Dear Friends,
In the making of BOOTSTRAPS: an American Fable, we’ve read, listened, watched, attended all kinds of inspiring work from true leaders in Social Justice Activism.
If you care about building a more equitable America, but you’re not sure how to be more involved in the work, this is a good space for you.
Of course these lists are incomplete. But if you follow any one of these threads, we hope it will lead you towards meaningful change, in yourself, your community, and our country at large.
NEXT STEPS AROUND NYC
Find a partner or small group with whom to continue these conversations, or join a pre-existing affinity group like Brooklyn Zen Center’s monthly meeting on “Undoing Whiteness and Oppression.”
Visit Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture’s weekly community Discussion on Racism:
Join Aliadxs, a decentralized network of allies committed to using their skills, privileges, and resources to help create an immigration system and an economy that recognize every single person’s full humanity
Go to the next SURJ meeting. They happen the 1st Thursday of every month.
Get involved with Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
Attend a training or bring one to your organization or school
ARTICLES
“I Can Fix It” by damali ayo
“Black Farmer Calls Out Liberal Racism” in the Huffington Post
“How America Spreads the Disease that is Racism by not Confronting Racist Family Members and Friends” by April Harter
“Stages of Racial Identity Development” by Interaction Institute for Social Change
“White Culture Handout” by Racial Equity Tools .org
BOOKS
“New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
“What it Means To Be White” by Robin DiAngelo
“Radical Dharma” by williams Owens and Syedulla
PODCASTS
“Seeing White” from Scene on Radio
A 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America—where it came from, what it means, and how it works.
Intercepted, with Jeremy Scahil
Twice monthly podcast “exposing injustice and holding the powerful accountable…” including excellent interviews.
VIDEO
Dixon D. White’s anti-racist plea, “I’m a redneck and I love America.”
Anthony McPherson Poetry Facebook and YouTube channels
Senator Corey Booker’s recent speech “Your silence and amnesia are complicit”
RESOURCES for EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH and CIVIL RIGHTS
From College Consensus
CRITICAL RACE THEORY
Critical Race Theory is an academic framework that examines the intersection of race, power, and law, highlighting how racism is embedded in societal structures and institutions. It seeks to challenge and understand how racial hierarchies and inequalities are perpetuated, and how they intersect with other forms of oppression, such as class and gender, to shape social outcomes. Perlego’s study guide on Critical Race Theory is a great starting point for anyone who wishes to dive deeper on this topic.
