Confronting White Supremacy
"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." - Ida B. Wells
In this week’s bulletin, we’ll tiptoe into the thorny, painful issue of White supremacy in the U.S. today and provide resources for education and evolution. - Amber & Katie
A painful truth was spelled out in headlines and shooter manifestos this summer: White supremacist ideology in America is real and deadly. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that hate group numbers are reaching all-time highs. Since September 11, 2001, the government has recorded three times as many attacks on Americans by far-right domestic terrorists as by Islamic extremists. Threats and violence increase, as does dehumanizing propaganda (like calling immigrants “invaders”).
These extreme manifestations are just the tip of the iceberg. White supremacy is both an individual worldview and a social system; the dominance of whiteness is upheld and reinforced at the expense of other groups. It's the legacy of a culture that has terrorized people of color in America for over 400 years. (Though schools struggle to teach students about colonization and slavery, and we often don't recognize its true generational impact.) Today, racial bias is still normalized in culture and codified into laws. It manifests in everything from language to geography to health outcomes. In just one of many examples, the American Academy of Pediatrics now says that racism impacts childhood development.
If there is ever a hope that America can be free and fair for everyone, we need to confront racism in culture and institutions. And--this one’s for white folks--do some listening and learning about White supremacy, past and present.
Liz Kleinrock is ready to take us to class. Liz is the award-winning anti-bias educator and consultant behind Teach and Transform who creates diversity, equity, and inclusion education for youth and adults. “We are not born racist,” Liz writes, “however we are born into a racist society. The choices we make every day either work to uphold or dispel racism.” Her 2019 TED Talk about teaching kids to discuss taboo topics is insightful and instructive for educators (or any of us.) Similarly, her article Destigmatizing Privilege breaks down how to understand, identify and use privilege with fourth graders (or any of us.) She keeps up a reading list for adults and children on her website. You can support her work on Patreon or follow on Instagram.
Buy these books by Black authors: “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo, and “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) developed by the Project Implicit research group “measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report.” Take an IAT on a variety of bias topics. We recommend starting with race.
Parents can get tips on Talking to Children About Racial Bias (and confronting their own) from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Watch Brittany Packnett give advice on how to be an ally, accomplice or co-conspirator against racism.
Quiz your knowledge of American slavery via the Southern Poverty Law Center. After getting your score, you can sign a statement of support to “teach the hard history we’ve all inherited [and] encourage the leaders in [your] state to make quality teaching about American slavery a priority.”
Join the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect in advocating for mandatory holocaust and genocide education in schools in all 50 states to ensure every American student learns about the dangers of ideologies like White supremacy.
Follow The New York Times’ 1619 Project, a major initiative observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. Listen to their weekly podcast on your commute.
Familiarize yourself with The Movement for Black Lives, their members, policy demands and ways to join the fight.
Start a conversation: forward this bulletin to a friend.
Find us on Instagram @LinkedandLoud to connect and take action together.
References
5 Things You Should Know About Racism by Franchesca Ramsey | MTV Decoded
Outrage, expressions of support for Rep. Ilhan Omar after 'send her back' chant at Trump rally | USA TODAY
Opinion: I Felt Safe in America. Until El Paso. | The New York Times
Hate groups reach record high | Southern Poverty Law Center
Inside the Government, Addressing Domestic Terrorism Has Been Fraught | The New York Times
How the Trail of American White Supremacy Led to El Paso | The New Yorker
Schools still struggling with how to teach about slavery | AP News
Holocaust Is Fading From Memory, Survey Finds | The New York Times
Mainstream Politics Long Has Traded On Fear Of A Non-White America | NPR
The Second Amendment Has Always Been a Tool of White Supremacy | Teen Vogue
The Impact of Racism on Children’s Health | The New York Times
TED Talk: How to Teach Kids About Taboo Topics | Liz Kleinrock
Destigmatizing Privilege | Teaching Tolerance
The 1619 Project | The New York Times
Linked & Loud illuminates complex problems and connects readers with the individuals and organizations working to solve them. Each week, we go beyond horrifying headlines to empower readers to take progressive action.