This will not be a comprehensive guide to resources for your own anti-racism journey, but it may be a good start for you to dip your toes before you dive in. The following resources are ones that have educated me, specifically on the subject of anti-black racism.
I spend far too much time on social media. I seem to adopt Instagram accounts more than I adopt cats, though, to be fair, my husband does prevent me from adopting the number of cats my heart would desire. While trying to balance the amount of time I need to share and engage on Instagram, I’ve also worked at making sure the feed that the algorithm sends my way is filled with diverse voices, by intentionally seeking out Black content creators, many of whom are doing the draining work of educating their spheres of influence. Here are three accounts that I truly appreciate having on my feed regularly because their content is just GOLD;
Jordan Maney from Love All the Days (@loveallthedays) - Business Coach
Crystal Lily Creative (@crystallilycreative) - Brand Photographer and Consultant
Blair Imani (@blairimani) - Educator, Historian, Author and Influencer
I’ve had the pleasure of learning from Jordan and Crystal through the “Ally to Advocate Summit” hosted by Jordan in October 2020, and from Crystal through her recent workshop “How to Identify and Disrupt Inherent Bias as a Wedding Vendor”. Blair is the creator of “Smarter in Seconds”, a series of reels and videos in which Blair explains important concepts - seriously, go check out @blairimani’s profile under reels, there are so very many things to learn!
Over the past year, I’ve also added a few books to my Audible library (since I prefer to listen while I drive, edit, run, or create stained glass). Here are three books I recommend picking up;
The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
Desmond Cole writes stories about the anti-Black racism experienced within Canada; his book is very eye-opening and I highly recommend all my Canadian friends give it a read. I’ve been listening and relistening to Layla F. Saad’s book since the summer of 2020; she includes journaling prompts at the end of each section, and now has a workbook available to go along with the original text. I just started Sonya Renee Taylor’s book this past month and it’s a great listen so far!
As many other millennials did, I joined TikTok last year and I did not anticipate the amount of education I would receive from this platform. From therapists presenting coping strategies and mental health tips, to not-so-well-known animal facts, on TikTok you can find a subsect for almost anything including anti-racism education from amazing Black creators. Two of my favourites (and there are many!) are @kendalexis and @clarabellecwb. We are so very lucky to have these creators sharing their lived experiences, debunking myths and misinformation, and spending their energy to make the world a better place for all of us. For a little more in-depth content, many TikTok creators also create YouTube content. I’ve really enjoyed the content created by Khadija Mbowe.
I hope you glean many things from these amazing resources. Remember there are many free resources included in this post. Black anti-racism educators deserve to be compensated for their work and energy, so buy that book or register for that workshop, or even just Venmo the creator whose TikToks you keep going back to. Pay Black creators.
Comentários