Updated 6/08/20                                                                                        

Beginning Your Antiracist Journey - ideas and action steps

If you have questions, updated resources, things i’ve missed, or want to talk about any of these points - email me! - margy

For those in the beginning (or in the middle, let’s be real) of their journey of antiracism, life can feel overwhelming. Often I hear the question, “what can I do?” or “where do I even start?” In an effort to provide guidance, compiled here is a list of resources I (or my peers) have found grounding, challenging, and helpful. They’re broken into three categories: education, action items, and financial support. At the end, there’s a few more compiled resources, including a list of powerful insta posts.  If you’re unsure where to start, try picking one article a day, or one book a week as a starting point. It’s okay if you start slow, as long as you keep moving.

Please remember, all three of these categories are crucial in our journey. You’ll be tempted to stop at education: instead, use that education to educate those around you. Make concrete plans to take tangible steps towards dismantling racism in our country. Send $10 to an organization on the front lines of this fight instead of getting coffee for a few days.

As you move through these items, you will feel angry, scared, defensive, hopeless, confused, and so much more. These emotions are normal and healthy reactions. Please take time to feel them. I’d suggest finding an accountability partner to learn with - this will both give you an outlet to process what you’re feeling, and make sure you have someone that challenges you along the way. Care for yourself before attempting to care for others!

Education

Generally speaking, this category will guide you through your journey of learning (and unlearning!) and discovery. It’s important that we as white people do this work for ourselves, as it is unjust to demand our Black peers spend time educating us on a system that we benefit from. Engage your white friends in conversation around the pieces you read; share with them how you feel as you work through the material (note: if you purchase any of the books listed, please consider purchasing from a source other than Amazon. Indiebound is a great way to support independent bookstores all over the country).

I suggest starting with the first article and video. The rest are presented in no particular order.

Action Items

It is crucial that your work does not end with education, or by posting on social media. Though both of these are important tools, it is easy to fall into a comfortable place of performative activism - that is, you pat yourself on the back for being ‘one of the good ones’ and then you continue living your life with no change. It’s purely for show or to make you feel good, and it has no lasting impact on the world. You must both seek out and create opportunities for change.

Financial Support

Once you’ve cared for those in your circle, expand your financial support to organizations doing the heavy lifting, and providing care to the most vulnerable populations. Every dollar makes a difference; do not be ashamed if you can only donate $5 or $10. What matters is that you donate. This sends a strong message of support. Truly don’t have any extra cash? That’s okay! Stream this video a few times to generate ad revenue that will be directly donated. Turn off your ad blocker!

Do research before deciding who to support financially - here’s a list shared from one of the articles above.

 

  • Black Visions Collective - Seeks to expand the power of Black people across the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota. Donate 
  • George Floyd Memorial Fund - established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. Donate
  • MOODI is a project of the cultural wellness center providing care to unhoused folks. This is CRITICAL work right now. Donate
  • Pimento Relief Fund - providing black business with insurance relief after white supremacists set them on fire during the protests. Donate
  • Black Table Arts - gathers Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures. Donate
  • Reclaim the Block - organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.  Donate 
  • AIM Interpretative Center protects Indigenous peoples, cultures, nature, spirituality, and grandmother earth through accurate interpretation Donate 
  • Migizi - acts as a circle of support that nurtures the development of Native American youth in order to unleash their creativity and dreams – to benefit themselves, their families and community. Their building was damaged in the fires and they need support! Donate
  • Northside Business Support - support businesses on Minneapolis’s Northside that have been impacted by recent demonstrations. Donate
  • We Love Lake Street is organizing donations for small businesses and nonprofits in the Lake Street community to help them rebuild their storefronts and serve our neighborhoods. Donate 
  • Centro de Trabajores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) organizes low-wage workers from across the Twin Cities to develop leadership and educate one another to build power and lead the struggle for fair wages, better working conditions, basic respect, and a voice in our workplaces. Donate
  • Unicorn Riot - A decentralized media organization that has been live-streaming uprisings. Donate 
  • Minnesota Voice - a member-based coalition of non-profit organizations working toward permanent change in racial, social, and economic justice by increasing civic engagement and voter participation across the state. Donate 

Super Rad Insta Posts

More Guides

There are piles of guides available for free. Linked here are some of my favorites. Keep engaging!