Barely a month ago, the world was rocked by the death of George Floyd – yet another Black life unfairly taken, and one that proved to be the breaking point and wakeup call not just for the USA, but the world. Globally, protests continue for racial justice and police reform; with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to fight systemic racism.
Education or re-education, learning and un-learning, are the first steps in understanding the individual’s place in the system. Then only can the movement be purposefully pushed forward in the hopes of creating lasting change. Here are some of the resources the team has found useful in our own journeys over the past four weeks, as we stand together to support true equality.
READ:
Layla Saad is a globally respected writer, speaker and podcast host on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation and social change. Meaningful and relevant, her book, entitled Me and White Supremacy, is a 28-day guide focusing on combatting racism by helping readers identify and dismantle white supremacy and biases within themselves.
A bold read for anyone who wants a deep dive into the truth of systemic racism in the United States is this book by Ijeoma Oluo. A New York Time Bestseller, So You Want To Talk About Race is a contemporary take on America’s racial landscape and the complexities of issues faced by African- Americans.
Written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, national correspondent for The Atlantic, Between the World and Me is a riveting analysis into racism in the United States. The book takes you through a historical journey through real events in American history as experienced by the African-American community.
WATCH:
Directed by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, 13th is a thought-provoking documentary that takes a deep long look into the history of United States’ prison system – revealing racial inequality, prejudice, and the disproportionate number of African-Americans who have been incarcerated. Available on Netflix, this powerful film tells an important story to all who will watch and listen.
Based on James Baldwin’s uncompleted manuscript, I Am Not Your Negro is a documentary explored through the notes and letters of Baldwin in the 1970s. The memoir touches on racism in the United States as well as the deaths of Baldwin’s close friends and civil rights leaders, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evans.
Based on the events of a true story, When They See Us is a web television miniseries that premiered in 2019. The series tells the story of the wrongful conviction of five African-American teenagers, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise and Raymond Santana, after a jogger was brutally attacked in Central Park in 1989.
LISTEN:
Hosted by journalists of colour, this podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. The fearless conversations explore how race impacts every part of society – from politics, pop culture to history, sports and everything in between.
Slay in Your Lane: The Podcast comes from multi-award-winning authors Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, who rose to prominence with their pioneering guide to life for young Black Women. The podcast explores topical news and popular culture from a Black British female perspective while expanding upon many of the same themes addressed in the book.
This podcast digs into stories that are not always shared out in the open. Hosts Leila Day and Hana Baba start conversations about what it means to be black and how we talk about blackness. It’s a celebration of black joy with a mission to dig deeper into stories that we don’t hear enough about.
Foreseeable is a podcast by Global-is-Asian, the flagship digital platform of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Each episode addresses a different social or cultural issue in Singapore, with local and international experts sharing their thoughts, opinions and predictions. Tune in to their episode on racial integration in Singapore, particularly poignant in the current international climate.
Step inside the confession booth of Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, two culture writers for The New York Times. They devour TV, movies, art, music and the internet to find the things that move them – to tears, awe and anger. Episodes like “Being Black in the Age of Wokeness” and “Still Processing: Being Biracial” are not to be missed.
Check out the rest of our blog here for the latest updates on current affairs, travel and wellness trends.
