My journey to be/come an anti-racist
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After thirty-five years serving churches as an ordained minister, I retired and began a new ministry as an author and a bridge to churches and faith communities to assist them in becoming educated allies, informed advocates and providers of safe spaces for transgender people and their loved ones.
On Friday, May 29, 2020, my friend wrote a call to action on social media, “What are you going to do to help stop state-sanctioned anti-Black violence?” My friends and family are calling me to action, in addition to voices I am hearing all around the globe. First, I will educate myself about the experience of transgender women of color, who are at greater risk of being targeted by violence and the effects of racism. I’d like to share my journey to be/come an anti-racist, including resources that have helped me.
Resources that aid my journey to be/come an anti-racist
Articles about racial identity as a social construct
Angela Onwuachi-Willig, “Race and Racial Identity Are Social Constructs,” The New York Times, September 6, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/16/how-fluid-is-racial-identity/race-and-racial-identity-are-social-constructs
Resources to understand police brutality and the criminalization of African Americans, and prevent it
#8CantWait A campaign created by Campaign Zero to bring change to police departments and end police violence.
Ava DuVernay, dir. 13th, 2016, https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741
Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, One World, 2015. https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780812984965
José Martín, “Six Ideas for a Cop-Free World: As public outrage at police brutality grows, we take a look at a few of the practicable, real-world alternatives to the modern police system,” Rolling Stone, June 2, 2020, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/police-brutality-cop-free-world-protest-199465/
Resources to understand disenfranchisement and address it
Josie Duffy Rice, Clint Smith, “Excluded from Democracy: A deep dive into the history and future of disenfranchising people who have been convicted of felonies,” Justice in America, August 22, 2018.
Identifying and responding to racism
Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Beacon Press, 2018. https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780807047415
Becoming an Anti-Racist
Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist, One World, 2019. https://www.mahoganybooks.com/9780525509288
21 Day Racial Justice Challenge, Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond, Virginia. https://www.2presrichmond.org/news/21day
Avoid mistakes while trying to be an ally
Holiday Phillips, “Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)” Forge, May 9, 2020. https://forge.medium.com/performative-allyship-is-deadly-c900645d9f1f
“…the problem with performative allyship is not that it in itself damages, but that it excuses. It excuses privileged people from making the personal sacrifices necessary to touch the depth of the systemic issues it claims to address.” —Holiday Phillips
Jose A. Del Real, “Some white people are pouring out their hearts — and sending money — to their black acquaintances,” Washington Post, June 6, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/well-meaning-white-people-are-pouring-out-their-hearts--and-sending-money--to-their-black-friends/2020/06/06/05abc402-a67d-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html
Natalie Morris, “The emotional impact of watching white people wake up to racism in real-time,” Metro, June 12, 2020. https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/12/emotional-impact-watching-white-people-wake-racism-real-time-12839920/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
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