Allyship Check-In No 21

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 (the ARD), 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.

• Anti-Racist Daily (ARD) Articles
  • Allyship is the word of the year. But does that reflect our collective commitment to action? by Nicole Cardoza
  • Vaccine Hoarding Created Omicron, Not South Africa by Dominique Stewart
  • Also, check out their Year in Review series for fantastic highlights and summaries of important topics, such as healthcare, immigration and more
• American Culture
  • 3 words America forgot that explain gun insanity, vaccine denial, student debt, and more by Will Bunch for The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Climate Crisis
  • Honolulu shut down its largest water source in Oahu due to reported contamination of Navy well near Pearl Harbor by Alaa Elassar and Raja Razek for CNN
• Work Culture
  • The so-called ‘Great Resignation’ isn’t a reality for many workers of color by Gwen Aviles for Insider
  • 3 Small Ways to Be a More Inclusive Colleague by Juliet Bourke for Harvard Business Review
• Abortion Rights
  • With abortion rights hanging in the balance, pregnant young people are among the most vulnerable by Ray Levy-Uyeda for Prism
• Education
  • Black parents say movement to ban critical race theory is ruining their children’s education by Nicquel Terry Ellis and Eva McKend for CNN
• Politics
  • Can Democracy (and the Democratic Party) Survive Racism as a Strategy? by Ian Haney Lopez on Medium

• Listen to and support the Good Ancestor Podcast, hosted by Layla F. Saad

• Sign to support more diverse representation of hijabs in emojis
• Demand that all charges against incarcerated trafficking survivor Chrystul Kizer be dropped

• Help bring a children’s bookstore to the Bronx by supporting #TheBronxisReading
• Explore this awesome, socially-conscious holiday gift guide from the ARD team
• Use this online green book to help find and support Black-owned businesses
• Learn more about World Hijab Day, coming up on February 1st
• Strengthen your understanding of white supremacy culture
• Explore these diverse teaching resources from Zinn Education Project
• Explore ways to receive or give support related to the pandemic

• Become a patron of The BIPOC Bookshelf
• Support diversity in publishing, financially donating to groups like Latinx in Publishing, Diverse Voices, Inc and We Need Diverse Books
• Remember and support the families of the victims and injured survivors from the Oxford High School shooting.
• Donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds
• Make a donation to the ARD and help them reach their end of the year fundraising goal!