Grab a coffee (or a tea!) and get uncomfortable.
I’m sure like many of you, you’ve been shocked and felt uncomfortable by the unjust death of George Floyd and also Breonna Taylor. Friends and people I follow on Instagram have shared shocking news, facts and history which I’m ashamed to say I had no idea about.
- One thing that stood out was that black women in the UK are 5 times more likely to die in pregnancy than white women – something like pregnancy I assumed all women were in the same boat.
- Another fact I learnt was that there were human zoos still open in 1958! Words can’t do justice to how unbelievable and shocking that is.
- Do you know what the Macpherson report is? I didn’t until I saw someone mention it a few weeks ago so had a further look online – see here and here for summaries.
These are only a couple of the atrocious facts I’ve come across and safe to say there are many more out there. My eyes have been opened to the continued learning I need to do.
My learning is a work in progress and will carry on for a long time. If you’re like me and are not black then this is for you – this movement has enabled me to realise how ignorant I was and I am determined to tackle it head on.
I thought it would be helpful if I pulled some things I’ve found so far and as a place for me to refer back to. If you’ve found any other useful resources do let me know and I can add it to the below.
Books:
I don’t know about you but my favourite way to lean is through reading. Some books on my reading list are:
- Me and White Supremacy (an interactive workbook)
- Queenie
- I am not your baby mother
- Why I’m no longer speaking to white people about race
- Girl, Woman, Other
- Hidden Figures
- Americanah
This is obviously not an exhaustive list. Further comprehensive lists can be found here:
- An Anti-Racist Reading List (NY Times)
- An Anti-Racist Reading List for All Ages (Beth Sandland)
- 29 Books By Black Authors on Identity, Justice & Love (MindBodyGreen)
- Books and the City Podcast (Instagram)
- What Leli Reads (Instagram)
- The Hyphen Book Club (Instagram)
Articles and Documents:
Zanna Van Dijk shared these articles in her fortnightly newsletter which also provide some quick reference guides and are another place to start:
- Anti-Racism for Beginners – Dr Tiffany Bowden, PhD in Diversity and Inclusion
- Why You Need to Stop Saying All Lives Matter – Harpers Bazaar
Petitions:
- Include Black British History in the national education curriculum
- Suspend UK export of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields to the USA
- Justice for George
Netflix:
- The Racial Wealth Gap
- The Kalief Browder Story
- When They See Us
- 13th
- Who Killed Malcolm X?
The above isn’t an exhaustive list but it’s a good place to start. This is a lifelong journey that needs to happen now and carry on.
‘Sharing alone does not create change.’
Tiffany Bowden, PhD
Yes its challenging to push for change but as white people that discomfort we are now feeling doesn’t compare to the oppression black people have felt for hundreds of years. We need to action this sharing and get to work!
Until next time,
Cathers xx
I love this post, thankyou for putting together some resources for learning!
Author
I’m glad you like it! I wanted to make sure I had a place I could go back to with resources.
Thank you for being willing to admit what you didn’t know, learn, and share your thoughts. This is a good start. But we all need to get out of our bubbles and make new friends so we can get information directly and perhaps help and advocate when you can. Thanks for sharing.
Author
Thanks for you words – it’s a continued journey 🙂
I have a daughter and a granddaughter who are biracial. And I made it a point to raise my daughter not to see color. She is going to be 30 this year, and she definitely sees color. I never realized or knew how important it was for me to b educated about these things. I thought I was doing the right thing by sheltering her so that she would grow up and not just be another statistic. With that being said, the irony of all of that is that I believed I didn’t see color. If I truly did not, I would not have really even had to think about any of that. I, too, have begun educating myself and the more I find, the more emotional I become, especially in the political realm. Our country, and our world. has become more divided than ever. I thank you for posting this, and I am definitely going to read some of these things.
Author
Thanks for you words – I totally agree and am going to look to educate myself going forward
This post is timely. These are great learning resources about racism. It’s an ongoing process to learn and support those experiencing racism.
Author
Thanks! Totally agree it’s a journey we’re on and need to keep up the momentum.
It’s great that you’re helping to educate yourself and others. I appreciate the reading list. I’ll be adding it my books to read for sure.