Anti-Racism Resources
Friends and members of the FF Fam (both old and new), whatever led you to this post, whether it was from my Instagram or you found it somewhere else, I’m happy you’re here. If you’re reading this, that means that you, like me, are finally willing to put in the work, educate yourself, and do the learning.
Let me start by acknowledging – this is a very long post. It is not meant to overwhelm you. Also, it will make you uncomfortable. Here is the outline of what you are about to read. First: my reflection on my journey and some examples of my white privilege. Second: a list of terminology to familiarize yourself with along this journey. Third: an extensive and comprehensive list of resources to assist in your education (videos, articles, books, podcasts, documentaries, social media recommendations, etc). Fourth: a list of current charities in need of our donations.
A few other things I want to be clear of:
I am not your leader or your educator on this anti-racism journey. As a white woman, it is not my place to educate you. I have not experienced anything that people of color have – I have been part of the problem. I am sharing with you resources by people of color that are helping me learn. I am learning with you.
We are late. We are all very very very very VERY late to doing this work.
By simply reading this blog post, you are not educating yourself. You must click on these resources, take the webinars, read the books, watch the documentaries, and actually learn.
By doing this work, we will not end racism. It is an example of white entitlement for us to believe that by simply reading a few things we can end centuries of oppression.
This work is never ending. It is something you will have to practice every day and everywhere. Reading these few resources does not change our reality.
I do not want your thanks or praise for this. I should’ve done this work a long time ago and I do not deserve any type of affirmation for speaking out on this.
A month ago, I would have told you I was aware of my white privilege and that I was an “ally”, without having any true understanding of what that meant. I did what so many of us mistakenly do – I reshared some posts, posted some broken heart emojis, included a hashtag of the name of someone who was innocently killed due to the color of his or her skin, and then moved on with my life. In my mind, I thought I was doing my part to support people of color. What I was actually doing was pretending to be an ally for my own emotional sake and pride. I told myself I did something positive in this battle and then made the decision to walk away (even just the option of doing so exemplifies white privilege). Unfortunately, like many of us, it wasn’t until reading recent news regarding Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and then George Floyd that I realized how little I truly knew. (Let it also be noticed the privilege that is inherently involved in that sentence I just typed. While POC have been facing these disgusting realities every day, it takes news articles and, more specifically, videos of POC innocently dying for me, and a lot of other white people, to even believe that these racial injustices exist.) After realizing there was a lot of learning to be done, I made another mistake WP make: I turned to POC and asked them to teach me without doing any work on my own. Once I came to this realization, I realized what a sheltered life I had been living and what blinders I had been wearing. I then decided, with my wonderful Instagram community’s support, that I was going to do the much-needed work that I had for some reason shied away from for the past 28 years of my life, educate myself, encourage my community to do the same, provide resources to help them learn, and then, once educated, ask POC to have a conversation about what else I can do.
Right now, the silence is deafening. We’ve all heard it by now, but it is not enough to not be racist, we must be anti-racist. If we are not doing something, then we do not care (the option to “not care” is yet another example of our white privilege). First, we need to acknowledge and own our privilege. We do not have the right to ask whether we are part of the problem because, the reality is, we are the problem. We need to assess how we are part of the problem and then figure out what we are doing to help fix it moving forward. For me to own my white privilege and help clearly depict it for all of you, here are a few (of many) examples of how my white privilege has benefited me over my life…
I was taken to a police station in the back of a cop car for underage drinking when I was 15 and had the audacity to talk back to the police regarding the fact that there were no seatbelts in the back of their car, Never once did I question whether my life was at risk or that there were ramifications for my actions. Secondly, I was released as soon as we got to the station without so much of a slap on the wrist
I have never had to question whether the person sitting across from me in a job interview would look differently than me
When I walked into every class room I was surrounded by people who looked just like me
I have never had a salesperson follow me around in a nice store but, instead, have had them tote on me and my needs
I curse like a sailor and constantly get away with an incredibly foul mouth and am sometimes told it is “cute”
I have the ability to decide whether I want to learn more about racial justice
I easily find products in the wellness space that are tailored to me and cater to my needs
I see faces like mine all over TV, Instagram, and the media
All of the books I have read represent my race and I never had to actively search for them
I acted out in school and was rarely ever, and never in severity, punished or reprimanded for my behaviors
Because of all of this, I was able to do what I so often times mention on my platform as if it is an equal opportunity for everyone – “place a bet on myself and pursue my passion” by quitting my corporate job and taking freckled foodie full time. Now that you’ve seen an incredibly short and limited example of how white privilege has benefited my life, it is time for you to also own your privilege. Next, it is time for us to do the work. Before that, we also need to realize that this act of learning is not about us and should not be a mission to make us feel better about ourselves. We don’t deserve that affirmation. We should be doing this work because it is necessary. This battle and fight is never ending and we need to put in the work every day. The work will make you feel uncomfortable and we will absolutely fuck up. We are learning. Because you are here to do the work, I am excited to have you as part of the FF fam. In order to help educate you, I have gone full blown organized college Cammie and created a detailed compilation of information. I’ve included definitions of terminology that we should familiarize ourselves with, included links to articles, videos, webinars, and roundups of sources, a list of books to read, podcasts to listen to, and films to watch, and a list of people who I have found educational along this learning journey.
If there are pieces you think should be added to this comprehensive list, please email me the names at cameron@freckledfoodie.com so I can appropriately research and add them to this post. For everyone who is still reading and plans to click the links below, thank you for doing the work we all should’ve been already doing.
Terminology to familiarize yourself with
As I mentioned, I am not here to educate you. Since I have found it helpful in my educational journey to learn the meanings of many commonly used terms in the anti-racism work, I have compiled a collective glossary based on definitions found in articles by people of color. The articles that the definitions were found in are linked and are also ones I recommend reading for further information.
White Privilege: an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks – Peggy McIntosh
Cultural appropriation: A deeper understanding of cultural appropriation also refers to a particular power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group. – Maisha Z. Johnson
Assimilation: when marginalized people adopt elements of the dominant culture in order to survive conditions that make life more of a struggle if they don’t – Maisha Z. Johnson
Racism: the systemic oppression of one group of people who can be categorized within certain phenotypical traits over multiple generations that has been, at one point, sanctioned by a country, the majority and/or ruling class. Racism is committed only by the ruling class and agents of the ruling class because they have the power that comes with racism – Yawo Brown
Prejudice: not necessarily systemic and can be committed by anyone. It simply requires one to pre-judge. It does not require its user to have any access to the ruling class or status of whiteness. Prejudice alone, has no real power without the system of control and power to support it – Yawo Brown
Prejudice: An attitude based on limited information, often on stereotypes. Prejudice is usually, but not always, negative. Positive and negative prejudices alike, especially when directed toward oppressed people, are damaging because they deny the individuality of the person. In some cases, the prejudices of oppressed people (“you can’t trust the police”) are necessary for survival. No one is free of prejudice. – Racism Defined
Opression: The systematic subjugation of one social group by a more powerful social group for the social, economic, and political benefit of the more powerful social group – Racism Defined
Social & Institutional power: access to resources, the ability to influence others, access to decision-makers to get what you want done, the ability to define reality for yourself and others – Racism Defined
White supremacy: The idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to People of Color and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. While most people associate white supremacy with extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazis, white supremacy is ever present in our institutional and cultural assumptions that assign value, morality, goodness, and humanity to the white group while casting people and communities of color as worthless (worth less), immoral, bad, and inhuman and "undeserving." Drawing from critical race theory, the term "white supremacy" also refers to a political or socio-economic system where white people enjoy structural advantage and rights that other racial and ethnic groups do not, both at a collective and an individual level - Racism Defined
Polite White Supremacy (PWS): the notion that whites should remain the ruling class while denying that they are the ruling class, politely – Yawo Brown
Racism: Racism is different from racial prejudice, hatred, or discrimination. Racism involves one group having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society and by shaping the cultural beliefs and values that support those racist policies and practices - Racism Defined
White fragility: a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. Racial stress results from an interruption to what is racially familiar – White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
Code switching: moving between languages or dialects in linguistic and social settings for a variety of reasons. One can code-switch to fit in, for marketing purposes, inadvertently, or to better convey a thought – Lucero Cantu
People of color (POC): people of color, which can refer to people who are Asian, Indian, Native American, Black, Hispanic, etc
Individual racism: individual or internalized racism lies within individuals. These are private manifestations of racism that reside inside the individual – Keith Lawrence & Terry Keleher
Institutional racism: discriminatory treatment, unfair policies and inequitable opportunities and impacts, based on race, produced and perpetuated by institutions – Keith Lawrence & Terry Keleher
Structural racism: institutional practices and structural arrangements that lead to racialized inequities. – National Equity Project The normalization and legitimization of an array of dynamics – historical, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal – that routinely advantage whites wile producing cumulative and chronic adverse outcomes for people of color – Keith Lawrence & Terry Keleher
Implicit / unconscious bias: the process of associating stereotypes or attitudes towards categories of people without conscious awareness – National Equity Project
Mass incarceration: a massive system of racial and social control. It is the process by which people are swept into the criminal justice system, branded criminals and felons, locked up for longer periods of time than most other countries in the world who incarcerate people who have been convicted of crimes, and then released into a permanent second-class status in which they are stripped of basic civil and human rights, like the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, and the right to be free of legal discrimination in employment, housing, access to public benefits – Michelle Alexander
War on drugs: a war that was declared in the 1970s by President Richard Nixon and which has increased under every president since. It is a war that has targeted primarily nonviolent offenders and drug offenders, and it has resulted in the birth of a penal system unprecedented in world history – Michelle Alexander
Voter suppression: Suppression efforts range from the seemingly unobstructive, like voter ID laws and cuts to early voting, to mass purges of voter rolls and systemic disenfranchisement. And long before election cycles even begin, legislators can redraw district lines that determine the weight of your vote. Certain communities are particularly susceptible to suppression and in some cases, outright targeted — people of color, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities – Leila Rafei
Articles, videos, webinars, or roundups of sources:
Quick educational videos:
Trevor Noah IGTV: reflecting on the current protests against police brutality of black people**
Rachel Cargle’s Public Address on Revolution
Layla F Saad IGTV: Why Whiteness Must be Named
Webinars / Courses:
Spiritual Activism 101 and 102 Webinars by Rachel Ricketts** - highly recommend taking one of Rachel’s courses as an initial starting point of your educational journey and anti-racism work
FREE #DoTheWork 30 day course by Rachel Cargle
Articles: recommended starting points for your education
The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning by Claudia Rankine
Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy by Andrea Smith
White Privilege and Male Privilege by Peggy McIntosh
The Case for Reparations by Ta Nehisi Coats
10 Examples That Prove White Privilege Exists in Every Aspect Imaginable by Jon Greenberg
Welcome to the Anti-Racism Movement, Here's What You've Missed by Ijeoma Olou
Your privilege is the biggest benefit you can bring to the movement. No, I’m not just talking nonsense now. Racial privilege is like a gun that will auto-focus on POC until you learn to aim it. When utilized properly, it can do real damage to the White Supremacist system — and it’s a weapon that POC do not have. You have access to people and places we don’t. Your actions against racism carry less risk.
You will get better at this, but at first you will fuck up a lot, and you will always fuck up a little. You are a human being and human beings are inherently flawed. You are also a human being who has lived with an entire life of unexamined privilege and racist social programming. You are going to fuck up hardcore. You are here because you are a decent human, and because you are a decent human you are going to feel pretty shitty when you fuck up. You will probably be called out, you may even be dismissed by some folk, and that may make you feel angry and defensive along with feeling shitty. You will need to get used to the pang of guilt from realizing you have fucked up and it has hurt people. Because it will hit you again and again.
Holy Shit, Being an Ally Isn’t About Me!
That person I was five months ago — good intentions and all — was extremely dangerous to POC and their fight for liberation. I’ll admit that I joined the group for validation. I wanted to be told, “You’re the right kind of white person.” This is the kind of bullshit that makes me and progressive WW like me (and maybe you, too?) just as scary as abject racists who seek to destroy POC
I am embarrassed to say this, but in my ignorance, this notion was astounding. I suddenly became acutely aware that everything in my life had always been about me. In my 40 years of life, people mostly sang my praises. When they didn’t, it had nothing to do with the color of my skin. This is White Privilege. As white people (WP), society generally loves — or at least accepts — us. We are never made to feel unsafe or unwanted because of our skin color. We are never silenced and stereotyped because we are white. Many of us WP feel a jolt to our very being when someone doesn’t seem to care whether or not we join the party.
I do not get to bestow that title upon myself or claim that I am “woke.” As WP, none of us get to do that. Just as a recovering alcoholic is always recovering, we will always be allies-in-training. Even though I hope to be part of the solution, as a well-intentioned WP, I must recognize that I will always be part of the problem.
An Ode to my White “Friends” on Being Better to Black Womxn by Rachel Ricketts
Do more. Do better. And do it now. You’re already centuries behind. And always remember, if you’re anti-racism is not about centering and supporting Black and Indigenous womxn, whether you know us personally or otherwise, then its bullshit.
Compilation of sources:
Anti Racism Resources - an extremely extensive compiled list of articles by Rachel Ricketts
Anti-Racism Resources for White People - another extremely extensive compiled list of resources for anti-racism work
75 Things White People Can do for Racial Justice by Corrine Shutack - an extensive compilation of acts white people can do
Books:
Those with ** represent the most highly recommended and a good starting point.
White Fragility by Robin Diangelo**
Me and My White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad**
So You Want to Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo**
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander**
How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi**
Between The World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Croates
Whiteness of a Different Color – Matthew Fry Jacobson
Eloquent Rage – Brittney Cooper
The Possessive Investment in Whiteness – George Lipsitz
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? – Beverly Daniel Tatum
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – Austin Channing Brown
White Rage – Carol Anderson
Waking up White: and Finding Myself in the Story of Race – Debby Irving
Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson
Pulled Over: How Police Stops Define Race and Citizenship – Charles R. Epp, Donald P. Haider-Markel, and Steven Maynard-Moody
White by Law: the Legal Construction of Race – Ian F. Haney-Lopez
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America – Richard Rothstein
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America – Jill Leovy
From #BlackLivesMatter To Black Liberation – Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Podcasts:
Pod Saves The People – specifically this Justice for Ahmaud Arbery episode
Call Your Girlfriend – specifically this White Fragility episode
People to follow on social media:
Before I recommend these accounts, I want to be clear on something. I have (mistakenly) trained the FF community to expect immediate and lengthy response over DM. These people below are not here for you to consistently DM and ask “what should I do” or ask questions that can be found on Google. Please do not flood their DMs with unnecessary work that you should be doing on your own first.
Check Your Privilege – walking with folx on their journey to dismantle their relationship with systems of domination. Showcases informative and important takeovers by other POC educators. Check out their website for their book, webinars, and coachings.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham – a co-host of Pod Saves the People who has been an incredible source of knowledge in my journey of education
Lettie Shumate – a historian, antiracism educator, podcast host, and racial justice advocate
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle – building an intellectual legacy through teaching, storytelling, and critical disclosure. Recommend joining her Patreon for more unlearning here or watching her public address on revolution here.
Rachel Ricketts – racial justice educator and changemaker. She has been my number one source of education along this journey. Recommend joining her newsletter, purchasing her webinars here, or joining her Patreon here
Monique Melton – antiracism educator and podcast host. Recommend checking out her SHINE Class (Racist Habits) here or taking her 101 Antiracism crash course here
Sophia Bush – a white woman activist encouraging other WP to educate themselves
The Conscious Kid – parenting and education through a critical race lens with many informative graphics
Josie Duffy Rice – Justice Podcast host and news reporter
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – US representative (NY-14)
Black Lives Matter twitter – an affirmation and embrace of the resistance & resilience of Black people
Yamiche Alcindor – White House correspondent
Put Your money to work:
Charities:
Minnesota Freedom Fund: community based nonprofit that combats the harms of incarceration by paying bail for low-income individuals who cannot
Black Visions Collective: healing justice and transformative justice at the center
Reclaim the Block: focused on moving money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety
The Bail Project: national nonprofit organization that pays bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence
NAACP Legal Defense Fund: America's top legal firm fighting for racial justice
For information on how to support the protests in your local city, please read this article here
For bail funds and legal help for your specific city, please visit this continuously updated google document here
Shopping:
Oma The Label: clothing & jewelry (coming soon)
Golde: superfood health and beauty
Harperiman Dolls: handmade linen keepsake dolls
Tree Fairfax: handmade leather goods
Serendipitous Project Jewelry: sustainable jewelry and accessories
Underthing: lingerie
T.A.: clothing
Sanaia applesauce: applesauce re-imagined
Partake Foods: delicious cookies free of the top 8 allergens
Flex Factory: games, gifts, homesware, and clothing
JADE swim: luxe minimal swimwear
BLK+GRN: non-toxic marketplace by all Black artisans
Zou Xou: shoes
Vavvoune: leather accessories
Third Crown: jewelry
Mented Cosmetics: vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic makeup
The Lip Bar: vegan & cruelty-free makeup
Briogeo: clean & conscious hair care
Honey Pot Company: plant-based feminine care system
Golden Girly: sweat sets
Official Black Wall Street App: the largest Black Owned business discovery app
WeBuyBlack: the largest online marketplace for black-owned businesses
Ebonyx: a marketplace for items that are Afrocentric in nature or inspired by Afrocentrism
some informative Graphics from social media:
Graphic by @theconsciouskid
Graphic by Racism Defined
An informative graphic on white privilege by @Courtneyahndesign
