start here, if you have seen the photos but haven’t watched the video yet
- You have to be anti-racist - Two minute clip on what it means to be anti-racist and to have privilege
- How can the black community dismantle a problem that they didn’t create? - Beautiful message, interview, and song
For a longer list of anti-racism resources, here is the most popular doc being shared with links to more articles, videos, and podcasts.