Whether your city has begin to reopen or you’re still under a stay at home order, our team has rounded up a few ways that you can learn about social issues this week. Read on for ways to educate yourself on racial justice, feminism, and sexual assault awareness.
Listen to NPR’s Code Switch Podcast
Specifically, check out the May 6th episode, “What does ‘Hood Feminism Mean for A Pandemic’?”
Code Switch is a fantastic and incredibly informative podcast from NPR focusing on race, and how it impacts “every part of society–from politics and pop culture, to history, sports, and everything in between”. Right now, the injustices and violence that Black Americans face are at the forefront of the national conversation. I believe that it’s essential that white people like myself educate ourselves on how to be effective allies to communities of color, and that we take initiative to educate ourselves and others. All of Code Switch’s episodes are important listening, and I found that the episode from May 6th was especially important to hear during the pandemic. Nikki Kendall, author of the book Hood Feminism: Notes from Women that a Movement Forgot discusses how modern, white-centered feminism has largely failed communities of color, and how visible that has become during COVID-19. Kendall describes how mainstream feminist movements have centered around middle-class white women, and have left the needs of low-income communities of color, such as medical care and housing, out of the conversation. As someone interested in gender studies and who considers myself a “feminist”, this podcast helped me to have a better understanding of how moving forward, feminist movements must address intersectional and systemic issues that disproportionately impact low income women of color, such as housing inequality, medical discrimination, and raising the minimum wage.
Eve
Watch The Hate U Give (2018)
Based on the novel by Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a black teenager, as she code-switches between her two contrasting worlds – the low-income, black neighborhood that she lives in, and the wealthy, white prep school that she attends. While she has been coached by her loving father on what to do if ever stopped by the police, she is untouched by the forces of institutional racism until one day, she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend by a police officer. Both her worlds collide as the young girl of sixteen tries to wield the civic power the system has always stripped her of. This is a deeply emotional film that explores racial inequality, racism and police brutality, typically through exchanges between father and daughter. It culminates in the awakening of a Starr who will not let the status quo go unchallenged, as she decides to stand up to the unjust system.
This is a powerful movie to watch if you, like me, are looking for ways to educate yourself on the black experience in America, so that you can be a better ally to the community. A well-written teenage drama, it is also the perfect film to show your younger siblings and cousins to start a conversation about race and why the Black Lives Matter movement is necessary.
Pragya
Set Goals for How to Actively Be Anti-Racist in Your Future
Continue to stand up for action to be creating goals of long-lasting changes you can make going forward to be actively anti-racist. Make sure you read Annabelle’s article on immediate action you can take on getting justice for George Floyd to get you started. But, don’t let this response be the end of it or let this movement fizzle out without real change. Set goals for yourself in areas where you want to better educate yourself and actions you can take. This article lists some great reads and also promotes businesses owned by people of color to support. Don’t let an instagram story or a post on social media be the end of your action. Vote, read, have difficult conversations with friends and families, and actively be reflecting on yourself and your actions and the ways your identity (whether that’s race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) give you certain privileges in life and ways you can use your privilege to actively support and engage minority groups. If this weekend has taught us anything, it’s that people are angry and more prepared than ever for change, and it’s going to take a village of all of us fighting for that change beyond when the protests end and something else takes over the news cycle.
Kelly
Watch Rise Above: How Amanda Nguyen Used Her Sexual Assault to Help Millions
“The worst thing that happened to me wasn’t being raped. It was being betrayed by a broken criminal justice system.” MONEY’s documentary on Amanda Nguyen’s journey to becoming a beacon of light for millions of survivors has been nominated for this year’s Emmy Awards. This piece outlines her efforts in penning the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, a piece of legislation that was unanimously passed in 2016, as well as in her leadership with founding the non-profit organization Rise. The impetus for her activism was finding out that, after her own rape in 2013, rape kits can be destroyed within a certain amount of time if an extension request is not filed. Finding a lack of clarity in instructions for filing for an extension as well as an unfairness in the resulting reminder of trauma that filing for an extension would bring, Nguyen embarked on her journey of protecting the rights of sexual assault and rape survivors. Watching this documentary, I was inspired by Nguyen’s courage in spotlighting the flaws in legislation and in speaking up about such a stigmatized issue despite systemic and social obstacles. In addition to advocating for the civil rights of survivors, she uses her organization as a social movement accelerator to uplift other initiatives such as the gun violence prevention campaign ZeroUSA, which was founded in response to the Parkland School Shooting.
Yuna
Learn from the Equal Justice Initiative
You’ve probably heard of attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy. Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit committed to ending mass incarceration and challenging racial injustice in the United States. Through legal representation and public education, EJI is challenging the death penalty and excessive punishment. Their website has articles and resources to educate about the legacy of racism in America; this is a good place to start. You can also donate to support EJI. If you haven’t, watch the film adaptation of Just Mercy.
Alexa
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