My favorite ways so far to help Black communities:
– Listen and learn, engage in a discussion. On ig and twitter, #BlackInTheIvory has heartbreaking stories of struggles Black researchers face in academia. Otherwise Forbe’s, “First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources For White People.” lists books like Between the World and Me to When They See Us (a series on Netflix) and Trevor Noah’s youtube video.
– Support and highlight Black businesses, artists, researchers (check out @blackafinstem and #blackafinstem !), journalists, and others.
-Watch Zoe Amira’s youtube video full of music, arts, poems, and stories from the Black community. The video is interspersed with ads so that all profits from the ads can go toward all sorts of relevant organizations including Brooklyn Bail Fund, ACLU, BLM, George Floyd’s Family Gofundme, and more!
-Sign petitions (if you get around to Zoe Amira’s video, she provides a long list with links for where your signature can be helpful.)
– Listen and learn, engage in a discussion. On ig and twitter, #BlackInTheIvory has heartbreaking stories of struggles Black researchers face in academia. Otherwise Forbe’s, “First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources For White People.” lists books like Between the World and Me to When They See Us (a series on Netflix) and Trevor Noah’s youtube video.
– Support and highlight Black businesses, artists, researchers (check out @blackafinstem and #blackafinstem !), journalists, and others.
-Watch Zoe Amira’s youtube video full of music, arts, poems, and stories from the Black community. The video is interspersed with ads so that all profits from the ads can go toward all sorts of relevant organizations including Brooklyn Bail Fund, ACLU, BLM, George Floyd’s Family Gofundme, and more!
-Sign petitions (if you get around to Zoe Amira’s video, she provides a long list with links for where your signature can be helpful.)
-Donate : Organizations working to help Black communities have more of a representation in STEM: @hiddengeniuspro @code2040 @the_dream_corps @blackgirlscode @blackafinstem Also there are actions ( @george_floyd_coop ) and artists (see recent post) who are donating all or a portion of their profits to relevant communities.
-Join a protest, there’s strength in numbers but be safe! Socially distance and wear a mask!
-Be an ally and actively use your privilege to support everyone, wherever you are. Academia is horrible when it comes to being inclusive, so don’t just sit on the sidelines! Not everyone is accepting of certain differences and that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should never talk to them either; shutting out everyone who disagrees will only further divide our communities. I wish that I could say more on how to ameliorate such tension, but I’m still struggling with my quarrels.
“Racism should never have happened and so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it.”
– Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in Americanah
Originally posted on Instagram June 18 – July 10 (posted in 3 parts)
No Responses