Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to intentionally learn, research, and immerse myself in understanding anti-black racism and the systemic issues that continue to persist. While I would say I’m still at the beginning of my journey, I want to share a few of the resources that have helped so far. 

Resources

• Connecting the Dots – A weekly series hosted by Elicit Consulting, Connecting the Dots hosts facilitated dialogue on various topics regarding what is happening now with anti-black racism. The participants come from all over North America, and it is interesting and helpful to hear the different perspectives of everyone. I find that I’m often digesting the discussions, long after it ends. There are two more scheduled for June 26 and July 10 and are from 5 pm-6 pm EST. Sign up HERE.

• Anti-Racist Resources for Kids – Created by the South Riverdale Child-Parent Centre, this comprehensive list of resources is great for anyone who interacts with children. Check it out at the link in their Instagram bio.

• Where Change Started – L. Glenise Pike, founder of Where Change Started, created “The Antiracism Starter Kit” for those (like me) who are new to anti-racism work. The download is free and includes worksheets at the end.

• Child Mind Institute – The Child Mind Institute Instagram has a guide titled “Racism + Violence: Helping Kids Handle the News.” This is a great resource for those who interact with children in navigating how to have conversations. I personally find it easy to understand and digest. You can access this through the Instagram app, under the guides tab on their profile.

I am so thankful to those who are sharing resources with their communities. There are so many accessible resources out there, both short-form and long-form, audio and visual. I believe there is no excuse to not engage with these resources in any way. If you have time to watch an episode of a sitcom on a streaming service, you have time to check out some of these resources.

This is a movement, not a moment, and we at I Am Resilient are committed to continuing to engage and immerse ourselves in anti-black racism resources beyond June.

Written by Alana Kaplan, Project Manager for the I Am Resilient Project.