"Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible."
~Carol Moseley Braun
Expand Your Knowledge
Organizations
Black Lives Matter: Learn about the fight against white supremacy and police brutality against Black people. This is a global organization that fights for Black people around the world.
The African American Policy Forum: Despite the fact that both Black men and women are victimized by police, the stories of Black women are often ignored by both the Black community and larger American society. BLACK LIVES MATTER does not exclude women.
The NAACP: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909, and has been a leading organization in the fight for racial equality.
The Southern Poverty Law Center: Fights against hatred and extremism (such as white supremacists), works against the “school to prison pipeline”, and advocates for prison reform.
Books & Articles
*I only recommend books and articles I’ve read and enjoyed.
How to be an Antiracist, by. Ibram X. Kendi: A comprehensive analysis of our relationship with race and racism. If you really want to learn about antiracism and the fight to ensure racial equality and equity, you need to read this book.
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot: by. Mikki Kendall: All to often, Black women are forgotten in the “feminist” movement. The relationships between race and gender cannot be ignored in any social justice movements. This is also one of my favorite books.
So You Want to Talk About Race, by. Ijeoma Oluo: This book is a great start to race talk, aka learning to talk about race. Though, the target audience seems to be white people.
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo: I recommend this book for white people specifically. The author directs her points towards her fellow white people. This book could also be useful if you are new to conversations about race, and need a starting point.
The Revolutionary Practice of Black Feminisms: A history of Black feminism, from Sojourner Truth to Alice Walker.
Amistad Digital Resource (The Future in the Present): An educational module for students (welcome to all) that explores Black activism throughout history.
2022
Just how much can a woman change in one year? Honestly, I feel like a brand new version of myself. The constant streams of Black trauma inflicted on my anxiety through the media took time to process.
Even now, I don’t fully understand why people have so little love in their hearts.
Why does the average person deem Karen tantrums and police violence to be entertainment? Why do we feel that we have to watch body cam footage of someone’s last moments in order to really know what’s going on?
I will no longer watch police shootings, nor respond to those whose response to the community’s grief is “I need to see more. We don’t know what really happened”.
I guess this is part of being an adult. I was very naïve about the willingness of others to listen and learn from different perspectives. Still, I choose to be optimistic.
I want to make this world a better place. I’ve been exposed to new options and beliefs, yet, I have my own way of helping others.
2021
What does it mean to be an activist? An advocate? A bystander? It’s only been one year, and yet it’s been a whole year since the Black Lives Matter movement took the nation by storm.
Not to mention the coronavirus-19 pandemic we’re currently living in. Despite my wins and setbacks, I prioritize my BLACK JOY and choose to be happy.
In no particular order, I graduated from college, got hit by a car, started my first full-time job, tried the whole “social media activism” thing, experimented with my hair, got my driver’s license, and so much more!
It took a few months but I was able to continue moving forward and leave my post-grad grief behind. I look forward to experiencing the growth and changes the rest of this year will bring.
*BLACK JOY is the celebration of me being a Black woman, living my best life in this society that is desperate to push me into the “Sapphire/Jezebel/Mammy/ or Strong Black woman stereotype.
Summer 2020
With the rise in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd (and many others) I wanted to do something.
This a resource page for anyone who wants to learn more about how they can help make the necessary changes we need to see in this country, and in this world.
Donate Here
I recommend researching non-profits in your own communities first. More than likely, they are not receiving the funding they need, despite being so close to home.
These are some organizations I found doing a few searches. It’s not hard to find non-profits, so with a quick search you can find even more ways help make a difference :0)
A Long Walk Home: Black Lives Matter includes Black women, and unfortunately, many people neglect this fact. This non-profit advocates for the rights of women of color and provides programs for young women, inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Black Visions Collective: “Black Visions Collective envisions a world in which ALL Black Lives Matter. We use the guidance and brilliance of our ancestors as well as the teachings of our own experiences to pursue our commitment to dismantling systems of oppression and violence. We are determined in our pursuit of dignity and equity for all.” Excerpt from the website*
Know Your Rights Camp: Colin Kapernick, camps in Atlanta, Baltimore, Miama, Amsterdam, New Orleans, Chicago, New York City, and Oakland. “Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.” Excerpt from the website.*
The African American Policy Forum: Support the fight for “gender equity and racial justice advocacy”. There are several programs you can donate to, such as #SayHerName, #HerDreamDeferred, Breaking the Silence Camp, Breaking the Silence Town Halls, and their Arts and Activism program.
The Okra Project: “The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.” Excerpt from the website*
