In our June 14th service, our speaker (and Hope’s Youth Director) Paige Clark mentioned some excellent anti-racism resources. Here they are:
- Educate yourself and others on anti-racism. Google to find books you haven’t read, and order them from Tulsa’s black-owned Fulton Street Books. Fulton Street actually has an ally subscription box where you can order a curated collection of books about how to be a better anti-racist. You can also host a book club or study group with your white friends to talk through your questions and what you’ve learned. Some of my personal recommendations are Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, How to Be an AntiRacist by Ibram X. Kendi, Stand your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas, and Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad.
- Donate your money or fundraise for BLM chapters or other related causes and organizations. Donate to bail funds for protestors who have been detained. Give your money to black-owned businesses and organizations. There are resources all over the internet to help you find out who’s taking donations.
- Help amplify the protests and the work of organizing groups by reposting news, calls to action, and visuals of people in the streets. Provide further support for protestors by offering rides, childcare, and/or supplies. Act as an emergency contact for people in the streets and help them to create safety plans should they be detained or should protests turn violent.
- Write, email, and call elected officials and public servants to demand change. Stay abreast of local news to figure out where to apply pressure. If you don’t know where to start, join some activist Facebook groups local to Tulsa and follow action calls to see where your attention and effort is needed. I use groups like the Black Wall St. TImes Community Page and Peaceful Rally Tulsa, and I also make sure to follow reputable local news sources like Public Radio Tulsa. Go to the website Whiteaccomplices.org.
- Start conversations with your families, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances about the worth and dignity of black lives and the necessity of the Black Lives Matter movement. Use your privilege, your voice, and your platforms in every way you can.
- Read this article: https://medium.com/@dviyer/my-role-in-a-social-change-ecosystem-a-mid-year-check-in-1d852589cdb1