Hi friends, this is the only post I will be sharing this week. Throughout my life, I have benefitted greatly from my white privilege. It is time for me to get serious about doing the work and being a better friend and amplifier of Black people and POC. I am pausing all blog content and social media posts that do not serve this goal through June 7. Instead, I have started this list both for myself and for you so that we can better support the Black Lives Matter movement. For an even better list, check out this Google doc of anti-racism resources compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein.
Where to donate:
What to read:
I started 2020 off by wanting to read more books by POC which has translated into me reading more works of fiction. I am disappointed in myself for not starting the work with historical accounts, memoirs, and educational books. I’m immediately remedying that now by diving into these books. I urge you to join me in reading them and I am open to recommendations to add to this list. Also, all of these books are authored by Black people. Yes, there are a lot of books in this category that are authored by white people, but to me it is more important to learn from Black people first. And lastly, I would rather my dollars go to Black writers who are sharing their own lived experience. It feels weird to me to read and buy books by a white author because it’s like they are profiting from Black lives (again).
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
- Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
- Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
- Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis
You may notice that I have not linked these books to Amazon because I feel it is inappropriate of me to use this post as a means to reap affiliate commissions. Here is a list of 50 Black-owned bookstores you can support instead!
Things to watch (movies & shows):
- Rest In Power
- Strong Island
- 13th
- Dear White People
- The Hate U Give
- Get Out
- BlacKkKlansman
- Selma
- Mudbound
Seattle-specific resources:
For those of you who are local readers, I also wanted to share ways you can get involved locally:
- Seattle Works — definitely check out this post specifically for a list of Black-owned businesses to support in our city
- Black Lives Matter, Seattle chapter — you can donate to the local bail fund now
- Solid Ground — they work to end poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty
- A list of Black-owned Seattle Restaurants that are open for takeout
Changes I am personally making:
- Education — Like I already mentioned, I am going to educate myself more and more. This is officially my #1 priority, especially as someone who loves to read. I need to do better when it comes to challenging myself with the books I read and step into that uncomfortable space so I can be a better supporter.
- Change my language — did you know that ‘master bedroom’ is a phrase rooted in racism and gender bias? Seemingly small references like that are no longer welcome in my vocabulary and you will not be seeing them on this blog. Instead, for example, I will be using ‘main bedroom’ in order to be more inclusive and anti-racist. I hope you’ll join me in this as well!
- Speak up — I grew up in an area with extreme racist undercurrents and was essentially taught to shy away from getting involved. Family members make latent racist comments and I used to keep my mouth shut. That will not be the case for me anymore. Instead, I will no longer stay silent. I will speak up and challenge my family members to do better.
- Donate — I’ve seen so many other influencers post about matching donations right now. I truly wish we were in a financial place where that was feasible for my household. Unfortunately, it is not, so I am actively brainstorming ways I can offer more financial support for the Black Lives Matter movement. For now, I am going to continue to to share places where you can donate.
I am a work in progress. It is important for me to challenge myself and step outside of my comfort zone to speak out now. I must do better and I must be a better supporter. I hope this post inspires you to do the same. And if you have a resource, suggestion or anything else to contribute, please leave a comment or send me an email or direct message.
