FRIED PICKLEZ - Anti-Racist Resources (books, movies, people to follow)

As a Black woman, the Black Lives Matter movement has been instilled in me my whole life but especially after the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. I remember hearing about it like it was yesterday and it gives me chills to think about the lack of progress and tens of thousands of Black men, women, trans people, non-binary people, and children that have been murdered in the following 8 years. The beginning of quarantine was difficult for me, not only was I trying to finish my last semester of college while being separated from my friends and life in Connecticut, but I was terrified of the unknown just like everyone else. After the murder of George Floyd, there was a flame lit in people all over the world. It’s not that the murder of Black people hadn’t affected me before but this one truly changed the trajectory of the rest of my quarantine.

I have always spoken out about racial injustice, police brutality, and similar issues. I dedicated my college experience to studying Sociology which not only enhanced my interest in these issues but equipped me with the knowledge to intellectually and factually combat them and how to properly drag racist internet trolls lmfao. What I think has been different about these past months of Black Lives Matter than the previous years is that most people have more time to learn about and participate in the current conversations because their life is at a halt. People are usually being pulled in different directions during their day to day life and dont have time to discuss these topics if they don’t directly concern them. I am not making that excuse, but that’s definitely what most people would say…

I have been very active on social media during this time posting resources, news, tweets, (my stories have literally looked like needlepoint) more than ever because I was home with no other responsibilities and I feel as though a lot of other people share that sentiment. This movement in the past months has been bigger than ever. I have seen people post about BLM that are usually silent, people donating their money and time, out protesting even in the middle of a global pandemic, and overall for the most part trying to do better. Of course, I still see some of my followers and tons of celebrities staying silent, but I know those people are not worth my time anyway. It’s those that were silent and have been silent previously that are now learning and reaching out on tips of what they can do that is making me notice this shift. The number of messages I received from people that I hadn’t even spoken to before showing their support for me, the movement, and just offering their services made me believe that there could be significant change coming.

Let me digress…all of that is just say that during this time I have encountered many great resources in support of these causes. My best friend and I even designed an infographic ourselves on how to have conversations during this time with people who have different views. Even though there are great resources out there, they are sometimes hard to find in one place so I thought I would share some I have found in a more concise place for others to share.

On that note, I leave you all with this: Do Better. Do More. Do Something that will make you proud later and the kin that come after you. The question I keep asking myself is, ‘Will I be proud to tell my grandchildren about what I did in 2020 to contribute to positive change?” and fortunately right now that answer is Yes.

Below there are over 200 recommendations of different resources such as books, movies, people to follow, places to donate easily accessible. I can’t go into detail about all of them but I have started the work for you and I trust you to take it from here…

Thank you,

-Victoria

Books to Read: (Make sure to purchase from a Black-Owned Bookstore)

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
How To Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X Kendi
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Renni Eddo-Lodge
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality by Thomas M. Shapiro
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
No Tea, No Shade: New Writings in Black Queer Studies by E. Patrick Johnson
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
What Does It Mean To Be White: Developing White Racial Literacy by Robin DiAngelo
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of Medical Gynecology by Deirdre Cooper Owens
Black and British by David Olusoga
The War on Kids: How American Juvenile Justice Lost its Way by Cara H. Drinan
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and Vashti Harrison
Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh
Enough! 20 Protestors Who Changed America by Emily Easton