Last days have brutally exposed the cracks in our societies when it comes to race, racism and discrimination. We all understand how it is still a big problem, where it is rooted and how it grows and undermines our society, workplaces, media and families. It is impossible to stay still or silent.
Like other unexpected side effects of COVID, I want to believe this uprising on racism grows to be a turning the historical moment when we all fundamentally change our stance against the plague of racism. This must be the moment where we need to stand up to be part of the change.
We could and should quickly expand this conversation not just to Black Lives Matter, but to all lives matter. Simply put we’re all the same!
I have been living among the “others”, learning from “others”, growing with and through “others”. Only to be 100% certain that the elements that connect us are far more significant and substantial than those that differentiate us. Still, we need to accept the universal tendency for easy stereo-typification of the US vs THEM, which ultimately only breads disaster.
It is also time to understand and acknowledge the negative impacts of our own bias towards forgetting our inherited privileges, be those on skin colour, nationality, personal beliefs, choices or career. So is it is to idealise that everyone is as privileged (or the opposite) as we are, by doing so, be part of the problem.
So pushing beyond my simple social media rant from last Tuesday, I decided to compiled and (re)share some excellent starting points recommended to me over the last days by different individuals in different channels: Thank you
- Stephen Hodges – President at Hult International Business School and Caroline Hayes – Director of Strategy Implementation (via their address to alumni students)
- Peter Diamantis – Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation | Executive Founder of Singularity University (via his newsletter)
Suggestions to help better frame, understand and fight the issue of Racism:
Suggested Reading (Articles):
- Answering White People’s Most Commonly Asked Questions about the Black Lives Matter Movement (Courtney Martin, Medium)
- Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism (Nicola Carpenter, Fractured Atlas Blog)
- Understanding Systemic Anti-Black Racism in the United States: A Reference List (Google Doc)
- The racism that killed George Floyd was built in Britain (George Floyd, The Guardian) – an overview introduction to systemic racism.
- Police must view legitimate anger with care – we need to listen to our communities (Neil Basu, The Guardian) – a senior police officer’s response to the outpouring of anger in the UK and USA.
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism (Robin Di’Angelo, The Good Men Project) – a white anti-racism expert explains and illustrates white privilege
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Reni Eddo Lodge Blog) – the original blog behind the book; an introduction to black experiences in the UK and the emotional labour for black people of educating white colleagues
- Can White People Experience Racism? (I.K.,The Economist) – an explanatory and illustrative response to this query and the concept of ‘reverse racism’
- It’s Time for White People to Step up for Black Colleagues – (Nicola Rollok, Financial Times) – a piece outlining systemic racism in the UK and how white people can support
Suggested Reading (Books):
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging by Afua Hirsh
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
- So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
- It’s Not About the Burqa – Edited by Mariam Khan
- Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
- Stamped: Racism, Anti Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Suggested Listening (Podcasts):
- About Race with Reni-Eddo Lodge – From the author behind the bestselling Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, comes a podcast that takes the conversation a step further. Featuring key voices from the last few decades of anti-racist activism, About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge looks at the recent history that lead to the politics of today.
- The Code Switch – ‘Code switching’ references the ways in which BAME people often have to adjust the way they speak to suit predominantly white spaces; The Code Switch unpacks the way race affects everything from the workplace to portrayals in the media.
- Have You Heard George’s Podcast? – Award-winning and critically acclaimed podcast from George the Poet delivers a fresh take on inner city life through a mix of storytelling, music and fiction.
- Say Your Mind Podcast – Not for the faint-hearted, Kelechi tells it like it is. Funny, endearing, cut-throat – Kelechi tears ignorant ideologies to threads.
- Bound for Justice – Weekly podcast that explores Race, Reconciliation, and Social Justice…one book at time.
- Come Through with Rebecca Carroll
- 1619
Suggested Watching:
- Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap (Youtube) – short documentary to help understand the concept of ‘white privilege’.
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story (Netflix) – True crime docu-story about a teenager who was wrongfully charged with theft and jailed at Riker’s Island prison for over 1,000 days.
- When They See Us (Netflix) – True crime docu-series based on the Central Park jogger case, and the five teenage boys wrongfully convicted of a crime that they did not commit.
- 13th (Netflix) – Documentary analysing the criminalisation of African Americans and the US prison boom.
- Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr Robin DiAngelo (YouTube).
- Sitting In Limbo (BBC) – A drama inspired by the Windrush scandal. After 50 years in the UK, Anthony Bryan is wrongfully detained by the Home Office and threatened with deportation.
- Fruitvale Station (Netflix) – Film that chronicles the final hours of the life of Oscar Grant, the young man who was shot and killed by a police officer on Jan. 1, 2009.
- Noughts and Crosses (BBC) – TV adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s famous novel. A dystopian state divided by colour where black people are the ruling class, and white people are the underclass.
- Pose (BBC, Netflix) – Drama series about New York’s African-American and Latino LGBTQ and gender-nonconforming ballroom culture scene in the 1980s and 90s.
- Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police – (Cut on Youtube) Brave parents and their curious kids confront some of life’s most prominent–and most awkward–lessons.
- The Main Event (Netflix)
- All About the Washingtons (Netflix)
Consider following and extending support:
- UN Lets fight racism program – learn how to be a human rights champion.
- UN 50 years fighting racism – Read about 50 years of fighting racism and elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
- BlackLivesMatter.com – Black Lives Matter Foundation
- Antiracist Research & Policy Center – Upcoming Boston University Center for Antiracist Research
- Colorlines – a daily news site where race matters, published by Race Forward, an organisation that advances racial justice through research, media and practice.
- The Conscious Kid – an education, research and policy organisation. Dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth.
- Embrace Race – founded by two parents, who set out to create the community and gather the resources needed to meet the challenges of raising children in a world where race matters.
Resources (For Parents and Children):
- Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race – Resource Roundup from Pretty Good
- Raising White Kids with Jennifer Harvey – integrated Schools podcast episode
- A Kids Book About Racism – a clear explanation of what racism is and how to know when you see it.
- Welcome to the Party by Gabrielle Union
- Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester
- Excellent list of “Diverse” books for Children to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
It is a long list, if you got here, thank you for taking note and making the effort. Feel free to drop me a line with any other relevant materials.
