“All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.”- Octavia Butler
In the last couple months, we’ve seen an unprecedented number of white people (myself included) become aware and passionate about Black history in America.
The thing that has struck me most, though, is how late we are to wake up, and how easy it would be for us to slip back into a torpor. One article in particular made me think good and hard about how I can make this awareness and intention a permanent change and not just a trend. (Read it: When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs)
I don’t want us to just learn about the past. In order to begin any kind of significant reparations, we need to examine our present and start building for a future that benefits all of us who claim America as home turf. Several Black educators and speakers have emphasized that this is a marathon — one they’ve already trained for and left the handbook out for us — and that it will take determination, daily awakeness, and energy to stay the course.
I want to stay the course. I’m tired of this version of America, where Black men are brutally murdered by police, where Black women die too early due to the effects of stress, where Black babies are less likely to survive the first several months of their lives, and even if they do, what they have to look forward to is struggle. America, where this is just the most recent, prevalent list of harms circulating, but the origins of that list can be traced back for more than 400 years of injustices and abuse.
I’m documenting this plan as a start — something I can do that will push and stretch me, but that needs to be reviewed regularly (just like a board would review a budget quarterly or annually). My community won’t benefit from me joining a book club; only action will suffice. This is my post for accountability.
**I’ll keep the plan updated as I make changes. You’re welcome to copy/lift it if it strikes you. I do not promise to be perfect, but I promise to own my mistakes. I also promise to keep going; mistakes are chances to learn, not reasons to quit. And I promise not to guilt or shame, both myself or others — it’s what I would expect of each of you. Be kind, first to yourself, and see how that radiates to the world around you.
“There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.” - James Baldwin “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.” - Emma Lazarus
An Activist and Antiracist Plan
Daily meditation
Center, ground, breathe, reconnect to Source, make space, hold space
Daily learning
30 minutes minimum (articles, books, podcasts, videos…); antiracism, Black history in America, environmental trends and causes, how to be a better ally
Money Where Your Mouth Is
Cancelled Amazon Prime ($13/mo) — that money goes to Black-owned bookstores (yay, books! Choose Black authors and LGBTQ+, like NK Jemisin and JY Yang)
Monthly, watch/buy a documentary, film, production by/about Black creators (top of the list: Moonlight, Do the Right Thing, Beasts of the Southern Wild, work through the Netflix Black Lives collection)
Find and regularly support local minority- and women-owned restaurants for eating out/take out
Commit to examining the products I buy habitually (and their producers); eliminate any that rely on prison labor; find local, ethically-sourced, environmentally-friendly replacements
Shift gift-buying from generic, big-box stores to makers, artists, and small businesses (this requires intention, planning, active awareness and searching out)
Donations
Recurring monthly contributions to Grassroots Law, NAACP, ACLU (set up already)
Recurring monthly contributions on Patreon to makers I have benefitted from (currently JY Yang, Rachel Cargle, and Miiriya)
Establish a monthly microdonation budget — to use for causes and events as they arise or more Patreons; intentionally watching environmental legislation, LGBTQ+, Black lives matter, immigration/refugee causes, and women/girls in tech
Network
Find and follow diverse designers, UXers, makers, artists, musicians, writers… on Instagram and Twitter
Purchase, promote, and celebrate their work regularly
Speak up — it is my responsibility to break patterns and challenge assumptions, especially in my circles (this includes family, friends, and those I interact with regularly)
Social Media
Consciously mixing daily life, activism, social justice, adventures, cross-promotion, work articles, and what I find important into my regularly scheduled posts
I have a platform, and I can use it; my silences, omissions, and passive “likes” don’t do anyone any good
Check In
With self: have I been slacking or using busy as an excuse? Where can I grow or improve? Where have I screwed up, and how can I own it and do better? What have I learned, where have I grown?
With others: lean on similarly active friends (who have space and strength for it) for feedback on posts or comments, for gut checks, and accountability
On this doc: is it still relevant? Effective? Can I add or update or improve anything to be more reflective of the world around me and other people’s needs?
Celebrate!
This is going to be a long, slow journey to change. It won’t feel like there are huge wins and big landslide victories all the time. Train yourself to look for the daily wins: the conversations with neighbors that end with both parties thinking, the new voters registered and committed to going to the polls, the quiet news story about Oklahoma returning native lands, the court decision to delay the Dakota pipeline, the roles and opportunities the Black community is winning in tech and media, and the companies who aren’t afraid to lose a few contentious customers in order to protect the majority.
Share them. Call them out. Remind folks that we’re connected, stronger together, and pushing forward.
Love wins. Never forget that. And even if you are just posting to remind yourself, share love.
Resources
I’ll keep updating this section with reading, resources, and places I’ve tried out and can vouch for. Feel free to comment with your own suggestions!
Antiracist Work
American Bar Association’s 21 day challenge on building racial equity
An antiracist reading list (and Black-owned bookstores to buy from)
Chicago for Black Liberation (Instagram) has a ton of really amazing resources specifically for artists and designers
Scene on Radio’s Seeing White podcast
Rachel Cargle’s The Great Unlearn on Patreon
TED talk: Ibram X. Kendi — The difference between being “not racist” and antiracist
Anti-Racism Resources for White People (by Kristin B Hodson on Instagram)
NPR spot: Whitney Pennington Rodgers on talks that contextualize this moment
28 Days of Black History is a February newsletter focused around Black History Month and learning, but it’s run by Anti-Racism Daily who have a load of amazing resources; (while you’re there, drop a donation for their work)
The African American Policy Forum (AAFP) newsletter and site are great resources for learning history and understanding modern events through an anti-racist lens
Environmentally Friendly Options
Grove Collaborative: regular deliveries of eco-friendly home supplies (I’ve signed up and been pretty happy with it so far!)
Ecosia.org is a search engine that plants trees
Guidelines to #RecreateResponsibly in 2020 and beyond
Prison Industrial Complex
Companies and corporations involved in ALEC (check out 13th on Netflix for more info)
Do a double-check on political support and unethical practices — Buycott.com
Places to Shop
Miiriya: supporting Black-owned makers and creators; there’s also a really cool section where you can donate a couple dollars to creators in need
Etsy.com: Etsy not only supports small businesses and makers, but they guarantee a 100% carbon offset on all of their shipping. Update: Etsy has raised prices on creators so that it's almost pointless to sell on the platform, and several creators I know who rely on Etsy said there's an AI-based promotion policy in place now that has killed their sales all together. Not sure Etsy is a recommend anymore, thought it's better for buying from a real, local person than most other options.
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