Educational Resources to Begin your Allyship Journey

 

A Short Guide to educate yourself on black history, culture and challenges, from a white person who used google to learn more. ~ Let's become educated allies. 

 

To begin I'm a white cis woman in my mid 20s and I recognize my privilege. Because of this, I am actively working to be, and learn what it means to be an ally. I myself have made mistakes while interacting with a variety of races. Specifically, while interacting with people who are black, I have perpetuated historically racist perspectives and stigmas in my conversations. I won’t make an excuse for myself in having ignorantly acted, instead I will take responsibility for it and educate myself to ensure that I am not perpetuating racial injustices moving forward. So together (below) let’s uncover truths about black people, in ways which our ancestors, ourselves and our whiteness have hurt black people specifically. After doing this work, I am beginning to understand that my whiteness is not something I can ignore, yet a tool I can use to be an ally to others that have been so deeply affected by the colour of my skin and theirs.

 

Below are brief summaries and excellent resources for you to explore. These resources are a starting point aimed to launch you into educating yourself about black history, traditions, and norms. DISCLAIMER - NONE of these videos or resources are mine- they are linked and referenced in this article.

 

As a white person I am not speaking for black people.

As a white person I am educating myself because it is not a black person's job to do it for me.

 

Let’s Start:

  1. White people, unsure how to learn about black people and the way in which they are systematically oppressed and targeted? We have access to GOOGLE. I know, I know, 'how do you find a credible source? Search no more:

·       https://www.salon.com/2015/04/14/black_people_are_not_here_to_teach_you_what_so_many_white_americans_just_cant_grasp_partner/

 

·       https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/us/fear-black-men-blake/index.html?utm_source=Global+Health+NOW+Main+List&utm_campaign=05404ae833-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_27_04_34&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8d0d062dbd-05404ae833-3004793

 

  1. How society talks about blackness:

·       https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/13/smooth-angry-cool-powerful-how-we-talk-about-blackness

 

  1. What is ‘the talk’? No, it’s not about sex.

·       https://www.vox.com/2016/8/8/12401792/police-black-parents-the-talk

In support of black families, white families should be speaking about this topic      with their children so that the generations to come are more aware of 1 out of the millions of hardships that black people have to deal with that white people don’t.

Things for white people to stop doing:

  1. Stop saying that you don’t see race, it’s real and it matters, and white people are not all color blind (literally this is a fact - googled it). Instead we (white people) need to acknowledge that we SEE colour, we RESPECT colour, and we STAND for those people. MOREOVER, having a black friend doesn’t make you a non-racist.

 

STOP telling black people that you have a black friend, you could still be racist.

           

The world is full of sexist people who have wives - the same is true for racism.

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5GCetbP7Fg

All that being said, having black friends is dope, good for you for having friends that are outside of your race, but telling black people about that friendship isn't!  ~ If you’re still reading, that means you want to continue learning about how you can be an aware ally for all black people! Which is fabulous, so keep exploring this page!

 

  1. Don’t touch her hair, just don’t. I know it's tempting as your hair differs from theirs, however just because it's different doesn’t mean you should reach out and touch it. A simple and respectful comment when you see a black woman with a hairstyle you like would be that 'you like their hair'.

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQzz75yE5A

·       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsEoPWTASAc → A video example of black girls doing their hair, which doesn’t encompass all hair styles or types, but as a white person this video will give you even more reason as to why not to touch her hair… this stuff takes time!

 

  1. Sorry to burst your bubble, but not one black person cares that you as a white person like jerk chicken, eat jerk chicken, or can cook jerk chicken. So please refrain from sharing this fun fact about yourself. Jerk chicken is mostly associated with Jamaica, and other parts of the Caribbean. In fact, the cuisine had origins with the Taino (the indigenous people of what we now call Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), who developed the jerk method and taught it to slaves who then adapted it to create jerk chicken (Siciliano-Rosen, 2014). On that note, not all black people are from the islands. Black people are also not all from Africa (which is a continent and so really, we should all practice identifying the countries within Africa).

·       https://www.britannica.com/topic/jerk-chicken

So, with all the jerk knowledge you now have, let's try to relate to black people because they are humans, and may in fact not care about what you eat but maybe about who you

are.

 

  1. Don’t just assume black people are athletically gifted, in fact some black people don’t like sports. SOME black people can run fast and jump high… but ALL black people are really good at a lot of other things. That being said for the black people that do like sports they DOMINATE …  take football - The NFL's players are 70 percent black; its fans are 83 percent white, according to online sports site The Real GM. Think about those numbers: 83% of fans are white, and 70% of players are black - lets learn about the people we are watching on TV!

·       Black scholars of today: https://thebestschools.org/features/black-scholars-you-should-know/

·       Debunking Race: https://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm

 

  1. Black women are not angry and are not too loud. Women who are black have emotions just like women from other races. They are too, allowed to express the emotions they experience. Unfortunately, through the media black women have been restricted in roles that perpetuate the image of an ‘explosively angry black women’ which consequently has resulted in the negative stereotype that all black women are angry and loud. Let’s move away from this mindset and actively support black women’s feelings, thoughts and emotions.

·       https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2019/05/31/overcoming-the-angry-black-woman-stereotype/#2ca6c6351fce

 

  1. Don’t stare, don’t interpret her body or the way she dresses as provocative. It is not your body, it's not to be judged and her body is none of your business. Sadly, this fascination with the black body is not new. In fact, us white people used to put black people on display.

·       https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/sara-saartjie-baartman

 

Black History (Focused on black history in the Americas):

  1. Black History - this will depend on which area you are looking at and coming from. The black history in the United States is what I will mostly focus on, however you will soon see how black history in the US is a large part of history for all black people. Another important concept to educate yourself on is colonialism, one way to look at the negatives throughout black history and the role that white people played (yes us white people), and how today we are still perpetuating this throughout society, the workplace, the government etc.

·       https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-milestones

 

  1. Black names you need to know.
    1. Gorge Floyd
    2. Ahmaud Arbery
    3. Breanna Taylor
    4. Martin Luther King Jr
    5. Maya Angelou
    6. Malcolm X
    7. Rosa Parks
    8. Myrlie Evers-Williams
    9. Harriet Tubman
    10. Dred and Harriet Scott
    11. Benjamin Banneker
    12. Kobe Bryant
    13. Jesse Owens
    14. Muhammed Ali
    15. James Baldwin
    16. Your black neighbour, co-worker, classmate (learn their name and how to say it).
    17. More:https://theundefeated.com/features/the-undefeated-44-most-influential-black-americans-in-history/#introduction

 

  1. Black people who have previously been enslaved can sometimes still bear the last name of their slave owners. Learn about the history.

·       https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-surname-names-history-heritage-1227-20171221-story.html

·       https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/16/us-slavery-descendants-plantation-mississippi → Descendants of slaves and descendants of slave owners meet.

·       https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2018/11/28/my-ancestor-owned-41-slaves-what-do-i-owe-their-descendants  → A thought-provoking piece, particularly for those that have benefited from slaves (Hint, that's all of us).

 

  1. Why church is a staple to black culture, and why you as a white person need to understand this. Churches were the first source of black land ownership in America.

·       https://aaregistry.org/story/the-black-church-a-brief-history/

·       https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/02/07/5-facts-about-the-religious-lives-of-african-americans/

·       Land ownership in America: https://inequality.org/research/owns-land/

 

 

That brings you to the end of this first resource post… keep your eyes open as there is more to come and more to learn.

 

Remember, many of the issues you’ve learned about here are present in today's society, and it's your duty to become an ally for black people who have historically been alone in the fight.

One way to partake in allyship is to share this resource with 2 other white friends, family members, neighbours, co-workers etc.

 

Please share this with your white friends - let's all do better.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Black parents describe “The Talk” they give to their children about police—Vox. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/2016/8/8/12401792/police-black-parents-the-talk

Black people are not here to teach you: What so many white Americans just can’t grasp | Salon.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.salon.com/2015/04/14/black_people_are_not_here_to_teach_you_what_so_many_white_americans_just_cant_grasp_partner/

Blacks Represent 70 Percent Of NFL Players Fan Base 83 Percent White—RealGM Wiretap. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://football.realgm.com/wiretap/37130/Blacks-Represent-70-Percent-Of-NFL-Players-Fan-Base-83-Percent-White

Boakye, J. (2019, April 13). Smooth, angry, cool, powerful: How we talk about blackness. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/13/smooth-angry-cool-powerful-how-we-talk-about-blackness

CNN, A. by J. B. (n.d.). There’s one epidemic we may never find a vaccine for: Fear of black men in public spaces. CNN. Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/us/fear-black-men-blake/index.html

Editors, H. com. (n.d.). Black History in the United States: A Timeline. HISTORY. Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-milestones

My ancestor owned 41 slaves. What do I owe their descendants? (2018, November 28). America Magazine. https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2018/11/28/my-ancestor-owned-41-slaves-what-do-i-owe-their-descendants

No. You Cannot Touch My Hair! | Mena Fombo | TEDxBristol. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQzz75yE5A

NW, 1615 L. St, Suite 800Washington, & Inquiries, D. 20036USA202-419-4300 | M.-857-8562 | F.-419-4372 | M. (n.d.). 5 facts about blacks and religion in America. Pew Research Center. Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/02/07/5-facts-about-the-religious-lives-of-african-americans/

Overcoming The Angry Black Woman Stereotype. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2019/05/31/overcoming-the-angry-black-woman-stereotype/#3e73ab211fce

RACE - The Power of an Illusion | PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm

Sara “Saartjie” Baartman | South African History Online. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/sara-saartjie-baartman

Siciliano-Rosen, L. (2014). Jerk chicken | food | Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/jerk-chicken

SLAYED HAIRSTYLES AND EDGES COMPILATION 💕😍😍. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsEoPWTASAc

Smooth, angry, cool, powerful: How we talk about blackness | Books | The Guardian. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/13/smooth-angry-cool-powerful-how-we-talk-about-blackness

Staff, T. B. S. (2018, February 22). 25 Black Scholars You Should Know. TheBestSchools.Org. https://thebestschools.org/features/black-scholars-you-should-know/

“The Black Church,” a brief history—African American Registry. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://aaregistry.org/story/the-black-church-a-brief-history/

The unspoken history hidden behind a surname—Chicago Tribune. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-surname-names-history-heritage-1227-20171221-story.html

“This is surreal”: Descendants of slaves and slaveowners meet on US plantation | US news | The Guardian. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/16/us-slavery-descendants-plantation-mississippi

Undefeated, T. (2017, February 9). The Undefeated 44 most influential black Americans in history. The Undefeated. https://theundefeated.com/features/the-undefeated-44-most-influential-black-americans-in-history/

What I am learning from my white grandchildren—Truths about race | Anthony Peterson | TEDxAntioch. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5GCetbP7Fg

Who Owns Almost All America’s Land? - Inequality.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2020, from https://inequality.org/research/owns-land/