Actions You Can Take Against Racism:
- Take a free one hour Bystander Intervention workshop to stop many forms of harassment and violence, such as anti-Asian/American harassment and xenophobia; anti-Black racism; and anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry. Holla Back! offers these workshops and they are very good. Their mission is to put an end to the harassment and violence that is on the rise these days. They have a page titled “Take Action,” as well as a page of resources to prevent harassment in the workplace, online, and in the street.
- Patronize black-owned businesses. Here’s a list in Seattle.
- You can buy face masks from black-owned sources.
- When possible buy (not only borrow) books by authors of color, for yourself and for your children. Ask your library to buy copies. Give them as gifts. Help boost their sales.
- Check out organizations like Seattle-based Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites, and Showing Up for Racial Justice. One size of racial justice organization does not fit all. Still, both of those have resource lists, videos, and more that may be of interest to you.
Check out websites: theroot.com, blerd.com, essence.com, blackenterprise.com, discovernikkei.org, kwelijournal.com, latinosinkidlit.com, remezcla.com, koreanculture.org, thetoolkit.wixsite.com, lakotalaw.org, mixedfamilylife.com, abolitionjournal.org/studyguide, and the many more that exist and may take you out of your knowledge- or comfort-zone. We do not endorsing any of these sites, just recommending the value of seeking out others’ perspectives.
Resources below were provided at The Roundtable on Racism, May 15, 2019:
Presented by the Racial Equity Committee of Hazel Wolf K-8 E-STEM School
Copyright © 2019 Maureen E. McCauley
Here are some basic definitions of a few terms often used in discussions about racial equity. There is a lot of material available; we encourage you to do more research.
Ally vs. Accomplice: An ALLY engages in activism by standing with a marginalized individual or group. An ACCOMPLICE focuses on dismantling the oppressive structures that keep people marginalized, led by stakeholders in the marginalized group. (Source: Teaching Tolerance)
Micro aggressions: Small daily insults and indignities perpetrated against marginalized or oppressed people, including against people of color. Regular exposure to micro aggressions causes a person of color to feel isolated and invalidated. (Source: So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo)
Prejudice vs. Racism: Prejudice is an attitude based on limited information, often on stereotypes, and can be positive or negative. Racism is a system of advantage based on race, a system of oppression based on race, and a system of white supremacy. (Source:
Systemic Racism: How the racist and discriminatory practices of institutions intersect to create a network of opportunity for white people while blocking opportunity for people of color (Source: DismantlingRacism.org). Frequently cited examples are disparities in health care for black women, pay differences/wealth gaps among different races, incarceration rates, suspension rates for black children, access to housing, likelihood of being pulled over by police, and more.
Other types of racism: Casual, structural, cultural, environmental, internalized, institutional, colorism, and more.
White Privilege: Having greater access to power and resources than people of color (in the same situation) do. (Source: Teaching Tolerance) It doesn’t mean that white people don’t struggle, or work hard, or have difficult challenges. It means your skin color isn’t one of the things making it harder. More information at: https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/what-privilege-really-means/
Books (in random order):
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Myth of the Model Minority by Rosalind Chou
Articles (in random order):
From Color-Blind to Color-Brave: Conversation building blocks to talk with kids about race
10 Children’s Books Handling Race and Identity in a Smart Way
Privileged—An article by white NBA Player Kyle Korver about racism and white privilege
Redefining Process to Close Gaps
Want to Close Achievement Gaps? Close Relationship Gaps
Dear White Teachers: You Can’t Love Your Black Students If You Don’t Know Them
Why Restorative Justice Is About More than Reducing Suspensions
White Teachers Three Times as Negative with Black Students, Rutgers Study Finds
The Racist History of Mispronouncing Names
Talking Race, Controversy, and Trauma
Why James Baldwin’s ‘A Talk To Teachers’ Remains Relevant 54 Years Later
Ten Simple Ways White People Can Step Up to Fight Everyday Racism
Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Resource Guide
Five Valuable Ways to Use Your White Privilege to Fight Anti-Black Racism
How to talk to kids about racism: An age-by-age guide
What it means to be black in the American educational system
Study: Americans Adultify Black Girls as Less Innocent Than Their White Peers
We cannot teach race without addressing what it means to be “white”
We need to deal with our discomfort and talk to our kids about racism
Approaching Race in the Classroom, Actively
But I didn’t mean it! Why it’s so hard to prioritize impacts over intent
Intent vs. Impact: Revisiting Why “All Lives” Can’t Matter if “Black Lives” Don’t
Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power, And Privilege
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk With White People About Racism
Anti-Racist Handout: Basic Tenets of Anti-Racist Education
Strategies and Resources For Talking About Race With Young Children
100 Race-Conscious Things to Say to Your Child to Advance Racial Justice
Your 5-year-old is already racially biased. Here’s what you can do about it.
Additional Resources:
Materials from Erin Jones’ talk “Black Lives Matter at School: The Power and History of Words” at the PTSA General Session Jan. 22, 2020
26 Mini-Films for Exploring Race, Bias and Identity With Students
Tonya Mosley: Black in Seattle
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Interview with author
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and How to Be an Anti-Racist, both by Ibram X. Kendi
Kimberlé Crenshaw’s many books, including Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color.
The National Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Our Schools
Embrace Race: Raising a Brave Generation
Raising Race-Conscious Children
Hazel Wolf K-8 PTSA 