#BlackLivesMatter: The Courage to Speak Out

In this episode we pay attention to the deep and traumatic roots of Black Lives Matter and unpack the layers of how to respond effectively as individuals and within communities. I dialogue with mental health professional, Ornge trauma team lead and anti-racism trainer, Tom Walker. After the murder of George Floyd the public outcry continues to be a powerful voice that is awakening the world to the injustice of systemic racism that so many have turned their backs on for too long.   At this critical moment while witnessing continued acts of social injustice and violence against Persons of Color – it is important that we take pause to understand what it means to Bear Witness while engaging in right action moving toward meaningful solutions. I am personally in awe of the continued courage and persistence of those directly participating in the Black Lives Matter protests happening in the U.S. and around the world. Those who are putting their voices and actions forward, are speaking out clearly about what has to change in our perceptions, in our daily actions and in the way we create societies that will truly respect and include everyone with dignity and equality. It is no doubt, hard for many to focus and listen deeply to the painful voices of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. There is much shame in "white privilege" and there is longing for some to turn away. It is important to address one's own views and be uncomfortable with the reality of racism in our lives. This is the moment to grapple with the reality of our inaccurate perception of being "nice normal folks, in a nice normal world".  This is simply not always true, and with this limited perspective we may fail to see the experiences of friends, neighbours and colleagues that are confronted with racism every day. We discuss and explore: Why #Black lives Matter accurately represents the issue and Why "All Lives Matter" phase is a distraction. What #Defund the Police, actually means and how it could benefit all including policing services.  Michael Moore does a great job explaining this. Also related is "8 Anti-Racism Policing Policies that cannot wait". What the Anti-Racism Experts like Reni Eddo-Lodge, Robin DeAngelo, and Resmaa Menakem (author of Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence" ongoing.org) have to say. What White Fragility is (Robin DeAngelo coined the phrase) and knowing when it strikes. Using "Love, Kindness and Wisdom" to help us through this. Resmaa Menakem provides incredibly meaningful guidance on this. Why Anitifa is NOT the same as #Black Lives Matter and why you need to know this. Anti-Racism Resources: Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:   Books: Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults Podcasts: Parenting Forward podcast episode 'Five Pandemic Parenting Lessons with Cindy Wang Brandt'  Fare of the Free Child podcast Articles: PBS's Teaching Your Child About Black History Month The Conscious Kid: follow them on Instagram and consider signing up for their Patreon   Articles to read:   "America's Racial Contract Is Killing Us" by Adam Serwer | Atlantic (May 8, 2020)   Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement (Mentoring a New Generation of Activists    "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" by Jose Antonio Vargas | NYT Mag (June 22, 2011)    The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine    The Combahee River Collective Statement    "The Intersectionality Wars" by Jane Coaston | Vox (May 28, 2019)    Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups developed by Craig Elliott PhD    "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Knapsack Peggy McIntosh     "Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?" by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)   Videos to watch: Black Feminism & the Movement for Black Lives: Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers (50:48) "How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion" | Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26)   Podcasts to subscribe to:   1619 (New York Times)    About Race Code Switch (NPR)        Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw     Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast             Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)          Pod Save the People (Crooked Media)            Seeing White   Books to read:   Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou   Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold Redefining Realness by Janet Mock  Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson  White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD Films and TV series to watch: 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix         American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix        Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent         Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent             Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix              Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent          I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy            If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu              Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent               King In The Wilderness  — HBO        See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix             Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent        The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent  The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax         When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix Organizations to follow on social media:   Antiracism Center: Twitter        Audre Lorde Project: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook     Black Women's Blueprint: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook          Color Of Change: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook              Colorlines: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook        The Conscious Kid: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook           Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook               Families Belong Together: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook          The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook             MPowerChange: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook                Muslim Girl: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook              NAACP: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook             National Domestic Workers Alliance: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook RAICES: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook           Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook     SisterSong: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook              United We Dream: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook More anti-racism resources to check out:   75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice Anti-Racism Project Jenna Arnold's resources (books and people to follow) Rachel Ricketts' anti-racism resources Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism Save the Tears: White Woman's Guide by Tatiana Mac Showing Up For Racial Justice's educational toolkits "Why is this happening?" — an introduction to police brutality from 100 Year Hoodie Zinn Education Project's teaching materials