take action: racial justice
The unnecessary loss of black lives in 2020 (George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmed Aubrey among others) was a painful and uncomfortable reminder that America has a long way to go in terms of dismantling institutional racism. Growing up with a private school education, I didn’t fully understand racism’s role in American society until later in my young adult life.
As I watched tear gas fall into the crowds of protestors just two blocks away from my apartment this past summer, I became invigorated to fight for something bigger than myself. My journey (one that I’m still on) from passively being “not racist” to actively being “antiracist” required a lot of unlearning, recognizing my privilege and conscious decision-making. Wherever you’re at on your own journey, the actions below are ways you can commit (or re-commit) yourself to the fight for racial justice.
recognize implicit bias
Implicit bias, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Psychology, “suggests that people can act on the basis of prejudice and stereotypes without intending to do so.” The stereotypes perpetuated by the media about people of a certain race, sexual orientation, age, or ability can seep into our subconscious and cause us to make uninformed decisions about others. There are a lot of resources available to help you recognize your own implicit bias, my favorite being the free To Be Welcoming courses by ASU and the Starbucks Global Academy.
educate yourself on the black experience
Being a White male, there are experiences that I will never be able to know as intimately as someone of another gender or race, but that doesn’t mean that I, or anyone else, shouldn’t try to learn more about another person’s experience. Reading books (here are 5 books on the Black experience I recommend reading), watching documentaries and listening to podcasts by Black voices can open up your mind to not only the differences, but also the similarities in our humanity.
invest in black-owned businesses & communities
White supremacy has created extreme disparities of financial wealth and even access to financial opportunities over America’s 244-year history. Consistently supporting BIPOC-owned businesses and communities helps to tighten that gap and inspire the next generation of America’s entrepreneurs to create and innovate. Investing in these businesses on a regular basis can be as easy as swapping out a few products in your beauty regimen (see these 10 Black-owned beauty brands to try right now). If you live in an area where these businesses or communities do not exist, consider donating to the following non-profit organizations:
volunteer your time
The only thing more valuable than your money is your time and dedicating your voice to this cause can have a meaningful impact. Non-profits like ACLU and Color of Change make it easy to find opportunities to volunteer your support. Whether you’re signing petitions, contacting your state representatives or joining protests, any and all action in this space makes a difference when we all commit ourselves to it.
