Today is #BlackOutTuesday, and with what’s going on, it’s important to continue to practice anti-racism in everything we do.
While there has been plenty of information circulating on social media about the importance of Black Lives Matter, it’s important to continue to activate beyond social media and into our every day lives. It can be tough to know where to start, but we’ve got you covered.
From self-educating to donating, here are 6 ways to continue to activate beyond social media.
Donate
If you are able, donate. There are plenty of places you can donate like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, Regis Korchinski-Paquet GoFundMe page, Black Lives Matter Toronto, the Toronto Bail Out Fund, the Black Health Alliance, and more. Check out some of the places you can donate above.
Reflect
Anti-racism is a way of being. “No one becomes ‘not racist,’ despite a tendency by Americans to identify themselves that way,” Author and director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center Ibram X. Kendi explains to The New York Times. “We can only strive to be ‘anti-racist’ on a daily basis, to continually rededicate ourselves to the lifelong task of overcoming our country’s racist heritage.” Anti-racism is about constantly reflect on what you’re seeing and learning. Think about important questions like “How have I engaged in rhetoric that promotes the othering or stereotyping of Black people?,” “In what ways have I been conditioned to believe in the superiority of whiteness?,” and “How can I better educate myself on the historical context of race in my own community?”
Watch
There are plenty of films and TV shows that dive into racism in creative ways, both looking at the past and present. On Netflix alone, there’s Ava Duvernay’s 13th or When They See Us, Kenny Leon’s American Son, Justin Simen’s Dear White People, and Stefan Bristol’s See You Yesterday.
Read
One of the best ways to educate yourself on the issues is by reading books and articles about anti-racism. There are so many amazing, intelligent resources out there to check out. Here are a few:
- Between the World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
- White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
- How To Be and Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge
And a few online resources:
- Black Lives Matter Toronto - blacklivesmatter.ca
- Black Legal Action Centre - blacklegalactioncentre.ca
- Justice for Regis - ca.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-regis
- Toronto Protestor Bail Fund - ca.gofundme.com/f/toronto-protestor-bail-fund
- A sample deputation letter to re-examine police funding in the next Toronto budget - sample deputation letter
- Justice for Black Lives demonstration event page - Justice for Black Lives
- A History of the Black Lives Matter movement - The Early History of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the Implications Thereof
Listen
There are plenty of podcasts that dive into conversations about racial equity and justice that you can listen to to educate yourself. You can check out The New York Times’ 1619, NPR’s Code Switch, Crooked Media’s Pod Save the People, or other podcasts like About Race, The Diversity Gap, or Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast.
Support
Support Black-owned business and platforms. In fact, Canada Helps has a page where you can donate to the Black Business and Professional Association, which encourages and supports “the pursuit of entrepreneurship, professional excellence, higher education, and economic empowerment by Black Canadians.” Check it out here.
Lead photo courtesy of Backbone Campaign.
