Resources For Racial Justice Allies

Hi Friends,

Want to express my gratitude for all the love and support that has been shown to me and fellow BIPOC creators on Social Media this past week. The events that have unfolded in the past few weeks, while very disheartening have opened a lot of eyes. I am happy that we are having a national conversation and want to do my part to create lasting change.

I had a lot of people reach out to me to ask what they can do and how they can help become strong allies of the movement. As promised, I have compiled some resources that can help those that are seeking, listening and learning.

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Here’s how you can help effect change:

 

Listen to Understand

Pause and listen. Don’t get defensive. These times can prove uncomfortable for all of us. However, I believe that the fruit borne out of these hard and difficult conversations can help with healing and provide a pathway to moving forward.

• The What is White Privilege?  article by the YWCA of Minneapolis is a great resource that breaks down the idea of White Privilege in laypersons’ terms.

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Learn, Reflect and Re-examine

Educate yourself. It is important to look back to get a deep understanding of the root cause of the problem.

• The 1619 Project by the New York Times takes us back through the history of why and how some of these issues came about.

• The Just Mercy movie is a great learning tool and is available for free through the end of June on majority of streaming platforms.

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Explore and Commit

Identify and articulate concrete steps on what you are going to do. And do them. Commit for the long haul to effect transformative change. The deep-rooted problems we face will not disappear overnight. They require deep long -term commitment.

• The 5 Ways to Show Up for Racial Justice Today by KQED provides great ideas on how to commit.

 

Do

Do the work in public and private. Show up with full commitment. Be an ally for change.

• The 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice by Corinne Shutack provides a multitude of ways to show up.

 

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The only way to effect and achieve transformative change is for all of us to band together to create a difference. Change does not happen overnight. The Anti-Racism Resource Document provides a vast array of resources and is constantly being updated to provide additional and relevant information.

 

If you are still reading, I would like to thank you for taking the first step. My prayer and hope are that you can go forward in your community and be the change that we so desperately need.

All Images by Oh Happy Dani