21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge©
"There is no social-change fairy. There is only change made by the hands of individuals." – Winona LaDuke
© 2014 All Rights Reserved America & Moore, LLC
Fall 2023 Version: Crisis and Opportunity
As we developed this challenge, we struggled with feelings of overwhelm. The pile up of crises confronting us these days is vast and steep. Where do we, as justice seekers, begin when so much uncertainty is bubbling on so many fronts?
Rapidly changing technology, starting with the unknown impacts artificial intelligence (AI) will bring, is just one piece of the rapidly shifting puzzle. Climate change is wreaking havoc on community infrastructure, housing, food supply, water supply, power demands, and personal safety around the world, none feeling it more than populations already marginalized by inequitable systems. The seeming diminishment of democracy in the US and rise of visible white supremacy, though not new to the country, can feel unprecedented and treacherous to those of us who haven’t been here before. What is new is the threat of climate change and AI to worsen the inequities and fear-based mindsets left to us by prior generations.
What we do know is that cutting through misinformation and seeking voices and perspectives from multiple lived experiences and knowledge bases is one way to stay in reality with one another. We embrace the Chinese philosophy (Wei Ji 危机) that tells us opportunity arises from crisis, understanding that the unraveling of any status quo is an opportunity to think, act, and create in new ways.
Now is the time to voice and live into our values of dignity, fairness, and love for all and make course corrections in the unjust attitudes, behaviors, systems, and structures that got us here. Below are resources we’ve curated to support ourselves and you as we continue to show up for justice, despite the uphill battles, despite the noise. All human beings deserve to live free from fear, with dignity, and with the belief that their voice matters.
Choose one activity per day...
...to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.
#BringItHome
If you have young people in your life, integrate these resources to share and have conversations around.
Stay Inspired
Create a Soundtrack-4-Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.
Shoulders We Stand On
Tap into the wisdom of justice educators and activists who've helped us get to where we are now. Here are just a few.
Tips For Success
Organizational leaders, jump to #6 for inspiration
- Individuals, start by choosing which tracking tool works for you.
- google doc version for on-the-go tracking
- printable PDF if you’re a paper person
- Check out our recommended Day #1 activity to help you think about the connection between comfort level and learning.
- Diversify your habits. The tracking chart encourages you to use resources across our many categories.
- Some resources are on subscription platforms. If you come upon a resource on a for-fee platform you don't have, just skip past it. We’ve loaded the challenge with free resources with that barrier in mind.
- You can do the challenge alone, though we strongly recommend doing it with friends and family, or organization-wide. Antiracism work is relationship work and this is a great tool to deepen relationships old and new.
- Click HERE to get inspired by seeing how institutions are adapting the challenge to meet their specific social justice focus
- Like our Facebook page. Use it to get ideas as well as share your 21-Day experience with the 21-Day community.
- Stay tuned for 21-Day swag and Moore!
- Repeat the plan annually! One-and-dones have no place in the ongoing process to create life, liberation, and justice for all.
If you want to stay connected, email 21daychallenge@theprivilegeinstitute.com. We'd love to know how it went for you and your group!
Thank you for taking on the challenge. We’ll be right here with you, challenging ourselves daily!
Peace and blessings,
The 21-Day Team
Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., Debby Irving, Dr. Marguerite W. Penick, Cynthia Pesantez, Ashleigh Graham
Resources
Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation, New York Times. In the weeks before civil right legend and US Congressman John Lewis’s July 2020 passing, he penned a letter to us all, asking us to be the “generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and injustice." 2020
Against the Children: The Native American Boarding School System, New York Times. This interactive map and accompanying article chronicle a decades-long effort to assimilate Indigenous people before they ever reached adulthood, robbing children of their culture, family bonds and sometimes their lives, and devastating Indigenous communities in ways still being felt today. 2023
How Racism Began as White-on-White Violence, Medium. European colonizers and their descendants, notoriously known by Indigenous, Black, and other people of color for their sadism and cruelty are known for dislodging brains, blocking airways, cracking bones, sexually abusing and otherwise terrorizing those they seek to control. What is less understood is the roots of these barbaric behaviors. Here, trauma therapist Resmaa Menaken explores how, until the second half of the seventeenth century, these traumas were inflicted primarily on white bodies by other white bodies, first in the European arena, and eventually on what would become US soil. 2018
Celebrating the Complexity of Identities Through Latinx Heritage Month, University of Northern Colorado. What does it mean to be Hispanic? Are Latinx and Hispanic interchangeable? Why the “x” in Latinx? What are some cultural differences between Latin American countries? This article articulates the importance of adding nuance to our understanding of the wide array of ethnicities and cultures under the umbrella term Latinx. 2023
National Hispanic Heritage Month Is Incomplete Without Afro-Latino History, Time. Within the media there’s been a vision of what a Latino looks like and thus whose history matters. That vision is of a white-appearing individual. Afro-Latinos are not part of the narrative. This article explains why portraying a broader narrative matters. 2022
Amplification or Suppression? Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall Calls Out Edits Proposed by Scholastic, Publishers Weekly. Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall faced what she called a “Faustian Bargain” when asked to delete a paragraph speaking to her family’s direct connection to US racist traditions. This article tells the story of how she chose to respond. 2023
Two Spirits, One Heart, Five Genders, ICT News. Duane Brayboy (Tosneoc Tuscarora) examines how European colonialism tried to erase the celebration of varied genders and LGBT individuals within Native tribes while painting a picture of gender constructs far beyond rigid binaries. 2018
Reclaiming Audre Lorde’s Radical Self-Care, Refinery 29.What’s the difference between self-care whiteness-wellness industry style and Black liberation style? Hint: Radical self-care has little to do with expensive beauty products. 2021
Responding Systematically to Racial Inequity in Schools, ASCD. The Teaching While White educators delineate the dos and don’ts of institutional approaches to racial equity. Not to be missed: Figure 1 which applies Janet Helms's white racial identity model to institutional practices. 2023
Author Discusses the Legacy of White Supremacy in Education. Stockton University. An examination of the history of white supremacy and how it has been taught through American history textbooks. This short article includes a link to a lecture and robust Q&A conversation. 2023
Research finds teachers perceive more conflict with Black boys and the least with white girls, Phys.org. A study finds that teachers, regardless of race, perceive the most conflict with Black boys and the least conflict with white girls in their classrooms and their relationships with Black boys as increasing in conflict at higher rates than with white and female children. 2023
The Enduring, Invisible Power of Blond, New York Times. Opinion Columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom shares the unleashing that unfolded when she made a comment about blondes on social media. 2023
Barbie: Pretty Police, Scalawag Magazine. An abolitionist perspective on the Barbie movie’s depiction of a larger-than-life, imaginative universe as a reminder to keep fighting to build in our own worlds anew. 2023
Slavery a Positive Good, Teaching American History. In this 1837 essay reprint, John C Calhoun argued that slavery is for the good of all. Is this ideology still in play today? 2023
As the nation celebrates Juneteenth, it’s time to get rid of these three myths about slavery, CNN. One of the biggest myths that historians and storytellers have successfully challenged in recent years is that enslaved African Americans were docile, passive victims who had to wait until White abolitionists and “The Great Emancipator” Abraham Lincoln freed them. 2023
Why Racial Justice is Essential to the Climate Movement, Greenpeace. Until we reckon with our country’s systemic racism, there is no justice for the climate—and no saving the planet; it’s our white-dominant culture that has and continues to perpetuate and uphold long standing, systemic inequalities that show up in the most essential, basic facets of our lives. 2022
Urban Heat Hot Spots, Climate Central. During extreme heat events such as this summer’s relentless heat waves in the southern U.S., the urban heat island effect can worsen heat stress and related illness for millions, put vulnerable populations at risk, and lead to higher energy bills and strained power grids during spikes in cooling demand. 2023
An Asian MIT student asked AI to turn an image of her into a professional headshot. It made her white, with lighter skin and blue eyes,
Business Insider. A powerful and visual example of what bias in AI can look like. 2023
Police Use of Artificial Intelligence, Electronic Frontier Foundation. Because AI uses prior data to predict future behavior, and prior data is rife with bias due to decades of racially targeted-neighborhood policing, AI threatens to worsen policing outcomes for people of color. 2021
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs 'first-in-the-nation statewide reparations bill, KOIN CBS. House Bill 1474 aims to end racially restrictive covenants in the state of Washington. 2023
In Schools, Honest Talk about Racism Can Reduce Discrimination, Scientific American. New laws make it harder for teachers to discuss racism and inequality, but psychological evidence shows these conversations dispel causes of bias and distress. 2022
Book Bans Are Targeting the History of Oppression, The Atlantic. What is at stake when young people are denied access to knowledge of the past? 2022
Florida Republicans' stunning bout of misogyny and ignorance, CNN. Florida is attempting to bar discussion of menstruation until 6th grade despite the reality that many girls begin their periods as young as 4th grade. 2023
First they came for trans kids. Now, in Missouri, they’re coming after trans adults, Xtra Magazine. Missouri’s targeting of gender-affirming care is part of the goal to eradicate trans people entirely. 2023
I’m a Couples Therapist. Something New Is Happening in Relationships, New York Times. Longtime couple’s therapist shares the changes she’s seeing in couples’ ability to understand and work through the dynamics that trip them up in large part due to the increase in awareness around sexism, racism, classism, and other social identities that shape our lives, relationships included. 2023
One Way to a Better City: Ask Disabled People to Design It, Curbed. Disability and discomfort, in one form or another, is a near-universal experience, yet one that people living long-term with disabilities feel first and most intensely. As with all marginalized groups, our most insightful problem solvers are those living with the barriers, discomforts, and harms. This piece looks at what a city built by people with disabilities might look like. 2023
TA = Transcript Available
Affirmative Action Faces Toughest Test in a Generation, Uncommon Law. In this new UnCommon Law series, we'll explore the biggest challenge to affirmative action in a generation. (37 mins) 6/2023
The Changing Meaning of Affirmative Action, The New Yorker. People take a civic pride in having a racially diverse workplace or educational institution, so why is it just that many would rather not contemplate too closely the means used to achieve it? (37 mins) TA 1/2020
How to talk to kids about radicalization and the signs of it, NPR. Christine Saxman talks to parents and teachers about identifying radicalization and how to talk to kids on how to spot it for themselves. Bonus: Christine’s conversational strategies are just plain excellent, regardless of who’s in conversation and what the content is. (23 mins) TA 6/2022
The Far-Reaching Health Care Impacts of the Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Decision, Health Affairs. When we think about Affirmative Action, we may only think about the educational impacts. What are the ripple effects, specifically when it comes to health care. Health Affairs explores that issue here. (11 mins) TA 7/2023
The Deep History of White Supremacy Within the U.S. Military, New Black Man in Exile. A look at the military history that got us to this point, where government and military leaders grapple with how to root out violent racist hate groups from our armed forces. (18 mins) 9/2023
Black women recorded famous rock 'n' rolls songs but few remember their names, NPR. A powerful story of the role black women has played in the development and recording of rock 'n' roll songs but few remember their names. (6 mins) TA 9/2023
Roots of Racism in America with Dante King, Well That Went Sideways Podcast. A look at US legal history that exposes the intentional anti black terrorism embodied in US structures along with a wondering: Is there psychology that explains white people’s need to label and abuse an entire group of people? Dante King’s work seeks to validate the experiences of Black Americans in non sugar coated terms. (34 mins) 8/2023
Why Tracking Doesn’t Add Up, Teaching While White. The Teaching While White team interviews two teachers who find themselves faced with an extraordinary pandemic opportunity to detract their math classes. Episode includes moving student interviews that shed light on the impact of tracking and how we can make math literacy more equitable for all. (34 mins) TA 6/2023
What the U.S. can learn from Germany about grappling with dark parts of its history, NPR. Interview with Clint Smith about his travels across Germany to visit sites that memorialize the Holocaust, in an effort to see what the U.S. might learn from Germany about grappling with its more shameful chapters. For Atlantic Monthly subscribers, see his November 14 2022 cover story for more in depth coverage. (7 mins) TA 11/2015
God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise, Chilly Grits Podcast. Rev. Bowman and Dr. Francis consider what climate change has to do with the choices we make and how fragile personal determination can become in environmental justice communities. The podcasters also ponder the fact that not every saying that invokes God is religious. (27 mins) 3/2023
Solomon’s Sword, This Land Podcast. ALM – as referred to in court documents – is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn’t. So, they sued. Today, the lawsuit doesn’t just impact the future of one child, or even the future of one law. It threatens the entire legal structure defending Native American rights. (47 mins) TA 8/2021
Supreme Court Affirms ICWA, All My Relations Podcast. In this special episode, Matika is joined by Sedelta Oosahwee (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara and Cherokee) a Senior Program and Policy Analyst and Specialist at the National Education Association who was recently appointed by the Biden Administration to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education to discuss the ruling and what it means going forward. (14 mins) TA 6/2023
Indigiqueer, All My Relations Podcast. Indigenous writers and scholars Joshua Whitehead and Billy-Ray Belcourt share the history, experience, and stories of two spirited people in their Canadian region including the ways that settler colonialism has disrupted and distorted relationships, and the power of asserting voice in spaces not meant for queer, Indigenous people. (1 hour) TA 4/2019
Rethinking diversity, equity and inclusion training, WBUR/NPR. Longtime practitioners in the DEI space share what they are discovering is and is not working as organizations seek to diversify their institutions, navigate the dynamics of power and privilege, and build bonds that sustain groups amidst times of polarization and change. (48 mins) TA 1/2023
Government's own experts found 'barbaric' and 'negligent' conditions in ICE detention, NPR. An unprecedented look at the ICE detention system through the eyes of experts hired to investigate complaints of civil rights abuses, who provide an often-unvarnished perspective. These experts have specific expertise in subjects such as medicine, mental health, use of force and environmental health. (11 mins) TA 8/2023
DEI Isn’t Enough; Companies Need Anti-Racist Leadership, Harvard Business Review. James White and Krista White, father-and-daughter authors of the new book, Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World. They share their own experiences as Black Americans in the workplace and lessons from James’ time as CEO of Jamba Juice. And they offer advice on how corporate leaders can promote lasting change in their own organizations and society at large. (31 mins) TA 3/2022
Our writers dug into reparations. Here’s what two of them took away, Christian Science Monitor. There’s more to the reparations discussion than what typically makes the news. Two writers – one white, one Black – found that many, on both sides of the issue, care deeply about honestly acknowledging history. This is peek into The Christian Science Monitor’s June 16th Magazine coverage, dedicated to reparations. See more in “Explore” section of challenge. (13 mins) TA 6/2023
CC= Closed Caption
Short, Coffee Break Length < 10
The White Supremacist Coup That Succeeded, YouTube. Laura Flanders and Thom Hartmann compare the Wilmington NC Massacre of 1898, a violent attack on the city’s African-American led government by a white mob, one of the only successful government overthrows in US history, to the January 6th coup. (5 minutes) CC 7/2022
Affirmative action smoke screen, Tik Tok. Dr. Sherard Robbins explains what is not being talked about with the recent affirmative action ruling. Women, veterans, people with disabilities, what does the ruling have to do with our identities? (3mins) 6/2023
What's the difference between Hispanic, Latino and Latinx?, YouTube. Hispanic, Latino/a and Latinx are words that represent huge, diverse populations of people — and that’s a big task! UC Berkeley researcher Cristina Mora explains the origins of these terms and how it’s connected to a much larger conversation about culture and representation. (7 mins) CC 10/2021
Do AntiRacists Cause Racism?, Instagram. In this Instagram Reel, Ibram X. Kendi responds to republican presidential candidate Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy’s assertion that antiracists cause racism. (1 min) 8/2023
What is Rematriation?, PBS. Michelle Schenandoah describes how her work on “Rematriation Magazine” is part of a global rematriation movement led by indigenous women and why the work is so urgent in this moment. This video connects to the TV series “Rematriation,” centering the voices of 8 Indigenous women who share stories of resilience, leadership, spirituality, healing and honoring life. (3mins) CC 8/2021
Pattern of racist violence following progress examined in new book ‘American Whitelash’ , PBS. In the new book "American Whitelash," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery examines the pattern of racist violence that follows racial progress in our country, including the recent white supremacist violence that surged following Barack Obama's presidency. (7 mins) CC 7/2023
Kendrick Sampson Reads Antiracist Baby, YouTube. Kendrick Sampson Reads Ibram X. Kendi’s book Antiracist Baby, a children’s book featuring nine steps to make equity a reality. Though written for children, these nine steps are excellent reminders to readers of all ages. (5 mins) CC 1/2020
Legacy Admissions Is ‘Affirmative Action For The Rich’ , New York Times. In this New York Times video op-ed, legacy students admitted to Ivy League schools share their thoughts about legacy policies. (5 mins) 2023
How "reverse mentoring" can improve the workplace by breaking down barriers, CBS News. An explanation of how reverse mentoring programs can improve diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations, and why everybody benefits from a more inclusive workplace. (4 mins) CC 11/2022
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union honor trans daughter Zaya during LGBTQ speech at NAACP Image Awards, CNN. Boston Globe Today host Segun Oduolowu joins CNN This Morning to discuss Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union's remarks focusing on LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy at the 54th NAACP Image Awards. (3 mins) CC 2/2023
Our Silence Speaks Volumes , A Call To Men. A Call to Men CEO Tony Porter discusses the importance of speaking out against outdated gender norms and embodying healthy manhood for future generations. (2 mins) CC 2023
Developing 1 Million Trauma-Informed Leaders , YouTube. The American workplace is in the midst of a mental health crisis, one exacerbated by COVID-19, race and social justice, and political division which has impacted each member of the workforce in unique ways. As the former health department director of the country’s seventh largest public health system, Dawn Emerick believes we need a mental health revolution, one that starts with all of us demanding trauma-free leadership and a psychologically safe workplace culture that focuses on each employee’s fundamental human needs. (10 minutes) CC 12/2021
How to be a great ally, Instagram. We love this quick acronym. Here the creator behind it and his thinking. Protect. Amplify. Value. Elevate. (3 mins) CC 6/2022
High Court upholds Indian Child Welfare Act, YouTube. Senator Mary Kunesh and Professor Angelique EagleWoman of the Mitchell Hamline School of Law share the significance of the US Supreme Court decision upholding Indian Child Welfare Act. (2 mins) CC 6/2023
What's in Your Bones?, YouTube. When Dr. King’s quote, “silence is betrayal” caught more than this poet’s eye, she wrote this poem, asking us all to consider, what’s in our bones? (5 mins) CC 1/2022
The fight to get representation for invisible disabilities, Scripps News. Invisible disabilities like autoimmune diseases or developmental conditions can sometimes be ignored or discredited, especially in the workplace. What are the implications of that? (4 mins) CC 2/2023
@ComadreSpeaders: Spider in the House, Instagram. How to use cognitive dissonance as a teachable moment to examine our own world view in a balanced and curious way. 3 mins CC 3/2023
Just a reminder, Women’s History Month, Instagram. In this Instagram reel, @shantiwithin reminds us that feminism isn’t feminism unless it’s intersectional, and explains what intersectional feminism is, isn’t, and how to put it into practice. (1 min) 3/2023
Sonya Renee Taylor, Instagram. She shares why she’s partnering with This HAS GOT to change to fight sizeism. (2 mins) CC 2/2023
WPC20IA_Celebrating 20 Years of WPC, YouTube. This is a powerful and informative video about White Privilege Conference experience. The workshops, the people, the arts, the community & Moore. (4 mins) CC 2019
How the Students of a TFA Alumna Ended Period Poverty in Hawai ‘i Schools, YouTube. A video made by middle school students in Hawaii about their activism to eliminate period poverty by working with the state legislature on passing a law requiring all public schools to provide free menstrual products to students. (6 mins) CC 8/2022
Medium, Lunch Break Length 10 - 50 mins
What is affirmative action? History behind race-based college admissions practices the Supreme Court overruled, CBS News. A decision day report of the opinions that led to the overturning of Affirmative Action in higher education policies put into place in the 1960s. (20 mins) CC 6/2023
Sustainable Change Toward Racial Equity, YouTube. Book talk with Dr. Robert Livingston who shares his thoughts about why education, conversation, and action - in that order - can radically transform individuals and organizations. (12 mins) CC 6/2021
How to Have a Good Conversation, YouTube. When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, says Celeste Headlee, you learn a lot about how to have great conversations – and most of us don’t converse very well. A great conversation requires a balance between talking and listening. This balance is important because bad communication leads to bad relationships, at home, at work, everywhere. (12 m ins) CC 5/2015
3000-year old solutions to modern problems, TEDxKC. Musician, scholar, and cultural historian Lyla June Johnston, Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineage, outlines a series of timeless human success stories focusing on Native American food and land management techniques and strategies. Her current doctoral research focuses on Indigenous food systems revitalization. (13 mins) CC 9/2022
Cristina Jimenez Interview, PBS. The PBS series Unladylike offers one-hour or less interviews with and digital shorts about extraordinary American heroines, women trailblazers past and present. In this quiet, deeply personal interview with United We Dream co-founder Cristina Jiménez, we learn about what inspired and still inspires her efforts to organize for immigrant rights, particularly for children and women of color. Cristina also draws throughlines to historical and cross-identity patterns of discrimination. (50 mins) TA 3/2018
Anti-Racist Leadership – Interview with the book’s author, James D. White, Boston University. A discussion about how to be an Anti-Racist Leader and build an Anti-Racist culture and community. A challenge to leaders at all levels to get involved in creating and cultivating equitable communities. (36 mins) CC 2/2022
Rematriation: Going Beyond Land Acknowledgements, YouTube. Corrina Gould, spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan (now known at the Bay Area) calls on native and non-native peoples to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. (45 mins) CC 9/2021
Long, Sit on the Couch Length >50 mins
Working as a Family Towards Justice with Britt Hawthorne & Christine Platt, National Museum of African American History and Culture. A conversation about why family conversations about race can be so confusing and/or fraught, and five principles that can remind us why and how justice conversations with the young people in our lives can be productive for us all. (1 hour) CC 2022
What It Takes to Uproot the Old Boys' Club and Transform America, CSPAN. Author talks with Garrett Neiman about the opportunities and challenges in engaging wealthy, white men in equity work. Be sure to stay for the lively Q&A at the end. (1 hour) CC 6/2023
Parents skeptical of critical race theory talk to experts, YouTube. Parents concerned about critical race theory (CRT)) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in public school, interview Emory University professor Dr. Carol Anderson about critical race theory and how it's taught in schools. (1 hour) CC 10/2021
Below the Belt: The Last Health Taboo, PBS. Through the inspiring stories of four patients urgently searching for answers to mysterious symptoms, Below the Belt exposes widespread problems in our healthcare system that disproportionately affect women. From societal taboos and gender bias to misinformed doctors and financial barriers to care, the film shines a light on how millions are effectively silenced. (55 mins) CC 6/2023 (expires 6/2024)
A Class Divided, PBS. Jane Elliott, a teacher in a small, all-white Iowa town, divided her third-grade class into blue-eyed and brown-eyed groups and gave them a daring lesson in discrimination. (53 minutes) CC 3/1985
Race: The Power of an Illusion, Vimeo. Three-part, three-hour film by California Newsreel exploring the biology of skin color, the concept of assimilation, and the history of institutional racism. (Three 1-hour episodes) CC 8/2014
Dive into resource-rich websites that can inspire and educate you.
Centers the Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community–its strengths, resiliencies, and histories—in our movement toward health equity.
In 2019, Evanston, Illinois, passed the first reparations law in American history. It set out to address decades of segregation and legalizing housing discrimination. Explore their city website detailing how it works.
A new analysis by the Pew Center looks at 1,314 mission statements from public school districts across the country and finds these same themes playing out in how school districts themselves describe their mission in educating students.
Honesty for Ohio Education works across the state to combat threats facing honesty in education in three lanes: at the Ohio Statehouse, the State Board of Education, and local schools. Check out the diverse coalition of stakeholders working with the shared belief that education must affirm, celebrate, and reflect student identities, experiences, and cultures to maximize engagement and achievement.
Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is partnering with higher education institutions to develop Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers to prepare the next generation of leaders to break down systemic racism and dismantle belief in a hierarchy of human value.
Interactive Map – CRT Forward Tracking Project
The CRT Forward Tracking Project (FTP) identifies, tracks, and analyzes local, state, and federal measures that attempt to restrict access to truthful information about Critical Race Theory (CRT), race, and systemic racism. To demonstrate the breadth of anti-CRT measures across the country, FTP provides a comprehensive database of anti-CRT measures across all levels of government and varying types of official action.
Helping create a world where all men and boys are loving and respectful and all women, girls, and those at the margins of the margins are valued and safe.
Antiracism Starts with You | Center for Antiracist Research
The mission of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research is to convene researchers and practitioners from various disciplines to figure out novel and practical ways to understand, explain, and solve seemingly intractable problems of racial inequity and injustice.
Having our names pronounced correctly is a matter of dignity and respect. This website, in addition to providing a tool to record your name and add to your email signature and social media platforms, has stories about the impact name mis/pronunciation can have.
IllumiNative is a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of—and challenging the narrative about—Native peoples.
Reparations debate: Mending the past, forging the future
What does it mean for a society to atone for systemic and enduring harms? This special Christian Science Monitor series explores efforts around the world to seek justice and restitution for communities subjected to historical harms.
How to measure and report race | TRAP LAB
The T.R.A.P. lab builds on the definition of race as an assigned social categorization defined by some shared phenotypic traits in which groups that are racialized have dissymmetric control or access to resources and status, whereas the groups with asymmetric control to resources and status can assign the racial categories.
Black Towns & Settlements: Foundation for the Future
There are estimates that there may have been as many as 1,200 Black Towns in America. This initiative is a work in progress, seeking input from all of us. Check it out and see if you have something to add!
Once people start to learn about white privilege and America’s systems of oppression through history, they often ask, “Why didn’t I see this sooner?” It’s easy to overlook what we’re not looking for. Once you understand the phenomenon of selective noticing, take yourself on a noticing adventure.
1) Watch the Test Your Awareness: Do The Test
2) Go out in the world and change up what you notice. (Some of this will be influenced differently pre/during/post COVID. You may need to rely on memories until we are on the move again!) Here’s some of what you might look for:
- Who is and is not represented in ads?
- Who are your ten closest friends? What is the racial mix in this group?
- As you move through the day, what’s the racial composition of the people around you? On your commute? At the coffee shop you go to? At the gym? At your workplace? At the show you go on the weekend?
- What percentage of the day are you able to be with people of your own racial identity?
- Notice how much of your day you are speaking about racism. Who are you engaging with on these issues? Who are you not?
- What are the last five books you read? What is the racial mix of the authors?
- What is the racial mix of the main characters in your favorite TV shows? Movies?
- What is the racial mix of people pictured in the photos and artwork in your home? In your friend, family, and colleagues’ homes?
- Who is filling what kinds of jobs/social roles in your world? (e.g. Who’s the store manager and who’s stocking the shelves? Who’s waiting on tables and who’s bussing the food?) Can you correlate any of this to racial identity?
- Who do you notice on magazine covers? What roles are people of color filling in these images?
- If you’re traveling by car, train, or air, do you notice housing patterns? How is housing arranged? Who lives near the downtown commerce area and who does not? Who lives near the waterfront and who does not? Who lives in industrial areas and who does not? What is the density of a given neighborhood? Can you correlate any of this to racial identity?
- Notice language. Specifically, notice when “white” is not mentioned because it’s the default, while people of color’s race are mentioned to distinguish them from the default. To better understand this pattern, Watch Nikole Hannah Jones notice and point out to Chuck Todd when he falls into this language trap. (watch minute 13 - 14) Are you willing to speak up, correct yourself out loud, and help others notice this pattern?
3) Review the Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist, Multicultural Institution with a small group of people at your workplace, faith institution, club, or any organization you’re a part of.
- Where do you think the organization is right now?
- What’s your evidence?
- Has the organization evolved in some ways?
- What caused/allowed for that?
- Has the organization articulated a desire to evolve towards being an anti-racist, multicultural organization?
- If not, do you have the power to influence that movement?
- Who are your in-organization and/or stakeholder allies?
- If yes, what steps is it taking?
- Could it be doing more? If so, what?
- Who are your in-organization and/or stakeholder allies?
Follow Racial Justice activists, educators, organizations, and movements on social media.
Consider connecting with any of the people /organizations you learn about in the above resources. Here are more ideas to widen your circle of who you follow.
Pro Tip: check out who these organizations follow, quote, repost, and retweet to find more people/organizations to follow.
Britt Hawthorne | Instagram | Facebook
AfroLatin@forum | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Conscious Kid | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Families Belong Together | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Social Justice Kids | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Right To Be | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Anti-Racism Daily | Twitter | Instagram
Indigenous Environmental Network | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Center for Antiracism Research | Twitter | Instagram
Audre Lorde Project | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Black Women’s Blueprint | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Gathering For Justice | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
MPowerChange | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Muslim Girl | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
NAACP | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
National Domestic Workers Alliance | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
SisterSong: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
National Center for Transgender Equality | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Movement for Black Lives | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Dream Defenders | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
United We Dream | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Philanthropy Initiative | Twitter
National Congress of American Indians | Twitter | Facebook
Antiracism Center | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Color Of Change | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Colorlines | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Families Belong Together | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Showing Up for Racial Justice | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) | Twitter | Instagram |Facebook
Colours of Us | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Anti-Defamation League | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Nonprofit AF | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Define American | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
AWARE-LA | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Privilege to Progress | Twitter | Instagram
18MillionRising | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Black Voters Matter | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Teaching While White | Twitter | Facebook
White Nonsense Roundup | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Conversations with White People: Talking about Race | Facebook
Race Forward | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Racial Equity Tools | Twitter | Facebook
1Hood Media | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
White Awake | Twitter | Facebook
The Transgender Training Institute | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
This can be the hardest part for people new to racial justice work. Engaging in racially mixed settings can trigger age-old power and privilege dynamics. The goal is to be a learner more than a knower, exactly the opposite of what dominant U.S. culture teaches us to be.
Here are some Engagement Tips to guide you:
- Enter the process to learn and bridge knowledge gaps.
- Enter the process to practice mindful social habits like the ones below.
- Work to stay engaged even when your mind and body start sending you signals to shrink or walk away.
- Ask clarifying questions.
- Acknowledge what you don’t know.
- Validate others by listening closely and believing the truth and importance of what they are sharing.
- Share airtime so that multiple perspectives are shared.
- Take space, Make space
- If you are generally quiet and/or from a marginalized group socialized to stay small, step up and practice speaking more.
- If you are a chatty extrovert and/or from a privileged group (male, white, heterosexual, able, etc.), spend more time listening and observing than talking.
- Notice your biases and judgments as they arise. These are gold for you to excavate your subconscious!
- Notice when you are uncomfortable. Reflect on why you’re uncomfortable and think about what you can do to build more emotional stamina in this area.
- Honor confidentiality. Though you can share what you are learning in general terms, do not repeat stories in a way that can be traced back to the person who shared it.
- Find a mentor within your own racial group to support and guide your growth.
If you are white, join a Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) chapter in your area.
Google who’s who in your area by typing in ‘Racial Justice” or “Anti-Racist/m” + name of city/town, organization, or sector. A few website visits, emails, and phone calls later, you’ll likely have an idea of how to get on the mailing list of one or more organizations in your area who are addressing issues of power and privilege. Once you connect to one, it’s easy to connect to many!
Research racial justice speakers and see who might be coming to your local university, church, community center, or speaker series.
Take a course. Community Colleges and Adult Education Centers are a great place to find a course about social justice issues. Here are just a few to get you going:
Courses/Workshops to take on your own
White People Challenging Racism: Moving From Talk to Action
Visions Inc.
Vernā Myers Online Diversity and Inclusion Courses
Undoing Racism: The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond
Cultural Somatics Training & Institute
The Center for Transformation and Change
National Conference for Community and Justice Anti-Racism Workshops
Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training
AWARE
AntiRacism I
Race and Cultural Diversity in American Life and History
Equity Learning Institute
Online Racial Equity Workshops through Eventbrite
Interactive opportunities to boost your knowledge
Whiteness Competency with Dr. Jacqueline Battalora and Michael Kilman
GroundWork USA: Climate Safe Neighborhoods
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition
Project562
Social Justice Training Institute
Though many people want to jump to action sooner instead of later, action without a vigorous self-education, self-reflection, and multiracial coalition can unexpectedly reproduce the very power and privilege dynamics we seek to interrupt. That said, sometimes acting immediately is called for. Welcome to the messy, imperfect world of challenging the status quo! Here are a few actions that you might consider:
- Invite friend(s), family, and/or colleagues to do the 21-Day Challenge with you.
- Prepare yourself to interrupt racial jokes. Click HERE for some advice about how.
- Interrupt the pattern of white silence by speaking openly with family, friends, and colleagues about what you’re doing and learning in the 21-Day Challenge.
- Invite friend(s), family, and/or colleagues to join you for one or more of your daily “to-do’s” for a low-threshold invitation into the work and introduction to the 21-Day Challenge.
- Find out if your school, workplace, or faith group has an Equity Committee. What can you learn from them? Are they open to new members? Join if you can. Support in other ways if you can’t.
- Find organizations such as The Privilege Institute and other groups doing racial justice work and support them through donating your time, money, and other resources. Get involved!
- Find a 21-Day Challenge group in your region or sector and reach out to connect with, and perhaps co-create a region or sector specific 21-Day Challenge in the future. Google “21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge + your state, region, or sector”
- When the status quo is blatantly racist, disrupt it. No matter how big or small, put yourself out there to create change. No need to wait until you are comfortable disrupting; it may never get comfortable, though you will get better at managing discomfort. These actions are generally more successful when done in multiracial coalition. Examples from past participants include:
- Demanding administration change the name of a dodgeball team from “The Cottonpickers”
- Improving the representation of books in the library by raising funds and purchasing hundreds of new books
- Conducting an equity audit within the organization
- Creating learning communities to set goals, objectives, and action plans
- Disrupting inappropriate language by offering alternative language you yourself are learning
- Speaking, emailing, and posting about articles, blogs, movies, and this 21-Day Challenge that you find impactful.
- Share and Repost these on your social media with a prompt to “Read, Reflect, and Discuss” to prompt discussion with your community. Be sure to credit the original author!
Let people know you are not neutral!
If you have young people in your life, integrate these resources to share and have conversations around. Choose three days of the challenge to read and have conversations with the young person/people in your life. Here are some great choices.
In the literature world there is a saying about books needing to be both windows and mirrors (Sims Bishop, R., 1990). If you are going to use multicultural books to introduce issues of social justice at home, you must be willing to engage in conversations that are also windows and mirrors so your children can understand both sides. Because there are multiple opportunities for multicultural books to increase stereotypes instead of eradicating them, it is a good idea to choose literature, always authentic, from reputable sources. Below are a few recommendations.
Youth Media Awards from the American Library Association This site is an excellent resource for award winning multicultural literature. Books are K-12.
Colours of Us Colours of Us contains over 500 recommended multicultural books organized by age level, race and ethnicity. In addition, this site offers collections such as, 37 Children’s Books to help talk about Racism and Discrimination and 70+ picture books about mixed races families. Books are K-12.
Cooperative Children's Book Center The CCBC of Madison maintains one of the most up to date book lists of books.
Raising an antiracist: A conversation with Ibram X. Kendi Dr Ibram X. Kendi and Dr. Robin DiAngelo talk about kids, parenting and racism.
Bibliographies include:
Peaceful Engagement: 25 Books for PreK-3 on Kindness, Empathy and Understanding
Never Too Old: Picture Books to Share with Older Children and Teens
Thick-skinned, Thin-skinned, The Skin I’m In: Books about Bullying, Teasing, Relational Aggression and School Violence
American Indians in Children’s Literature Debbie Reese is considered one of the foremost experts on Indigenous K-12 literature. Her blog includes not only recommended books but informative articles and book recommendations.
Selecting Anti-bias Children's Books (also applies to Young Adult Learners)
The best source for how to engage in a read aloud is Mem Fox. Fox has two essential tips: One, before starting the book make eye contact with each listener and continue the contact often; and Two, fall in love with the pause. A pause increases attention.
These are only a few recommendations. The idea is to be certain the literature you are using is authentic and recommended by experts in the community they represent.
Here are a few excellent books that will create great discussions at home. Break young adult and middle school books into 3-4 sections depending on reading level.
High School
The 57 Bus - A true story set in San Francisco, The 57 Bus follows two high school students caught on different sides of an unfortunate prank. Exploring LGBTQ+ identity and racism these very personal narratives draw the readers into the personal lives of two teens who both wish that day had never happened.
Stamped - Based on the bestselling Stamped from the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X Kendi and written by Jason Reynolds, the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Stamped is described as a journey through the racial history of the United States. Through facts and engaging narrative Reynolds brings history to life in a way that will engage our youth in a nonfiction book for the ages.
We are Not Free - The dark history of the internment of Japanese Americans is too often a minimal part of the educational curriculum. This fiction novel follows members of the same community in San Francisco on their journey through the camps. The interweaving of multiple stories, historical facts, and emotional journeys makes this book a remarkable account of untold stories that should be told.
The Firekeeper’s Daughter - In The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Boulley weaves a thrilling murder mystery with a coming to age talk of a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman). Intertwined throughout the story are Anishinaabe language and culture as Daunis struggles with caring for a fragile mother, her role as a non-registered member of the Ojibwe community and a love story riddled with mystery.
Middle School
El Deafo - Have you ever wanted to have a superpower? Who hasn’t? But what if your superpower allows you to help others as well as possibly hurt them? In this amazing “slightly fictionalized” graphic novel, CeCe Bell weaves a powerful story of the search for true friendship.
Ghost - The first in the track series by award winning author Jason Reynolds, the story of Ghost is not just about finding oneself, but also finding one's “people.” Told through the development of a character that draws readers into pulling for Ghost, the team, and the coach, readers are taught to believe in the power of a team as family.
Sylvia & Aki - A true story of two young girls caught in a historical time of prejudice, racism and privilege. Aki and her family are removed from their farm and forced into a Japanese Internment Camp. Sylvia’s family rents the farm only to be embroiled in a fight to allow Sylvia to attend the white school down the street as opposed to the Mexican school further away. A story central to school desegregation through Mendez v Westminster and prior to Brown V BOE, Sylvia and Aki highlight the strength of our youth.
The Door of No Return - The Door of No Return depicts well the harrowing violence and tragedy of the Atlantic slave trade. Readers travel from a peaceful community in the Asante Kingdom of 1860 to the “door of no return” in Cape Coast Castle.
Picture Books
The Bell Rang - A gripping story of a week in the lives of enslaved Africans on a southern plantation. Day by day through emotional illustrations readers follow a sister’s heart wrenching wait for the dogs to bark. Will today be the day?
Shin-Chi’s Canoe - Imagine young children who cry when their parents leave for an hour, or a day. And then imagine being six and put on a cattle car to a school far from home. The unconscionable history of US Government Boarding schools for members of First Nations is told in Shin-Chi’’s Canoe. Gentle and yet honest, readers will learn to build empathy and recognize inequities in history so we never repeat them.
Red: A Crayon’s Story - Why must we match? Why must what is inside us be reflected on the outside? This simple and yet moving and complex book explores complex issues of identity that make sense even to the youngest. A must read to discuss compassion and understanding.
The Name Jar - Names are ours. But when our name is something others can’t pronounce, is it ok for them to change it to make it “easier” for them? The Name Jar is a must read in every classroom as it celebrates the joy of our name, our families, our journey through life.
Unspeakable - traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community.
Reflecting and Journaling is a crucial piece of the challenge. Plan to take time everyday to reflect on what you chose to do, what you’re learning, and how you are feeling. Difficult emotions such as shame and anger, though uncomfortable to feel, can guide you to deeper self-awareness about how power and privilege impacts you and the people in your life. At the very least, use the “Reflect” space on the reflecting journal tool.
Use our tracking tool to stay on track and be able to reflect back at the end.(Tip: diversify your habits by doing some of each.)
Create a Soundtrack4Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.
You can find ours on Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, or see individual songs below:
El Apagon / Bad Bunny
El Pueblo Unido / Sergio Ortega
Afilando los Cuchillos / Residente, iLe & Bad Bunny
Pray / Flobots
The Search/NF
Sunshine / Latto
Count Me Out / Kendrick Lamar
My Stress / NF
Bigger Picture / Lil Baby
My Skin / Lizzo
New America - Marina
No Justice No Peace - Bobby Hustle, Asha D Pipo Ti
It’s a good day (to fight the system) / Shungudzo
Emma Stevens - Blackbird by The Beatles sung in Mi'kmaq Live at CBU
Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free (Audio)
Kalolin Johnson - We Shall Remain (It Wasn't Taken Away)
Sister Sledge - We Are Family (Official Music Video)
Ain’t Got No, I Got Life / Nina Simone
Baltimore / Nina Simone
Be Free / J Cole
Blended Family / Alicia Keys
Blue Bucket of Gold/Gallant X Sufjan Stevens
Born This Way / Lady Gaga
Brave / Sara Bareilles
Call Me By Your Name / Lil Nas X
Colors in Bloom / Lex Allen ft. Taj Raiden
Fight the Power / Public Enemy
Fight Song / Rachel Platten
Formation / Beyonce
For The Kids / Homeboy Sandman
Four Women / Nina Simone
Give Your Hands to Struggle / Sweet Honey in the Rock
Get Up, Stand Up / Bob Marley
Good As Hell / Lizzo
Good Way / Frank Waln w/ Gunner Jules & Rollie Raps
Hear My Cry / Frank Waln w/ Cody Blackbird
House Of A Thousand Guitars / Bruce Springsteen
Hijabi / Mona Hayder
If It’s Magic / Stevie Wonder
Industry Baby / Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow
It’s a good day (to fight the system) / Shungudzo
Keep Your Head Up / Tupac
Love’s In Need of Love Today / Stevie Wonder
Living for the City / Stevie Wonder
Mercedes Benz / Janis Joplin
My Country ‘Tis Of Thy People You’re Dying / Buffy Sainte Marie
Ne Me Quitte Pas / Nina Simone
People Get Ready / Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
Rich Girl / Nina Simone
Roar / Katy Perry
Same As It Ever Was/Michael Franti & Spearhead
Same Love / Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Save Me / Nina Simone
Slow Up / Jacob Banks
Stay Human / Michael Franti & Spearhead
Super Rich Kids / Frank Ocean
Strength, Courage & Wisdom / India Arie
The 10 Stop and Frisk Commandments / Jasiri X
The Colour in Anything / James Blake
Try / Colbie Caillat
We The People / Tribe Called Quest
Try Everything / Shakira
Where Is The Love / Black Eyed Peas
White Privilege / Mackelmore
White Privilege II / Macklemore
Whitey on the Moon / Gil Scott-Heron
Stand 4 What / Nick Cannon
This Is America / Childish Gambino
To Be Young Gifted and Black, Nina Simone
Ultra Black / Nas
In 2022, the US is 500 years into a struggle to create a country claiming to be rooted in freedom yet still riddled with unhealed wounds, unkept promises, and barriers to access for millions. As we work towards a more just future, remembering and building on the legacy of these legends is both strategic and inspiring. Here are just a few. Come back for updated challenges and #MooreLegends.
bell hooks (1952-2021) activist and prolific author whose work focusing on gender and race pushed the “feminsim” movement beyond its white, middle-class roots to uplift stories of Black and working class women.
Mary Brave Bird (1954-2013) aka Mary Crow Dog, Lakota activist, author, educator and survivor of the Indian Boarding School Movement system of deculturalization and abuse who dedicated her life to the American Indian Movement (AIM) and told her story in her memoir, Lakota Woman.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992) a Black trans woman, Marsha “Pay it no mind” Johnson was central to the 1960s LGBTQIA+ movement in general and the Stonewall riots specifically.
Dolores Huerta (1930 - still here!) an agricultural labor leader and civil rights activist who, along with Cesar Chavez, co-founded what went on to be the United Farm Workers Association, while also fiercely challenging sexism within the movement
Cesar Chavez (1927 - 1993) a civil rights activist, Latino, and farm labor leader and hero. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association as a crusader for environmental, worker, and consumer rights.
James Loewen (1942-2021) sociologist, historian and author whose works, including Lies My Teacher Told Me changed the way we think about learning history.
John Lewis (1940 - 2020) civil rights activist who chaired SNCC, led Selma’s Pettus Bridge march, and participated in lunch counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides, before becoming a 17-term congressional leader, and author of the NYT Op-Ed commonly referred to as “Good Trouble.”
Yuri Kochiyama (1921 - 2014) activist for a wide range of initiatives including immigrant rights, Black liberation, anti war movement, Asian American rights, and ethnic studies, all sparked by the unjust treatment she and her family endured as part of the Japanese concentration camp abuse during WWII.
Anne McCarty Braden (1924 - 2006) civil rights activist, journalist, and educator who challenged racist real estate practices, rallied white southerners to support the Civil Rights Movement, and worked for cross-racial solidarity in the environmental, labor, women's, and anti-nuclear movements.