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The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 solidified a conviction that we, the people behind Fed + Fit, have got to DO SOMETHING. We know that much of our readership has the same conviction, but doesn’t quite know how or where to start. Our goal with this article is to help you find some direction.
We have a big hill to climb and are taking ownership over our own learning and unlearning, committed to offering resources you can use in your own education along the way. It’s guaranteed to be a bumpy road, riddled with mistakes and misunderstandings. We can do this. We can face ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities. We can be imperfect in our effort to be better. We must be better.
Below you’ll find a guide and extensive list of resources you can use in your own education on racism. Books, podcasts, documentaries, they’re all a place to start as you wrap your head around assessing your own heart, how to have this conversation with your kids, how to lead your businesses, and how to make a meaningful impact as an antiracist.
We’re not experts, but we do have reach. In the least, we want to allow the experts to reach our readers so that we can learn (together) the things we need to know.
What Fed + Fit is doing: in addition to submerging ourselves in the educational resources below, nurturing this article (one we intend to update as we learn more), and engaging in challenging conversations in our own homes/communities, we’re committed to gifting a total of $5,000 by June 5, 2020 across several of the organizations listed below.
Thank you for being here, for being patient as we inevitably make mistakes in this journey, and for joining us in this challenging and necessary work.
With love and respect,
Cassy Joy + the FF team
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Ways to Donate, Support, & Get Involved
Minnesota-Based Causes and Organizations
- WFPC Mutual Aid Fund – Women for Political Change (WFPC) holistically invests in the leadership and political power of young women and trans & non-binary individuals throughout Minnesota. The WFPC Mutual Aid Project was designed to share a collection of mutual aid funds and community resources, as well as provide local mutual aid networks with tools to employ political education and activism within their pods.
- Black Visions Collective – Since 2017, Black Visions Collective has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before them in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. They center their work in healing and transformative justice principles and develop Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, they are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation.
- The George Floyd Memorial Fund – This fund is established to cover the expenses of the Floyd family as they seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.
- We Love Lake Street – Lake Street has been the center of many of the protests and riots happening in Minnesota right now, and the street has many small businesses owned by immigrants and people of color. This fund is to support those small businesses during this time and help fund the cleanup efforts.
National Causes and Organizations
- The National Bail Fund Network -The National Bail Fund Network is made up of over sixty community bail and bond funds across the country that are freeing people by paying bail/bond and are also fighting to abolish the money bail system and pretrial detention.
- Equal Justice Initiative -The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
- Color of Change – Color of Change designs campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.
- Be the Bridge – Be the Bridge is a nonprofit that joins people together to learn about antiracism and allyship. They have many groups across the US, each of which partners with local organizations to make an impact in their community.
- Black Mamas Matter -Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. We center Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.
- Southern Poverty Law Center -The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.
- Antiracist Research and Policy Center – The mission of The Antiracist Research & Policy Center (ARPC) is to convene and team up varied specialists to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain, and solve seemingly intractable problems of racial inequity and injustice. Our research and policy work is deliberately antiracist. We consider racist policies and ideas, and not certain racial groups, to be the racial problem. We strive to build an antiracist society of racial equity and justice.
- Black Women’s Blueprint -Black Women’s Blueprint envisions a world where women and girls of African descent are fully empowered and where gender, race and other disparities are erased.
- Boris L. Henson Foundation -The Boris Lawerence Henson Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Taraji P. Henson and led by Executive Director, Tracie Jade Jenkins. The foundation is committed to changing the perception of mental illness in the African-American community by encouraging those who suffer from mental illness to get the help they need.
- Until Freedom – Until Freedom is an intersectional social justice organization rooted in the leadership of diverse people of color to address systemic and racial injustice. Until Freedom believes that those closest to the pain are closest to the solution, therefore, they focus on investing in those who are the most directly impacted by cyclical poverty, inequality, and state violence.
- The Loveland Foundation – Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Our resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing. We are becoming the ones we’ve been waiting for.
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund -The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 75 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.
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More That You Can Do
- Get familiar with the laws in your area, and reach out to your legislators to see what they are doing to change racially biased policies. Campaign Zero offers a great guide for this.
- Talk about it. Change starts within your own families and friend groups. Push through the discomfort and start having conversations about race.
- Sign this petition to call for justice for George Floyd.
- Support businesses owned by people of color – Support Black Owned and Shoppe Black are both great resources for finding Black-owned businesses.
- Diversify who you follow and what you watch – make a conscious effort to follow people of color on social media, to watch TV shows and movies and read books featuring people of color, made for people of color, and created by people of color. You can find some great suggestions HERE.
- Protest safely, if you can.
- Educate yourself with the resources we’ve listed below.
Antiracist Resources
Books
The books below are linked mainly through Amazon, but we urge you to buy from a local, Black-owned bookstore if you can. You can find a list of 10 online Black-owned bookstores HERE. More of an audiobook listener? Sign up for Libro.fm. Their books are the same price as Audible, but you can buy them from the indie bookstore of your choice. See their full list of bookstores HERE, and their list of Black-owned bookstores HERE. If you’re new to Libro.fm, use the code SWITCH to get your first month free, and 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 (disclaimer: this is NOT an affiliate link), or, if you’re already using Libro.fm, use the code THANKYOU for 20% off any book.
- How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – “In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.”
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds – “Stamped takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.”
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo – “In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.”
- Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad – “Me and White Supremacy takes readers on a 28-day journey of how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.”
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – “In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.”
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Neshi Coates – “In Between the World and Me, Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.”
- Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum- “Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides.”
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – “Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer’s coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice.”
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Articles & Other Resources
- What Is White Privilege, Really? – This article from Teaching Tolerance is a great primer on white privilege that will help you understand how privilege is woven into our everyday lives, and how its history deeply affects us today.
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice – This article from Medium offers up 75 actionable ways to support racial justice – many of which you can do TODAY.
- The Great Unlearn – Rachel Cargle put this document together to guide readers through some of the largest police brutality cases in the US.
- Do The Work – In this free 30-day course from Rachel Cargle, you’ll get educational and actionable emails to help you do the work to become a true ally to BIPOC.
- Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources – This document will walk you step-by-step through what to read, watch, and listen to depending on which stage of your anti-racism work you are in.
Podcasts
- The Seeing White Series from Scene On Radio – Where did the notion of “whiteness” come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for? Scene on Radio host and producer John Biewen took a deep dive into these questions, along with an array of leading scholars and regular guest Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, in this fourteen-part documentary series.
- 1619 – 1619 is an audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
- Pod Save the People – Organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson explores news, culture, social justice, and politics with analysis from fellow activists Brittany Packnett and Sam Sinyangwe and writer Dr. Clint Smith III.
- Code Switch – the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, this podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. It explores how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. Their most recent episode, A Decade of Watching Black People Die, is a must-listen.
- Co-Conspired Conversations – Co-Conspired Conversations takes a deep look at guest’s relationship with power, privilege, and racism.
- The Diversity Gap – Join Bethaney Wilkinson as she explores the gap between good intentions and good impact as it relates to diversity, inclusion and equity. Our goal is to discover promising practices for closing diversity gaps in our everyday lives and work!
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Documentaries
- 13th- Documentary, available on Netflix. “Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.”
- When They See Us- Drama Series Inspired by True Events, available on Netflix. “In 1989 a jogger was assaulted and raped in New York’s Central Park, and five young people were subsequently charged with the crime. The quintet, labeled the Central Park Five, maintained its innocence and spent years fighting the convictions, hoping to be exonerated. This limited series spans a quarter of a century, from when the teens are first questioned about the incident in the spring of 1989, going through their exoneration in 2002 and ultimately the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.”
- Miss Virginia– Drama Series Inspired by True Events, available on Netflix. “An impoverished single mother is losing her 15-year-old son to the rough streets of Washington, D.C. Unwilling to see him drop out and deal drugs, she places him in a private school. But when she can’t afford the tuition, she soon launches a movement to change the system that is destroying him and thousands of others.”
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story– Mini-series, available on Netflix. “The criminal justice system tragically failed 16-year-old Kalief Browder, who spent three years in Rikers Island jail awaiting trial — two of those years in solitary confinement — after being arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. The case was never prosecuted, the charges were ultimately dropped, and Browder committed suicide after his release. His story and the challenges it poses to a basic understanding of American liberties are central to this six-part documentary.”
Accounts to Follow
- Rachel Cargle
- Check Your Privilege
- Layla F. Saad
- Cleo Wade
- Black Coffee with White Friends
- Oh Happy Dani
- The Great Unlearn
- Brittany Packett Cunningham
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Antiracism Resources for Parents & Kids
Articles
- They’re Not Too Young to Talk About Race Infographic – If you think that your kids are too young to understand race, or that talking about race or that talking about race will encourage racial bias, this infographic from The Children’s Community School will change your mind.
- 100 Race Conscious Things You Can Say to Your Child to Advance Social Justice – If you’re struggling with how to talk to your children about race, this article from Raising Race Conscious Children is filled with real-world examples.
Books
- DiverseBookFinder.org – One great way to start talking to your kids about race is to fill their library with books that represent people from all races. Diverse Book Finder is a great place to start, and EmbraceRace also has a host of resources to check out.
- A Kid’s Book About Racism by Jelani Memory – “Yes, this really is a kids book about racism. Inside, you’ll find a clear description of what racism is, how it makes people feel when they experience it, and how to spot it when it happens.”
- Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Mendez – “This resonant picture book tells the story of one girl who constantly gets asked a simple question that doesn’t have a simple answer. A great conversation starter in the home or classroom—a book to share, in the spirit of I Am Enough by Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo.”
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold – Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have space, they are welcome in their school.
- We’re Different, We’re The Same by Bobbi Kates – “Who better than Sesame Street to teach us that we may all look different on the outside—but it’s important to remember that deep down, we are all very much alike.”
- Something Happened in Our Town – If you want to talk to your kids about police-involved shootings, but don’t know how to do it, this book is a great place to start. Description: “Something Happened in Our Town follows two families — one White, one Black — as they discuss a police shooting of a Black man in their community. The story aims to answer children’s questions about such traumatic events, and to help children identify and counter racial injustice in their own lives.”
- Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners – Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. This list has books for kids of all ages!
- God’s Very Good Idea (Tales that Tell the Truth)– “Teach young children how to enjoy being delightfully different yet all part of God’s family.”
Watch, Listen, and Follow
- How Kids Learn About Race – This webinar from EmbraceRace will walk you through how children learn about race, and how you can support that learning in a healthy, thoughtful way.
- Life Kit Podcast: Talking Race with Young Children – This podcast tackles a wealth of tough parenting topics, and this episode is a great primer on talking about race.
- The Conscious Kid – Many of you recommended this Instagram account to us! They educate on racism, including how to talk to your kids about it, and give great book recommendations.
- Raising Antiracist Children Workshop – An online, live interactive workshop for parents and educators offering information and guidance on how to prepare white children in our increasingly multiracial society. The workshop encourages the development of an anti-racist outlook in all children, and focuses on the particular experience of raising white children.
We will continue to add to this list as we personally do the work to keep learning. If you have additional resources, please add them below!
Thank you! We appreciate you diving in a adding these resources. We know your hands are full. Missing seeing you. Hope all is well!
We’re glad these resources are useful for you, Emily! We are well over here and hope you are too!
Thank you for sharing this information on your platform. I feel I have a lot to learn.
Learning right alongside you, Elena!
Thanks for such a comprehensive list. I picked 1 book and will listen to 2 podcasts from this list. It is very overwhelming right now and I feel like i need to read “all the things” but I will start with this step and go forward from here. Change doesn’t happen overnight and neither does education. I also switched to LibroFM for audio-books from Audible and will support a local black owned children’s bookstore.
That’s so great, Valerie! Educating ourselves is an important first step, and we’re glad to be doing it alongside you!
Thank you so much! My wife who is black keeps being asked “what can I do?,” putting the impetus on her to educate, do emotional labor, support white friends when they could be supporting her during this difficult time. She is hurting beyond belief. I saw this post and sent it to that friend (she says THANK YOU!), and my love got to be spared from having to have the answers in a time when she needs to grieve. ❤️ Thank you for walking the walk and talking the talk and curating these resources.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Berenice. We’re so glad that it has relieved your wife of that extra burden and allowed her to grieve. Sending love and thoughts her way!
Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
Thank you for this extensive resource!
I know you live in San Antonio. I do too. Did you run across any local community organizations that support anti racism? I’d like to donate/work with a local group.