White feminists, this post is for us. We have been benefitting from the activism work of women of color for far too long without doing the heavy lifting to fight for equity and justice.
If you’re like me, you are truly digging into anti-racist work embarrassingly late in the game. But I am committed to digging in, listening, learning and supporting.
The goal of this post is to provide some encouragement about the need and value of this work and, more importantly, share resources curated by trusted voices on this issue.
Please note I am embedding original posts here rather than re-creating them. (Continuously updated.)
Anti-Racist Action Items
For a lot of us, the first action item is to read one of the recommended books. Here’s a list of black-owned bookstores who will benefit from your purchase infinitely more than Amazon.
Ally Box – Fulton Street. The Ally Box is a 3-month limited book subscription for allies (and those who seek to be allies) from a Black woman-owned indie bookstore. Each box comes with two books, curated resources, and suggested action steps. Your subscription also includes access to an online learning collaborative.
More Reading
How to Show Up for Black Women from Mama Knows It All. “Accept the fact that the life and experiences that you may have been privileged to live are quite different than that of many Black women.”
Dear White People, this is what we want you to do from Inside the Kandi Dish. “I don’t want to hear ‘I can’t believe this.’ I want you to read up on the history you’ve had the privilege to ignore.”
How White Women Can Be Better Black Lives Matter Allies by Jennifer Palmieri. Forget posting a black square to Instagram—white women must acknowledge that they, too, have benefited from the white male patriarchy, and that racism is entwined in their historic push for equal rights.
The system is not broken. It was built this way by Brené Brown. “From the dehumanizing language and policy of this administration, to the history of white women using the performative “quiver of fear” when calling the police on black men, to police brutality, the system is working exactly how it was designed.”
9 Books to help you discuss anti-racism with children. Books to spark conversations anti-racism, police brutality and more.
