Anti-Racism Reading List March 2022

“Can you imagine being forced to feed the seed of your oppressor before your own child? The bone of your bone, and flesh, of your flesh? Listening to your child cry out for you while you are being forced to nurse a child of a person that does not even acknowledge your humanity?”

“Our ancestors have been dealing with racism, classism, homophobia, sexual abuse, and trauma for generations before we have books to record the histories.”

“The inconvenient truth is that while “calling in” is enticingly convenient, it’s simply not sufficient for many situations. The complexities of racism often require “calling out,” and unapologetic “calling out” at that. Those who have the linguistic fortitude to speak out boldly against injustice don’t need sanctimonious judgment. They actually need help focusing on addressing the injustice.”

“She tells our stories, she tells Black and African-American stories from our perspective, as raw and painful as they may be. She doesn’t sugarcoat or compromise on the story to accommodate white comfort. She tells the story like it is, even if it generates white discomfort. Her courage is indomitable, it is exemplary.”

“When Black, Indigenous, or People of Color stand up for their own autonomy or rights, many Americans are quick to exact retribution or look the other way because they can’t identify with “Blacks.” For some reason, they just can’t seem to see Black people as people.”

“Racism is far more than being hateful or prejudiced. Racism involves the unequal distribution of power based on race. Racism is when prejudice is rooted in a power structure that can inhibit more fundamental societal rights, opportunities and access.”

“A Black medical patient, Mrs. Lacks, is singularly responsible for more than a half a century of medical advancements; however, Black medical patients and other patients of color are routinely last in line to receive the benefits. Though HELA cells are responsible for successful COVID-19 research, Black communities as well as other communities of color have been severely impacted by the pandemic, when compared to other communities.”

“Part of that linguistic legacy is tied to colonial violence that made it necessary for our ancestors to develop their own codes to communicate with each other in front of white folks without white folks knowing what we were talking about. Our own creative codes allowed us to survive. We could insult white folks and they didn’t have a clue—one of the many forms of subversion we used to help us get by. But we also used our own codes to warn each other of danger, alert each other to more favorable opportunities, to coordinate and organize and educate in plain sight.”

“Anti-Black racism in Mexico has been historically perpetuated by the legacies of slavery and the existence of a racist colonial-era racial caste system, and a modern nationalist myth that has associated true Mexicanness with being mestizaje. That means “mixed race,” a racial and cultural mix of Indigenous and Spaniard.”

“Racism is so deeply interwoven into national identity and exceptionalism that challenging the fabric of that causes people to react violently. It is painful for some to reflect and reconcile how complicit they are in upholding racist ideologies and structures. Add to that, then realising it means dismantling your sense of identity.”