Anti-Racism Reading List September 2024

10+ informative articles for learning and action

Author

Sharon Hurley Hall
September 30, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

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Hello friends,

I collect articles for the reading list throughout the month, and I'm always fascinated to see the themes that emerge. It's probably no surprise that misogynoir (plus see the second article for another intersectional lens) is one of the main topics being discussed online, but there's also workplace racism, and anti-Blackness. I'm also pleased to share a couple of articles relating to experiences beyond the US and UK - and I'll be aiming to do more of that in the future. If you know people from the Global South publishing on anti-racism, feel free to share their names with me. That said, let's dive in...

As this issue lands, we're a couple of months away from a pivotal US election. However you feel about the candidates on offer, this author reminds us both of the unnecessary and harmful dehumanising narratives that Black candidates often face and, importantly, to remember the realities that Black people live in, which don't change all that much even if that Black person is in the White House.

“Symbolic victories, while significant, do not equate to systemic change. These victories can lead to what researchers have called “an illusion of diversity,” where we perceive more diversity and advancement than exists. However, the cold fact is that it will take the vast majority of Black Americans between one and three centuries to reach economic and employment parity with white Americans if we continue on the current path.”

I often talk about intersectionality in this newsletter, the term coined by Kmberle Crenshaw which highlights the compounded discrimination faced by those with multiple identities (that is a vast over-simplification but you get the idea. In this article, Melissa Simmonds expands on this to look at the oppression faced by Black Muslim women, and I hope it makes you think as much as it did me.

“Understanding the correlation between Muslimahgyny and misogynoir emphasises the need for an intersectional analysis when addressing the oppression of Black Muslim women. It requires recognising how different axes of identity—race, gender, and religion—interact to produce unique experiences of discrimination and resilience.”

The ways in which we need to decentre whiteness are many and varied, and one place to think about this is in terms of "featurism" - discrimination based on the proximity of your features to whiteness - or not. This goes along with colorism and texturism, and its worth examining whether we have biases in this area - even if we're unaware of them.

“In a society where whiteness is centered, it is unsurprising that Afrocentric features are seen as less desirable. To counter this narrative, we must consciously try to de-center whiteness. Consider how you compare every car you drive or ride to your first car. Similarly, the concepts of beauty, intellect, achievement, and potential are often viewed through a comparative lens of whiteness, where any deviation is pathologized.”

Black and Global Majority people don't often like to talk about this, but we can also be not just silently complicit, but actively discriminatory in how we treat others who share our identity. And Black women can also be guilty of misogynoir. This does harm to Black women leaders in all sorts of ways, as this writer points out. (Note to would-be accomplices, this is for your awareness and is NOT an excuse to pile on.)

“Certainly, leadership is tough and rewarding across all identities. For Black women leaders, there is, however, a confluence of societal, institutional, personal, and interpersonal factors that, when compounded, create a perfect storm for feeling targeted, unsupported, and even villainized.”

5. In Honor of Juneteenth by Sheena Michele Mason

I'm currently reading Sheena Mason's new book "The Raceless Anti-Racist". Though it's now well past Juneteenth, I'm sharing this article as an introduction to some of the ideas she shares there. As this quote shows, the author offers a new framework for thinking about the construct of "race":

“when we talk about “race,” we are really actually talking about one of five other things—culture, ethnicity, social class, economic class, or racism itself—or some combination thereof. By properly translating “race,” we expose the reality of what we really mean. That then lends to increased shared understanding and clarity about racism and other aspects of humanity. It lays bare the reality of racism and enables us to imagine and create a different and far better future.”

Here's a cry from the heart on the subject of anti-racism - I'm sure many can relate to this. There's no substitute for doing the work.

“When I speak about the need for safety, people’s backs go up, but the question remains: what are you doing to build that safety? Are you actively creating environments where racialised people feel they can speak up without fear of being dismissed or patronised? How much are you really investing in understanding the struggles of your black and brown colleagues? Because from where I stand, it’s minimal."

How to launch an email course (step by step)

In this in comprehensive guide, Will Steiner (creator of Master the Email-Based Course) partnered with beehiiv to share everything he knows about email courses. It’s a master class in selling more online–by teaching through email.

Over 1,000 students have taken his course (but he’s sharing the best way to get started here).

If you've been in any virtual space with me, you've probably heard me talk about the toll of not just educating about racism, but living it. This author shares her experience of this, and sets out a vision for a better approach to workplace racism.

“The emotional and mental toll of this fight can be overwhelming, leaving individuals feeling defeated and disillusioned, even in the face of what might be considered a “win.” This reality underscores the importance of understanding and addressing not only the overt and covert forms of racism but also the subtler dynamics of white fragility and white silence. These dynamics often exacerbate the challenges faced by ED individuals and hinder collective and urgent efforts to dismantle these barriers and create truly inclusive workplaces.”

8. The enduring disrespect of Black women in America by Kimberly Bryant

What this author calls "the erosion of dignity" is something many Black women have to bear, and not just in the USA This article shares some examples and suggests a different approach.

“In our cultural landscape, no figure is more scrutinized or misunderstood than a Black woman who is unafraid to speak her mind. The pushback against this boldness, however, often comes at a high societal cost and extends beyond the halls of Congress—permeating our online spaces and everyday interactions. High-profile figures like actress and social activist Amanda Seales have often faced relentless criticism and sometimes virulent attacks simply for expressing their opinions. "

I love learning new things, and this news story about a free town established for and by the formerly enslaved in Colombia, warmed my heart. It's giving "lifting as we climb". It's giving Fannie Lou Hamer's "nobody's free till everybody's free" and it's giving "Black people were active in winning their own freedom." What's not to like, right?

“San Basilio is known as the first free town, established by former slaves, in the Americas and lies 50km (31 miles) from the popular port city of Cartagena.

After breaking his chains and freeing himself from slavery at the hands of the Spanish colonial rulers, Bioho – originally from modern-day Guinea Bissau – established the small town in the 17th century as a safe haven for former slaves like himself.”

Bottling up our feelings about racism and discrimination could be killing us, says this research - no further comment needed.

“a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that women of color who strongly agreed with statements like “I rarely express my anger to those close to me” were 70% more likely to experience increased carotid atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular plaque associated with higher risk of heart attack.”

Of Note - Things Worth Highlighting

I hope you enjoyed this month's reading list. I'd love to know: what action will you take as a result of what you've read today?

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

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*Note: all articles linked here were free to read when I put together this edition. However, some may be paywalled by the time it is published, because capitalism. There’s not much I can do about that, but I hope the included quotes give you a flavour of the content.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2024. All Rights Reserved.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

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