Anti-Racism Resources
My fellow white people, we have a lot of work to do to undo the harm of white supremacy. Please use these resources as a starting point for your own anti-racist work. Support, center, uplift, amplify, and pass the mic to Black people, Indigenous people, and other racially marginalized people in whatever work you do.
Find little ways and big ways in your every day life to do the work regularly.
Actions
Anti-racist work is something that’s needed immediately, not something you need to study for a long period of time before gradually changing small aspects. Real dedication to changes in your own behavior and in challenging the status quo is necessary to destroy white supremacy. Here are some examples:
- Pass the mic: If you see that you’re invited to participate in an event or take advantage of an opportunity and you see that only white people are invited, take action to change that:
- Recommend racially marginalized colleagues in your field to have them participate instead
- Look for organizations to partner with who have racially marginalized leaders in positions of power and who are committed to equitable distribution of their resources
- Intervene when you witness racist violence, whether it’s a microaggression at work or an overtly violent act:
- Take some bystander intervention training to be prepared to act in different situations
- Prioritize the needs and wishes of the person in any situation to ensure that you’re not causing further harm
- Dedicate your time, money, and resources to racially marginalized people:
- Are you a web designer? Offer up free web design for someone starting up their own business
- Are you a photographer? Offer up free wedding photos, baby celebration photos, and portraits
- Are you financially stable? Regularly contribute to local mutual aid funds, strike funds, and individual fundraisers
- Are you able to donate your time? Volunteer for people or organizations who need assistance with their work
- Are you able to go to protests or participate in boycotts? Do so regularly!
- And so on! Get creative with what you’re able to offer!
These are just a few things you can do to engage in anti-racism work in your life. Please don’t stop here, though; this is really just the bare minimum to help you get started.
Mutual Aids
Mutual aids are a great way to engage in some direct action. If you’re looking for places to contribute to, please consider some of these and also keep an eye out for mutual aid groups in your own community that prioritize distributing funds directly to racially marginalized people!
Black Trans Travel Fund – run by Devin Michael Lowe, a trans activist, this fund is set up to help ensure that Black trans women have access to safer transportation options
Indigenous Mutual Aid Directory – a directory of Indigenous-led mutual aids
It’s Going Down COVID-19 Mutual Aid Directory – a regional directory of mutual aids
Mutual Aid Hub – a website to help you locate mutual aids in your area in the so-called United States
Organizations
I’m very leery of organizations, nonprofit or otherwise. In general, I trust individual people much more than organizations, so this section will be kept deliberately short. I encourage you to contribute funds directly to individuals or mutual aids before any organization and to remember that these sources are not infallible to the perpetuation of oppressive systems, beliefs, and actions.
Democracy Now – an independent news organization
It’s Going Down – an anti-fascist news and media platform that amplifies community-led events across so-called North America
Navajo Water Project – an Indigenous-led project, partnered with Dig Deep, dedicated to bringing running water to the Navajo community
Unicorn Riot – an independent news organization that focuses on social movement issues and covers a lot of community-led events worldwide, focusing on the roots of systemic abuse
Police Alternatives
Finding alternatives to calling cops is an imperative and immediate need. Please use these resources as starting points to help you and people you know find other ways to handle situations in which you might feel the need to call the police.
Don’t Call the Police – a location-based database for community-based alternatives to calling the cops
What to Do Instead of Calling the Police
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Search out shops that are owned by Black people, Indigenous people, and other racially marginalized people! (While perusing these links, as Beyond Buckskin points out, please be aware of companies that are not Indigenous-owned but that purport to be so and report them if you find any violations, like Urban Outfitters selling “Navajo” themed goods.) Here are some places to get started:
#Blacktober – a tag on many social media platforms, this is a fantastic way to find and support Black artists making amazing art
#BuyBlack Friday – if you use facebook, check out this tag on there to find Black-owned businesses for Black Friday
#DrawingWhileBlack – another tag on many social media platforms to find and support Black artists making awesome art
#Maysia – another cool tag on many social media platforms to help you find and support Asian artists making beautiful art
#Nativember – another great tag on many social media platforms to find and support Indigenous artists making fantastic art
10 Black-Owned Businesses in NYC – a list compiled by TimeOut New York
10 Native American-Owned Businesses to Shop at – a list compiled by Matador
180 Black-Owned Businesses – a list compiled by category by New York Magazine
200 Black-Owned Businesses – a list compiled by NBC News
Beyond Buckskin: Buy Native List – a huge list of Indigenous-owned shops compiled by Beyond Buckskin
Black Owned Bookstores – searchable by state, this shares 125 Black-owned bookstores across the so-called United States
Black Owned Brooklyn – a website that highlights Black-owned businesses in Brooklyn, NY
Black Owned Businesses in NYC – 10 Black-owned businesses in NYC
Black Owned Etsy Shops – community-compiled on Etsy
Black-Owned Etsy Shops – compiled by editors at Etsy
Indigenous-Owned Shops on Etsy – compiled by Jessica Metcalfe from Beyond Buckskin
Another great way to support racially marginalized artists is to attend conventions! Check out and support Virtuous Con, Black Card Members Gala, hosted by Black Card Members, FIYAH CON hosted by FIYAH Lit Magazine, and others that center creators of Color
And as always, of course, support your favorite individual artists, writers, and shops!
Do they have a Kickstarter going for their latest comic? Back it and share it with all your comic loving friends and family! Tweet about it, post it to your Instagram stories, spread the word!
Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tactic, so be sure to use it.
Re-Education
Re-education is a lifelong endeavor, and it’s something we should always be checking for in our lives. While the onus is on us as white people to undo white supremacy, it’s imperative that we listen to those who are most directly harmed by it to inform our actions.
Here are some people who I deeply appreciate:
The 1619 Project – a re-framing of the history of the so-called “United States,” centering the history of slavery in the “US,” created by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Carlos Maza – a youtube channel by Carlos Maza where he discusses how to understand media, propaganda, and more
Crutches + Spice – run by Imani Barbarin who discusses the intersection of race and disability
Da’Shaun Harrison – the author of Belly of the Beast: The War on Drugs and the War on Obesity, of which you can read an excerpt
Ijeoma Oluo – the author of So You Want to Talk about Race and Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America
Wear Your Voice – I particularly appreciate works by Da’Shaun Harrison on the intersections of race, queerness, disability, and fatness
Readings and Viewings
Here are some readings and videos that may help you in your anti-racist work as well:
100 Ways to Support– Not Appropriate From– Native People
History of Policing – a free online course for young people on building a police-free future
Hollaback! Bystander Intervention Training
How to Apologize by Franchesca Ramsey
How to Identify Racism in Healthcare?
Police, Prisons, and Abolition: A Guide for Families for Conversing Critically with Kids
Practical Abolition: Alternatives to Prisons and Police, Animated Series – a series of animated videos discussing practical abolition strategies
Reparations 101: Educational Tools and Resources
White Women Doing White Supremacy in Nonprofit Culture
Your Anti-Oppression Roadmap to Traveling Through and Visiting Indian Country
Looking for additional resources? Please check out my Resources page for more