Anti-Racism Learning and Accountability Group

It's so easy to spend hours on social media absorbing information, but when I look up from my phone I haven't actually done anything. So in the month of June, I committed myself to 1 hour a day of education/action exclusive of social media. I had a few friends join me, and throughout the month we shared resources, engaged in conversation, and held each other accountable to doing the work. This Anti-Racism Learning and Accountability Group became a wonderful space, and we are planning to continue working together beyond June. I hope this might serve as inspiration to form your own accountability group and find ways to incorporate anti-racism into your every day life.

This post is a place to preserve the resources we shared with each other.

Sections include:

• Resources we've engaged with:
• Read
• Listen
• Watch
• Organizations
• Other ways to engage
• Actions we've taken (other than education)
• Tidbits (Initially, I thought this post would be a list of one thing I learned/did every day, but I found that not to be super helpful. I didn't want to delete the facts I had already logged, so I lumped them all together in "Tidbits")
• Additional Resources

We know anti-racism is life-long work and not something that can be checked off a to-do list. We hope this space can serve as an example of what an accountability group can do as well as offer some resources to check out.

*When ordering books or other material, please consider your locally/independently-owned bookstores before resorting to corporations.*

Resources we're engaging or have engaged with:

READ

• Salt by Nayyirah Waheed
• How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (also available as audiobook)
• "Have nonprofit and philanthropy become the 'white moderate' that Dr. King warned us about?"
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism by Dr. Robin DiAngelo (and here's a primer to read online while you wait for your book to arrive)
• Winner's Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas
• New Era of Public Safety: An advocacy toolkit for fair, safe, and effective community policing - compiled as a result of a task force on 21st century policing started by the Obama administration
• 12 Things to do Instead of Calling the Cops
• Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources compiled by the New York Association of School Psychologists
• The Most Dangerous Person in America is The White Woman
• #8CantWait - project by Campaign Zero, this identified 8 policies that can be adopted by every mayor immediately, without any changes required at the federal level or from other legislative 
• Colorlines - an online news source that approaches reporting with a racial lens
• Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing (Obama Administration) - The most striking thing is the need to codify police respect towards civilians. If you don't want to read the whole report, scroll down for a list of recommendations and action items put forth by the task force. You can also read my summary of the recommendations here. 
• "There's a growing call to defund the police. Here's what it means" (CNN Article)
• This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on how to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell
• "and day by day, there were little fires everywhere"  a blog post by Candace Simpson reflecting on the current moment and Pentecost
• "Blacks Still Face a Red Line on Housing" Editorial in The New York Times
• "How to be a good white ally, according to activists" - on Vox.com
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
• "Why Your Yoga Class Is So White" - from The Atlantic
• "Why celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever" - from Vox.com
• "New Study Published on Racism and Dr. Seuss" - while this link is not the study itself, it gives an overview and does provide a link to the full study
• "The Mark of a Criminal Record" by Devah Pager, Northwestern University: This research from 2003 found employers were more likely to consider white candidates with criminal records than black candidates with no such history
• "Discrimination in the Job Market in the United States" by Marianne Bertrand and Sendhil Mullainathan: A study proving resumes with white-sounding names receive higher call back rates than identical resumes with black-sounding names
• "Black Tech Tech Employees Continue to Face Workplace Racism" by Kathy Gurchiek: Tech industry-specific data on racial discrimination in the workplace
• "Black workers endure persistent racial disparities in employment outcomes" by Jhacova Williams and Valerie Wilson: Data on racial discrimination in the workplace including that Black workers with a college degree are more likely to be unemployed than similarly educated white workers
• Perspective: "When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs" by Tre Johnson, published in the Washington Post
• Dear White Allies: Our Anger Isn't Yours by Anoosh Jorjorian
• How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history

LISTEN

• Commonwealth Club Podcast episode with Ibram X. Kendi - available online or podcast apps
• 1619 - Podcast by The New York Times exploring the history of slavery
• American Police: Throughline - podcast from NPR
• America's Racist Economy - hosted by the Economic Policy Institute
• Radiolab Presents: G - a multi-episode exploration of the concept of intelligence; the first two episodes dive into the Larry P. v Riles court case in California of the 1970s, initially passed to protect black children from biased IQ tests but now acts as a barrier to black children in need of specialized instruction
• The Least You Could Do - episode of Reply-All podcast: "Black people all across the US are receiving the world's weirdest form of reparations: Venmo payments from white people. Producer Emmanuel Dzotsi investigates."
• Resmaa Menakem -- Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence - episode of On Being podcast
• Want To Have Better Conversations About Race With Your Parents? Here's How - episode of Life Kit by NPR

WATCH

• MBK Alliance Town Hall Series: Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence - President Obama joined Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President of Color of Change Rashad Robinson, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and MBK Columbus Youth Leader Playon Patrick, in a conversation moderated by Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham (You can read Jenna's notes on this town hall here.)
• Just Mercy, movie starring Michael B. Jordan and Jaime Foxx, streaming free in the month of June to help educate people on systemic racism
• Racism in the Medical Industry dating back to Slavery - interview with Harriet Washington, author of Medical Apartheid
• Dear White People on Netflix: fictional TV series that follows several black college students attending a predominantly white Ivy League
• I Am Not Your Negro on Netflix: documentary exploring the history of racism in the U.S.
• Sesame Street Town Hall on Racism - You have to dig a little bit to find the link to this specific town hall.
• 13th on Netflix: documentary by Ava DuVernay exploring the intersection of race, justice, and mass incaraceration
• They've Gotta Have Us on Netflix: 3-episode mini-series exploring the history of black representation in film
• How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history 

ORGANIZATIONS

• Showing Up for Racial Justice - an organization offering tools and resources for white people to confront white supremacy and racism while supporting black and brown-led organizations
• The Obama Foundation - The Obama Foundation itself has a number of initiatives focused on education and leadership. They also have links to other resources and organizations for getting involved.
• NAACP - "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People works to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons" (from the NAACP mission)
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund - "Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans." (from the LDF mission)
• Campaign Zero - working to end police violence in America
• Poder in Action - Arizona-based organization "Mission: To build power to disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression and determine a liberated future as people of color in Arizona through our lived experience, leadership development and civic participation" 
• Arizona Coalition for Change - empowers everyday people to transform their community through building civic power, just and equitable schools and safer neighborhoods (from the AZC4C website)
• Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro - 

OTHER WAYS TO ENGAGE

• IssueVoter - Allows you to voice your support or opposition of bills proposed in Congress. Each bill includes a summary, link to full text, quotes from people who support and oppose, and links to additional resources that talk about the bill. IssueVoter automatically sends your view to your representatives and generates a scorecard so you can see how often your reps vote in line with your views.
• EatOkra - an app that searched for black-owned restaurants in your city
• Cultural Somatics Free 5 Session Ecourse
• Find events around Juneteenth in your area here
• Conscious Style Guide - a guide to using language that includes, empowers, and respects people from various groups

Actions we've taken, outside of educating ourselves:

(To serve as examples of actions to take)

• Researched brands we support and their ties to other companies (e.g. a brand with ties to a company who is a major producer of tear gas used in U.S. police forces)
• Adjusted curriculum to eliminate folk songs rooted in racism.
• Commented in public forum for city council meeting.
• Spoke with a friend about the danger of "not seeing color."
• Made buttons for and attended Celebration of Black Lives
• Talked with each other about how we feel as we attempt to dismantle our own racism.
• Joined a Black Lives Matter protest.
• Signed petitions.
• Researched ways to make apprenticeship/internship postings more welcoming and inclusive to people of color. Sent recommendations to a colleague.
• Challenged someone's beliefs in person.
• Looking at company's internet branding for ways to be more openly inclusive and welcoming.
• Talked with other white friends about moving from guilt to growth. Committed to reading books together.
• Emailed Phoenix Mayor and Arizona Governor demanding justice for Dion Johnson, a local man who died after he was shot by a DPS trooper, then kicked in the back by an officer as he rolled around on the ground dying, then ignored by EMTs for over six minutes. (For contact and script information click here. For more about the case, click here.
• Talked with parents who are struggling to grapple with violence amidst protests
• Starting a petition to local school districts on using better text books/focusing on lesson-based curriculum that feature items not listed in state standards
• Apologized to a friend for a microaggression I committed.
• In writing curriculum for junior high elective, incorporating diverse cultural music lessons
• Contributed to a video campaign headed up by New Rep Theatre in Massachusetts. Was asked to acknowledge my white privilege and vocalize my support for black lives.
• Wrote a letter to a different theatre company expressing disappointment in their public statement, which seemed hollow and hypocritical. Asked them to look differently at their definition of diversity. (UPDATE: I received a response on June 4th, and we have entered a healthy dialogue.)
• Contacted local reps to voice our opinions and ask for full funding for a police Office of Accountability and Transparency and Civilian Review Board.
• Had conversations with partners about race and our complicity.
• Donated to George Floyd GoFundMe
• Became a member of NAACP
• Donated to Tucson, AZ bail funds

Tidbits:

• The police force as we know it today started in 1929.
• Rochester, NY: Year after year, two school districts just a few miles apart from one another consistently rank in the top 10 school districts in the state and in the very last place in the state. The demographics of those schools are largely white and largely black, respectively.

• The Flint water crisis is linked to gerrymandering.

• Divesting funds from police is "one of the only options local governments haven't tried in their attempts to end deaths in police custody." -CNN article (linked below)
• "How do we make sure people are living not only in a liberal city, but an equitable city?" -Brittany Packnett Cunningham
• "Anti-racism is not a self-improvement space for white people." -Rachel Cargle

• "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth." -quote from a young boy talking about unity, White Fragility

• There are 18,000 different law enforcement agencies in the United States. 

• The Obama administration developed a task force on 21st century policing, resulting in an advocacy toolkit for fair, safe, and effective community policing.

• 'Not racist' is inactive, ignores the problem, pretends it doesn't exist for your own comfort. 'Anti racist' is actively dismantling racism, takes on the uncomfortable so we can fix the problem. People of all colors can be not racist and can be antiracist. People can fluctuate between the two--this doesn't define who we are, but rather how we act and react.
• Some ways to deescalate situations without putting black and brown people at risk of harm from police:
• 1. Don't feel obligated to defend property. If no one's life is being put into danger, consider letting it be. 
• 2. If a personal belonging is stolen, consider going into the police station. Consider who could inadvertently be at risk by calling the police and bringing them to your neighborhood. 
• 3. If someone is exhibiting "odd" behaviors, ask if they are okay, if they have a medical condition, and if they need assistance. This person may not be publicly intoxicated. Also, check your impulse before calling the cops. Is their race or housing situation influencing your decision to call? 
• 4. If you see someone with car trouble, ask if they need help or if you can call a tow truck. Consider what may happen if a police officer stops, resulting in potential punitive tickets, target those without papers, or worse.  

• In February, the city of Phoenix established an Office of Accountability and Transparency and Civilian Review Board specifically for oversight on the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix City Council votes on the budget for 2020-2021 tomorrow (June 3). The estimated cost for the OAT and CRB is $3 million, but the city budget currently allocates just $400,000. Many of us who reside in Phoenix responded to the call to action and contacted our local reps to voice our opinions and ask for full funding.
• Had a conversation with a personal trainer, who is black. Took time to listen. He is overwhelmed and exhausted, but appreciative of the conversation.

• A poem by Nayyirah Waheed, from her book Salt

            if we

            wanted

            to.

            people of color

            could

            burn the world down.

            for what

            we

            have experienced.

            are experiencing.

            but

            we don't

            - how stunningly beautiful that our sa-

            cred

            respect for the earth. for life. is deeper

            than

            our rage

• In 2018, Florida Proposition 4 was passed with almost 65% approval. It automatically restored the right to vote for people with prior felony convictions, other than murder or sexual offense, upon completion of their sentence. -Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy by David Daley

• "Nearly half--48 percent--of disenfranchised felons who have finished their sentence and paid their debt in full live in Florida. More than 10 percent of Florida's adult population can't vote; almost a quarter of the state's African American population are kept away from the polls." -Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy by David Daley, pg 9

Additional resources:

(These are some titles mentioned in resources we have engaged with, but that we ourselves have not explored yet.)

• Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement and American Democracy by Jeff Manza and Christopher Uggen
• Living in Infamy by Pippa Holloway
• A Race is a Nice Thing to Have by Janet E. Helms

Restock on Hope: A Starting Place

In the last week, I’ve seen a lot of posts about people losing hope for this country and having no hope for our future. General, defeatist language. And I get it. Things that are already difficult to process are made more so by a global pandemic and everything it brings.

I know your heart. I know you act in ways that are kind and full of care for others. I know you are running low on hope. I need you to dig deep and find some more. People of color need you to dig deep. Everyone needs you to dig deep.

We’re incredulous because we don’t understand how someone simply doesn’t care about the wellbeing of others. We don’t understand valuing power over life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It simply does not compute. And it seems like there are more of them than there are of us. But that’s not true. It’s just that kindness doesn’t yell too often or get as much publicity. We shouldn’t have to work so hard for basic human decency, but we do.  

And I need you to know something: The hegemonic people in power are banking on you giving up. 

Exhaustion is a well-documented strategy of oppressive groups. They count on propagating their lies and hatred so frequently you give up. They count on you feeling so distressed and alone and hopeless that you stop fighting and let them win. Unfortunately, it works a lot of the time.

You know what else is well documented? The pushback. The refusal to remain complacent. The desire and will to stand up and fight back.

Staying informed and aware is painful. It hurts to witness and acknowledge the destruction and oppression of our siblings, especially when we believe in the principles of existing systems which have been corrupted into abusive power. But it is necessary work; you have to know what you’re fighting to know how to fight it.

When I started to become more civically engaged, I was overwhelmed with information and the need to confront my own ignorance and complicity as a privileged white woman. As I dug deeper I was met only with despair, at a loss for how to move forward. But then I kept going, and right on the other side of helplessness was hope. And I trust you’ll find it too. You will find allies and evidence of people fighting back. You will know you’re not the only one feeling this way. You will know this is a team effort, the most important group-project in which you’ll ever participate.

There will be days when it all feels like too much. You will need a break. Take it. Acknowledge the privilege you have in taking a break—not everyone can. Don’t wallow in it. Use it to restock your supplies, and then come back so someone else can take their break. But remember collectively, we never put the work of justice and equality down.

My work to be better informed and involved is just beginning. I still have so much to do in so many categories of my own life before I’d consider calling myself a good ally or accomplice. But that’s not what this post is about. This post isn’t even about specific

atrocities—no doubt you can list a few off the top of your head without my help. This is a call to hope. A reminder that there are small actions you can take to start helping. A reminder that there are people doing the difficult work looking for teammates. A reminder that simply holding on to hope is its own act of rebellion. And it is necessary.

Start with one activist group on social media. Follow their national and local branches, sign up for the emails, and respond to action alerts. Read books that help contextualize what you’re seeing. Speak up when you see something, online and in person. Find art that revives your spirit and lets you laugh.

The stark reality is there will always be people who are deluded by their own desire for power and actively choose to oppress and harm others. But hope is not lost while there is still one person with breath enough to say, “Not on my watch.”

ResourcesA few ideas to get you started...

Organizations I follow/support:

• Obama Foundation: With a focus on education and engagement the Obama Foundation is home to a number of initiatives. Easy to get informed and involved. I support them with a monthly donation. 
• Planned Parenthood: Reproductive health and education for anyone who needs it. I follow their social media accounts to stay informed on legislation effecting access to reproductive health care.
• NAACP: Advocating and fighting for the rights of all people with an aim of eliminating race-based discrimination. I follow them on social media for information I probably wouldn't see from my circle of friends.

Campaigns I've joined:

• All On the Line: A grassroots campaign focused on restoring fairness to our democracy by fighting against gerrymandering and pushing for fair maps in the redistricting process.

Books I'm reading:

• One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson
• A fairly quick read covering the history and current state of voter suppression. Hugely informative and impactful. (Did you know the 2016 Presidential election was the first in 50 years held without the protection of the Voting Rights Act?)
• Buy the book directly from the publisher
• NY Times Review - A good primer on what the book contains
• Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman
• Another look at voting rights with a focus on the Voting Rights Act
• Buy the book With links to sources other than Amazon
• NY Times Review - Another good review/summary, although I haven't finished this book yet so I can't speak to the accuracy of the review.

 Restock on hope through the arts:

• Late Night with Seth Meyers
• Seth Meyers does not mince words or hold back, and it is invigorating. I'm particularly finding comfort in his "A Closer Look" segments. Also check out "The Kind of Story We Need Right Now".
• National Theatre at Home
• Each week, the National Theatre puts up one of their shows on YouTube for free. The production design for every show has been stunning. So far, I've watched One Man, Two Guvnors; Jane Eyre; Treasure Island; Twelfth Night; and Frankenstein. 
• Up next: Antony and Cleopatra and The Barbershop Chronicles
• Never Have I Ever on Netflix: A teen rom-com from Mindy Kaling. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel good. What more could you want?
• Oh Hello, the P'dcast: John Mulaney and Nick Kroll make me laugh out loud in this ridiculous dive into the death of Princess Diana.
• David Byrne: His lyrics somehow fit every situation. And the songs will make you dance.

And of course...

"That's right," said Luna encouragingly, as if they were back in the Room of Requirement and this was simply spell practice for the DA. "That's right, Harry...come on, think of something happy..."

"Something happy?" he said, his voice cracked.

"We're all still here," she whispered, "we're still fighting. Come on, now..."

There was a silver spark, then a wavering light, and then, with the greatest effort it had ever cost him, the stag burst from the end of Harry's wand. 

                                 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

What are we holding onto, Sam?

That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo...and it's worth fighting for. 

                                Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Field Notes from the Desert

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The magic of the desert is how quickly it changes. In an instant, everything is bathed in the most glorious pink, throwing into relief the perfect rock formations, scarred by centuries old landslides now speckled with green. At the base of the canyon panes of gold appear, the sunset revealing windows of houses you never notice in daylight. As the sun hurries away, the golden squares remain, sunlit reflections turning seamlessly to amber bulbs. And now the sky is dusty indigo, a gentle suggestion the hour of sleep is fast approaching. And while the paintbrush sunset was quick and fleeting, the darkness takes a while to arrive.

The mountains begin to settle, no longer reaching up but wrapping around you, making a little more room for the stars about to appear. In an hour or two when you can no longer make out silhouettes of twisted juniper trees and swooping bats catching their evening meal, you look up. And the light of Creation peaks through like so many holes poked in the lid of a jar. And you think perhaps all of Understanding is beyond that lid, shining with a brilliance you can’t yet comprehend. And you take a deep breath and whisper, “Thanks for the preview.”

◊◊◊

Friday, March 27, 2020

Today a different type of change, but one just as sneaking. Not twenty minutes ago I could make out the cliffs and see blue sky with only a singular patch of heavy grey cloud to the north. But the storm is creeping towards me, its pathway made obvious by the ever-moving curtain of mist. A trace amount of flakes appear, like powdered sugar dusting the edge of a plate. And just as suddenly, the cliffs reappear. The storm has come as far south as it pleases and takes a left turn towards the east. Perhaps it will still drop in to wave goodbye on its way out of town.

◊◊◊

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

I forgot stars twinkle.

Perceptibly, I mean. It’s something we all used to know, before light pollution locked it away and only the poets remembered. But they dance and ebb and flow. The stars are not stagnant. They are alive, the same as you and I. Even if the actual body has died and we’re only seeing ghosts of eons passed, finally reaching Earth, they are alive still. Like the voices of the elders, the wisdom of the ages, the truths universally known. As humanity continues to bungle the care of the earth, it is somehow comforting to know behind the smog the stars still dance.

◊◊◊

Thursday, April 2, 2020

I am in a kaleidoscopic ecosystem. Purple blossoms on cascading rosemary shimmering with golden bees. Green buds appearing on grey bark, waking up to the spring. Tall blossoms of white and pink suddenly open to the sun, hidden last week beneath rusted earth. The purest white butterflies dance with each other, waltzing on the breeze. An entire sunset of colors on a single prickly pear paddle. Bold yellow blossoms topping the green grey of cactus. And always, the brilliant blue sky. This place is what dreams are made of.

◊◊◊

Saturday April 4, 2020

There’s a predictability to the songbirds. It takes a bit for it to move from your sub consciousness to the forefront of your awareness, but you find yourself tapping out the beat of their call and response. The bird across the street trills on 1 and 2, the bird above you responds with a staccato triplet. They rest for two beats and start again. Maybe it is all coincidence, but I like the idea these two are jazz musicians who paused for a moment to make music with each other. And I’m just the lucky passerby who gets a free show.

---

I’ve never noticed so many anthills. They seem strategically placed, like bus terminals or busy subway stations. Two in my front yard alone, another three within a 50-foot radius. Gateways to a vast civilization just underfoot. Rush hour seems to calm down around sunset. I wonder how long their commute is and what they listen to on their way home.

---

I never put much stock in vortexes. I thought they were invented by hippies in the 70s and then remodeled into a tourist offering. But I was young then, and my energy stores were nearly full. (You don’t notice you’re wet while you’re in the pool.) Now I experience energy as a recognizable force; I’m often aware of its presence, and almost certainly aware of its absence. Surely there is magic at work here in the mountains, and energy has pooled in places. Returning to the desert and the mountains in all their forms is a homecoming, a remembering of self. It is not just that I recognize the scenery and the smells and the sounds. My energy originated here and as I grew, fell off me like droplets, leaving a trail of the places my spirit had been. And over the years of my absence, those droplets have pooled together again so that when I come back I can take a long, cool drink. The desert and I are opposite poles of a magnet; its dry lands an ironic oasis for my soul.

◊◊◊

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

And some times the moon is so bright you can still make out the striped colors of the mountains and the green of the junipers with their dusty blue berries speckled about. Or maybe you can’t and it’s just your memory projecting colors.

◊◊◊

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Spring doesn’t last very long in the desert. Already the yellow cactus fruit is wilting and soon will fall to the desert floor. The burst of new green on trees that were bare-limbed mere days ago is already turning to the stoic shades of summer. The liveliness of spring is exponential. It demands your attention and notice. If you keep the blinds shut for even one day, you’ll miss so much.

As Grandpa would say, “There’s a sermon in there some where.”

---

Rain in the desert smells like magic. Like childhood and summer and red glowing dust. You can hear it kiss the leaves, wet the dirt, paint the desert. Indigo lightning illuminates the mountains. You hear no thunder. But still, you crawl into your parents’ bed for a lightning party. At first an invention to keep you getting scared, but now an excuse to cuddle in close. The raindrops patter, the thunder rolls, from across the valley straight into your bones.

◊◊◊