Dear Changemakers around the world,
At ChangemakerXchange, we stand together in solidarity with the victims of racism and prejudice, and also with those who seek justice through protests, not just in the US, but across the globe. As a global community, we do our best to create a safe and empowering space for all and we believe this is impossible unless the community is diverse and inclusive.
Systemic and institutionalized racism are among the defining issues of our time. And we believe that to be silent about the discrimination, violence, and threats to the lives and wellbeing of the Black community is to condone them. That being said, we would like to ask you to join us in not being complicit through these concrete steps.
?? Take Action
Inaction is not an option. At the same time, we know that all the information and resources can be overwhelming, particularly knowing who and how to support.
If you are unsure where to start, you can check out this website for plenty of tips and actions to take; from petitions you can sign, organisations you can donate to, and protests you can join (and how to do so safely). And if you engage in the latter, this “Mitigating aftershock for activists” recipe by our official wellbeing partner, Recipes for Wellbeing will come in handy.
Until justice applies to all, there is no justice. And until then, we should do our part to demand it.
? Educate Ourselves
As a community that values and prioritises systemic impact, we believe that it is important to address not just the symptoms of racism but change the entire system. We all need to educate ourselves on what it means to be anti-racist and understand better the roots of today’s struggle in a long history of wide-ranging, systemic social and racial injustice.
Here and here, you can find the most comprehensive list of resources to deepen our anti-racism work; books, podcasts, films, and toolkits.
And if you are looking for some anti-racism experts to follow on social media, you can look for these names below.
Scholars:
Ibram Kendi, Jennifer Eberhardt, Jennifer Richeson, Robin DiAngelo, Dolly Chugh, Stephanie Creary, Sam Sommers, Britney Cooper.
Writers/Activists:
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Bryan Stevenson, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Heather McGhee, Celeste Ng, Roxane Gay, Julie Lythcott-Haims, Rachel Cargle.
? Check-in on our friends, family, partners, and colleagues from the Black community
This may be a challenge if we never engaged in a conversation with people who have been victimized because of what they perceived—even more challenging if we never experienced ourselves how to be on their shoes. But we should not let our fear keep us silent. It is better to say something and be open to being corrected and educated. We should take this time as growth opportunities, which hopefully may result in understanding and genuine unity.
We found this guideline by Haile Thomas, the teen activist and the CEO of The Happy Org useful. It encourages and equips us with tools to step out of our fear and engage in something called Revolutionary Conversations.
Words from Haile Thomas:
“Revolutionary conversations are social interactions that decenter ego and allow heart, spirit, honesty, and vulnerability to be center stage. It is not about criticism. It is embracing tough love and open sharing of/engagement with opportunities to listen, feel, learn, and grow individually and collectively. It is what happens when we see each other and our experiences without judgment in order to understand personal truths. It is refraining from projecting your opinion or perception of the experiences of others, and instead, hearing and learning from an existence you cannot relate to.”
This is a time of pain, anger, and sadness. But with us coming together to do something and contribute to tackling this issue, we hope this can also be a time we look back on as a catalyst for real, lasting systemic change.
Your ChangemakerXchange Team