Silence is Violence. That statement on a protester’s sign really hit home. By sitting on the sidelines and not voicing our collective outrage, we are perpetuating racism. Our greatest tool is our voices — not quietly commiserating, while keeping our mouths shut. We have the power to vote for the right leaders, raise children that celebrate differences, hire the right people and support our community’s Black and minority run businesses (to name just a few).
I have compiled some of the many resources shared with me. Here are a few of the things we can do right now in our fight for social justice-
- Educate yourself on what challenges our Black family members face on a daily basis. Here are a few resources worth exploring:
- Personal and Professional Resources For Anti-Racism Work
- Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?
- So You Want to Talk About Race
- Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids
- Trigger Warning
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
- A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
- Sign a Petition (DontShootPDX.org has also put together a list of other petitions and useful resources):
The Color of Change petition that asks Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to block the involved police officers in the George Floyd case from receiving their pensions and from becoming police officers again. You can also text “Floyd” to the number 55156.
- Donate to organizations like your local Black Lives Matter chapter. Other great organizations are:
- National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
- Color of Change
- The Sentencing Project
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- Dream Defenders
- Support Black and minority run local businesses:
Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of color to deal with it. It’s up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.
– Michelle Obama