Welcome to the latest in my Allyship Check-In series! This series shares resources to help each of us live more antiracist lives. It contains articles, blog posts, multimedia, book recommendations, petitions and more. These resources are curated by my own research and by sharing resources I’ve learned through, from various organizations, like: Anti-Racist Daily, Prism, The 19th and more. I hope this Allyship Check-In allows you to find something below that speaks to you!
Please consider supporting these organizations above. While I am simply linking up and sharing articles, they are the ones doing the work: the research, the reporting, the writing. Let’s support their work, especially financially, so they can continue to do it.
Series Background
I started this Allyship Check-In “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.
Staying Informed
This month’s Allyship Check-in has a ton of reading material. This month, it includes: the fight to understand abortion rights and access in a post Roe world; midterm elections; climate change; understanding safe protesting practices and more.
Readings
Highlights from the ARD
- Defending Safe Abortion Access Post-Roe v. Wade by the ARD team
- Supreme Court Decisions and Understanding Substantive Due Process by Nicole Cardoza
- Protesting 101: How to Protest Safely in the Streets by the ARD team
Politics
- White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson details how powerful officials leaned on her to ‘figure it out’ on Jan. 6 by Mariel Padilla for The 19th*
- Historian Uncovers The Racist Roots Of The 2nd Amendment on Fresh Air for NPR
- The violence we’re used to and the violence we need by William C. Anderson for Prism
- Abortion is directly on the ballot in at least five states this year by Barbara Rodriguez for The 19th*
- The end of Roe could finally convince Americans to care more about privacy by Sara Morrison for Vox
- House votes would protect interstate recognition of marriage equality by Orion Rummler for The 19th*
- What a World Without Cops Would Look Like by Madison Pauly for Mother Jones
- More people are dying of COVID under Biden than Trump, and it didn’t have to be this way by Steven W. Thrasher for Prism
LGBTQIA+ Rights and Abortion Access
Tol
- Abuse, discrimination, exclusion: Transgender men explain domino effect of losing reproductive care post-Roe by Orion Rummler for The 19th*
- Biden signs executive order on abortion access and legal backing by Shefali Luthra for The 19th*
- We’re Not Going Back to the Time Before Roe. We’re Going Somewhere Worse by Jia Tolentino for The New Yorker (read in incognito to bypass paywall)
- 11 Artists and Activists on the State of Trans Rights Around the Globe by GQ Editors
- Abortion Advocacy Without Trans People Can’t Win by Harmony Cox for TransLash Media
- New Poll Illustrates the Impacts of Social & Political Issues on LGBTQ Youth by Josh Weaver for The Trevor Project
- Indiana doctor performed abortion for a 10-year-old girl, document shows by Jennifer Gerson for The 19th*
- ‘We feel kind of powerless’: The end of Roe is overwhelming clinics in states that protect abortion by Shefali Luthra for The 19th*
Education
- 15 Essential Plays, Books, and Movies for Understanding the History of Queer Liberation by Billy McEntee for them
- The national teacher shortage is growing. In Florida, controversial laws are making it worse by Nadra Nittle for The 19th*
- After the Uvalde shooting, some Texas teachers are scared to return to the classroom by Alexandra Martinez for Prism
Other Miscellaneous Reads
- The Johnny Depp Amber Heard Verdict Doesn’t Matter After the Internet Made a Spectacle of Abuse by Lexi McMenamin for Teen Vogue
- Supreme Court guts EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by Ray Levy Uyeda for Prism
- A tampon shortage, during a formula shortage, during a child care shortage by Chabeli Carrazana for The 19th*
- Happy Emancipation Day! & a Very Brief History of Juneteenth by Amber @ Literary Phoenix
- HarperCollins Workers Strike For Increased Wages, Benefits and Diversity by Elizabeth A. Harris and Alexandra Alter for the New York Times
Videos, Podcasts and Media
I’m trying to include more multimedia content within each Allyship Check-In, since I know not everyone enjoys articles like I do! Here’s what I engaged in this month:
Multimedia
- ‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’: Descendants Read Frederick Douglass’ Speech on YouTube by NPR
- Bonus Episode: Abortion Rights are Trans Rights on Spotify by TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones
Getting Engaged
Petitions
Now that we spent the first part of this Allyship Check-In becoming informed, now it’s time to take action. Here’s a selection of petitions you can sign and make your voice heard.
Sign Your Name In Support of:
- Defunding the police, organized by the ACLU
- Bringing Brittney Griner home
- Demand the cancellation of student debt
- Tell Indiana Attorney General: Leave Abortion Providers Alone
Take Action
On top of learning and signing petitions, I always want to include ways within my Allyship Check-In to get even further engaged. Find ways to deepen your involvement and support those groups, people and initiatives below already doing this work!
Get Engaged
- Learn how to use inclusive language in the movement for Gun Violence Prevention
- Support defendants and prisoners from the George Floyd uprisings
- Curious about what gun laws are active in which state? Check here.
- Follow the guides of Lakota People’s Law Project Action Center to find action items and resources to help support Indigenous peoples and initiatives
- Support the Defund Hate campaign
- Learn more about the possibility of a general strike through the non-profit Strike for Our Rights (also, through their website, here)
- Support the Community Justice Action Fund
- Write to Congress to demand an end to forced labor in prisons
Donate
As always, I like to highlight different organizations, movements and areas to support financially in each Allyship Check-in, if you’re able. Also, I decided to commit to $20 a month to a different organization, for as long as it’s feasibly possible for me.
This month, I donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds, doing $40 to make up for missing last month and this month.
Support Financially
- Support Muscogee Stomp Dancers Performing in South River Forest!
- The Akron Bail Fund
Further Reading
If you want to go deeper than articles or blog posts collected in this month’s Allyship Check-in, look no further! Check out the non-fiction below to learn more and dive deeper. Then, read, buy and promote the fiction books by BIPOC and queer authors–or, share your own recommendations in the comments.
- The Case Against the Supreme Court by Erwin Chemerinsky
- The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America by Carol Anderson
- More next month!
In Sum
Thank you for reading and engaging with this latest Allyship Check-In post! I hope you learned something new, deepened your knowledge about important issues and found different ways to get involved. Whether it’s through educating yourself, supporting important work financially or supporting individuals in their efforts by sharing their content.
I know it can seem daunting, with all of the hate and oppression currently going on in the world. But together, we can conquer it. We have to.
![Not me needing to repost this announcement because my first post had a typo. I promise I can actually edit! 😅
REPOST of original message below:
I've been thinking a lot about publishing and the barriers it places, particularly on traditionally underrepresented and marginalized writers. As an editor, I wanted to try and break down those barriers a bit.
So, going forward from now and forevermore, if you identity as a queer, BIPOC or disabled writer, you'll receive 10% any full manuscript edit. No need to self-disclose how you qualify. I will trust you at your word!
Another stigma (that's being broken!) that still exists is that self-published authors write at less quality than trad--pubbed writers. We all know this is bullshit! But, to help support my indie badasses, your first edit with me for a novel you plan to self publish will be 10% off.
**Please note these discounts are for full manuscript edits, including: developmental edits, copy edits and proofreading.**
Curious? DM me or email me through my website, linked below!
Link here: https://thoughtsstainedwithink.com/editorial
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Thank you for including Strike for Our Rights! That’s awesome of you!
Of course, thank you for putting them on my radar!
Thank you for all the interesting sources, even if I don’t live in the US