Last Updated on September 30, 2021 by ThoughtsStained
Hello! And welcome to another installment of my monthly series, the Allyship Check-In! I apologize for being absent on the blog, of late. I’ll explain more in my monthly wrap up later this week. But for now, I wanted to share some important resources for you to learn from, engage with and do action. Hopefully, these resources help teach you something new, plus give guidance and hope on how to combat living in during such a difficult and hard time.
Series Background
I started this “series” of blog posts in 2020 to share more resources to help with each of our own anti-racist journeys. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that many of the resources I’m linking down below come from the hard work of those on the Anti-Racist Daily team, to which I subscribe for daily email updates. Many of the readings, actions and donation links come from what I learn from their articles. As such, I have become a monthly Patreon donor, because you need to pay BIPOC people for the work they do in helping dismantle racism, not just take what you can for free. I hope you consider subscribing and supporting them, too, especially if you are a white reader.
Like I mentioned before, while a lot of these resources are tied and focused to the Black Lives Matter movement, I have started to incorporate other resources about more global events, as well.
Please keep the comments kind and constructive–though, please never hesitate to call me out if I’ve misstepped, if you are comfortable doing that emotional labor you shouldn’t have to do in the first place. I appreciate your assistance in helping me learn and continue to grow into the actual ally I want to be.
Last caveat: I listed a bunch of resources, because I hope you will click on the links and listen to the BIPOC voices who are speaking up, instead of hearing my take. I’m using this as a space to amplify their voices–not add my own commentary to the mix.

Staying Informed
Readings
This month, I read about a lot of topics: from protecting abortion rights to burnout; activism in the video game industry to racism on college campuses; to battling for the environment and viewing what it’s like to live in a post-9/11 America as a Muslim; I hope you learn something new and find something to engage with below.
Articles
- The White-Savior Industrial Complex by Teju Cole for The Atlantic
- Protect Abortion Rights by Nicole Cardoza for Anti-Racist Daily
- Why You Need to Stop Using These Words and Phrases by Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar for Harvard Business Review
- Welcome to the New Age of Employee Activism by Angela Reddock-Wright for Daily Labor Report
- Terms of Service: Inside Social Media’s War on Sex Workers by Reina Sultan for Bitch Media
- Do We Have Space to Grieve Anymore? by Rainesford Stauffer for DAME
- Vacation Isn’t The Answer to Employee Burnout by Christopher Wink for Technically
- How Much Money You Need to Make to Live Comfortably in Every State in America by Taylor Borden and Dominic-Madori Davis for Business Insider
- Twitch Users Are Boycotting Over Attacks Targeting Black, Queer And Disabled People by Andrew Limbong for NPR: All Things Considered
- For Many American Muslims, The Legacy Of 9/11 Lies In The Battle For Civil Rights by Leila Fadel for NPR
- Line 3 Resisters Light the Way in a Battle for Life on Earth by Kelly Hayes for Truthout
- ‘We have to evaluate the motives of health care institutions’ by Alysia Harris for Scalawag
- 63% of Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck since Covid hit by Megan Leonhardt
- LβOrΓ©al USA Becomes First Company Certified for Intersectional Gender Equity by Sustainable Brands
- After protests and a pandemic, college students of color are bracing for a return to campus racism by Gwen Aviles for Insider
- What Managers Can Do to Ease Workplace Stress by Dana Wilkie for SHRM
- Kansas City-area schools face racist incidents as critical race theory debate continues by Jeanne Kuang for The Kansas City Star
- Resist Line 3 by Andrew Lee for Anti-Racist Daily.
Videos, Podcasts and Media
This is an area I still need to do a better job at cultivating and engaging in, myself! But, this month, I actually have a few things to share, in the form of a podcast, a video and an interactive map.
Media
- Use this interactive map to explore current abortion laws in your state (if you live in America) and get informed
- Watch this video to see how American Muslims have been treated and represented in popular culture since 9/11

Getting Engaged
Petitions
I hope you’re able to pick at least one petition (if not more) from the list below!
Sign Your Name
- Demand hotels open their doors to survivors of Hurricane Ida
- Tell Congress to not criminalize pregnancy
- Free Tameka Drummer
- Sign to demand Biden lift the refugee caps from Afghanistan
- Tell Biden to Protect Black Immigrants
- Show your support for investing in women in color who work in care
- Fight to stop Line 3 and protect Indigenous lands.
Take Action
Lots of actions to explore this month, many of which are tied to the articles you read above!
Advocate
- Sign up for Imara Jones’ Self Actualization and Allyship Workshop, #MoreThanAHashTag, starting this fall!
- Support the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) by following any of their actions listed on their Linktree.
- Contact Congress to demand the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is passed.
- Support the Center for Antiracist Research
- Follow the Mad Collective to support POC punk bands
- Explore Equal Justice Initiatives’ Excessive Punishment resources
- Learn about the “Build Back Better for All” Campaign
- Tell Congress to support Paid Leave for All
- Encourage your work spaces to take the necessary steps to create a diverse work culture, environment and mindset
- Diversify your feeds
- Urge Congress to Adopt Pro-Immigrant Policies in the Budget Reconciliation Bill
- Support Cosecha, a “national, non-violent movement fighting for permanent protection, dignity, and respect for all undocumented immigrants.”
- Amplify the cases and voices of BIPOC missing persons, supporting groups like Not Our Native Daughters, Sacred and Black and Missing Foundation.
- Learn more about Indigenous cultivation practices, like their Indigenous Peoples Burning Network.
- Support the Adoptee Citizenship Act
Donate
If you’re in a situation where you can, I hope you’re able to donate to one (or more) of these causes below. If not, sharing these causing and spreading the word is still incredibly helpful!
Fund
- Support those hit by Hurricane Ida
- Here is also a curated list of places to give.
- Give to the Foundation For Asian American Independent Media
- Find your local abortion clinic, network or location to support
- Black Rock Coalition
- Support REBUILD, which centers on helping formally incarcerated and criminalized people connect with therapists of color
- Afghans for a Better Tomorrow
- Budding Roses, which “cultivates free, safe, and empowering spaces for youth to learn, express themselves, and engage critically with the social justice issues that impact them.”
- No More Death, which advocates against immigrants deaths on the US border.

Further Reading
Invest more time and energy with in-depth readings, both as educational resources or for fun!
I’m so sorry I didn’t list any fiction this month; health problems prevented me from engaging in this. I plan to provide an ample list next month to make up for it!
In Sum
Again, thank you for taking the time to read and engage in this month’s Allyship Check-In. Let me know if the comments what really spoke to you or what you’d like to see more of, from this series!
Let Me Know Your Thoughts!