I am no expert. I do not have all the answers. But I know when I see people in pain. I know when I see people hurting. And I know that I need to do better. I need to be better. My husband and I have been talking about what are actually going to do. What tangible ways are we going to combat racism. I cannot sit on the sidelines and make blanket statements about how terrible things are, but take no part in changing it. I have three boys that will grow into men, and need them to know, #blacklivesmatter, they have a responsibility to be active bystanders when they see injustice.

I spent many years working on issues of bullying prevention, domestic and teen dating violence. When conducting trainings, we explained that aggressive and power seeking behavior is learned. And here’s the shocker, those with bullying behavior do not have low self esteem. They, in fact, feel pretty darn good about themselves. Power and control feels good. And when your behavior is rarely, if ever, checked, it will continue. Teaching children from a young age to actively engage when they see people being treated unfairly is a part of the path to raising children that are anti-racism. Developing skills like empathy and a sense of justice will help create anti-racist adults.

In discussing how messages about race-based privilege and oppression are internalized, Tatum provides a powerful metaphor. She explains that in the same way residents who live in highly polluted areas cannot avoid becoming “smog breathers,” Americans who are immersed in the structures and practices of white supremacy unwittingly become “racism breathers” (6). Many of us may not realize the degree to which these toxic beliefs shape our perceptions and experiences of the world. Unless we have opportunities to unlearn racism, these messages become absorbed and have consequences.

NAEYC

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empathy

Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human. It’s a foundation for acting ethically, for good relationships of many kinds, for loving well, and for professional success. And it’s key to preventing bullying and many other forms of cruelty.

Making Care Common Project by Harvard Graduate School of Education

See here for the entire article

Books for kids

Articles

Education and Resources for White Allies

Education

  • On The Media Podcast: Boiling Point
    • “Protestors are expressing outrage over police brutality while the president is threatening violence against them on Twitter. We follow how this latest chapter of unrest follows generations of pain, and how the Karen meme is shedding light on racism and entitlement during the pandemic. Plus: how do we get to a better place? And, Bob examines Twitter’s efforts to address Trump’s use of the platform.”
  • Code Switch Podcast: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die
    • “We invited Jamil Smith, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, to read from an essay that he wrote at the New Republic more than five years ago, titled “What Does Seeing Black Men Die Do For You?” The essay is still hauntingly resonant today, as camera-phone videos of black people being killed by police circulate the internet. And it’s a reminder that so much and so little has changed. Since January 1, 2015, 1,252 black people have been shot and killed by police, according to the Washington Post’s database tracking police shootings; that doesn’t even include those who died in police custody or were killed using other methods.”
  • School Colors Podcast
    • “School Colors is a documentary podcast from Brooklyn Deep about how race, class, and power shape American cities and schools. We follow generations of parents and educators fighting for their children in a rapidly changing Black neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.”
  • Twin Cities Public Television: Jim Crow of the North – Full-Length Documentary
  • Free Hugs Project Documentary:  ‘Called to the Front Lines’
    • “’Called to the Front Lines’ gives an in-depth look at the mission and objective of the Free Hugs Project. Experience the 1992 Los Angeles riots, 2016 Charlotte riots, and 2017 Trump Inauguration uprising through Ken’s lens as he acknowledges the past to create a path for peace in the future.”

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other

A show that I love the boys watching is Xaviar Riddle and the Secret Museum. “The series involves Xavier Riddle with his sister Yadina Riddle and their friend Brad. In each episode, a problem or difficulty is encountered. They go to the Secret Museum, to time travel to the past, to observe, interact, and learn from the historical heroes. They then return to the present, and use their experience to solve the problem.” Wikipedia

donate

Donate & Support

Memorial: 

  • Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
    • Organizers at the site have asked for the following donations: packing tape, staple guns/staples, plastic sheets that can cover/protect cards, posters, and memorial items if it rains, water, snacks (like granola bars), bungee cords

Community Funds:

  • Women for Political Change Mutual Aid Fund
    • “This fund provides $200 payments to women and trans & non-binary folks under the age of 30. Priority is given to folks who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other people of color), queer, trans, sick or disabled, undocumented, or unemployed.”
  • Minnesota Freedom Fund
    • “The Minnesota Freedom Fund pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.”
  • Neighbors United Funding Collaborative
    • “An initiative of Neighbors United Funding Collaborative serving the Union Park and Hamline Midway Neighborhoods.”
  • Headwaters Foundation
    • “Our mission is: Amplify the power of community to advance equity and justice.”
  • Philando Castile Relief Foundation
    • “The Philando Castile Relief Foundation was established to help victims ​who have been affected by gun violence and police violence.  Our goal and our mission is to lend a helping hand to those in their time of need and also to add a little relief during your time of grief.  We also help the St.Paul and Minneapolis MN school districts pay off negative school lunch balances.”
  • Division of Indian Work
  • Minneapolis Foundation
    • “The Minneapolis Foundation to Deploy an Additional $500,000 in Safe Communities Grants in Aftermath of George Floyd’s Death.  Funding will support efforts to address systemic inequities and translate community anger into actions that repair the city.”

Community-Based Organizations

Youth-serving organizations:

Black-Owned Businesses:

Support for Small Business/Places to Shop

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