Educate yourself

Read “How to Be An Antiracist” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and/or watch Dr. Kendi‘s interview on this topic.

Watch this video by Trevor Noah that provides an overview of the recent protests and social unrest associated with police brutality.

Learn about the history of racism and policing in the U.S. in this John Oliver segment on Last Week Tonight. *contains profanity*

You’ve probably heard the call to “defund the police”. Read this short article to learn what this means.

Read “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Read this timeline of some of the racist events that have occurred throughout history to contextualize the anger, frustration, and desperation that has contributed to recent protests.

Watch this video by the ACLU educating you about the rights of protestors so you can protect yourself and others. You can watch the video on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and you can also help ensure others are as informed and prepared as possible by sharing the video on your social media channels.

Visit this page as well as the Obama Foundation for more anti-racism education.

Reflect

Being more educated is necessary but not sufficient to move towards action. Reflecting about your explicit and implicit biases as well as how you experience White privilege are key steps in moving towards action.

Watch this video that provides five tips for engaging in allyship. You may also take the Race Harvard Implicit Bias Test to learn more about your internalized anti-Black biases.

Reflect on your biases and learn more about how to overcome anti-Black bias in this TED talk by Verna Myers.

Read this article by Peggy McIntosh, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, to more readily see how you experience White privilege in your daily life.

Read this article by Robin DiAngelo that provides a brief overview of White fragility as well as five tasks White people can do to contribute to change.

Commit to the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge to consistently and concretely incorporate anti-racist education and reflection into your daily life. You may also wish to use the book Me and White Supremacy as an additional opportunity for guided reflection on how to combat racism, understand your White privilege, and conscious/non-conscious participation in White supremacy.

Take action

Educating yourself and reflecting are only meaningful steps if they lead to action. There are many ways you can take action against anti-Black racism. Below are just a few ideas.

Don’t be a silent bystander to racist acts. Watch this short video for ideas about what you can say and do if you witness a racist act.

Talk to your White friends and family about racism, in a constructive way. For some of us, this feels overwhelming or impossible, but avoidance of these conversations perpetuates racism. Be prepared by educating yourself. Lean into difficult conversations. Challenge racist jokes and comments.

Use Resistbot to easily contact your government representatives. The bot will turn your text into a letter and deliver it to the elected officials that you choose.

Donate to the Black Lives Matter Seattle Freedom Fund which contributes to the release of people arrested for protesting the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Manual Ellis, and so many others.

Donate to one of many Black led community-based organizations like the King County Equity Now Campaign

Call in other White people you know to participate in the BLM movement. Building and sustaining a movement that can end anti-Black racism and police brutality will take large numbers of people committed to making this change. Calling in White family members and friends is work that White people can do to build the movement, and work that can be done with much less risk than what Black people experience when they try to do this.

Spend time with White people in your community who may be only starting to realize what is happening, acknowledge your own challenges and imperfections in engaging in anti-racism actions, and invite them join this movement and be on the right side of history. Visit the Black Lives Matter Seattle Chapter website to learn about local press conferences, statements, events, and initiatives. Follow their social media channels to stay informed.