Are you Ok? Can I send you flowers? Can I make you a meal?
These all seem like such nice things to say. Words of condolence.
But those well-intentioned words often come across differently to your Black friends when we are reckoning with racism in the United States as most of us have not seen in our lifetime. It puts them in the position of feeling they have to take care of you.
Why are we talking about this? We are two women who for over two decades have worked to give young people a voice and worked within institutions to challenge systems of oppression. Sometimes side by side, sometimes apart, always supportive.
We are two women who know how important it is for women to trust and support each other while at the same time we acknowledge the legacy of racism that includes White women’s participation in Black people’s oppression to this day.
In this live conversation, we will discuss:
- How to have hard conversations about race and privilege
- How the history of Black women’s anger is used to derail conversations between women that could otherwise be really productive
- How to hold space for someone when you can’t relate to their experience or you have little to no education on having these conversations
- How to participate in anti-racist work authentically when the media stops talking about it
Resources mentioned
To continue your learning and the content we covered in today’s webinar, check out a free Tiny Guide on Productive Discomfort and the rest of our Tiny Guides on core social-emotional concepts.
Cultures of Dignity and Shanterra McBride are supporting HYPE Freedom School, a wonderful non-profit that serves children and families in Houston. If you would like to join their efforts, you can donate here.
Anti-Racism Resources
What to watch
- When They See Us – Netflix
- 13th – Netflix
- If Beale Street Could Talk – Hulu
- Trevor Noah talks about the complexity of what is happening the US
What to read
Articles
- The 1619 Project – New York Times Magazine
- How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change – Barack Obama for Medium
- Death of George Floyd In Context – The New Yorker
- You shouldn’t need a Harvard degree to survive birdwatching while black – by 17-year-old Samuel Getachew for Washington Post
Books
- Between the World and Me by Tah-Nehisi Coates
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
What to listen to
- 1619 – The New York Times
- Pod Save The People – Crooked Media
- Code Switch – NPR
Other
- Donate to a bail fund
- Check out this comprehensive list compiled by Black activists
- Support black owned businesses in your community
- Make sure your voter registration is updated
- Tiny Guides on Dignity
