Listening to know better so we can do better
After I wrote this post about how my eyes had been opened to the racism that permeates our society, I’ve been listening. I’ve tried to stand in solidarity against racism, too. But I’ve really been trying to listen a whole lot more than I have in the past. And I have a lot to learn. Because I’m no expert.
As I’ve been listening, I’ve found a ton of resources that will be helpful as we work towards dismantling centuries worth of racism in our systems…and in our own hearts. So I’ve put together a list. It’s just a fraction of the resources that are available.
We have a long road ahead of us. But I’m not going to give up. I hope you won’t, either. Let’s start to know better so we can do better.
I’ll be honest, y’all. I’m really just writing this list for myself. But you can follow along, too.
From the web
- How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change by former President Obama. Spoiler alert: it starts at the local level.
- Sojourners shares tips on how to listen, learn, and keep showing up in For Our White Friends Desiring to be Allies .
- I know there’s a lot of confusion about the idea of White privilege. Phil Vischer, of Veggie Tales fame, breaks it down in a very personal way here: Racial Injustice has Benefited Me
- All Purpose Woman shares her family’s experience in Our Take: On Being Black in the Suburbs.
- And speaking of systemic racism (because we were, whether you realized that or not), Ben & Jerry’s breaks things down for you.*
- NPR had a conversation with Dr. Jeanette Betancourt and Jeanette Betancourt about how to talk to children about race. You can listen to the interview here.
- The National Museum of African American History & Culture has created a phenomenal resource called Talking About Race.
Books I’ve read
I’m just getting started, but I’ve recently read these two books and they’ve helped me become a more engaged listener.
- I Think You’re Wrong, But I’m Listening
This book isn’t about racism, but it is written about how we can listen to each other in order to understand each other. It’s a tough thing to do, honestly. But it’s pretty important. You can buy the book here - How to be an Antiracist
The premise of the book is that there is no neutrality when it comes to racism. No one is “not a racist.” You’re either racist or antiracist. The final three chapters are challenging and inspiring. Of course, the rest of the book is powerful, too. So it’s important to read the whole book. You can buy it here.
Books I plan on reading
There’s a lot of books out there. And everyone’s sharing their book lists. That’s great. This list contains books that have either been recommended by numerous people or recommended to me by people much smarter than I.
- Slavery by Another Name
Buy it here. - I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Buy it here. - America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America
Buy it here. - White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Buy it here. - Stamped from the Beginning
Buy it here. - The New Jim Crow
Buy it here. - This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work
Buy it here. - The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism
Buy it here. This is also a 12-part series available on Amazon Prime.
Things to do RIGHT NOW
Even while we’re listening, there are things we can do to dismantle racist policies. Here are a few:
- Here’s 115 ways to put your money where your mouth is.
- 8 Can’t Wait lists ways you can contact your local leadership and voice your support for policy changes that will bring immediate change to police departments. You can even dig through the data of your own city and see how it compares to other cities’ policies.
- Join a Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) group. While the national Facebook page can be found here, I recommend searching Facebook for “Showing up for Racial Justice (insert your city here)” to see if there’s a local group to join.
- The Obama Foundation shared some ways to get informed, take action, take care, get engaged, and stand together.
- If you’re White and still reading this**, #1, thank you. #2, this Facebook post is a good one to read so you can reflect and get to work on the hard stuff.
Do you know of other resources? Share them with me! Feel free to share them in the comments. Or you can email them to me at matt@mattdantodd.com. You can also message them to me through my Facebook page.
Listen. Know better. Do better.
Let’s get to work.
Endnotes
*I know, I know. You probably think the owners of Ben & Jerry’s are a bunch of snowflake loony lefties. I mean…they got arrested while protesting recently. And it wasn’t the first time they’ve been arrested while protesting. What a bunch of whackos. Right?
Seriously. Just read what they have to say. It might open your eyes.
**Let’s be honest. Most of my audience is White. So this statement is probably a given.
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