Jun 21, 2020
Many white people wonder how to be effective in
dismantling systemic racism. We can get stuck while trying to say,
learn, or express the "perfect" thing. We are not sure how to learn
the stories of, and support, Black and Indigenous People of Color
(BIPOC) without burdening them. We know we need to call other white
people in, and we want to make sure we are not taking the lead or
centering ourselves.
Listen in as Julia Schuster, core team member of
Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Denver, shares her own
insights, paradigms, and tools for engaging in the essential work
of dismantling system racism.
EPISODE NOTE: The SURJ Denver team receives
feedback from local accountability partners, all of which are
community leaders or organizations led by BIPOC, as part of their
work. The work that SURJ Denver engages in is requested by their
accountability partners. Though participation in this podcast was
not a direct request from an accountability partner, SURJ Denver
has received the request to take on more of the work of calling in
and educating other white people during this time.
NOTE: Julia would like to note the following
corrections:
1. There are 15 Characteristics of White
Supremacy.
2. Julia discusses looking for actions organized by
organizations led by People of Color. She meant to say look for
actions organized by organizations or groups led by People of
Color. Sometimes actions are led by groups without formal name
recognition or other status that may typically deem them as an
"organization," and lack of formal "status" should not discount
their work. SURJ Denver encourages white people to generally look
for actions and community events organized by a collaborative group
as opposed to those organized by a single individual.
Works Rerferenced and Recommended in this
Episode:
Books and Workbooks:
The New Jim Crow by Michelle
Alexander
“Two years after Obama’s election, Alexander put the entire
criminal justice system on trial, exposing racial discrimination
from lawmaking to policing to the denial of voting rights to
ex-prisoners. This bestseller struck the spark that would
eventually light the fire of Black Lives Matter.”
—Ibram X. Kendi, The New York Time
Dismantling Racism
by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun
"Dismantling Racism Works
(dRworks) is
pleased to offer our workbook and other resources.
We hope you find the material here useful
to you, your organization, and your community. "
Me and White
Supremacy by Layla Saad
"Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat
Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor leads
readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege
and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often
unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of
color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The
book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical
and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and
includes expanded definitions, examples, and further
resources."
So You
Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
"In this New York Times bestseller, Ijeoma Oluo
offers a hard-hitting but user-friendly examination of race in
America
Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy--from
police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans--has
put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a
difficult subject to talk about. How do you tell your roommate her
jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you
asked to touch her hair--and how do you make it right? How do you
explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend?
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides
readers of all races through subjects ranging from
intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in
an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest
conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost
every aspect of American life."
Social Media:
Rachel Cargle, Public
Academic, Writer, and Lecturer
Ericka
Hart, Sex Educator, Racial/Social/ Gender Justice Disruptor,
Podcaster, Breast Cancer Survivor, Model
Sonya Renee Taylor,
Award Winning Poet, Activist, Author, and Leader
Showing Up for Racial
Justice, SURJ-Denver
Showing Up
for Racial Justice, National