“In a racist society, it’s not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist” -Angela Davis
If you’ve not lived under a rock for the past 400 years, you will know that racism has shaped our society and it is still alive and well. Maybe, like me, you were aware of it. Perhaps, like me, you were silently cruising your ‘but I’m not racist’ boat without realising that you were unknowingly contributing to the white supremacy societal system by exercising your white privilege.
If you read my blog you might be a feminist, or you might be interested in existential philosophy, or maybe you are a (trainee) psychotherapist. Well, then, whoever you are, it is time to get educated, don’t you think?
It is time to get off from under the comfy blanket of ignorance and collusion, and out into the a space of choice, social responsibility and, frankly, it’s 2020, for gods sakes, it’s taken us white folks long enough.
Websites
Rachel Rickett’s Anti-Racism Resources
Books
When you purchase books, aim to purchase them from black-owned book shops. In London, there is New Beacon Books and the publisher Jacaranda.
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Funds
In this doc, if you jump to ‘donate’ you will find a list of funds to donate to, like the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, set up by his brother.
Petitions
change.org has plenty of petitions for you to sign, see here.
#JusticeforFloyd and Arrest The Other Three
Instagram accounts
Brands
It is important that we remain aware that many brands might jump on the new #blacklivesmatter trend (and I mean new for the white consumer) and use it as a PR stunt. For example, I was made aware that L’Oréal Paris, although they participated in #BlackOutTuesday, was unsupportive of a model of colour’s anti-racist claims towards the brand in the past. UPDATE: they still haven’t apologised after been made aware of it.
The best thing to do is to read around and do some research into the brands. A good exercise is also to go onto your Instagram and see how many black businesses you support: it’s probably not many.
55 Black-owned Fashion and Beauty Brands
Please get in touch below with more anti-racism resources and I will update the post accordingly!
P.S.: on this doc you will find a wealth of other resources