Antiracism Resources

If you are new to the conversation about systemic racism and how to become antiracist, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. When we are new, we may have a tendency to do a lot of talking, but we really need to spend some time un-educating and re-educating ourselves before we (white folks) assert ourselves into a conversation that Black, Indigenous, and other people of color have been having for centuries.

When tragic incidents shine a spotlight on the deadly racism that exists in our country and our world, it may be a wake-up call for those of us who have not previously been impacted (at least in our awareness). We need to resist the temptation to ask Black, Indigenous, and other people of color to educate us on top of the burden they bear from living in a society that oppresses them daily.

Newly-awakened white people often ask, “But what can I do?” I’m sharing some tips to get you started, followed by a list of resources.

TIPS TO BEGIN YOUR ANTIRACISM JOURNEY

1. Read books written by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and follow them on social media. See list below.

2. Listen to BIPOC through podcasts, social media, documentaries, etc. See list below.

3. Find places to have these discussions with other white folks who are on the journey. Be the Bridge has an incredible curriculum guide for white people to work though. Be the Bridge also has a private Facebook group with tons of great resources for learning. We need to do the internal work of figuring out how we are contributing to the problem.

4. White people have a history of profiting off of the labor of BIPOC. Don’t do that. Financially support them and cite them when you use their work. Pay BIPOC for their labor in educating us. Don’t make demands; find BIPOC who are already offering services and resources for compensation.

6. Support organizations, books, media, etc. led/created by BIPOC.

7. Call out racist behavior when you see it and point other white people to resources created by BIPOC. Racism is our (white people’s) problem. White supremacy is our problem. We need to be working to dismantle it.

RESOURCES

Books I’ve read and highly recommend:

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation

by Latasha Morrison, founder of Be the Bridge

White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White by Pastor Daniel Hill

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God by Kaitlin Curtice

The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective & host of the Pass the Mic podcast

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by attorney Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative and professor of law at NYU

Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision by Randy S. Woodley

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Unsettling Truths: The On-Going, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubling Times by Soong-Chan Rah

Books on my TBR list, highly recommended by others:

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Dr. Ibram Kendi

or a shorter adapted version Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Ibram Kendi

How to Be an Anti Racist by Dr. Ibram Kendi

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Dr. Carol Anderson

Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores by Dominique DuBois Gilliard

Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up by Kathy Khang