BLACK EQUALITY FUND TOOLKIT
Before action comes learning.
This toolkit was created to empower us with the knowledge, understanding, and vocabulary of the topics most be discussed right now so that we can be a part of the conversation.
KEY LEARNINGS
Social Justice
The concept that there should be fair and just relations between the individual and society. Generally social justice is measured by how wealth, opportunities, and social privileges are distributed, and is conscious that there are some groups who are continuously unjustly and unequally treated due to prejudice in societal structures. Social Justice asserts that justice goes beyond principles of law, and must be applied to all aspects of our social society.
Systemic Racism
Systemic Racism speaks to the ways that racism is entrenched into systems of power and institutions, such as policies and practices, that lead to the exclusion of radicalized groups. When systems of power and institutions are founded on histories of racism, and pillars that continue to uphold them, the existence of systemic racism cannot be denied.
White Supremacy
The ideology that white people should have dominance over people of other backgrounds, that their culture, practices, and just general existence is superior to that of anyone else. Literally anything that has come out of colonialism was built on a system of white supremacy. White supremacy is the deeply entrenched form of racism that runs through any colonized society, and coats the actions of those who operate in it.
Anti-Black Racism
Anti-Black racism is racism directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and colonization. Anti-Black racism involves but is not limited to attitudes, beliefs, discrimination, micro-aggressions, prejudice and stereotyping that stem from the belief that Black people are somehow inferior.
Solidarity
The awareness of, and act of standing in unity and agreement with certain ideals, interests, objectives, standards, or movements. Used in a sentence “In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the LAPD moved to defund the police.” Structural Racism: Referring to the deep rooted, complex and overlapping systems by which racism was developed, how it is maintained, and the ways it continues to be protected. Structural racism includes how racial inequity, discrimination, and violence are entrenched into policies, practices, and cultural representations.
Police Brutality
Legally defined as a civil rights violation, police brutality describes the use of excessive and/or unnecessary force by law enforcement personnel. But considering qualified immunity, who really gets to decide what constitutes excessive? It certainly doesn't seem to be the people that brutality is inflicted on, or the community who witness it.
Police Reform
Police reform involves implementing changes and policies into systems and structures of policing such as implicit bias trainings, the introduction of body cameras, and the banning of chokeholds. A lot of the pillars that police reform advocates for have been enacted in cities across the US including Minneapolis, Louisville, and New York without yielding the necessary change. so, while reform might sound like a viable solution, it’s pretty clear that it doesn’t actually fix or solve the larger problems or systemic issues.
Privilege
To benefit from, or be favored by the unequal social structures and institutions our society is founded on. You can hold certain privileged identities, while still experiencing marginalization from other identities, to understand a bit more about what the means, see 'intersectionality' below.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality refers to the interconnected experiences of identity and social categories such as race, gender, sexuality, and economic status. It reminds us that identities and experiences are complex, that they have varying degrees of privilege and discrimination, advantage and disadvantage, that we all hold a multitude of identities and experiences simultaneously.
Intergenerational Trauma
Intergenerational trauma speaks to how individual experiences of trauma can be passed along through generational lines. The trauma, oppression, and marginalization that someone’s grandparents might have experienced, can directly impact their grandparents. The issues that stem from white supremacy need to be uprooted and addressed in order to create space for present and future generations and communities to heal.
Micro Aggression
Micro aggressions are a particular form of discrimination that show up as remarks, questions, or actions that stem from negative stereotypes or unconscious bias held against a group of people. They’re often presented very casually, and frequently, making them everyday experiences of harm that are unfortunately normalized.
These definitions were collected from Power Speaks Collective. For an exhaustive list of key learnings, click here.
DEEPER LEARNINGS
Things Ibram X Kendi wants you to know about anti-racism
Read
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
One incredible reading list and another incredible reading list!
Watch
Ibram X. Kendi on racism vs anti-racism
“What led to this racial crisis?” Sarah E. Lewis shares some resources
Read
The Racial Bias Built Into Photography
Hollywood Colour of Change Report: Normalizing Injustice
Watch
Bryan Stevenson ’85 | "We can't recover from this history until we deal with it."
Kerry James Marshall: Heirlooms and Accessories
Race, Technology, and Algorithmic Bias
Hollywood Colour of Change Report: Normalizing Injustice
Ava Duverney’s “When They See Us”
Convict Leasing | Black History in Two Minutes
Carrie Mae Weems opens the Vision and Justice Convening
Want to keep up the learning? Dive into Vision and Justice’s Civic Curriculum.
Raquel Willis wants you to know the history of Black trans activism and the importance of supporting Black trans leaders.
Read
Our March Cover Stars: The Mothers and Daughters of the Movement
How Sylvia Rivera Created the Blueprint for Transgender Organizing
Black Trans-led organizations and initiatives
How We Can End the Violence Against Trans Women of Color
Two Black Trans Women Were Killed Over 24 Hours This Week
Watch
Act
Actions for Solidarity: #BlackTransLivesMatter
Take Action Demand Justice #JUSTICE4LAYLEEN
“Movements move because people move them.” Brittany Packnett Cunningham's resources
Read
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Letter From a Birmingham Jail
Ida B Wells-Barnett - The Awful Slaughter
Audre Lorde - The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House
Watch
Marsha P. Johnson - The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Bayard Rustin - Brother Outsider
Kendrick Sampson on liberating mental health and other resources
Read
Kendrick Sampson: An Open Letter on America’s Mental Health Crisis
Watch
Kendrick Sampson on mental health and generational trauma here.
Kat Blaque, Kodie Shane, & Kendrick Sampson Get Real About Mental Health | Sound On | MTV News
IG live with @kerrywashington about mental health
Before 'Insecure,' Kendrick Sampson Battled His Own Severe Anxiety
Mental health resources on BLD PWR.
Killer Mike says to start local
Protest, but also work to improve your community by planning, strategizing, organizing and mobilizing for change. Support local candidates and grassroots organizations in your communities. Help change the systems you live in.
Watch
White people–if you want to begin to understand your own privilege, check out Jane Elliott’s “Brown-Eyed, Blue-Eyed” Anti-Racism Exercise.
Transforming action in the streets to wins on the ballot. Nelini Stamp's resources
Read
After 15 stunning days of anti-racist protests … what happens next?
‘A hot, flaming mess’: Georgia primary beset by chaos, long lines
"We fight for the right to be seen, the right to be heard, and the right to direct the course of history." - Stacey Abrams & her resources
Watch
”Justice Does Not Exist if it is Selective.”
Act
Sign the Petition: Commit to vote by mail!
Sign the Petition: Join Stacey Abrams and Call on Congress to Fund Vote by Mail
Learn more about Fair Fight and their work securing the right to vote/
"We keep asking “How did we get here?” The answer is that we’ve been here from the beginning." - Jelani Cobb & his resources
Read
Kimberle Crenshaw says “We cannot fix a problem we cannot see.” Here are her resources
Read
Kendrick Sampson: An Open Letter on America’s Mental Health Crisis
Watch
An Open Letter from #SayHerName to the Mother of Breonna Taylor
TED Talk: The urgency of intersectionality
Listen
Listen to the @intersectionalitymatters podcast
Listen to the weekly conversation series “Under The Blacklight.”
Act
Support the #SayHerName Campaign
“Our right to vote was hard earned.” Ruby Bridges and what she needs you to watch
Watch
Making Black communities powerful in politics with Alicia Garza
Read
Answering White People’s Most Commonly Asked Questions about the Black Lives Matter Movement
Act
Support Black Agenda 2020 and Pledge to Vote
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
The Black Equality Fund Supports the Following Organizations:
Gender Justice in the Criminal Justice System
TGIJP is a group of trans, GV, and intersex people-inside and outside of prisons-creating a united family in the struggle for survival and freedom.
Growing Political Power and Changing the System
BFL works with Black people to transform our communities by building Black political power and changing the way power operates in cities and states
EJI works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality.
BU Center for Antiracist Research
BUCAR works toward building an antiracist society that ensures equity and justice for all through exhaustive research.
Strong Communities Making Strong Movements
BE AN ALLY
What is an Ally?
An ally is someone who is not a member of an underrepresented group but takes action to care for, elevate, and support that group.
What is Allyship?
Allyship is the active practice of being an ally. It’s a commitment to constant, consistent and repeated work.
What is Accountability?
Accountability involves taking responsibility. It also involves listening and learning when you’ve made a mistake. It involves an investment in understanding where a mistake happened, and an investment in doing better. Accountability can feel uncomfortable, but it’s a form of love. It means that someone cares enough about you to want you to do better, maybe for them, maybe for the world, often for both.
Read
The below resources include low to high engagement texts, tools, and exercises. We encourage you to read what you can and bookmark them for easy access when you have time to continue your work.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
Black Lives Matter Allyship & Action
Me and White Supremacy Workbook
Shareable Anti-racism Resource Guide
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice
Nobody Thinks Of Themselves As Racist, And Other Lessons About Bias
Watch
White people–if you want to begin to understand your own privilege, check out Jane Elliott’s “Brown-Eyed, Blue-Eyed” Anti-Racism Exercise. (Thanks @killermike!)
Don'ts
Do not reach out to Black people, people of color, or Indigenous people demanding them to teach you about race. It is your responsibility to educate yourself.
ACT
Sign Petitions
Here's an exhausted BLM petitions list, put together by an incredible 17-year-old Black girl who wishes to remain anonymous.
Vote
Click to jump to the Voting section.
Donate
In partnership with Selena Gomez, PLUS1 has created the Black Equality Fund to drive money and awareness to those who are at the forefront of the movement fighting for change. This fund is focused on empowering black communities, transforming the criminal justice system, and building equitable and dignified systems for the future.
Share
When you read, watch, and listen, share everything with your friends, family, and social followings. Sharing your new learnings are so important to continue the conversations in a productive way.
VOTING
Are You Registered to Vote?
Check your registration status here.
Register to Vote
Take 2 minutes to register to vote at your current address here.
Find Out When Your State's Presidential Primary Is
Look it up here.
Pledge to Vote
Pledge to vote in the next election and help three friends do the same here.
Find Elections
Find out when and where the next election is in your community here.
Know What's on the Ballot
Know about that's on the ballot before you get to the polls here and make a cheat sheet to take to the polling place.
Voting Early & Requesting an Absentee Ballot
Read the rules for your state here and request an absentee ballot here.
FOLLOW & AMPLIFY BLACK VOICES
IG TAKEOVERS
ORGS