Christin Mullen

LMFT

Social Justice

Break it down for our kids- Anti-Racism Resources to help us move forward.

by

Parents and teachers in the midst of everything, trying to help our kids make sense of the inequalities they see all around them.​ Liz Upchurch worked very hard on putting the following resources together and she gave me permission to share this on my website. I am so fortunate to have such amazing friends and colleagues collaborating with me on this important work.

It’s our job to help kids develop a deep recognition of injustice and the need for anti-racism work.

NOTE: These resources have been compiled from a variety of sources, including recommendations from activists, people of color, and leaders in the current movement; training and diversity/equity organizations; and other community groups. My friend Liz Upchurch send me most of these great resources. She and I are simply passing along their work. 

We all hold a responsibility to teach all children about our shared history including the ways in which society has unevenly treated people of color.
Black lives matter. Each of us has a role to play in opposing racism, injustice and oppression. TED (I am a big fan of TED talks) curated talks and articles as a starting point to understanding the roots of racism and the ways we can combat it together.
This is from TED:
* Watch a recent panel discussion with Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Rashad Robinson, Dr. Bernice King and Anthony D. Romero on ending systemic racism in America.
* Learn about how to build an antiracist world from Dr. Ibram X. Kendi.
* Take these eight steps to become a better ally in the fight for racial justice.
* Discover the negative impact racism has on the economy, explained by public policy expert Heather C. McGee.Ask yourself these three questions to decide when to speak up about racism.
* Watch Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s essential talk on intersectionality.
* Hear some hard truths about the American justice system in this legendary talk from Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy.

Other Great Anti-Racism Resources

Sources

  • Employee Resource Group for Black employees at a private company
  • The Menlo School
  • Lesbians Who Tech & Allies
  • KQED
  • Paradigm IQ
  • LifeLabs

Allyship terms + concepts to know  (From LifeLabs, a training organization)

An important part of allyship is keeping up with terms that matter. Here is a series of terms shared by members of our community that help to increase conversational capacity:

  • Privilege: an unearned advantage given by society to some people but not all. Recognizing your own privilege (the ways in which your identity and background have helped you) is a great place to start since it opens the door to empathy and allows people to become more aware of opportunities to use their privilege to be better allies. 
  • Systemic oppression: pervasive inequality that is present throughout society, benefits people with more privilege, and harms those with fewer privileges.
  • Marginalized person: a member of a group that is impacted by a system of oppression. 
  • Ally: a member of a group that benefits from privilege and works to end oppression for others and/or make it easier for people with less privilege to gain access to opportunities.
  • Intersectionality: the concept that people can be subject to multiple systems of oppression and/or privilege that intersect and interact with each other (coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw). For example, someone’s experience can be shaped by being male and cis-gender (privilege) and also Black and gay (marginalized).
  • Psychological safety: a feeling that someone can share what they are really thinking and feeling without fear of negative consequences (like loss of physical safety, status, relationships, job).
  • Microaggression: a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional expression of a negative stereotype. 

How to Be an Ally

LEARN

History / Context

Read

Listen

Watch

Organizations on the ground

  • Minnesota Freedom Fund, “pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to” as they “seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.” *Note: The Minnesota Freedom Fund has asked that all donations be directed elsewhere, due to the surge of support they have received in the past few days.
  • Reclaim the Block “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.”
  • Black Visions Collective, “a Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence…through building strategic campaigns, investing in Black leadership, and engaging in cultural and narrative organizing.”
  • Campaign Zero, a comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.

ACT: 

Tips for Action

Protest

Change Policy

Support Black-owned Businesses

Donate

Bay Area

Further Afield

  • Black Lives Matter :: A global network fighting for Freedom, Liberation and Justice of Black folks by building local power and intervening when violence is inflicted on Black communities. 
  • Campaign Zero :: A campaign taking deliberate action to end the disproportionate police violence and incarceration of Black communities in America. 
  • Run with Maud :: A justice campaign fighting for due process in the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery. Sign the petition or make phone calls to demand justice for Ahmaud. 
  • Take Action Minnesota :: A Minnesota-based organization pushing for collective aid and pursuing justice in the murder of George Floyd. 
  • Minnesota Teen Activists :: A collective of youth activists fighting white supremacy and injustice in Minnesota. 
  • Fair Fight Action :: An organization promoting fair elections and educating voters about their voting rights nationwide. 
  • NAACP Legal Defense Fund :: America’s premiere legal defense organization fighting for racial justice. 
  • Color of Change :: The nation’s largest online racial justice organization. 
  • The Bail Project :: Provides free bail assistance to low-income individuals who are legally presumed innocent. 
  • Black Visions Collective :: A Minnesota-based organization that believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems. 
  • Reclaim the Block :: A Minneapolis-based campaign that works to move money from the police department to other areas of the city budget, prioritizing community health and safety.
  • Communities United for Police Reform :: A campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York. 
  • Southern Poverty Law Center :: An organization that monitors and exposes the behavior of hate groups and extremists in the US.
  • American Civil Liberties Union :: An organization dedicated to defending and preserving the civil rights and liberties of all Americans. 

Sign

HEAL:

Mental Health Resources for POC

Meditation, Mindfulness, etc

  • HealHaus, 
  • MetaDen, and 
  • Minka Brooklyn offer virtual classes and workshops in meditation, movement, breathwork, reiki, and self-development
  • Frequency incorporates sound therapy in guided breathwork, meditation, and human connection.

Children’s Books on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism, and resistance

The 2020 Ultimate List of Diverse Children’s Books

Books with Characters of Color

Mixed – Diversity and Inclusion Story and Discussion Guide for Parents (children’s book + parent’s guide)

Articles for Parents and Teachers

How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race (NPR)

How silence can breed prejudice: A child development professor explains how and why to talk to kids about race (Washington Post)

Critical Conversations (The Conscious Kid)

Podcasts and Videos for Adults

Talking Race With Young Children (NPR) (audio)

How To Raise Anti-Racist Kids (with Dr. Nzinga Harrison) (audio)

1619 (New York Times) (audio)

Come Through With Rebecca Carroll (audio)

Color blind or color brave? (TED talk by Mellody Hobson) (video)

Now providing hybrid sessions both teletherapy and in person in downtown San Mateo.

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