Since my last post, I’ve been trying to consume as much as I can in order to better educate myself and figure out my place in supporting this movement indefinitely. By no means is this comprehensive, nor can I take credit for these realizations; this guide is simply a compilation of resources I’ve found helpful (or donated to) for education, action, and continued support. 

I hope this can help you, too.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

Educate yourself. Donate (your money, time, presence, support). Create the conversation and continue it, too.

If you want to understand why the #BlackLivesMatter movement is so important:

• Check your privilege and ask yourself the right questions. If saying their names, if the thought of participating in the #BlackLivesMatter movement is uncomfortable for you, ask yourself why. Then ask yourself why again, and again, and again—we have a lot of reconditioning to do.
• Do not be afraid to admit your mistakes. Question everything you thought to be irrefutably true. The foundation beneath you may feel like it’s crumbling—everything you thought to be true, now shaken—but that is part of progress. There is no ego in momentum or self-improvement. (I’ve made many; I’m still learning.)
• I just watched Janaya Future Khan’s video on what white people must know again. It is beautiful. Revelatory. Worthy of watching over and over again because you will gleam something new from it every time.
• Stating “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t mean that others don’t. This is why saying “All Lives Matter” (and its tone-deaf iterations) hurts.
• Remember to approach this with an open mind. Do not condemn what you do not understand. Instead, listen. As a white person or even a non-black person of color, it’s impossible to fully understand what it’s like to be a Black person in this country—but you do your best to empathize.
• That said: be prepared to do the work. It’s not easy, but it’s much easier than trying to survive as a Black person in this world.
• Also remember: America is supposed to be a free country. Our basic human rights include the right to protest injustices and the existing powers of structure that enable them. To be met with militarized police forces is not okay.
• There is also no “right” way to protest.
• Ben & Jerry’s published a piece on the effects of slavery in America to provide context on just how deep this systemic racism against Black people runs. As the writer so succinctly put: “the past is not in the past.”

“America was built by enslaved people. They built the US Capitol. They built Wall Street. They built the White House. Slavery wasn’t just some kind of unfortunate regional quirk—it was an economic engine for the entire country. For more than two centuries, white Americans profited from forced Black labor. So when slavery officially came to an end in 1865, efforts to subject Black lives and communities to state control did not. “

• Learn how you can be actively antiracist.

“The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.”

—Scott Woods

• You may not even realize how problematic and hurtful everyday verbiage and imagery can be. This is microaggressions, explained.
• Karen Leader (one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram) posted Titus Kaphar’s written accompaniment to his Time magazine cover. “I cannot sell you these paintings,” Kaphar begins and ends. “This time I will not let her go.” Read this piece, I urge you.
• Watch this video.

If you want to dive in deeper:

• Read Vicky Osterweil’s piece on The New Inquiry, “In Defense of Looting.“

“The dominant media is itself a tool of white supremacy: it repeats what the police deliver nearly verbatim and uncritically, even when the police story changes upwards of nine times, as it has thus far in the Brown killing. The media use phrases like “officer-involved shooting” and will switch to passive voice when a black man is shot by a white vigilante or a police officer (“shots were fired”). Journalists claim that “you have to hear both sides” in order to privilege the obfuscating reports of the state over the clear voices and testimony of an entire community, members of which witnessed the police murder a teenager in cold blood. The media are more respectful to white serial killers and mass murderers than to unarmed black victims of murder.”

• Change the language you use. This is what racial gaslighting sounds like.
• And while we’re on the topic of language, respectability politics is dangerous and just wrong. It does not protect people from racism—it only makes POC “palatable” until they’re no longer… on a whim.
• Individual acts of racism are a reflection and result of structural racism, which is why it’s so important to change the system.
• And because racism is systemic, it’s therefore environmental, too. Everything is connected.
• Be an ally at the table—and more importantly, at home. Learning to have this conversation with loved ones is difficult, but it’s also a platform for you to find your voice and be an ally. Letters for Black Lives is a phenomenal source for intergenerational discussions, with translations in multiple languages to help bridge and ease the gap in communication.
• Support the Black LGBTQ+ community.
• @NymphStory created this actions and resources list for solidarity in the the #BlackTransLives Matter movement. (As of June 13—the date I’ve added this bullet point—two Black trans women, Dominque “Rem’mie” Fells and Riah Milton” were reported dead in the last two days. Where are the rallying cries of unity for justice? We heard them for Black men and boys—but what about the women and trans community?)
• Fran Lebowitz’s 1997 conversation with Vanity Fair on race and racism is eye-opening, too. It’s about perspective:

“The customary way for white people to think about the topic of race—and it is only a topic to white people—is to ask, How would it be if I were black? But you can’t separate the ‘I’ from being white. The ‘I’ is so informed by the experience of being white that it is its very creation—it is this ‘I’ in this context that is, in fact, the white man’s burden.”

• …and acknowledging just how deeply-rooted racism lies:

“The way to approach it, I think, is not to ask, ‘What would it be like to be black?’ but to seriously consider what it is like to be white. That’s something white people almost never think about. And what it is like to be white is not to say, ‘We have to level the playing field,’ but to acknowledge that not only do white people own the playing field but they have so designated this plot of land as a playing field to begin with. White people are the playing field. The advantage of being white is so extreme, so overwhelming, so immense, that to use the word ‘advantage’ at all is misleading since it implies a kind of parity that simply does not exist.”

If you are Asian-American:

• In addition to the Chinese translation of Letters for Black Lives (above), this post breaks down different conversations and long-held perspectives succinctly.
• Prabal Gurung is one of my favorite humans (and designers) to date because of his fearlessness in addressing culture, politics, and social issues. He wrote a piece for The Washington Post calling all Asian Americans to “shed the ‘model minority’ myth and stand for George Floyd.”
• I still have a lot of research to do on my own, but this article on the making of the “model minority” myth shows its true origins.
• Here’s a book list from the Black Women Radicals and the Asian American Feminist Collective.
• These are a few allyship actions for Asian Americans to show up for the Black community.

If you are frustrated:

• I found this message from Yolanda Renteria helpful in helping me re-center on the big picture. Yes, it’s frustrating when you see hate and ignorance prevail, but use your energy to create or inspire change.

“The racist mind will not be changed by intellectual reasoning. We have seen that already. Let our focus be instead on changing the structural system that protects them, so they can no longer be unafraid to be openly racist.”

• Take care of yourself, too. Consider downloading Insight Timer, a free app for anxiety, stress, and sleep. I’ve never used this, but a colleague shared that the platform launched a new playlist featuring 85 tracks from teachers of color.
• Melanin & Mental Health is a network that features POC therapists.
• @dwardslife put together the very post so many of us—especially if you’re just learning how to feel comfortable when using voice. Be confident. Your intention means something, and now you know exactly what to say when people are denying the reality of what’s happening right now.

If you are getting “feed fatigue:”

• What I really want to say is GTFO: if you are “tired” of what you’re seeing, try living in a Black person’s shoes. Protesters fearing for their lives is their everyday existence. Watch John Oliver and get angry again. Get angry at the system and the people who perpetuate it, and revisit all of the ways you can help.

If you want to find ways to help:

• Knowledge is power. @homefromcollege put together an incredible list of 87 ways you can help. Eighty-seven! Commit to doing one every day.
• I linked this in my last post, but @botanicaldyke‘s compilation of national resources is truly an incredible guide. It links to community bail funds, memorial funds, political education resources, organizations to put on your radar, plus advice for anyone attending protests or using social media as an organizing tool.
• Restructuring the very concept of the police force is is the end goal—but in the meantime, we can take baby steps forward. Campaign Zero launched #8CantWait, which are eight policies that can help reduce police violence. This is should be the norm, but isn’t, and it’s something actionable and can be adopted by mayors and police chiefs. Flood the inboxes of your local authorities. Save your donations for other organizations: defunding, not just reforming, is how we make change.
• And for the record: defunding the police is a means of reinvesting public spending priorities to support education, social services, and more. I don’t know who created defund.org, but it makes reaching out to your local government so simple.
• I can’t believe I just (as of 6.5) learned of @patiasfantasyworld and her mega-master list of resources on how to dismantle systemic racism. She even created a mobile-friendly version, too.
• Donate towards this fundraiser that strives to defend Black memory, Black Museums, and in doing so, protects Black life.

If you’re protesting:

• This is a quick guide if you’ve never protested before.
• Getting tear-gassed is a reality. Here is everything you need to know about tear gas.
• Pepper spray is, too. @kindofstephen does great posts on the science and efficacy behind beauty products—but he also dedicates his platform to education. Here is everything you need to know about pepper spray. 
• Know your rights.

If you’re not protesting:

• This guide is helpful: it provides 26 ways to be in the struggle beyond the streets.
• Do not share the faces of those protesting. Blur out their faces and any identifying features (like tattoos). Protect the people: they are worth more than the photo itself.
• …and you, like me, feel immense guilt, ask yourself why you’re not protesting. Face that truth (because I know mine), but also remember these words from Lindsay Young, which gave me some comfort:

“Resistance is not a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art activism, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them.” 

• Find your strength. Contribute what you can. We all have a role in moving the needle.
• Donate to bail funds!!

If you want to donate but aren’t able to:

• Exercise your voice and your right to vote.
• Join 15 Percent Pledge in their mission to get major retailers to pledge 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.
• Play this video as many times as you can. Zoe Amira created this so that people can financially contribute to the #BlackLivesMatter movement in a simple way, so let the ads play. Rewatch the video. All of the revenue made through AdSense will be donated to in support of the cause.
• Donate your time and support. Follow black creators because numbers matter; actively show your support and engage. (It’s simple, but this is the society we live in: play the game and help us all win.)
• Gather supplies, water, snacks, etc. for people protesting.
• Demand police accountability and reform from your legislators. Call, text, send emails, sign petitions. (Many of the resources I linked list how and where, but do utilize this, too. @therealbencarleton compiled templates that are easy to send; open them using your phone.) And most importantly, vote.

WHAT YOU CAN CONTINUE DOING

Never forget or lose the momentum. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement, not a trend.

Money talks. Be intentional with where you spend your money: 

• This compilation of independent, black-owned businesses by @vick______george is a great starting point. (I’ve taken a quick inventory of my things—skincare, makeup, decor, clothes—and though I’ve made a concerted effort to buy from independent, female-owned brands/places these past few years, it’s not good enough. I’m Taiwanese-American and less than 10% of what I spend my money on is from a brand by a POC.)
• Nile connects consumers with Black-owned brand. Need something? #BuyBlack.
• #GrabYourWallet lists companies you should think twice about because their contributions helped put Trump in office.
• Fashionista.com compiled a list of Black-owned and founded beauty and wellness brands.
• @the_good_loop curated a list of beautiful BIPOC vintage shops. Shop sustainable.

Continue to educate yourself, because knowledge is power.

• This curation of books to read for adults, teens, and children is incredible.
• So many have curated extensive lists of movies and documentaries about race. They’re a little overwhelming (I’m more of reader), so I’m starting with this short list of things to watch.

Keep donating:

• • If you can, make recurring donations. Volunteering is just as valuable.
  • Education is the foundation of progress. The Slow Factory runs community-centric open education programs in sustainability. Please consider donating so they can continue to fund these curriculums.
  • Technology is not neutral, which is why it’s so crucial that we empower Black voices in technology to ensure their representation. We Build Black is dedicated to making sure the door stays open.
  • Here’s another resource that lists places to donate.
  • Contrary to what our society (and government) would like us to believe, art is more than just expression—it’s memory. Support Black voices so their story is amplified, not erased. Here are 26 organizations you can donate to that support emerging Black artists, thinkers, and change-makers.

Vote for your local, elections, too.

• I’ve made the mistake of skipping mine for so many years. It took my dad—an immigrant who took his rights as a citizen so deeply, so wholly—to remind me of their importance.

.   .   .

xx