Although media coverage has decreased over the last few months that does not mean the problems are solved. Now more than ever it is important to be reminded that as Americans we must educate ourselves to put an end to racism. Our understanding of these issues along with action should always be a focus. Many Americans face racism and we cannot sit idly by.
“I wish there was something I could do” is a phrase we heard a lot in the summer of 2020. And well, there is. The Online Lenders Alliance is committed to doing our part in the fight for equality and encourage our members, friends, and family to step up as well and help create a better society for all. Our team has put together the following guide to assist in the march to end racism.
Education
Educating yourself about the history of oppression and racism is the first step in understanding this issue and understanding the civil rights upheaval in society today.
TED Talks have been a driving educational force since 1984 and the organization has crafted an extensive Black Lives Matter playlist with extremely informative short segments on topics such as “The path to ending systemic racism in the US”, “The Urgency of Intersectionality”, “How we can make racism a solvable problem – and improve policing”, and much more. On the homepage, just click “watch talks” under the Black Lives Matter statement and there is a library of talks available.
Streaming services like Amazon and Netflix have put together “Black Lives Matter” collections with some very good documentaries and movies depicting the black experience and racial injustice in America.
Books on oppression, civil rights and addressing racism are also available. Below are some recommended titles:
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson
- Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Iljeoma Oluo
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
- Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice by Paul Kivel
It is important to educate children as well. Raising children to embrace all people is a necessity to root out racism for the next generation. Below are some children’s books that address race in an easy to digest manner specifically for kids
- Something Happened In Our Town: A Child’s Story About Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano
- The Skin I’m In: A First Look at Racism by Pat Thomas
- Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham
- Separate Is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
The following are a few articles that we recommend reading. They explain the quest for equality and suggestions to help foster understanding and assisting in stamping out racism.
- Fortune, “I’m a Black Fortune 500 CEO. Here are 4 principles to guide companies in combating systemic racism,” August 31, 2020
- CNBC, “25-year-old Black tech lead in Silicon Valley: I want to use my influence to combat systemic racism,” August 19, 2020
- Garrison Elementary School, “Anti-Racism Resources,” July 2020
- Wall Street Journal, “Majority of Voters Say U.S. Society Is Racist as Support Grows for Black Lives Matter,” July 20, 2020
- Washington Post, “Resources to understand America’s long history of injustice and inequality,” July 14, 2020
- Smithsonian Magazine, “158 RESOURCES TO UNDERSTAND RACISM IN AMERICA,” June 4, 2020
- USA Today, “What is systemic racism? Here’s what it means and how you can help dismantle it,” June 15, 2020
- Good Housekeeping, “What Black Lives Matter Means (and Why It’s Problematic to Say “All Lives Matter,” June 4, 2020
- The Guardian, “George Floyd killing: what sparked the protests – and what has been the response?,” May 29, 2020
- CNBC, “What it actually means to ‘defund the police’,” June 15, 2020
- BBC, “What happened when a city disbanded its police force,” June 18, 2020
- Snopes, “What Is Qualified Immunity and Why Do Some Want To End It?,” June 19, 2020
- Business Insider, “4 things your black employees and coworkers wish you knew —and how you should offer allyship and support,” June 5, 2020
- Forbes, “Let’s Talk About Racial Microaggressions In The Workplace,” June 15, 2020
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health, “Examples of Racial Microaggressions,” 2007
Organizations to Support
Organizations like these cannot continue their amazing work without funding. The smallest amount can make a big difference.
There are many organizations that are worth exploring such as:
Color of Change, Advancement Project National Office, NAACP, Dream Defenders, Know Your Rights Camp #Cut50 and Black Lives Matter, Black Youth Camp, Live Free USA and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
- The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc
- Dream Corps
- The American Civil Liberties Union
- The Center for Policing Equity
Start conversations in your own circles if they have not been a topic yet. You could be the one person needed to make a change in someone else.
This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we really appreciate everyone’s openness and drive to create change during this time.
“If you believe in a cause, be willing to stand up for that cause with a million people or by yourself.” – Otis S. Johnson. We hope you all will join us.
