“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin
Anti-Racism Resources
Many of us are overwhelmed at the moment and would like to be part of positive social change but don’t know what we can do to help. Many of us wish to be allies in the struggle for African-American justice and equality, but don’t know where to begin. Being an ally goes beyond simply not being racist. To dismantle racism and white supremacy we have to strive to become actively anti-racist.
Being anti-racist involves having difficult conversations with our friends and family who express anti-Black sentiments or bias. It means looking inwards and addressing our own prejudices. It means voting for anti-racist politicians and lobbying those that are not. And most importantly, it means standing beside the Black community and other communities of color and fighting against racism and discrimination wherever it shows up.
Many of us are not sure how to counter racism when we witness it and don’t know what to say when people we know, and sometimes love, downplay or trivialize the hate, prejudice and discrimination that Black people (and other people of color) experience in our country. We hope the following list of resources help to educate and motivate you to take action. We all have a role to play in correcting the evil that has gripped this country for centuries.
As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.
Peggy McIntosh
Get Educated on White Privilege and the History of Racism & Inequality
> White Privilege, Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (Peggy McIntosh)
> The assumptions of white privilege and what we can do about it (National Catholic Reporter)
> A Timeline of Events That Led to the 2020 ‘Fed Up’-rising (Michael Harriot)
> Being Anti-Racist (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
> White Fragility – Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (Robin DiAngelo)
> Who Gets to be Afraid in America? (Ibram X. Kendi)
> Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person (Gina Crosley-Corcoran)
> Examining the Black-White Wealth Gap (Brookings Institution)
> Health & Health Care Disparities (KFF – Kaiser Family Foundation)
> Systemic Inequality and Economic Opportunity (Center for American Progress)
> US black-white inequality in 6 stark charts (CNN)
> 5 Things to Know About Communities of Color and Environmental Justice (Center for American Progress)
> Trump’s EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real (The Atlantic)
> White Anti-Racism, Living the Legacy (Teaching Tolerance)
> Understanding racism and inequality in America (Washington Post)
> 5 Facts Behind America’s High Incarceration Rates (CNN)
> American History, Race and Prison (VERA)
> Why American Prisons Owe Their Cruelty to Slavery (NY Times Magazine)
> Dear White People: Here Are 5 Uncomfortable Truths Black Colleagues Need You To Know (Dana Brownlee – Forbes)
> Think racial segregation is over? Here’s how the police still enforce it. (Monica Bell, Washington Post)
> Talking About Race (Smithsonian African American National History & Culture Museum)
> Race – The Power of An Illusion (PBS, California Newsreel, ITVS)
> An anti-racist’s dictionary: 16 words you should know (Marguerite Ward, Business Insider)
> Seven things you probably didn’t know were connected to slavery (CNN)
> 89 Racial Equity Resources for Healthcare, Education and Communities
> Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community
> The False Promise of Anti-Racism Books (The Atlantic)
> The Weaponization of Whiteness in Schools (Teaching Tolerance)
> This Conversation is Anti-Racist (Teaching Tolerance)
> Inside the Racial Wealth Gap (Business Insider)
> Fair Housing Groups: Redfin ‘Redlines’ Minority Communities (LA Times)
> The Legacy of Slavery Made My Grandmother Fear Investing (Washington Post)
> The Bias of “Professionalism” Standards (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
> Former White supremacist: This is how to tackle hate and bigotry (CNN)
> If I say I don’t see skin colour am I racist? (British Columbia Human Rights Commission)
> There’s key differences between “equity” and “equality” (Business Insider)
> Black History’s Place in America’s Story (NY Times)
> Origins of Black History Month (History.com)
> White Rage Won’t Just Go Away (Vox)
> Addressing Disparities in Finance for Black and African Americans (MoneyGeek)
> 135 Racial Equity Resources For Education, Professional & Community Development, Health, And Civil Rights (CollegeConsensus)
> The History of Racial Discrimination in Housing (uphomes)
> Learning Resources: Social Justice and Anti-Racism in Policing (LawyerEdu.Org)
“In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
Angela Davis
Books (please note, some links are to websites where you can purchase this material)
> The Racial Healing Handbook (Anneliese A. Singh)
> Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Inclusion
> How to Be An Anti-Racist (Ibram X. Kendi)
> So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)
> When They Call You A Terrorist (Patrisse Khan-Cullors & asha bandele)
> Roadmap for Revolutionaries: Resistance, Activism & Advocacy For All (Elisa Camahort Page, Carolyn Gerin, and Jamia Wilson)
> A List of Books, Films and Podcasts About Racism From NPR
> Between The World & Me (Ta-Nehisi Coates)
> Such a Fun Age (Kiley Reid)
> Long Time Coming (Michael Eric Dyson)
> Anti-Racist Reading List from Ibram X. Kendi (Chicago Public Library)
> Research Guides: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (USC Libraries)
> Essential Books to Read During Black History Month (CNN)
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Films, Video & Podcasts
> Black Lives Matter Media (A compilation of resources from Octane Seating on where to find media about the Black Lives Matter organization and movement.)
> 13th (Ava DuVernay’s examination of the U.S. prison system – Netflix offering for free on YouTube)
> How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time (Baratunde Thurston – TED Talks)
> Descendants (Washington Post African American Video History Series)
> Just Mercy (A powerful true story – currently offered for free on Prime Video)
> Crime + Punishment (A documentary look at NYPD quota policy – on YouTube)
> Robert Bullard: How Environmental Racism Shapes the US (PBS)
> One reason why coronavirus hits Black people the hardest (Vox on YouTube)
> 11 Movies that Confront American Racism (Recommendations from Vox)
> The Origins of Lynching Culture in the United States (YouTube)
> Why “I’m not racist” is only half the story (Robin DiAngelo, YouTube)
> Understanding Systemic Racism (1968 video from ReelBlack on YouTube)
> Brené Brown with Austin Channing Brown on I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (Apple Podcast)
> Race: The Power of an Illusion (California Newsreel Documentary)
> What Black Lives Matter means to an 11 year old (VOX)
> Elaine Massacre: Bloodies Racial Conflict in US History (NY Post – Youtube)
> 12 Podcasts about Race, Social Justice & Black History (Vanity Fair)
“Racial inequity is a problem of bad policy, not bad people.”
Ibram X. Kendi:
Actions To Take As An Ally
> Scaffolding Anti-Racist Resources (Anna Stamborski, Nikki Zimmermann & Bailie Gregory)
> Resources for Racial Trauma (UC Davis)
> 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice (Medium – Corinne Shutack)
> If You’re a White Person Wondering What To Do…I Have Some Advice (Independent UK – Michael Crawford)
> Opportunities for White People in the Fight For Racial Justice (WhiteAccomplice.Org)
> 5 Ways to Show Up For Racial Justice Today (KQED – Nastia Voynovskaya)
> 8 Can’t Wait (Policies that can reduce police violence & see how your city ranks in implementation)
> What Can White People Do (June Holley with the Network Weaver Consultants Network)
> Dear White People: Here Are 10 Actions You Can Take To Promote Racial Justice In The Workplace (Dana Brownlee – Forbes)
> Opportunities for White People in the Fight For Racial Justice (whiteaccomplices.org)
> How to be an Active Bystander When You See Casual Racism (NY Times)
> How to be Anti-Racist: A Social Worker’s Perspective (online Master of Social Work Program, USC)
> #DoTheWork Course (Rachel E. Cargle – free, online 30 day course on how to be a better ally)
> Support Black owned Businesses (181 places to start online)
> Black leaders offer several key steps to help close the racial wealth gap (CNBC)
> Ways to Honor Black History Month (NY Times)
> Five Activities To Promote Diversity In The Classroom (Purdue University)
“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.”
Henry David Thoreau
Resources For Parents
> Your Kids Aren’t Too Young To Talk About Race (A list of resources for parents)
> Teaching Your Child About Black History (PBS)
> Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners (Books for Children and Youth)
> 37 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance (Recommendations from ThatSister.Com)
> Books To Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids (Recommendations from the NY Times)
> Celebrating Black Leaders – (PBS Kids)
> How to Teach Kids About Race – (A list of resources from Online MSW Programs)
“Great men cultivate love and only little men cherish a spirit of hatred; assistance given to the weak makes the one who gives it strong; oppression of the unfortunate makes one weak.”
Booker T. Washington
Writings from our CEO, Alison Edwards
> Why is this such a BIG deal #2 – Slave Patrols (June 11, 2020)
> Why is this such a BIG deal #1 – “People of Color” vs “Colored People” (June 10, 2020)
> Statement on George Floyd (June 2, 2020)
> Statement on Ahmaud Arbery (May 16, 2020)
Resources Offered By GROUNDSWELL
> Report a Hate Crime or Incident – We track hate crimes and produce a report annually
> Read the most recent Orange County Hate Crime Report
> OC Together – a program to mobilize & empower organizations to enhance diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) in the workplace
> Training
> Orange County’s Civil Rights History Overview
“The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Groups Fighting For An Anti-Racism Future
National Organizations:
> My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
California Organizations:
> California Pan-Ethnic Health NetworkAlliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE)
> California Black Census & Redistricting Hub
> California Black Women’s Health Project
> Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
> Social Justice Learning Institute
Local Organizations
> Black Lives Matter Long Beach
> Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA)
> Anti-Defamation League of Orange County / Long Beach
> OC Racial Justice Collaborative
If You Decide to Protest
> Safety During Protest (Amnesy International USA)
> How Dangerous is it to Protest During a Pandemic (Rolling Stone Magazine)
> Citizen Journalism and Political Protests (Syracuse University)
