Commitment, Hope, Struggle: A Response

(An ongoing list of resources is at the end of this blog entry.)

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“It’s Not Fair!” This was a common refrain of mine as a child, and something I became known for apparently. I recall a voicemail when this was mentioned by one of my pastors who watched me grow up. She reminisced about it upon hearing the news in 2009 that I was going to attend seminary, stating how appropriate it was knowing I had a heart for fairness and justice from a very young age. I kept that voicemail, and listened to it from time to time, especially when fatigued during my seminary years, when I would ask myself what the heck I was doing there…

I’m sure my cries of unfairness and injustice as a child were genuine at times, and at others, more childish. The genuine times were likely upon seeing an animal suffer, or friends not sharing, maybe those cries were both genuine and childish when coming from the woes of being the younger sibling, or from places I just didn’t quite understand yet, and they were more childish from less significant “problems” (like being too short for the high dive). But it was a shout that would mature and reach a broader grasp beyond myself, and is still informing, and listening to those who are being treated unfairly, suffering from violent consequences of unjust policies, and ultimately, manifesting into a shout that calls out what fails to support the Gospel of Liberation, and becoming a bellow of insistence for justice exemplified by the radical love of Jesus.

Amos 5:24

The “It’s not fair” inner child in me has been growing to call out injustices around suffering and inequality, violence and oppression, and has compelled me to work to eradicate violence and seek authentic healing. I join in the statement I have joined in from its founding in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, since then and yet again, after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and more…

Black Lives Matter. 

We must end the silencing violence of using “All Lives Matter” in response to Black Lives Matter. It’s an insult to our intelligence; yes, all lives matter…inherently. Every life is precious, beloved, and marked by the Image of God. But the cry and protesting voice of Black Lives Matter rings out, and will continue to, like the waters flowing toward justice, until the inherent value of all of us is reflected in society, policy, education, living, health, communities, religion, relationships, life, and more.

Black Lives Matter.

Gen. 1:27

Ps. 12:5

Ps. 103:6

Gal. 6:1-3

Jn. 15:13

I have a blog. It’s not a widely read one, I only write in it on occasion, and it’s only one space of many I can express myself. Some of my entries are light hearted, about family and parenting; some dig deep. Some are poems, some are reflective, some are my wannabe movie critic musings, and some are necessary responses to injustice. Today’s entry is one of the latter. I write this blog entry because I must. I am full of outrage, and deep grief. It is from the obligation I have as a white person, as an ordained person, and from other places of privilege, to do the work in dismantling the very institution of whiteness I benefit from. Over 2000 years ago, a man of color was killed by the powers that be, and the lynching that occurred then, and now, is linked to the modern day lynchings that linger. And those of us who don the stole should take to the streets in solidarity, work as the hands and feet of Christ, knowing Jesus himself, if he were with us in body, would undoubtedly be marching with a Black Lives Matter sign. Jesus stood with, and fought for the marginalized. Yet Jesus is here in spirit, in body, through our bodies. How are we using them to be active in the struggle toward the embodiment of justice? Are we seeing the way Jesus is still being killed at the hands of corruption and power, again, and again, and again? If we are a resurrection people, we need to look inwardly and outwardly, at what needs to be part of the ongoing resurrection.

Mt. 21:12-13

Mk. 8:34

Mt. 4:17 

Sadly, arguing with fanatics, those lost in cognitive dissonance, and thick denial are not usually worth our energy. In essence, they are lost. But I believe in the power of redemption. And many are coming around, some even surprisingly, to join the effort. Voices are speaking up in various ways with platforms big and small. All of these spaces, in whatever ways we can use them, are critical right now for our usage. Don’t think for one second that someone else saying something similar to what you want to say about these injustices, or someone who says it better (whether that’s true or not), is reason for you not to speak up. I have wondered this. Don’t believe that lie. Take away the power from those spurious voices that tell you otherwise, and speak up anyway. Squash the voices of doubt that tell you you aren’t smart enough, not influential enough, that someone else already saying it is enough, or (fill in the blank)… 

While I have endured sexism, misogyny, and can count myself among those who lament with #MeToo, my privilege as a white woman has afforded me security and freedoms that black men and women have never experienced. My white friends and family, we cannot be silent. The more people using their platforms, dinner tables, social media, church groups, book clubs, bus rides, wallets, any of the spaces we occupy to do the work we are called to do, the better. All of our voices combined are necessary in the resistance and the persistence for change. Most importantly, we must persist until policy changes are made. We must work to shift the destructive narratives, to stand up to racism, to resist all forms of injustice and oppression however they show up; all of our voices are needed to dismantle the evil of white supremacy. 

Speaking of churches…If your churches, houses of worship, sacred spaces (if you are part of one), are not responding with clear, substantive stances (sentiment won’t cut it), and are lacking in action, ask the staff why, and see about changing that. Be patient and willing to work with those communities to create needed shifts, but be prepared to leave if nothing changes, and seek out new faith communities who are making authentic commitments to justice and action. It is the work of the church.

“Put simply, any theology today that does not confront the cycle of violence perpetuated by white supremacy betrays the God of the crucified Jesus.” -Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas

You might say the wrong thing. I have, and you will, and we will again. But worrying about saying the wrong thing as an excuse to stay silent keeps us complicit, so please join me in this growing edge. Reject the culture of shame around acknowledging our part in white supremacy and racism. In Ibram X. Kendi’s book, “How to be an Antiracist,” Kendi reframes the calling out of something/someone as racist to its true power of enlightenment, explaining the difference between the word received falsely as a pejorative, and correctly as a descriptive. In a perfect partnership of linguistics and social work, Brene Brown’s interview with Kendi in Brown’s podcast “Unlocking Us” (highly recommend) where the two discussed Kendi’s book, and the issue of shame (a focus of much of Brown’s work), the two break down shame, cultivate empathy, and recognize the term racist as an identifier, to shut down defensiveness, and the reactive ego response that dismissively makes it about one’s self (and entirely misses the point). It opens the door wider, to have the courage to be authentic in our transformation once the identifier holds us accountable. This is huge. Shame-rejection work opens up the expansiveness of human growth potential. Reject the culture of shame that keeps us from growing, learning, being antiracists, and authentic humans. As white people, we must be consistently self evaluating how we need to shift, change, let go, take on, act, and more. We only perpetuate the problem when we don’t. White supremacy depends upon our denial, our cognitive dissonance, our ignorance, our fear, our refusal to do/say something. Work to understand the difference between having white skin, and whiteness as ideology, as positions of power, and as sets of normative privileges.

White silence is violence.

“The beauty of anti-racism is that you don’t have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it’s the only way forward.” -Ijeoma Oluo

“When we know better, we do better.” -Maya Angelou

The divisive “leadership” response to these century long cries for justice continue to silence the despairing cries with cowardly displays of force and words that incite violence. Jesus weeps. A nation’s so-called leader “turned holy ground into a battle ground” (Budde) at the sight of sacred scripture being used as a propped up, desperate signal virtue, condemned by military commanders, and lawmakers, and church/spiritual leaders including myself. Peaceful protestors’ rights and bodies were violently assaulted by the unacceptable orders of the current president by violation of his oath of office. To be Christian, to be followers of Jesus, is to be active in resisting evil, injustice, and oppression, as in the case of white supremacy, systematic racism, tyranny, and ever so clearly in current events. As an ordained chaplain, I join in the Bishop’s outrage over what occurred at St. John’s Episcopal Church in D.C. She is right to be outraged; I am, and you should be, too. Rt. Rev. Budde continued, “He didn’t come to pray. He didn’t come to lament the death of George Floyd. He didn’t come to address the deep wounds that are being expressed through peaceful protest by the thousands upon thousands. He didn’t try to bring calm to situations that are exploding with pain.” 

Instead, this man in yet another display of cowardice, used the bible as a prop, as a shield, violating his oath of office, using gas to dispel peaceful protestors. This is what wannabe dictators do. This disrespectful, sacrilegious, waste of time photo op is pandering to groups of the evangelical right, b/c he needs their votes again, and hopes some will continue to be sell outs (for judges, the “platform”, for single issues, or in flat out, full, unabashed support) if/when they do vote for him again. The irony that he stood in front of a church sign that says, “All are welcome” is not lost on me considering this administration’s xenophobic, racist, homophobic efforts to exclude. If one is wondering why I bring up Trump in this blog, it’s because he is the white backlash result of the post-Obama presidency, and his rhetoric and policy reveal white supremacy blatantly, and in covert whistleblowing. It must not be tolerated. This is not a normal presidency. But it didn’t start with him, and it won’t end with him whenever he leaves the White House. The pain of injustice began centuries ago, and continues today, and we need to get past only paying attention to the blatancy of racism (or staying comfortable in declaring we are not racist in that way), and open our eyes to, and work to eradicate, racism in ourselves, institutions, education, the injurious impact of neighborhood redlining, gentrification, healthcare, law, government, and more.

Many of my blog readers know my partner is in law enforcement. Some of my personal connections have asked me what my partner thinks, and what I think of this. I’d like to address that, but I don’t want to lose sight of the focus. I want to respond to the curiosity of others in how I navigate my marriage’s reality in this way, along with my call to justice work. I want to share the legitimate struggle that it is. My hope is that by responding, others can latch on to whatever courage they are working to summon, because I know there are many people in relationships with, or as people themselves, employed by corrupt institutions, and/or in problematic spaces entrenched with colonialism and white supremacy. Many of us are, at some point or another, thinking through whatever clashing actualities and existences are occurring in the complexity of it all. Each of us in my family seek out the care we need, and reach out to our support systems to remain healthy, with supportive pastors, therapists, friends, and more. But my struggle as an LE family should not distract from the work at hand.

I cannot speak for my partner directly, but I can share some of what has surfaced in our conversations, and my own perspective. I recognize that it is easier for me to talk about it, not being the one wearing the uniform. I also recognize how important it is for those in uniform to speak up. And for me, because I am married to a cop, I feel I have all the more obligation to speak up because of that very relationship. It is very difficult to hold so many things that are true, to hold so much intricacy, emotion, pain, and more. There is so much I don’t know, am seeking to understand and learn, and how to be, and how to navigate with this critical movement, woven in my commitment to justice, and my commitment to my relationships. 

The job in LE is very difficult. The dangers, unhealthy culture, and overall challenges of being a cop have had traumatic impacts on my spouse and our family in ways I wish were never true. While there are good people in LE, like my partner, who do take their oaths seriously, and are doing good work, who have a good rapport, who are respected by leaders, who have a good influence on young officers, who feel depleted by being lumped into categories, who are dealing with the stress, strain, PTSD, and burdens of arduous work; many of them are also struggling, some silently, some with their loved ones or in therapy, some unaware, with how they are part of a system of complicity even so. It’s important to understand the accusations toward police as an institution as valid, harsh as they are, with the justified anger behind them, even while it’s a concurrence that is very difficult to grapple with.

I do believe it is important to avoid demonization and dehumanization when talking about the human element in any group, while also recognizing the understandable labels of police as an entirety. My spouse plays a role in LE, and he is also a spouse, father, son, brother, church-goer, gardener, bird watcher, and a meditation expert (far better than I am)! He’s a model builder, history buff, a Civil Air Patrol volunteer. He’s full of energy, humor, kindness, gregariousness, making friends wherever we go (much to the chagrin of my introverted self), and so much more. He’s a human being. I think we can be aware of the both/ands (a common theme in my theological positions and writing), of the problems in dehumanization, while also understanding the perilous system within which one can operate. We can try to figure out day by day, person by person, election by election, vote by vote, policy by policy, choice by choice, deconstruction by deconstruction, brick by brick rebuilding, the goal of transformation both painful and healing, toward what is just. What are the both/ands in our lives, in our various roles, in the sources of our income, in how we spend our money, in our relationships, in the things we consume, etc.? It’s messy. Grapple with it, see what you can untangle, talk about, disconnect, reconnect, rebuild, transfer, shift, make a change, imagine…

I have heard the stories of ridicule in my spouse’s efforts to speak out against toxic culture, excessive use of force, speaking in support of common sense gun control, efforts to be patient with more verbal commands, before, or entirely in place of physical engagement, his support for certain aspects of reform, and more. “Who’s side are you on?” (Hear the problem with that comment? The implication to take a side?!) “You’ve gone all soft”, “Inmate lover” and more, are frequent replies. Aside from toxic cops, he knows firsthand that while he works alongside like minded friends who also take their oaths seriously, there is a haunting he and his colleagues face, both externally and internally in this tug of war, with a rope woven by humanity, livelihood, intentions of duty, and morality; along with toxicity, trauma, the stigma of mental health support, corruption, and the impact of violence. There is not enough acknowledgement, nor recognition for calming down situations resolved by communication skills, and fear of getting in trouble when not meeting the expectations to support stat-driven policing. Training focuses far more on combat techniques and shooting, than community policing and bias training. Much of what’s being begged for is treated like a box to check. Humans labeled by numbers that build from arrests, unnecessary warrant sweeps, tickets, head counts in jails and prisons, drive funding. The divisive culture of “back the blue” (again, implying “us vs. them” mentality), the detriment of the “blue code of silence” the racism of “Blue Lives Matter” encourages deception, divisiveness, violence, and more. Claims of “just following orders” and “justified” and “following protocol” become reasons why police aren’t always held accountable, backed by unions and immunity, civil cases almost impossible to win, etc. (The FOP- Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the world, endorsed Trump in September of 2016.) Just because an entity can legally claim justification, does not always make it right.

Even though some incremental changes have helped (my partner launched a structural change in use of force policy within his own agency which reduced such instances), the entrenchment of white supremacy and toxic culture are resistant to lasting, fundamental and broader changes/deconstruction, greatly needed for the betterment of communities. Such reform attempts continue to be deflected, or proposed, implemented, then watered down, or they fail to bring about a fruition of what it means to protect and serve in the very heart of those words. (Think about it. Protect. Serve.) Incremental steps, and reform are still not enough, and have not worked well enough. Culture shift, policy changes, community building, investing in safety nets, the reduction of ridiculous expectations on police, are a welcomed reform in the discussions I have had, and heard in my partner’s stories. And while kneeling, hugs, marching arm in arm, are symbols that stir (assuming they are genuine), and could be a signs of hope, they will ring hollow if they don’t accompany the ongoing work such gestures seem to communicate.

“The photos of officers kneeling and marching and hugging are nice. The video of officers giving good speeches and becoming emotional are moving. BUT. Friends, we are not going to hug our way to justice. This fight is not about police being nicer. This fight is about systemic racism, injustice, accountability. The cute pictures won’t do. *Policy change. *Defunding. *Abolition *Prosecution These are examples of the deep changes that are being called for right now. This is what it looks like to fight for Black lives in this moment. If you don’t want this to happen again, we are going to need more than hugs. *PS: when you do see the “nice” officers; don’t ask for hugs, ask for courage. Courage to change a system that hurts Black people.” -Austin Channing Brown

Systemic racism’s stronghold, even beyond blatant acts, words, and police brutality, stubbornly resists reform as the ultimate goal. There is a barrier that often keeps policing from adopting the drastic changes being shouted for. And it’s most certainly beyond the erroneous “bad apple” argument. Cops aren’t necessarily anymore racist than a lawyer, or doctor might be, for example. But it’s the system that was built in a way that gives them the tools, and power, mixed with a virulent culture, a fear of betrayal or appearing weak, and the statistically backed fact that biases in the police force are rampant, altogether revealing that we need to just stop with the “bad apple” excuse. Plus, even if we take the literal bad apple argument and apply it, look at what happened in Buffalo NY. Two officers who were “just following orders” assaulted an elderly man. (And the hallow look in the officer’s eyes who was pulled away from the man when he reached to help him…that second of empathy that arose in regret, but was quickly shunned…that’s a glimpse, that’s the beginning, or continuing, of the erosion of his emotional and psychological well-being as a member of LE.) Then the 75 officers alongside them resigned from their special duty team in support of the two, then later cheered among a crowd (cheered!) upon the two officers’ exit from the court house. How does one assess the quality of apples in such a scenario?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/chauvin-did-what-trump-asked-him-do/612574/

Can we create new institutionalized policies and organizations that were not founded in, and are not so entrenched in white supremacy, and racism as was/is the case of the American police and the criminal justice system? Can we stop denying the fact that when a system (policing) was literally born out of slave patrols, it still carries that thread into the very violence occurring today? We are seeing the movements through the power of the people to work in a new direction already, and yes, even as the partner of a cop, I have and continue to wholeheartedly support this trajectory in the best and most effective ways I can, and commit to continue to learn how to do more and more effectively. And it’s not just in policing and justice systems; it’s racism in schools, higher education, neighborhoods, religious institutions, healthcare, and government; we can recognize ways in which racism and destructive power play a role in varying levels. But many who hold decision making power, do not have this kind of awareness, or are willfully ignorant, and that contributes to perpetuating problems, attitudes, division and oppression. It didn’t start with Trump, but he has, and is still fanning the flames on this matter (and he quite literally has encouraged brutal police tactics), and has ended the Obama era restrictions on military hardware flowing into police departments which was heightened during the Bush era “war on Terror”, thereby increasing the dangerous militarization of police (but the militarization goes decades back), in addition to so many other problems.

We need not pay attention to the fear mongering comments of “total chaos”, “insane” and “total anarchy in the streets” which continue to miss the entire point, and are a distraction to keep us from developing. Surface level judgments, fear mongering, and lack of understanding of what defunding and abolition mean are a hindrance to helping communities truly be safe, and set up to thrive. I know this is a long road ahead, but we need to creatively reimagine what it means to have healthy and safe communities that become less and less dependent on policing. We think we “need” police because we have become dependent upon that institution. Think about this. Why are we so reluctant to imagine a world where we don’t need police? Wouldn’t that be an ideal world? Are we reacting to this vision by thinking of worse case scenarios without policing instead of best case scenarios without it? What does that say about what’s driving our response? White supremacist power, which depends upon fear. That’s what. And even if we’re in our “realist” mind, and we think it’s utopian to have a world without policing, shouldn’t we try to work toward it anyway? For the benefit of those who are realistically being oppressed by it now? The answer is a resounding yes. The over-funded, militarized police system reflects a heavily weighted imbalance of money and power from places it could be more equally spent, better spent, more heavily spent, or altogether spent, directly to the benefit of human thriving. How is this system, or any of the systems we participate in, or are exposed to, life giving? How are they life limiting? 

https://fee.org/articles/the-militarization-of-americas-police-a-brief-history/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/politics/police-military-gear.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/opinion/trump-police-george-floyd.html

https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000172-7c37-d3d2-ab7a-7f3762a80000&fbclid=IwAR3JHAzShWo5VGZHdkZzHKtNv9aAjkrpdqxHTgY4PnUdBiI_ip400TdbUmU

“Safety, safeguarded by violence, is not really safety…abolition is not primarily a negative strategy…it’s not primarily about dismantling and getting rid of, but it’s about re-envisioning; it’s about building anew.” -Angela Davis (Informative interview on Democracy Now. See the entire interview here): https://www.democracynow.org/2020/6/12/angela_davis_on_abolition_calls_to?fbclid=IwAR0q2K7bZpGw9OBc0GXsx4lALnvh3xc7aOw9kG2THZ3tKp_G8VPaUHloYOQ

So how do my partner and I navigate these realities juxtaposed in our relationship? It’s not easy, but we are privileged to be able to have conversations safely and supportively while holding those nuances and complexities very carefully. I think it helps both of us, and our loved ones, not to be excused into thinking in extremes, but also to be held accountable and strive to do and be better, and to speak out. It’s important to note that the ability to distinguish being the spouse of a cop, in a space to do that, is a place of privilege itself. Being able to differentiate from how a cop I’m married to acts out of uniform within our family structure, is a place of privilege our family has. And it’s a privilege a lot of white people have, too. The dehumanization of cops isn’t ideal, yet is in no way comparative to the dehumanization people of color endure regularly. Speaking out is a must. The backlash can be rough and exhausting, especially when it comes from loved ones, but it is minor and doesn’t even compare to the injustices in point. I insist upon the conversations we need to have about the various options in police reform, defunding, redistribution of money into community based programs, unarmed trained responders of varying professional fields in mental health and social work, pulling out SRO’s from school districts, looking at the differing needs based on location, if not a complete rebuilding of public safety. All of these options on the table. This isn’t about a dichotomy of good cops and bad cops. This is about sanctioned violence. This is about systemic problems, and toxicity embedded in policing that must be faced, and changed.

I’m still trying to figure out, like many of us, what this might look like, with the ultimate goal of something reflective of healthy, thriving communities. Ignore the naysayers who claim extreme consequences, when they have and continue to ignore extremist police brutality tactics, prison policies, the preserving of oppression in numerous functions, and actions that are literally killing people of color historically, and right now. We cannot control how others will respond, as much as we hope they will be open. I wish people had more room in their hearts and minds for holding such entanglements, complexities, and nuances of the human experience, the American experience, and to see the need for reconsideration, destruction, rebuilding, and renewal. I hope and pray for clinched fists to unfurl and receive new ideas, and new possibilities, and to live into the kind of rebirth Jesus calls upon all of us to do at the very essence of “metanoia”.

“It’s not fair!” Feel the adamancy of that statement, if it is your inner child, or your own experiences of pain, to further develop empathy and compassion. Make the shift if the assertion comes from a distracting place about self, to the needed place about love. Tap into the desire for justice I believe we all have within us, summon the courage to make mistakes, to admit we were wrong, to be vulnerable, learn, grow, use your body, take the risk, use your platforms, connections, and join in the effort to eradicate evil and oppression. As Michelle Alexander declared in a recent New York Times Op-ed, “Our only hope for our collective liberation is a politics of deep solidarity rooted in love.” Everyone has to start somewhere. If you haven’t been doing the work until now, have remained silent, even though it’s past time to arrive, you/they/we are here now, and there is grace. White people, it is our work, to dismantle systems of oppression, speak up, speak out, and end white supremacy.

There is so much to say, so much to learn, so much emotion, so much to explore in such an interminable discussion, and lengthy effort. It makes it difficult to encapsulate in a blog entry (and makes for verbose writing, for which I thank you for your patience). I seek to learn, and do better in the effort to be anti-racist. Join. I am including links below to resources I have known, and continue to come across to learn, act, give, and other ways to support the movement for justice for Black Lives. It is not exhaustive, and I plan to keep adding to it as I find new ones. Let us all commit to educating ourselves to learn more about racial justice, to amplify voices and leaders of oppressed/marginalized groups in our writings, conversations, social media, and more. Let us make priority, substantive diversity, equity, and inclusion in the spaces we belong and are connected to. May we tap into what it means to be true activists who create substantial change.

“We have to be courageous to be antiracist…While many people are fearful of what could happen if they resist, I am fearful of what could happen if I don’t resist. I am fearful of cowardice. Cowardice is the inability to amass the strength to do what is right in the face of fear. And racist power has been terrorizing cowardice into us for generations.” -Ibram X. Kendi

Resist, disrupt, persist. Beloveds, continue the work…get to work. Grace, peace, and good courage.

Micah 6:8

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/opinion/george-floyd-protests-race.html

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EDUCATION:

These first two links are FULL of multiple resources (and they may take a few seconds to load):

1)https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrAq4iBNb4nVIcTsLcNlW8zjaQXBLkWayL8EaPlh0bc/preview?fbclid=IwAR1rMFLBBchRGSsec8de1VhwXc6k-YBgG7eAPnK21si4RB-AspXhKlmz3ew&pru=AAABctmRdq8*6IrrTcWe5s9G-OrQTwh-aQ

2)https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/preview?pru=AAABcqSUIE8*GfY1Q3VCczacTFO5nQWXpQ

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html

https://www.nytimes.com/column/1619-project

http://www.avaduvernay.com/13th (Available on Netflix)

https://englewoodreview.org/antiracism-books-for-christians-a-reading-guide/?fbclid=IwAR1cxvmmQRx1nXmUNw29ilrB_lw2WTytx20LZl91uU6_8jdaSJGuABX2oLs

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/06/03/457251670/how-much-do-we-need-the-police

https://www.vox.com/2020/6/2/21278123/being-an-ally-racism-george-floyd-protests-white-people

https://www.tnqshow.com

https://eji.org/news/tragic-death-of-george-floyd-reveals-continuing-problem-of-police-violence/

–https://www.courtneyahndesign.com/illustration/guide-white-privilege

https://academicaffairs.ucsc.edu/events/documents/Microaggressions_Examples_Arial_2014_11_12.pdf

https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/868025780/code-switch-a-decade-of-watching-black-people-die

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8sUwXTWb4M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ

I had to include this movie, because it was one that shaped my learning as a youth. I wrote a paper on it in my “Writing on Film” class in high school after viewing the film at age 15. It became indelible in my memory, the messages, the cinematography, my love for movies, and I’ve continued to follow Spike Lee and his spectacular work ever since. This article does a great service to recognizing the stellar achievements and complexities of the movie, it’s extant relevance, while also naming some cringe worthy elements (and calling out, thank you, the exploitation of female characters, something still problematic in cinema). https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/movies/do-the-right-thing-spike-lee.html

https://relevantmagazine.com/current/watch-the-creator-of-veggie-tales-explain-how-systemic-racism-works/?fbclid=IwAR1yVdxdNwL_MiJ9ORL4YwAnYuk5OPUOkv4N6BvMyNc9up1MG81Ao_A1Gb0

PARENTING:

https://www.npr.org/2020/05/31/866426170/raising-white-kids-author-on-how-white-parents-can-talk-about-race?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3oBycP01QZRWNOjM7S04KYHWbFbYCvfLktpqXYDiv5V5QedFWNG95ndgs

https://www.popsugar.com/family/kindergarten-teacher-explains-what-is-racism-video-47529956?fbclid=IwAR0WnB9OUkgu0fLFJoMRj_D_8fjbMo4UWgO8vgSgr9QjZpe0Ec5Vz_sMk0Y

https://centerracialjustice.org

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52220686-stamped?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=H8vAVncOb0&rank=2

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52535437-antiracist-baby?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=qIC0wo2VgV&rank=1

ACTION AND FURTHER RESOURCES:

https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org

https://soul2soulsisters.org

https://www.joincampaignzero.org

http://www.blacklivesmatter5280.com

https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd/psf/share?share_abi=1&message=perm_decline

https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor

https://www.runwithmaud.com

https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org

https://fundly.com/coloradofreedom

https://eji.org

https://officialblackwallstreet.com/directory/?fbclid=IwAR3chCYHyp5dky-bYYistgmI3GDbaTyQLQUWZQPhQGTK8sPGR35Y_S6KBiM

https://303magazine.com/2020/06/black-owned-businesses-denver/

http://mendozao.github.io/Resource-Generation-Map/app/index.html