Last Updated on September 23, 2020 by ThoughtsStained

Hello, lovelies.

I hope you’re hanging in there and staying healthy. At this point, that’s all you can do.

This should have went live on Monday, but on Sunday, my back spasmed and I was indisposed for a few days–and now doing physical therapy to try and correct whatever issue is causing this painful mobility and hopefully strengthen these muscles so this stops happening. So, I’m a bit behind on everything (don’t even get me started how behind I am on blog hopping and responding to comments; this weekend, I hope!), but I appreciate the understanding and the patience.

This month, of course, I’m sharing 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.

Oh, and while I hope this doesn’t need to be said, let’s please keep the comments kind and constructive–though, please never hesitate to call me out if I’ve misstep, 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 Black 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.

Readings

• A State-by-State Look at Coronavirus in Prisons by The Marshall Project
• Questions to Ask Yourself Before Sharing Images of Police Brutality by Recode on Vox
• What does ‘Defund the Police’ Mean and Does it Have Merit? by Rashawn Ray
• Introduction to Critical Race Theory by Purdue University
• Our Summer of White Male Supremacy by Ibram X. Kendi for The Atlantic
• What’s Intersectionality? by Arica I. Coleman for Time 
• What is Critical Race Theory and Why is Trump Afraid of it? by Cheryl Harris for The Nation
• Read The 1619 Project
• Does My Town Have A Racist Past by James W. Loewen

Videos and Podcasts

• My Skin is Not a Threat
• The Urgency of Intersectionality by Kimberlé Crenshaw
• Social Justice Lecture featuring Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
• Shine Brighter Podcast by Monique Melton
• The Returning Citizen Podcast

Petitions to Sign

• Demand the firing and arrest of the cops who shot Jacob Blake
• Sign the For the Culture Open Letter demanding action by New York City’s Cultural Institutions
• Demand Paid Sick Leave Legislation
• Demand the release of immigrants and asylum-seekers from detention centers

Actions

• REGISTER TO VOTE
• Call to demand justice for Jacob Blake, who was shot 7 times in the back after breaking up a fight and leaving to return home. He was shot in front of his young children in the car and, though he lived and can still live a full life, he is paralyzed. Call local officials to demand the police officers are held accountable:
  • Kenosha City Attorney 262-653-4170
    Kenosha Mayor and City Administration 262-653-4000
    Kenosha Police Non Emergency Line 262-656-1234
    Wisconsin DOJ (608) 266-1221
• Email or call your Congresspeople to:
  • Ensure Housing Stability
  • Pass forward the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act
  • Cut ties with Fraternal Order of Police
  • Cut Funding of the DHS, which funds ICE
• Explore Don’t Call the Police, a database of resources by state of other alternatives of who to call during a crisis
• Support your local Covid-19 Mutual Aid funds
• Complete the US Census–last day is September 30th, so act fast!
• Read and support the research of Black scholars, like:
  • Dr. Amber Johnson
  • Dr. Ruqaiijah Yearby (some works can be found here)
  • Dr. Louis Maraj 
  • Dr. Khirsten L. Scott
• Support places like the Nia Project and the Digital Black Lit and Composition (DBLAC) groups
• Join the Black Liberation 21 Day Challenge.
• Contact your schools to see if they are using whitewashed textbooks. Ask them to incorporate texts like The 1619 Project.
• Choose an action to complete within the Fight Racism and White Supremacy in Florida

Places to Donate

• Master List of over 147 places to donate: I’m going to continue always sharing this link, so that you (and myself) always have this master list to reference. However, I’m going to try and highlight a few different places each month, as well as other other locations I’ve found that aren’t on this list.
  • Donate to the Milwaukee Freedom Fund
  • Donate to the Justice for Jacob Blake Fund
  • Donate to the Black Art Futures Fund
  • Donate to the Justice for Daniel Prude Fund
  • Donate to the Justice for Naytasia Williams Fund
  • Donate to the Protect Whistleblower Dawn Wooten Fund
  • Donate to the Digital Green Book Website
  • Donate to the We Got the Vote Fund

Books

On Activism

• Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families by Lori L. Tharps
• Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic (which is also available as a free PDF here)
• Gender Futurity, Intersectional Autoethnography by Amber L. Johnson and Benny LeMaster
• Feminist Freedom Warriors: Genealogies, Justice, Politics, and Hope by Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Linda E. Carty
• Black or Right: Anti-Racist Campus Rhetorics by Dr. Louis Maurice Maraj

To Read For Fun

• Islandborn by Junot Díaz
• Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas
• The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

Thank you for taking the time to read through such a lengthy post. I hope some of these resources have been helpful for you! And, if you found something you enjoyed and learned something from, consider supporting that creator, whether it’s through sharing, donating to them, signing up for a mailing list, purchasing their works. It is important that we amplify and share Black voices, but also that we support them and pay them, especially when they are educating us about racism.

Cheers.