Anti-racism Resources to Become a Better Ally

2020 Anti-racism Resources to Become a Better Ally

The killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the unnecessary deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have stirred deep emotions in our communities along with global outcry for change. Many people, including our team members, are filled with rage at injustices, overwhelmed with sadness, moved to action, and are having thoughtful conversations that may make some uncomfortable.

We have paused and taken some time to reflect. This was not a passive pause; our team has been listening, reading, and learning. Our voices are no more important than anyone else’s, but it is crucial that we add our voices to the chorus of those calling for equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

It is not enough to say, “I’m not racist.” We must actively engage in fostering an authentic sense of belonging through the diversity of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, experiences, and the inclusion and equality of people regardless of race, color, or any other number of differences. To be an ally is an ongoing process, and we are committed to do better.

We are gaining perspective by listening to voices, some of which are new to us, on a variety of platforms. Below is a compilation of what we have been listening to, reading, and watching, along with resources to help us support the need for justice, fairness, inclusion, anti-racism and fairness for all.

According to Black Lives Matter activist, Chimwemwe Undi, there is no single right way to be an effective ally, but there is a wrong way. She said, “Anti-racism activism must mean more than hashtags, emojis, and Instagram posts. Becoming an anti-racist is not a self-help endeavor, akin to donating household objects that do not spark joy; it is a political ethos and a political movement. Anti-racism must inform every aspect of your life: the way you hire, the way you vote, the way you act at work and school and brunch.”

Articles to read:

A Crooked Seat at the Table: Black and Alone in an Honors Class | Teaching Tolerance (Oct. 1, 2019)**
A dad posted joyful photos of black fathers to shatter stereotypes. Then it became a movement. | Washington Post (June 19, 2020)
A forgotten feature of the Statue of Liberty is an apt symbol for how we treat our history | Upworthy (July 7, 2020)**
A White Woman, Racism and a Poodle | FranklyWrite (June 1, 2010)*
America Wasn’t a Democracy, Until Black Americans Made It One | New York Times Magazine (August 14, 2019)*
America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us by Adam Serwer | The Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
AP will capitalize the B in Black | Poynter (June 19, 2020)
Attention, Bosses: Here’s How to Design a Diversity Policy That Actually Makes a Difference | Money (June 22, 2020)**
Black and Blue: 190 years of police brutality against Black people in Philadelphia | The Philadelphia Inquirer (July 10, 2020)
CrossFit CEO Steps Down After His Racial Remarks Led Reebok, Others To Cut Ties | NPR (June 9, 2020)*
Diversity in ADR: Time for Another Uncomfortable Conversation| The American Lawyer (August 10, 2020)***
Don’t Talk About It, Be About It: How to Move the Needle on Social Justice | The American Lawyer(June 9, 2020)*
Fact check: Father of modern gynecology performed experiments on enslaved Black women | USA Today (June 19, 2020)*
Firms Turn to Data in Evaluating Inclusion Efforts, Setting Diversity Goals | Law.com/ The Legal Intelligencer (October 17, 2020)*****
Four concrete things that everyone can do to dismantle racism | Upworthy (June 29, 2020)**
George Floyd’s Autopsy and the Structural Gaslighting of America | Scientific American
GirlTrek Uses Black Women’s History To Encourage Walking As A Healing Tradition | NPR (June 16, 2020)*
Goldman Sachs executive’s email making plea for racial equality goes viral at firm | Reuters (June 4, 2020)
Hero Federal Clerk Puts Judge In His Place Over Confederate Monuments | Above the Law (June 16, 2020)*
How the Past Echoes in the Protests: A Historian’s Recommended Reads | Pocket (June 8, 2020)*
How to Manage When Things Are Not Okay (And Haven’t Been For Centuries) | The Management Center*
Howard Levitt: Companies can have dress codes, but they can’t enforce them in racially discriminatory ways | Financial Post (June 30, 2020)**
I tried not to be an ‘angry black woman’ in the suburbs. But I have reasons to be angry. | Perspective | Philadelphia Inquirer (June 19, 2020)*
If we aren’t addressing racism, we aren’t addressing trauma | ASCD (June 5, 2020)*
In Harlem, a Group of Black Men Pays Their Respects to George Floyd in Impeccable Style | Vogue (June 6, 2020)*
Kerry Washington Won’t Teach Her Kids That Black History Started With Slavery | Buzzfeed (June 10, 2020)*
Look at how differently a Mississippi newspaper covered stories about Black and White suspects | Upworth (June 29, 2020)
Maintaining Professionalism In the Age of Black Death Is … A Lot | Medium (May 28, 2020)
Medical student creates handbook on how conditions appear on darker skin | Daily Mail (July 7, 2020)***
Meet the Hidden Architect Behind America’s Racist Economics | Institute for New Economic Thinking (May 30, 2018)*
Merriam-Webster Is Changing The Definition Of Racism To Reflect Systemic Oppression | Forbes (June 11, 2020)*
My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant by Jose Antonio Vargas | NYT Mag (June 22, 2011)
New Data on Racial Disparities in Lawyer Hiring Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for the Profession | Law.com/ The Legal Intelligencer (October 21, 2020)*****
Newsrooms updates to style guide entries related to race are heartening, but far from comprehensive | Poynter (July 2, 2020)**
Racist Language and Origins I Didn’t Always Know | Gina Rubel (September 10, 2020)****
Reflections from a Token Black Friend | Medium (June 4, 2020)
NFL On Kneeling Players’ Protests: ‘We Were Wrong,’ Commissioner Says | NPR (June 5, 2020)
Over 125 Firms Have Joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance | The American Lawyer (June 24, 2020)*
Overcoming systemic racism begins in our own newsrooms | Poynter (June 26, 2020)**
Smithsonian’s Leader Says ‘Museums Have a Social Justice Role to Play’ | The New York Times (July 2, 2020)**
Talking ‘The Talk’: Words Seem Futile When Videos Speak for Themselves | Law.com (June 2, 2020)
Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups developed by Craig Elliott PhD
The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine
The Best Diversity Sections on Law Firm Websites | Great Jakes (September 3, 2020)****
The Colorblind Patent System and Black Inventors | American Bar Association (2019)*
The Combahee River Collective Statement
The Intersectionality Wars by Jane Coaston | Vox (May 28, 2019)
This city disbanded its police department 7 years ago. Here’s what happened next (June 9, 2020)*
To white organizational leaders, silence is violence: Here’s what you should do now |Generocity (June 1, 2020)
Uncomfortable, Necessary Conversations – Muhlenberg College Athletics | Muhlenberg College*
Your Bookshelf May Be Part Of The Problem |NPR (June 6, 2020)
We need to talk about how media and creatives portray Black people | Fast Company (June 4, 2020)
What an Anti-Racist Business Strategy Looks Like | Harvard Business Review (November 30, 2020)*******
Who Were the Freedom Riders? | The New York Times (July 18, 2020)***
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
Why I Resist Casual Friday and Other Thoughts on Diversity and Inclusion: A Black Partner’s Perspective | The American Lawyer (June 8, 2020)*
Why Inclusive Leaders Are Good for Organizations, and How to Become One | Harvard Business Review (March 29, 2019)****
Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
10 common phrases that are actually racist AF | UP WORTHY (2/4/19)*
117 Firms Seek Certification in Latest Round of ‘Mansfield Rule’ Diversity Initiative | The American Lawyer (July 2, 2020)**

Books to read:

A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Accountability and Opportunity in Higher Education: The Civil Rights Dimension by Gary Orfield and Nicholas W. Hillman, ed.*************
African American Males in Higher Education Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities by Patricia A. Mitchell*****
An African American and LatinX History of the United States by Paul Ortiz*****
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza*******
Baratunde’s World-Saving Books*****
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Being Black, Being Male on Campus: Understanding and Confronting Black Male Collegiate Experiences by Derrick R. Brooms************
Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces by Karen Catlin
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates*
Beyond Retention: Cultivating Spaces of Equity, Justice, and Fairness for Women of Color in U.S. Higher Education Edited by Brenda Louise Hammett Marina and Sabrina Ross******
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt*
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
Black Youth Rising: Activism and Radical Healing in Urban America by Shawn Ginwright*
Blackballed: The Black Vote and US Democracy by Darryl Pinckney
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald*
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine*
Class and Campus Life: Managing and Experiencing Inequality at an Elite College by Elizabeth M. Lee*****
Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and Practice by Malcom-Piqueux, Lindsey E., and Estela Mara Bensimon***
Courageous Conversations about Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools by Glenn E. Singleton*
Counternarratives from Women of Color Academics: Bravery, Vulnerability, and Resistance Edited by Manya Catrice Whitaker and Eric Anthony Grollman*******
Critical Approaches to Women and Gender in Higher Education by Pamela Lynn Eddy, Kelly Ward, and Tehmina Khwaja, ed.***********
Degrees of Difference: Women, Men, and the Value of Higher Education by Nancy S. Niemi****
Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision (Gender and American Culture) by Barbara Ransby*
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real About Race in School by Mica Pollock*
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Grateful Nation: Student Veterans and the Rise of the “Military-Friendly” Campus by Ellen Moore***********
Half and Half: Writers on Growing up Biracial and Bicultural by Claudine C. O’Hearn******
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
How to be an Anti-racist by Ibram X. Kendi*
How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide by Crystal Marie Fleming***
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin*
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown*
Inclusive Leadership: Negotiating Gendered Spaces edited by Sujana Adapa and Alison Sheridan**********
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Killing Rage Ending Racism by Bell Hooks
Language, Race, and Power in Schools: A Critical Discourse Analysis by Pierre W. Orelus*****
Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture by Ed Morales***
Leading Educational Change: Global Issues, Challenges, and Lessons on Whole-System Reform by Helen Janc Malone******
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen
Malcolm X, The Autobiography of as told by Alex Haley
More Courageous Conversations About Race by Glenn E. Singleton, James P. Comer*
Multiplication is for White People: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children by Lisa Delpit*
Nobody by Marc Lamaont Hill
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique Morris*
Police Brutality: An Anthology by Jill Nelson*
Privilege, Power, and Difference by Allan G. Johnson****
R.A.C.E. Mentoring Through Social Media: Black and Hispanic Scholars Share Their Journey in the Academy edited by Donna Y. Ford, Michelle Trotman Scott, and Ramon B. Goings, ed.**********
Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
Safe Enough to Soar: Accelerating Trust, Inclusion, and Collaboration in the Workplace by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz****
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi*
Stories from the Front of the Room: How Higher Education Faculty of Color Overcome Challenges and Thrive in the Academy by Michelle Harris, Sherrill L. Sellers, Orly Clerge, and Frederick W. Gooding Jr.***
Teaching for Critical Thinking: Tools and Techniques to Help Students Question Their Assumptions by Stephen Brookfield**********
Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom : Notes from a White Professor by Cyndi Kernahan********
Teaching Race: How to Help Students Unmask and Challenge Racism by Stephen Brookfield***********
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Complete Academic Search Manual: A Systematic Approach to Successful and Inclusive Hiring by Harriette J. Royer and Lauren A. Vicker*****
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Minoritisation of Higher Education Students: An Examination of Contemporary Policies and Practice by Ruth Mieschbuehler********
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
The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students by Anthony Abraham Jack*******
The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy by William J. Wilson*******
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherrie Moraga (Various editions)
Truth Without Tears: African American Women Deans Share Lessons in Leadership by Carolyn R. Hodges and Olga M. Welch***
Understanding Inclusion: Core Concepts, Policy and Practice by Richard Woolley*****
Waking Up White by Debby Irving
Women, Race & Class by Angela Davis***********
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Bettina Love*
When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do by Claude Steele*
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson*
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
Why We Lost the ERA by Jane J. Mansbridge*************

People and Organizations to follow on social media:

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)* Twitter| Instagram | Facebook
Antiracism Center: Twitter
Black Lives Matter Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Black Women’s Blueprint: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Brittany Packnett Cunningham Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Campaign Zero: Instagram | Facebook
Color Of Change: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Colorlines: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Families Belong Together: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
GirlTrek Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Marshall Project* Twitter | Facebook
The National Bail Out (NBO)* Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Obama Foundation 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
Unicorn Riot* Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Podcasts to listen to:

1619 (New York Times)
About Race hosted by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Code Switch (NPR)
Confronting Implicit Biases (WHYY)*****
How To Citizen hosted by Baratunde Thurston*****
In Black America (NPR)
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness*
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
Still Processing (Kaepernick)
Truth Be Told hosted by Tonya Mosley
Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man by Emmanuel Acho**
United States of Anxiety
‘Wilmington’s Lie’ Author Traces The Rise Of White Supremacy In A Southern City***
Navigating Fertility and Adoption Laws Around the World for Same-Sex Couples with Sharna Cáceres*************

TV series and films to watch:

13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
Coming together: Stand up to Racism Available on CNN and Sesame Street
Crime + Punishment – YouTube
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 for free in June in the U.S.
King In The Wilderness — HBO
See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
Time: The Kalief Browder Story – Nextflix
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

* indicates additions to the list in June 2020.

** indicates additions to the list in July 2020.

*** indicates additions to the list in August 2020.

**** indicates additions to the list in September 2020.

***** indicates additions to the list in October 2020.

******indicates additions to the list in November 2020.

*******indicates additions to the list in December 2020.

********indicates additions to the list in January 2021.

*********indicates additions to the list in February 2021.

**********indicates additions to the list in March 2021.

***********indicates additions to the list in April 2021.

************indicates additions to the list in May 2021.

*************indicates additions to the list in June 2021.

At Furia Rubel, we are committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. More specifically, we believe in fostering an authentic sense of belonging through the diversity of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, experiences, and the inclusion and equality of people regardless of their gender identity, race, color, sexual orientation, language, national origin, religion, disability, or age. In addition to supporting the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, Furia Rubel is an anti-racism and anti-discrimination organization. To read our full commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, read What We Stand For.

We hope the resources listed here are helpful. We look forward to adding to this list and we welcome additional resources and perspectives.

For more DE&I resources, please visit our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Anti-Racism Resource Center.

2020 Anti-racism Resources to Become a Better Ally

Articles to read:

Books to read:

Podcasts to listen to:

TV series and films to watch:

Videos to watch:

Websites to check out and read:

Looking for more anti-racism resources? Here are some lists to get you started.

Ready to take action? Here are ways to get started.

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