Anti-Racism Resources

This week's antiracism resource is Black Opry, an organization and online community for Black country music artists and fans. Artist profiles, album information, an audio stream, and news articles are available to help you deepen your knowledge about the contributions of Black Americans to country music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long,we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. We invite you to discover, support and enjoy Black artists here. *You can also read a Washington Post article about the Black Opry organization here.

This week's antiracism resource is Black Opry, an organization and online community for Black country music artists and fans. Artist profiles, album information, an audio stream, and news articles are available to help you deepen your knowledge about the contributions of Black Americans to country music. Country music has been made by and loved by Black people since its conception. For just as long,we have been overlooked and disregarded in the genre by fans and executives. Black Opry wants to change that. We invite you to discover, support and enjoy Black artists here. *You can also read a Washington Post article about the Black Opry organization here.

This week's antiracism resource is blackhistorymonth.gov, a website dedicated to offering resources to learn more about Black History month as well as links to events to help celebrate it. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

This week's antiracism resource is "'Not Racist' Is Not Enough: Putting In The Work To Be Anti-Racist," a 21-minute podcast from the NPR series Life Hack. "Even white supremacists don't want to be called racist. Which might explain why, for people dedicated to fighting racism, simply saying you're 'not racist' doesn't feel like quite enough. To effectively defeat systemic racism...you've got to be continually working towards equality for all races, striving to undo racism in your mind, your personal environment and the wider world. In other words, you've got to be anti-racist.

This week's antiracism resource is "How Long Til Black Future Month?" by speculative fiction author N.K. Jemisin about "the toxins of speculative fiction, and the antidote that is Janelle Monae." 

This week's antiracism resource is "Changing Behavior, Not Beliefs," from the NPR podcast Hidden Brain. "The rift between police and Black Americans can feel impossible to bridge. But in his work with police departments across the U.S., Yale psychologist Phillip Atiba Goff has found novel ways to address the problem."

This week's antiracism resource is "Talking While Black," the January 7, 2022 episode of This American Life from NPR. "Think back to two summers ago, the summer of 2020, when a series of violent, highly-publicized killings of Black Americans sparked outrage and a national movement to eradicate racism and its evils. That movement gave way to a newer, reactionary one, a backlash that is playing out in schools and school board meetings across America.

This week's antiracism resource is "Being Antiracist," a collection of information, videos, and thought exercises curated and provided by the National Museum of African American History & Culture to those who are interested in learning more about race and antiracism in the United States. "To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives."

This week's antiracism resource is "Our Faith Calls Us to Antiracist Work," an article by Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray and published in the most recent issue of UU World (Fall 2021). "A theology of interdependence is the true heart of our faith; our work for justice is our faithful response.

This week's antiracism resource is the United Nations' "International Human Rights Day" website. Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world. The theme of this year's Human Rights Day is EQUALITY - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights.

This week's antiracism resource is "Kwanzaa: First Fruits," a multimedia online exhibit from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. Kwanzaa starts on December 26th this year - to get ready, use this resource to learn about the history of this seven-day celebration, understand the 7 principles of Kwanzaa, listen to music to celebrate the holiday, and enjoy recipes and cooking demonstrations for Kwanzaa holiday foods!  

This week's antiracism resource is "What Does Thanksgiving Mean to Native Americans?" There are always two sides to a story. Unfortunately, when it comes to the history of Thanksgiving, generations of Americans have been taught a one-sided history in homes and schools.

Antiracism resource of the week is "How The Halluci Nation Created Electric Powwow Music." Canadian DJ collective The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red) combine Native American drum circle sounds with electronic music to create Electric Pow wow. Nahre Sol travels to Toronto to meet The Halluci Nation to learn how they blend native sounds and electronic music. LA Buckner meets with Iron Boy drum circle in Minnesota to watch a live performance and learn about their sound.

This week's antiracism resource is Sean Sherman's article "The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell Is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I’ve Found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday" from Time.

Sherman is the founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef and the author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which won the 2018 James Beard Award for best American cookbook.

"Native American Heritage Month 2021" website, where you can find events dedicated to indigenous peoples, cultures, and issues throughout the month of November. 2021 event highlights include a reading by U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, virtual gallery talks focusing on specific artworks from the National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian American Art Museum, and a Native Cinema Showcase sponsored by the National Museum of the American Indian.

"The Urgency of Intersectionality," a TED Talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw. Now more than ever, it's important to look boldly at the reality of race and gender bias -- and understand how the two can combine to create even more harm. Kimberlé Crenshaw uses the term "intersectionality" to describe this phenomenon; as she says, if you're standing in the path of multiple forms of exclusion, you're likely to get hit by both. In this moving talk, she calls on us to bear witness to this reality and speak up for victims of prejudice.

"Don't Be a Savior, Be an Ally." In this TED Talk, Rayna Gordon explains the difference between "saviorism" and true allyship, as well as the roles that privilege and intersectionality play in social justice efforts. The talk also addresses the different types of identity we all negotiate -- and within these identities, how we can all learn to be advocates for positive social change.

"Addressing 400 Years of White Supremacist Colonialism." In 2020, the General Assembly passed this Action of Immediate Witness (AIW) that asks UUs to knit together our commitment to justice with our need for reconciliation. In honor of Indigenous People’s Day on October 11th, we should consider the actions and transformations that must happen to fulfill the promise and the call of this AIW.

"Alexis Nikole Nelson: How Foraging Restored My Relationship to Food," an interview with Alexis Nikole Nelson, a.k.a.The Black Forager, about how the great outdoors has offered her both an endless array of food options and an outlet to reconnect with her food and her culture (12 minute listen).

"Who You Calling Hispanic?," the September 22, 2021 episode of the Code Switch podcast from NPR. While October is Hispanic Heritage Month, the notion of a multiracial, multinational, pan-ethnic identity called "Hispanic" is a relatively recent — and somewhat haphazard invention — in the United States. In this episode, we're digging into how the term got created and why it continues to both unite and bewilder.

"Universities Say They Want More Diverse Faculties. So Why Is Academia Still So White?" from Five Thirty Eight. "Academia has a problem with race. It affects what gets researched and taught in courses, the methods that are used to conduct that research and the topic we will primarily focus on today: The people who are included — or excluded — from academic institutions in the first place."

"Repairing the Past: Returning Native Land," the August 4, 2021 episode of the podcast series Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi. "David Treuer is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. His most recent book, The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present, was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal in 2019. He is currently a professor of English at the University of Southern California. Dr. Treuer and Dr. Kendi held a powerful conversation about the ramifications of historical erasure, anti-Native racism, and Treuer’s antiracist proposal to return the National Parks to the tribes."

"The Folk Devil Made Me Do It," the September 1, 2021 episode of the Code Switch podcast (via NPR). What moral panics reveal about the ongoing freakout over critical race theory in schools. [37 min., 52 sec.]

"Q&A: jessie little doe baird" from the Spring 2021 issue of UU World. Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council Vice-Chairwoman jessie little doe baird, who does not use upper-case letters in her name, discusses issues facing the Wampanoag and other Native Americans.

"Unions are Essential to Racial Justice," a brief article from the May 2021 issue of The Progressive magazine. While workplace improvements have raised standards for all professionals, employees of color tend to see some of the greatest gains from union membership. While union employees do better than their nonunion counterparts within every racial group, union membership impacts the accumulation of wealth more for nonwhite families than for white families. But the advantages of union membership for people of color are not limited to better pay.

 "Where We Come From: By Any Other Name" (the June 27, 2021 episode of NPR's Code Switch podcast). "Anyone with a name that isn't super common in the United States will tell you that the simple act of introducing yourself can lead to a whole interrogation: Where are you from? What does your name mean? Help me pronounce it using words I understand! So on this bonus episode from our friends at the "Where We Come From" series, we're getting into what, exactly, is in a name — and what names can tell us about where we've been and where we're going."

 "Antiracist Healthcare? with Prof Ibram X. Kendi" (the May 2021 episode of the America Dissected podcast). Dr. Abdul El-Sayed dissects health inequities to understand why America’s focus on healthcare rather than public health is part of the problem. Then he speaks with Professor Ibram X. Kendi, author of the New York Times Bestseller “How to be an Anti-Racist” about taking on racism in public health and healthcare.

"Racism is Killing the Planet," an article from Sierra magazine (from the Sierra Club). The ideology of white supremacy leads the way toward disposable people and a disposable natural world. What should we know and what can we do?

"The Jingle Dress Project," a photography and video project that aims to celebrate indigenous culture and raise awareness of social issues affecting indigenous communities. "Our goal is to take the healing power of the Ojibwe jingle dress to the land, to travel, to dance and capture a series of images to document the spiritual places our ancestors once walked, and to unite and give hope to the world through art, dance and culture to help us heal."

"Zip Code Matters," a documentary created by The Fair Housing Center in Toledo. A person’s ZIP Code has been shown to have a greater impact on health and well-being than their genetic code, affecting access to education, transportation, and wealth. How is this possible?

"Housing Segregation and Redlining in America: A Short History." **Content warning: strong language used in the first 10 seconds. In 1968, Congress passed the Fair Housing Act that made it illegal to discriminate in housing. Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch explains why neighborhoods are still so segregated today.

"The Debate Over Critical Race Theory" - an episode of The Daily podcast from the New York Times (33 minutes): Amid America’s racial reckoning of the past year, critical race theory (sometimes referred to as CRT) has become a political rallying cry for many conservatives. How, exactly, did critical race theory enter American public life, and what does this debate look like on the ground?