We have spent more time listening than talking this difficult weekend. But I woke up this morning knowing I want to make it perfectly 100% clear where Kristen and I stand: Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter.
This was originally posted on Facebook
Top photo: Mike Von via Unsplash. You can also follow him on Instagram @TheVonComplex.
He’s available for hire as well.
Spend some time with this extraordinary photo from Dai Sugano for Mercury News + East Bay News. Then, do something.
There are so many great, comprehensive lists out there to help us all work more toward anti-racism, but here’s our short one, especially for our non-Black readers:
1. Reach out to Black friends and neighbors and ask them how they are, what you can do to help.
2. Follow and read more Black voices. Amplify them. (In fact look at your social feeds now. Do most of your follows look like you?)
3. Don’t get defensive if you don’t like everything you hear. Don’t center yourself in conversations about the Black experience. Just…absorb it.
4. Spend money at Black-owned businesses.
5. Read books by Black authors — fiction, non-fiction, memoir. For starters, may we suggest grabbing So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo immediately. (Affiliate link to Indiebound) Another incredible book released in late 2020 is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.
6. Donate to orgs doing The Work. Can you make it monthly? Just a few we like:
–NAACP Legal Defense Fund
–United Negro College Fund
–Color of Change
–ACLU Racial Justice Program
–Southern Poverty Law Center
Follow their social feeds and amplify them too. If you don’t know what to say on social media right now, it’s always valuable to share the words of someone else. (With full credit, of course.)
Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi, is one of our featured books in last year’s roundup of new Black History Month books for kids.
7. Especially if you are non-Black, please talk to your kids about what’s happening to Black people in America. They know more than you think. If you don’t know where to start…You’ve got this. # 3 and 4 in this post are packed with helpful links, books + resources for parents.
8. Talk to non-Black friends and family who need to hear more anti-racist perspectives. That includes “good” liberals and all those “what? It was just a joke, I’m not prejudiced!” kinds of folks. Don’t just smile or laugh nervously to “keep the peace.” Standing up and speaking out to the people in your own life may be the most impactful thing you can do. You have SO much power in your own networks! It makes the difference between an ally and an advocate.
We need to raise the next generation of compassionate, empathetic, enlightened kids. It’s on us, parents. We can do this.
