A Collection of Anti-Racism Resources & Action Items

June 4, 2020

Inspired by the protests over the death of George Floyd

Protests have been raging across the world over the past week over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. Violence towards black people, and racism in all its forms (systematic, personal, and otherwise) are nothing new in America and killings of unarmed black people have been a devastating trend that has only continued. All these stories require not only our attention but a deeper understanding of systemic racism and implicit bias. The protests, demands, and conversations happening right now on race and privilege are so important to be kept up if we want to bring about real change. Createscape has always been a community of creativity with many different backgrounds. We place enormous value to be open, inclusive, diverse, and protect our coworking community. It is for this reason that we want to encourage education and growth on these issues and even if some of them are uncomfortable.

It is not enough to be quietly not racist. Now is the time to be vocally anti-racist. The following are links to campaigns, articles, petitions, and works of art to become better informed on these issues and start (or continue) making a difference. By no means is this collection of resources complete, but we hope it can be helpful and more than anything we wanted to lift up black voices. Black Live Matter.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed,

but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

James Baldwin

Take Action:

Join the Black Lives Matter movement - Donate, sign petitions, get resources, and join the movement. Additional resource here for reasons to support Black Lives Matter.

Quick Links: Ways You Can Help

Donate to Black Vision Collective - Consider donating: Black Visions Collective (BLVC) believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems.

Donate to Reclaim the Block - Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and 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.

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

#BirthdayForBreonna - Over 10 action items related to the killing of Breonna Taylor, commemorating her, and fighting for her justice.

Sign Petitions for Racial Justice

Don't Underestimate the Power of Your Voice - To make our society a more compassionate and unprejudiced place, use your voice to speak out against racial injustice in these ways.

Find a protest near you to seek justice

Support Black-Owned Food Businesses in Austin

From Words To Action: Showing Up for Black Trans Women

Mental Health Issues Facing the Black Community

Education:

Systematic Racism, Explained - Systemic racism affects every area of life in the US. From incarceration rates to predatory loans, and trying to solve these problems requires changes in major parts of our system. Here's a closer look at what systemic racism is, and how we can solve it.

Terror Lynching in America - Our history of racial terror casts a shadow across the U.S. landscape. We must engage it more honestly.

Know your history: Understanding racisim in the U.S.

Armed in America: Police & Guns - This one-hour PBS special event moderated by award-winning journalist Michel Martin, weekend host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” explores whether U.S. police forces are becoming increasingly militarized.

Black Parents Explain How to Deal with the Police

Why You Need to Stop Saying “All Lives Matter” - Stating that black lives matter doesn’t insinuate that other lives don’t.

Understanding My Privilege (TEDx Talk)

Implicit Bias

James Baldwin Debates William F. Buckley (1965) - Historic debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. at Cambridge University on the question “Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?”

Teaching Tolerance - Resources for classrooms and professional development that can help spur much-needed discussion around racial justice, implicit bias, and systematic racisim to enact the changes to create a more just society.

The Summit Wellness Group - 61 mental health and substance use resources for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community.

Financial Literacy in the Black Community - Annuity.org identifies the impact the education and financial literacy gap has on the African American community

Police Brutality Center - Data and information on police brutality and civil rights. Minorities and other vulnerable groups are too often targeted by acts of police brutality.

Articles:

“The Death of George Floyd, In Context,” by Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker

“Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People,” by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor for the New York Times

“The Case for Reparations,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates for The Atlantic

“How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change,” by Barack Obama in Medium

“Analysis: Five things Corporate America can do besides tweeting to combat racism” from CNN Business

Organizations:

Austin Justice Coalition - Austin Justice Coalition is a Racial Justice Group that educates and builds community power for people of color who live in Austin, Texas that need support, community, and liberation during a time of systemic injustice in America.

Texas Civil Rights Project - The Texas Civil Rights Project is committed to support all freedom fighters across the state.

allgo - For over 30 years, allgo in Austin has offered a variety of programs to support QPOC (queer people of color). Their programming broadly falls into the following categories: cultural arts, wellness, and social justice. They’re also our neighbors, here in the same building as Createscape.

Southern Poverty Law Center - The Southern Poverty Law Center is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund - The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America's premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Learn more and donate.