“Spiritual Allies for Dismantling Racism” Suggested Reading/Resource List

BOOKS

• Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century, by Dorothy Roberts
• Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
• How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
• Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
• Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor, by Layla F. Saad
• Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out, by Ruth King
• My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem
• So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo
• Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, by Ibram X. Kendi
• Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America, Michael Eric Dyson
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm x and Alex Haley
• The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, by Richard Rothstein
• The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander
• The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century, by Grace Lee Boggs
• Waking Up White, by Debby Irving
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo
• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, by Beverly Daniel Tatum
• Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis

ONLINE RESOURCES

•  Documentary: 13th (watch on Netflix or on YouTube here)
• Video: Rachel Cargle’s TED Talk: Coming to Terms With Racism’s Inertia
• Writing Prompts: Leesa Renee Hall’s Expressive Writing Prompts for White Fragility
• Article: 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
• PDF: Rachel Cargle’s research about police brutality
• Article: How to Talk to Your Family About Racism
• Video: Why Rioting Makes Sense via Trevor Noah
• Video: Why White People Need to Use Their Bodies to Defend Black People, by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Collection of Articles: The 1619 Project by The New York Times
• Documentary: Free Meek (on Amazon Prime)
• Article: How to Create Diversity Within Your Online Business
• Resource Guide: Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community
• Health Disparities in the African American Community
• Examining Mental Health Issues Among Black Men

PODCASTS

•  About Race
• Code Switch
• The Nod
• The Stakes
• Scene on Radio: Seeing White Series
• The Heart: Race Traitor Series
• United States of Anxiety
• Seeing White
• 1619 (New York Times audio series)

PAID PROGRAMS + MEMBERSHIPS

•  Membership: Rachel Cargle’s “The Great Unlearn”
• Course: Andréa Ranae’s “Rise Up: Visionary Business for These Times”
• Online Classes: Rachel Ricketts’ Spiritual Activism 101
• Everyday Feminism’s School for Social Justice

HOW TO TAKE ACTION

The first step is in educating yourself. Use the resources in this guide to understand the issues that are at play. The next step is to not stay silent about racial injustice. Your silence is your consent. Use the resources below to begin to take action against racism so that you can cause less harm and work to end racial injustice.

 Also, if you’ve been silent about racism because you didn’t know what to say, then consider the fact that there is tons of information about these issues all over the internet. What has prevented you from doing your research? What are you afraid might happen if you take a stand? Dig deep. Your answer to these questions are the underlying reasons why you haven’t spoken up. Be aware of your answers so that you can begin to transform them.

• How to Be an Ally, by Ojus Patel
• Article: 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence
• Video: For white people who are asking what can you do?
• George Floyd: How Can I Help from the UK [and Internationally]?
• Video: Acknowledging racism: How to do it and where to start
• 5 Ways to Take Action for All Non-Black People
• Article: Making the Transition from Ally to Co-Conspirator
• Directory of Black-Owned Businesses to Buy From (via Official Black Wall Street)

LEADERS TO LEARN FROM + FOLLOW

•  Rachel Cargle
• Austin Channing Brown
• The Conscious Kid
• Ibram X. Kendi
• ACLU
• Grassroots Law Project
• The Antiracist Research & Policy Center
• Andréa Ranae
• Showing Up For Racial Justice
• Black Lives Matter
• RAICES
• Equal Justice Initiative
• The Great Unlearn
• NAACP
• Check Your Privilege
• Layla F. Saad
• No White Saviors
• Rachel Ricketts