Anti-Racism 404
Anti-Racism 404 is devoted to other topics necessary to better understand anti-racism. These topics are often easier to understand having done the research and learning from the previous lessons. Please remember that these resources and lessons are not a tell-all about racism and how to fight it- racism exists in other places. Please continue doing your own research and prioritize listening to the voices of people of color and other marginalized communities. Practice kindness and read/learn from materials online instead of starting an argument or debate with a person of color.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a term that describes the way different issues experienced by marginalized communities intersect and influence each other. It's the concept that "the concept that all oppression is linked and people are often disadvantaged by multiple sources of oppression: their race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion, just to name a few" (GWU).
Diversifying Your Consumption
Work on diversifying the media you consume, whether that be podcasts, social media, movies, etc. Make an effort to consume more media created by people of color, and work on understanding the issues people of color experience.
Movie Lists:
Podcasts:
Black Lives Matter
This section aims to explain Black Lives Matter, or BLM for short, and why it remains a necessary part of activism.
BLM emerged in 2013 after a black man named Trayvon Martin was murdered, and his killer was acquitted (found not guilty). There have been many BLM protests since then, and there is a misunderstanding that the meaning of these words is that only black lives matter, or that we should only care about black lives- instead, it voices a necessary opinion that black lives and issues faced by black people need focused on, especially when it comes to issues like police brutality.
Social Media Recommendations
Follow social justice and activism accounts like @blklivesmatter, @mvmnt4blklives, @giveachancetoachild, @blacklivesmattergrassroots, @actionagainsthunger, @the.trauma.educator, @unstoppablyher, @indigenousintentions, @landpalestine, @communityastherapy, @decolonizemyself, etc. There are many social justice accounts, and as you engage with and follow them more will be recommended to you.
Please do NOT go to these pages and try to start a debate, use them as a resource for broadening your understanding of the world and the issues people of color face by listening and learning.
Colorism
"Colorism refers to the social hierarchy that privileges individuals with lighter skin tones over those with darker skin tones, even within the same racial or ethnic group. This phenomenon transcends mere preference; it encompasses systemic discrimination, bias, and prejudice based on skin tone. Colorism can manifest in various contexts, including media representation, workplace dynamics, and interpersonal relationships, significantly affecting individuals’ opportunities and self-esteem" (Oxford Review).
"Its legacy is evident in forums as public as the television and movie industries, which prefer to cast light-skinned people of color, and as private as the internalized thoughts of some Latino, South-Asian or black parents who hope their babies grow up light-skinned so their lives will be “just a little bit easier”" (L4J).
More Resources
African American Vernacular English (AAVE)
- UH - Background and Info
- Glossary
Colorism
IN PROGRESS