Anti-Racism Resources

Where do I even start this? These last few weeks have been quite the weeks. I am not here to make this about me. But I just want to touch on my silence, my re-posts to my Insta-stories, and my hopes with this blog post. I hope you hear my heart and my intentions. These last few weeks have felt so heavy on my heart. The ache of an entire community being played out for the masses. The ache I feel wanes in comparison to the one the black community is feeling today. 

Over the last week, I pulled myself off social media to listen and to learn, with an open heart, and an open mind. And man, was it convicting. 

I've never considered myself racist. Easy enough to say right? I've never made or intentionally made racist comments. But have I been actively anti-racist? No. Have I actively commented every single time I've heard things that are racist. No. Have I actively stopped conversation when it "goes too far." No. Have I lovingly called out friends or family when they've made remarks. No.

That all stops now. I feel embarrassed to say it's taken me this long in my life to say it stops now, but that is me learning, and growing, and taking accountability. One of the many things I really, really leaned into this week, was how to actively be anti-racist. It's not enough to just not be racist. It's a verb to be anti-racist. 

By being quiet and listening this week, I've learned more about an entire race than I have in my entire life. 

And, to all my black friends, I am sorry. I have not been the best ally I can be. I will not make excuses, but I will make this promise to you. I will be better. I will speak up, I will continue to learn, I will continue to educate myself, and I will continue to listen. 

That was the huge theme of this week, listening. I listened to people I trust, I watched videos, I read, I listened to stories, and I really heard them.

I've been thinking a lot about how I want to start integrating my "usual" content. What I hope through this week, is that black content creators, stories of race, education about race, and everything I've shared this week, becomes my "normal" content. I don't want this week of silence to come and go and then I go back to "normal." I want this topic to be part of my normal. 

That starts with todays post. One thing I hope to bring to you through this post, is an ever-growing list of things we can all do to continue learning. If you have more resources, please reach out. I really want this list to be ever-changing, and growing as I continue to learn. 

When I started this week, I reached for my Bible. 

I wanted to hear God on this. Genesis starts with us all being created in God's image. Literally Genesis 1:27, "We are all created in God's image." Meaning we are all perfectly made in God's eyes. We will never look into the eyes of a man that God did not create. Woah. If that doesn't set the stage for how we treat our fellow humans! 

VERSES ABOUT RACE IN THE BIBLE || 

• God cares how we treat each other because we’re all created in His image (Genesis 1:27). He makes no distinction between the inherent value of one race or ethnicity over another.
• God cares about people regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, and social status (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).
• "God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right" (Acts 10:34-35).
• "We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
• "If you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” (James 2:9).
• About the age to come, we see a heavenly picture: “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10).
• Jesus removes hostility and introduces harmony (Ephesians 2:14-18).
• God isn’t about separation, but inclusion and unity. Jesus made it possible for anyone to be included in the people and promises of God (Galatians 3:28).

BOOKS AND THINGS TO READ: I just received from a dear friend White Fragility and have been working through it. Honestly, it's hard to read in parts because it talks about race (!) and racism (!) and it opens the door for uncomfortable conversations about why. It's honestly been a great first read for me on this journey. 

• Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison 
• Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad 
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston  
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelo
• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 
• Dear White Women: How to be an Ally

BOOKS FOR KIDS: One thing I've been working through this week is how to show Quinn and teach Quinn in her day-to-day about race. These are a few of the books I purchased for her to add to her library. 

• Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
• God's Very Good Idea (Tales That Tell the Truth) by Trillia Newbell 
• The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, Daniel Wiseman
• The Colors of Us by Karen Katz 
• Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw  
• Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester 
• A Kids Book about Racism by Jelani Memory
• The Skin I'm In: A First Look at Racism by Pat Thomas

TO WATCH: A few nights ago, I watched Emmanuel Acho speak so beautifully, and so eloquently about helping educate white people. He answered questions a lot of white people have and did so with kindness. You can watch it here (It's IGTV and I don't know how else to share it).

• 13th (Netflix) 
• American Son (Netflix) 
• Dear White People (Netflix) 
• When they See us (Netflix) 
• See you Yesterday (Netflix) 
• If Beale St Could Talk (Hulu) 
• King in the Wilderness (HBO) 
• The Hate you Give (Cinemax)
• Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
• Everyday Racism in the UK

BLACK OWNED DENVER BUSINESSES  (<---- click the link) Supporting my community is so easy. There are over 250 businesses listed here! This community is incredible.

BLACK OWNED BEAUTY BUSINESSES: 

• Foxie Cosmetics
• Briego 
• Lauren Napier Beauty 
• Plant Apothecary
• The Honey Pot Co
• The Lip Bar
• Pear Nova

PODCASTS:

• 1619

• About Race

• Code Switch

• The Diversity Gap 

BLACK CONTENT CREATORS ON INSTAGRAM: Black out Tuesday hit me like a brick. A beautiful day set to amplify black voices, made me realize how few black content creators I followed because my timeline was pitch black squares. I started searching and was blown away. Here are some of the content creators I started following and now my feed is so much more vibrant.

• Emmanuel Acho - He posted the video above and I've been hooked since
• Color me Courtney - I LOVE Courtney, her beautiful spirit and her message. Her feed is the color we all need in our lives.
• From Privilege to Progress - these two powerful females talk about race, breaking it down, and cover all topics
• Layla Saad - NYT Bestselling Author #MeAndWhiteSupremacy
• Danielle Coke - I found Dani after a super powerful IGTV she posted this past week. She is a bright, bright light. 
• Priscilla Shirer - I love this woman. I did her Armor of God bible study last summer with my moms' bible study and she changed my life. She is incredible.
• Brittany Packnett Cunningham - A christian IG powerhouse. 
• W Kamau Bell - He is blunt, and he is honest and I appreciate him more than he'll know.
• Ally Love - Peloton instructor, basketball host, beautiful, boss.

BLACK CONTENT CREATORS ON TWITTER

• Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
• Akala
• Kimberle Crenshaw
• Ava DuVernay

Let me be so clear. I am nowhere close to where I want to be in my educational journey on this topic. But I am committed to doing better, being better, and continuing to learn. I hope these resources help you as much as they've helped me!

And like I mentioned in the beginning, please share any resources, accounts you follow, businesses to try out, any resources you have or have learned about. I want this list to be ever-growing.