29 May 20
Lifestyle

Anti-Racism Resources

Credit: @shirien.creates

To say that 2020 has been rough would be an understatement. COVID-19 has uprooted almost everyone's lives in unprecedented ways, causing duress to all, but there have been two very different experiences. Black Americans have been disproportionately infected and killed by COVID-19 at three times the rate of white people. Disparities, due to structural racism, including limited access to healthcare, is just one way our country has been failing our black brothers and sisters.

The apathy and evil of human beings have emerged as other significant threats if living in a viral pandemic was not enough. Black Americans have seen their race shot while going for a jog, killed inside the safety of their home, threatened for bird watching, and choked to death by a knee to their neck. Our hearts need to be broken by these injustices in our country. We need to educate and train ourselves to mitigate and change ourselves. Doing nothing is itself a racist act. Learning nothing is a racist act. Racism permeates all sectors of our world, and we need to be intentional and passionate about changing this.
 
Change starts with us at an individual level.

White people need to do better.

We need to speak up. We need to be more than not racist. We need to be actively anti-racist. The burden for change does not lie on our black brother's and sister's shoulders. We have to use our race and privilege to be the ones to pick up and lead this fight. It's not on them. It's on us.

It's overdue, but we all need to examine the racism in our hearts. Whether it was placed there unwillingly or unknowingly by our upbringing or culture, it's our duty as humans to take a critical look at our thoughts and actions to ensure they are not coming from a prejudicial root.

Our society needs to do better.

Institutionalized racism is real. A long history of systematic distribution of resources, power, and opportunity that benefited white and excluded people of color has created the base of our present-day problems. People of color face structural barriers when it comes to things such as quality housing, healthcare, employment, and education. Significant inequalities continue to exist despite laws passed to make discrimination illegal.

We need to fight for equal access to programs, services, necessities, opportunities and ensure that we are all educated about implicit bias. Our country keeps telling us about our equal liberties, but we do not see it time and time again. For example, King County's population is 70% white and 30% people of color. Pulling data from this source, here are stats of how institutionalized racism is at work: 
  • 29.1% of black Americans live under the Federal poverty line, compared to only 7.6% of white households
  • The median income of white households is almost double that of black American households
  • 15.5% of black Americans report food insecurity as compared to only 5.3% white
  • Black Americans are 75% less likely than white adults to have health insurance
  • 79% of hazardous waste sites are located in communities where the majority of residents are people of color

We read headline after headline about the killing of unarmed black Americans by white Americans. It is a call for US ALL to recognize the black American experience, seek to make an immediate change, and speak out to condemn these racist occurrences.

It's more important now than ever to be more than a Twitter activist. Here are things we need to do to be better white allies:

READ

Understand your privilege as a white person by educating yourself with the following resources.



If it seems simple, it's because it is. Listen to black people. Don't assume you know best, because you don't. This is a time for us to be quiet, listen, and understand.This is a fantastic list of media to watch and listen to compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein.

FOLLOW

In addition to following black creators and back voices on social media, be sure to also follow these great organizations as compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein to always be informed.
written by Alicia Mara

Comments

  1. Beachbumgirl5/29/2020

    Wow... I'm impressed...You are wise beyond your years! So proud of you! I believe we do need to make a change! Thanks for all of your imput, & wisdom And thanks for the list of books. Can't wait to read some.

    ReplyDelete

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