Nothing else I planned to post this week is important or necessary.
Amy Cooper, a white women, calling the police on Christian Cooper, a black man.
Derek Chauvin, a white cop, murdering George Floyd, a black man.
Two tragedies in which two white people rationalized their actions with systematic racism.
These two instances are a small representation of YEARS of not only documented, but also undocumented institutionalized racism in the same country that built it and keeps it alive to this day.
It is important to realize that white supremacy does not just end with men in white robes, it goes far beyond that. It’s carried out day to day, in subtle instances by the same people that say “but I’m not racist”. We are born into it.
Amy Cooper is a registered Democrat, and she also donated to Obama. I’m sure she never considered herself to be racist, but her actions prove a different narrative. It was her pure instinct to use her white privilege in that situation. She did not care that she was putting a man’s life in danger, she knew what she was doing.
While showing support on social media and reposting things is great, for how many of you does it stop there? For how many of you is it enough to post a graphic that matches your aesthetic, and feel like you have done your part as an “ally”?
Now, I’m not saying everyone has to protest, I’m not saying everyone has to do everything, but it’s important to figure out what you can do. What actions can you take in order to do better?
Are you checking your racist family members? Are you making sure your friend knows being neutral is not cute? Are you donating? Are you supporting black owned businesses? Are you educating yourself?
Examine your privilege constantly and look at what your role is in institutional oppression.
I know I can always do better, and there is not one day where I don’t realize the privilege I have being white.
I know that reading books, essays, etc. on these topics isn’t the beach read you intended to stumble upon, but ignoring things that are hard and make you uncomfortable is too easy. It makes you no better than the oppressor.
We can’t live in a world where we care more about Target losing a few lamps, than people losing their lives.
I’m going to leave you with things that I read in the past that helped me further my knowledge, as well as things I plan on reading in the future. I’m also going to leave things you can watch, places you can donate, black owned businesses you can support,etc.
Look to your strengths and see how you can use them to become a better ally and understand your privilege. Then look to your weakness and see how you can make them stronger.
To Read…
MLK’s Speech to the APA (1967) (all important information, but has a specific section about urban rioting)
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness– Michelle Alexander
The White Space– Elijah Anderson
The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates for The Atlantic
Between the World and Me– Ta-Nehisi Coates
In Defense of Looting by Vicky Osterweil for The New Inquiry
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings– Maya Angelou
Me and White Supremacy– Layla Saad
The Bluest Eye– Toni Morrison
The Fire Next Time– James Baldwin
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism– Robin DiAngelo
Counting Descent– Clint Smith III
The 1619 Project (all the articles)- The New York Times Magazine
Amy Cooper Knew Exactly What She Was Doing by Zeba Blay for HuffPost
Algorithms of Oppression– Safiya Noble
So You Want to Talk About Race– Ijeoma Oluo
How to Be an Antiracist– Ibram X. Kendi
Citizen: An American Lyric– Claudia Rankine
Black Skin, White Masks– Frantz Fanon
Remember, No One Is Coming to Save Us by Roxane Gay for The New York Times
The American Nightmare by Ibram X. Kendi for The Atlantic
Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People. by Keeanga-Yamahatta Taylor for The New York Times
In America, the Rich Get Immunity. The Rest of Us Get “Law and Order” by David Sirota for Jacobin
Envisioning an America Free From Police Violence and Control by Rashmee Kumar for The Intercept
The Failure of Police Body Cameras by German Lopez for Vox
Think Prison Abolition in America Is Impossible? It Once Felt Inevitable by Joshua Dubler and Vincent Lloyd
A Letter to My White Friends by Chris Lambert
To Donate…
Comprehensive List of Bail Funds
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
The National Council For Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
Baldwin Fine Custom Tailoring Rebuild
To Sign…
To Text…
Text FLOYD to 55156
Text JUSTICE to 668366
Text ENOUGH to 55156
To Call…
Governor Tim Walz: 612-201-3400
Mayor Jacob Frey: 612-673-2100
Keith Ellison: 651-296-3353
Police Chief Arendondo: 612-673-3550
Minneapolis PD: 612-673-3000
MPD of International Affairs: 612-673-3074
Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights: 612-348-3550
Sheriff Dave Hutch: 612-348-3744
If you’re not sure what to say, these websites will help walk you through it:
www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/make-calls
www.runwithmaud.com/call
www.standwithbre.com/call
To Watch…
13th (on Netflix)
“How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion“- Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools
I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc, available to rent or on Kanopy)
If Beale Street Could Talk (on Hulu)
Selma (available to rent)
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (available to rent)
When They See Us (on Netflix)
Dear White People (on Netflix)
Fruitvale Station (available to rent)
The Hate U Give (Hulu with Cinemax)
To Listen…
To Support…
Yowie (design studio)
Harperlman Dolls (handmade linen dolls)
Golde (health and beauty)
Underthing (lingerie)
Linoto (bedding)
Sonshine Bath (bath products, and they also have a candle collection)
Victor Glemaud (PR consulting)
The Lam Label (vintage decor)
Golden Girly (leisurewear)
Harriets Bookshop (independent bookshop)
Zou Xou (shoes)
Beads Byaree (jewlery)
The Honey Pot (feminine care)
Briogeo (haircare)
Mented Cosmetics (cosmetics)
Telfar (handbags and clothing)
The Lip Bar (makeup)
Bloom and Plume (floral design)
Klur (beauty)
Beauty Bakerie (makeup)
Me & The Bees Lemonade (lemonade with a mission to save the bees!)
Latasha Lamar (jewelry)
Conversations Over Chair (jewelry)
JADE Swim (swimwear)
KNC Beauty (skincare)
LaQuan Smith (fashion designer)
Christopher John Rogers (fashion designer)
Fe Noel (women’s clothing)
House of Aama (clothing)
Flex Factory (games, gifts, homewares, and clothing)
Pat McGrath Labs (makeup)
Pholk Beauty (skincare)
Range Beauty (makeup)
The Crayon Case (makeup)
To Follow…
To Parent…
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
Fare of the Free Child Podcast
Teaching Your Child About Black History Month PBS
The Conscious Kid on Instagram
[…] Pages: Page 1 Page 2Previous Post: « Things You Can Do […]