LEARN
Below are resources—arts-related and otherwise—that I encourage you to explore (books are affiliate links). Thanks to the effort of countless BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) who have been doing this work for ages, there are a plethora of antiracism resources elsewhere. Choose one thing, start, act, rinse, repeat.
Scene on Radio. A groundbreaking podcast from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, with each season addressing one theme in depth. Start with Season 2: Seeing White, and Season 4: The Land That Never Has Been Yet.
White Fragility Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DeAngelo, Ph.D. is a frank discussion of how easy it is to lose white people in a conversation about racism and how to do it better. If you are new to this idea, START HERE.
Caste: The Lies That Divide Us by Isabel Wilkerson looks at American racism through the lens of the Indian caste system and the hidden underpinnings of power, entitlement, and subordination.
Brené Brown’s podcast on shame and accountability in the context of antiracism.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and the Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Also, Brené Brown’s podcast interview with Kendi on antiracism.
The Next Question Show by Austin Channing Brown. Interviews with thought leaders on social justice in the US. Also her book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness.
An eye-opening and inspiring TEDxOhioStateUniversity talk by Dr. Curtis Austin, Department of African American and African Studies, Black Panthers White Lies
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a breathtaking work of historical fiction about slavery, the underground railroad, surprising allies, and dignity. Also, his non-fiction book Between the World and Me.
Essence of a History, an Art21.org visual playlist of artists who explore the Black narrative in their work.
Why I No Longer Talk To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. An accounting of the UK’s struggle with racism.
Eloquent Rage A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper, Ph.D.
Dissect by Cole Cushna is a serialized music podcast that examines a single album per season, one song per episode. Start wtih Season 5: DAMN (Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning album), and the current season: Lemonade by Beyoncé.
Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit was a game-changer last year when I felt caught between rage and despair related to social justice issues during my degree research. It catalyzed my collaborative project, A Gathering of Unasked Possibility (see below), with colleague and friend Judith Rodgers in 2019.
Active Hope How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy by Joanna Macy offers a practical approach that strengthens our capacity to face disturbing information and respond with unexpected resilience and creative power.
The Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Loeb is packed with inspiring stories of leadership on the front line of social change for the long haul.
The Black Lives Matter issue of Yes! Magazine, a very well-researched and lucidly-written monthly journal (online and print) focused on solutions, repair, and active hope.
(Originally posted under Be a Better Human)