Ally is not an #identity. You know we keep it real at oneTILT. We're seeing a lot of people post about showing up as an #ally and Black lives today - but what do you do tomorrow? The next day? The next month? Ally is not a noun. It’s a verb. (THREAD) pic.twitter.com/XicaXaiMAx
The Atlantic: Police Brutality and 'The Role That Whiteness Plays'In this piece, the author critiques Robin DiAngelo's implication that requiring white people (and more specifically, white police) to examine their whiteness, would lead to a decreae in police brutality.
Washington Post: White people can compartmentalize police brutality. Black people don’t have the luxury.When white people see video of unjust police abuse of a white person, it may make us angry, sad or uncomfortable, but most of us don’t see ourselves in the position of the person in the video. If we’re polite and respectful, we think, and don’t put ourselves in scenarios that lead to confrontations with police officers, there’s little chance that we’ll ever end up like Daniel Shaver. When black people see video of Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, their reaction is much more likely to be that could have been me — or my son, or friend or brother.
For White People
Angela Watson: 10 things every white teacher should know when talking about race"I’m specifically addressing white people in this episode because around 83% of teachers in the U.S. are white. Most of you reading my blog are in fact, white. Conversations about race are super prevalent right now and for many white people, it feels like stepping into a minefield. They have literally no idea what to say, or feel like they don’t understand the history of people of color enough to contribute much to the conversation. Or, they say something they think is totally valid but inadvertently offend people of color in the discussion. Or get their own feelings hurt because they feel “attacked,” vowing to never, ever enter another conversation about race again."
The Atlantic: What Anti-racist Teachers Do Differently"Ask black students who their favorite teacher is, and they will joyfully tell you. Ask them what it is about their favorite teacher, and most will say some version of this: They know how to work with me. So much is in that statement. It means that these students want to work, that they see their teachers as partners in the learning process, and that they know the teacher-student relationship is one in which they both have power. In other words, black students know that they bring intellect to the classroom, and they know when they are seen—and not seen."
Education Week: What Educators Should—and Should Not Do—in Response to George Floyd's Death"The reason adults are racially illiterate, struggle to talk openly about racism, and have an intense fear of being labeled "racist" is because we don't teach racial literacy in our schools ... we teach racism. We teach interpersonal racism when we act on our biases and treat White students better than students of color. We teach structural racism when we accept the barriers that prevent students of color from enrolling in honors and AP classes. We teach cultural racism when we use a White-centric curriculum that only talks about people of color with relation to times of struggle and ignores vital contributions people of color have made to this country. We teach White liberal racism by treating racist incidents, like the killing of George Floyd, as "bad apple" anomalies, rather than a product of our racist society."
Everyday Race Blog: Dear White Folks, How Will We March On?"It’s not the responsibility of people of color to midwife us through the labor of racial transformation. As I see it, many whites, myself included, have often attempted to construct our non-racist identity outwardly by engaging in communities of color in varying capacities. But to my understanding, the true work is not outward right now; it is a commitment to moving inward and backward, first by honestly confronting where we have been lacking in our racial understanding, and then through our own histories and back into the history of the nation to really understand how we are the direct beneficiaries of white supremacy."
Forge: Performative Allyship is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)"In the days after Arbery’s death, I scrolled through Instagram, reading post after post from white friends and influencers professing their outrage and disbelief. Urging us to #sayhisname. The posts were flooded with comments from more (mostly) white people, thanking them for their “bravery” and praising them for 'speaking truth to power.' Still, as a black woman, instead of feeling inspired by this act of solidarity, I found myself feeling angry and afraid. Looking through my feed, I wanted to say to my white friends, 'You’re here now, but where are you the other 364 days a year when anti-racism isn’t trending? When racism isn’t tucked safely behind the screen in your hand, but right there in front of your face?'"
Justin Cohen: Advice for White Folks in the Wake of the Police Murder of a Black Person"I feel an extraordinary amount of anger and sadness today, but that pain cannot compare to what our Black friends and colleagues are experiencing. As a White person, I will never know the extent of this sort of pain. I can, however, offer some modest advice to other White folks who are trying to figure out how to be good allies on a day like today."
Medium: Dear White Friends"I’m not going to hold a banner for you that you’ve decided to finally see me as a human being. Because I still don’t believe that you do. Your willingness to spread videos and images of a man’s soul leave his body in an act of murder without consideration for his family, friends, or loved ones tells me that he is not a person to you. I wonder would you do that to me, too? If my death was caught on camera would you send it to your acquaintances and use it as a way to free yourself from guilt of your own racism by considering it an act of 'change?'"
Medium: Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is….A Lot"I don’t know who decided that being professional was loosely defined as being divorced of total humanity, but whoever did they’ve aided, unintentionally maybe, in a unique form of suffocation. If I am to perform my duties for 40 hours a week, it’s asinine to assume that the life I live outside of those 40 hours won’t rear its head. Whether I’m a sleep deprived single mother of two or a struggling college student who really needs this internship to graduate, the belief that only the part of me that fattens your bottom line is allowed in the workplace, is stifling."
Medium: Message to White Allies from A Black Anti-Racism Expert: You’re Doing It Wrong"Racism is an interconnected web in which all people are trapped. To extricate ourselves, we must work together to weaken its strands. Lashing out at those who fail to see the magnitude of the problem does nothing to dislodge the misperceptions of whites, nor does it loosen the bonds that hold us in racism’s grip."
Peak Grantmaking: So You Want to Be a White Ally: Healing from white supremacy"In our learning about the extreme harm that white supremacy enacts on Black and Brown bodies, it can be easy to get stuck in guilt and shame about whiteness. These emotions can be leveraged for important action, though I don’t believe it serves us or others to stay in them, especially when heeding important calls to “collect” and “call in” white friends, family members, and colleagues."
Promise 54: From Saviorism to Co-Conspiring"In this month’s blog, we take a closer look at a theme that surfaced in the cases of Blue Engine and TNTP: the role(s) of white folks in racial equity work. This blog is written by white folks, and intended for white folks."
Racism, whiteness, and burnout in antiracism movements: How white racial justice activists elevate burnout in racial justice activists of color in the United StatesWe analyzed data from interviews with racial justice activists of color in the United States who have experienced burnout to identify the ways they attributed their burnout to the attitudes and behaviors—the racism—of white activists. These included (1) harboring unevolved or racist views, (2) undermining or invalidating the racial justice work of activists of color, (3) being unwilling to step up and take action when needed, (4) exhibiting white fragility, and (5) taking credit for participants’ racial justice work and ideas. Implications for racial justice movements and the participation of white activists are discussed.
Refinery29: Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not"Over the last few months, Black people have not only watched their friends and family members die at higher rates from the coronavirus, they have also watched people who look like them be gunned down while going for a jog, be murdered in their homes, threatened while bird watching in Central Park, and mercilessly choked on camera."
The Root: 12 Ways to Be a White Ally to Black People"White people have a role in undoing racism because white people created and, for the most part, currently maintain (whether they want to or not) the racist system that benefits white people to the detriment of people of color."
Teaching Tolerance: What White Colleagues Need to Understand"For this article, we interviewed eight educators of color across the country to hear about their work with white colleagues. We found disheartening trends. Educators of color report that they’re expected to take on a disproportionate share of work supporting students and teaching about race and racism. This work, they say, is often made more difficult by the indifference—and sometimes resistance—of white colleagues. While all educators of color carry the burden of white supremacy, Black teachers have even more weight placed on them. To highlight their voices, we included six Black educators among the teachers of color we interviewed."
The Root: Where'd All These Woke White People Come From?"Racism is a fire and the only difference between an arsonist and a pyromaniac is the act of igniting the flame. If you stand idly by and watch flames consume a house, you’re still part of the problem. It is not enough to not be racist if you don’t do anything about it. On the other hand, white people are fragile. When white people engage in performative protest, should they be reprimanded? For instance, if a certain writer at The Root drags Taylor Swift for not speaking up about her white supremacist supporters because she didn’t “have the internet on her phone,” will calling out her newfound wokeness make her more reluctant to call out racism?"
Vox: How to be a good white ally, according to activists"There are good ways — and there are less good ways — to be a white ally right now. Do take cues from black leaders and create space for their voices to be heard. Don’t think a performative emotional post on Instagram about your knowledge of racism does the trick. Do not center your feelings during this time of social unrest — an uprising that’s about racist violence against black Americans."
Vox: Professor Ibram X. Kendi on why it’s not enough to admit when you’re being racist: “Challenge those racist ideas”"First and foremost, it’s critical for every American to stop saying terms like, “I’m not racist.” And I think it’s critically important for Americans to admit the racist ideas that they have likely been raised to believe. It’s critically important for Americans to admit the racist policies they’ve supported that have led to inequality and injustice and death. And it’s critically important for them to admit the times in which they were being racist because there’s no way they can change themselves if they’re still in that denial."
Yes Magazine: My White Friend Asked Me on Facebook to Explain White Privilege. I Decided to Be Honest"Yesterday I was tagged in a post by an old high school friend asking me and a few others a very public, direct question about white privilege and racism. I feel compelled not only to publish his query, but also my response to it, as it may be a helpful discourse for more than just a few folks on Facebook."
To all my white friends, seriously read this and take it in. I have more thoughts conthttps://t.co/j2iaHU0j7l
The Other Columbus: Anti-racism work is supposed to be hard"If the work you’re doing to deprogram white supremacy and racism out of your life is comfortable, that’s probably not the work. The work is supposed to make you uneasy, to fill you with dread. It is work that shouldn’t have a hug anywhere near it when you start. It is work that should seem like it has no end because it is internal work that stretches through the whole of your life."
Detour-Spotting for white anti‐racists by Joan Olsson"As I continue my journey toward becoming a re‐conditioned and effective anti‐racist, I have become aware of “habits,” attitudes and their attached behaviors, which divert me from my intended goal. To change the detouring behavior, I must first be fully conscious of what I’m doing, the behavior and its consequences. Next, I need to reflect on the behavior’s attitudinal roots. Finally, I determine the prescribed, desired change I want to make and the best strategy for achieving it. Sometimes I need to remove the behavior from my personal repertoire. More often though, re‐tooling is necessary, replacing the discarded pattern with new behaviors. It will likely take repeated attempts before I have fully internalized and externalized the desired change."
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh"I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions that I think in my case attach somewhat more to skin-color privilege than to class, religion, ethnic status, or geographic location, though of course all these other factors are intricately intertwined. As far as I can tell, my African American coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time, place and time of work cannot count on most of these conditions."
White Supremacy Culture by Tema Okun"This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations. Culture is powerful precisely because it is so present and at the same time so very difficult to name or identify. The characteristics listed below are damaging because they are used as norms and standards without being proactively named or chosen by the group. They are damaging because they promote white supremacy thinking. Because we all live in a white supremacy culture, these characteristics show up in the attitudes and behaviors of all of us – people of color and white people. Therefore, these attitudes and behaviors can show up in any group or organization, whether it is white-led or predominantly white or people of color-led or predominantly people of color."
Aaron X Rose: What to do instead of calling the policeFor years now, we’ve heard the nearly daily news of another unarmed person of color being shot by the police. When the police get involved, black people, Latinx people, Native Americans, people of color, LGBTQ people, sex workers, women, undocumented immigrants, and people living with disabilities and mental health diagnoses are usually in more danger, even if they are the victims of the crime being reported.
Black Visions Collective: Alternatives to Policing FlyersA series of flyers designed to confront ideas about policing and incarceration. "Ruth Wilson Gilmore explains “Abolition is about abolishing the conditions under which prisons became the solutions to problems, rather than abolishing the buildings we call prisons;” abolition is the work of building anti-oppressive culture and ways of addressing harm that center care. Abolition as a political practice is grounded in Black liberation; liberation from slavery, Jim Crow, policing, and incarceration."
Facebook Group: Alternatives to Calling the Police During Mental Health Crises"Through the project, ACP continues to imagine what a world without police can look like, and a world where widespread over-policing and mass incarceration are replaced with equitable investment, community care, and restorative justice."
Unitarian Universalist Organization: Alternatives to Calling the Police—Introduction"We know that much of what we’ve been taught about safety is shaped by systems of oppression telling us who to be afraid of. And we know that real community protection does not criminalize us or our neighbors. Below is just one offering in response to concerns and questions raised around congregations facing harm for living their values."
Critical Resistance: The Abolitionist Toolkit"The kit is not a step-by-step guide to PIC abolition. It is a kit designed primarily for U.S.-Based community organizers already working toward abolition and our allies. However, we hope it will be useful even for people who may not have thought much about abolition or who feel unsure about how useful it is as a goal."
Many folks have been asking for skills to deescalate for interventions and attacks that continue to target Muslims, People of Color, Immigrants, LGBTQ people. This is a short primer not meant to be a comprehensive training but an informational entry point for engagement and deescalation using both instincts and discipline to intervene.
Toolkits & Resource Lists
Anti-Racism Resources"This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues."
Citizenship & Social Justice: Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism–from Ferguson to Charleston"There are no doubt complexities that come with White Americans working for racial justice. White privilege can lead to a chronic case of undiagnosed entitlement, creating poor listeners, impatient speakers who talk over others, and people unaccustomed to taking orders. Nevertheless, the movement for racial justice needs more White Americans to get involved. And it’s our responsibility to help each other get involved–and get involved productively."
Dismantaling Racism Works Web Workbook"This web-based workbook was originally designed to support the Dismantling Racism Works 2-day basic workshop. The workbook is now offered as a resource to the community."
Medium: A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources"We have pulled some resources that we believe will be helpful during these frightening and frustrating times. Understanding begins with all of us looking inward, reflecting on our own attitudes, and of course, having difficult conversations with family and friends. Keep scrolling for kid-friendly resources."
Scaffolded Antiracist Resources"This is a working document for scaffolding anti-racism resources. The goal is to facilitate growth for white folks to become allies, and eventually accomplices for anti-racist work. These resources have been ordered in an attempt to make them more accessible. We will continue to add resources."
Scene on Radio: Seeing White"Just what is going on with white people? Police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists. The renewed embrace of raw, undisguised white-identity politics. Unending racial inequity in schools, housing, criminal justice, and hiring. Some of this feels new, but in truth it’s an old story. Why? Where did the notion of “whiteness” come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for?"
Smithsonian Magazine: 158 Resources to Understand Racism in America"From Smithsonian magazine articles on slavery’s Trail of Tears and the disturbing resilience of scientific racism to the National Museum of American History’s collection of Black History Month resources for educators and a Sidedoor podcast on the Tulsa Race Massacre, these 158 resources are designed to foster an equal society, encourage commitment to unbiased choices and promote antiracism in all aspects of life. Listings are bolded and organized by category."
For Non-Black People of Color
Chicago Tribune: ‘This is a step back.’ Latino activists speak out about racial tension with black Chicagoans on Southwest Side amid George Floyd fallout"The organizing efforts of some Latino groups to peacefully protest and help protect their communities from unrest were quickly overshadowed by racial tensions after reports that alleged Latino gang members were profiling and targeting black people in Little Village earlier this week. “The system is corrupt and they want to see minorities fight against one another to weaken us,” said community activist Montserrat Ayala, who helped organize a peaceful protest in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement over the weekend. 'We need to work together to dismantle racism.'"
CNN: Will Asian-Americans get behind Black Lives Matter?"The truth is that as the U.S. population is poised to become majority nonwhite, the Asian-American community has arrived at a fork in the road. Do we continue to ignore the ambient fear and disregard for blackness around us, or do we acknowledge that it is part of what we have assimilated -- a structural element in American culture?"
Forge: Performative Allyship is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)"In the days after Arbery’s death, I scrolled through Instagram, reading post after post from white friends and influencers professing their outrage and disbelief. Urging us to #sayhisname. The posts were flooded with comments from more (mostly) white people, thanking them for their “bravery” and praising them for 'speaking truth to power.' Still, as a black woman, instead of feeling inspired by this act of solidarity, I found myself feeling angry and afraid. Looking through my feed, I wanted to say to my white friends, 'You’re here now, but where are you the other 364 days a year when anti-racism isn’t trending? When racism isn’t tucked safely behind the screen in your hand, but right there in front of your face?'"
Medium: 30+ Ways Asians Perpetuate Anti-Black Racism Everyday"We all perpetuate anti-Black racism in our daily lives. We can’t fight anti-Black racism unless we can notice its manifestation in ourselves and others on a daily basis in our workplace, social interactions, and online engagement."
Medium: South Asians and Black Lives"For South Asians committed to ending state violence against Black people, it has always been clear that our work goes further, that we must also work to undo anti-Blackness within our own communities. The hard conversations with our parents and our uncles and aunties about white supremacy, anti-Black racism, and solidarity are not usually easy or fruitful."
NPR: A Letter From Young Asian-Americans To Their Families About Black Lives Matter"To me, clearly justice is about getting justice for these black families," Xu says. "Not about making sure that Asian people have the same privilege as white people." "Xu says that before it became clear that Castile's shooter was not Chinese, she was worried that similar dynamics might surface in the wake of this case, and that many Asian-Americans would rally to support another Asian cop who killed a black man. So she put out a call on Twitter asking other young Asian-Americans to help her draft an open letter through Google Docs, addressed to their families — in English and eventually translated into dozens of other languages — about why they felt that Asian-Americans should also care about police violence against black Americans."
TakePart: There’s a Reason You Haven’t Heard About the ‘Latino Lives Matter’ Movement"While blacks and Latinos share a tendency toward being killed by cops, it isn’t the only similarity. Both groups are disproportionately affected by poverty, crime, and inadequate access to education and health care. These challenges seem rife for cooperation between the communities—yet that isn’t always the case. “It’s not because of lack of interest,” Rodrigtuez said. He’s worked with inter-ethnic groups such as the Southern Education Foundation, one of the oldest black organizations in the South, to strengthen partnerships between African Americans and Latinos. “Sometimes people are just so overwhelmed with the issues that face these two populations that you can’t just do everything at once,” he said."
Wear Your Voice: To all non-Black Latinx: Distracting people from BLM is Anti-Black violence"I think that some of us forget something extremely important: our liberation is not the responsibility of Black folks. Yes, we’ve experienced police brutality. We’ve died at the hands of police. But using this to distract folks from the BLM movement, or to shift the attention onto us, is anti-Black violence."
For Non-Black LGBTQIA+ People
GLAAD statement: There can be no Pride if it is not intersectional"GLAAD stands with the loved ones of George Floyd, the Black community, our staff and supporters, and the protesters who continue to fight for justice and equality across this country. It is all of our responsibility to speak out publicly against racism, systemic injustice, and police brutality, and to elevate voices and amplify stories of people of color, especially within the LGBTQ community."
TGI Justice: From Words To Action: Showing Up for Black Trans Women"Black trans women experience violence, trauma, and deep losses across our community every single day. We know what we need to survive, to thrive, and to create the world we’re all fighting for. It is time to invest not only in the solutions, but the actual people that have shaped & sharpened the solutions we need based on our lived experiences. We are capable & competent enough to take care of our own, we just need the resources to do so."
Courses and Webinars
Coursera: Learn about race, inequality, and social justice"Coursera is committed to providing the most relevant and valuable learning opportunities possible in order to further the cause of social justice in our world. As we continue to add existing courses to this collection, we are additionally pledging financial support to our partners to create new content, to further amplify those voices who have researched racial discrimination and social justice for decades, and who are recognized thought leaders."
