“What if instead of longing for ease, we were made for more--made to advocate, made to dig in, made to speak out, made for complexity, made for this moment?”
-Austin Channing Brown
Human Family
(r)Evolution
Thank you for showing up in this community. The work of connecting to our bodies and the earth is sacred work. This spiritual path is absolutely intertwined with the path of activism, and social justice is an inherent part of that work. Our personal need for integrity pushes us to keep showing up and speaking out to create a just and fair world.
Yes, we are being challenged, but we were made for this moment. Dismantling an outdated colonial operating system demands us to grow, to stretch, to meet the moment, to become who we are meant to be and play the role our world needs us to play.
Photo by Benjamin Hager from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Friday, June 5, 2020 in Las Vegas.
“Revolution is not a one-time event.” -Audre Lourde
Every voice, action, and process matters in this turning of the tides. Every one of our unique medicines is being called to action. The assertion of our gifts looks different for each of us, and we are united by a unified urgency at the same time. We are the ones we have been waiting for, and yes, we were made for these times. It is time to stand up for the world you want to live in.
In particular, I want to highlight the work of Leah Thomas’ Intersectional Environmentalism, as it is deeply aligned with our work in Earth Wisdom practices. I have included the pledge of the Intersectional Environmentalist below if you feel called to connect more.
Below are some resources I have come across so far in my un-learning, and I simply want to share them with you. I suggest you pick one book for now, and then plan your next two, because we are in this to end it (systematic racism and paradigms of oppression).
The first three books on my Anti-racism reading list:
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
This will be my second book, because it is a work book. The author has said it is a book that you DO, rather than simply a book that you read or consume. That feels important to me.
“Layla's work is driven by her powerful desire to 'become a good ancestor'; to live and work in ways that leave a legacy of healing and liberation for those who will come after she is gone.”
My Grandmother’s hands by Resmaa Menakem
I am personally starting with this book because it is body-based and focused on releasing that deep layer of trauma that we all have at this physical level.
The author speaks directly to white bodies, black bodies, and police bodies in separate sections from his experienced background as an international individual and collective trauma therapist.
How to be an anti-racist by Ibram X Kendi
This is the third book on my list. I personally love his voice and clarity of style, and am looking forward to reading more of his work.
“Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America--but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.”
Literature by Black Women Authors
As a white woman, it is important not only to experience black culture through “work” on anti-racism, but also in its own genre. These are a few of my favorite authors, and I few I am keeping on my next read list as well.
Audre Lorde, Poetry is not a Luxury
bell hooks, Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism
Toni Morrison, “The Source of Self-Regard”
Angela Davis, “The Meaning of Freedom”
Sandra Jackson-Opoku, “The River Where Blood is Born”
Additional Resources
My first teacher in the Anti-racism movement, Dr. Joy DeGruy wrote a powerful book, Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome, that opened up a lot of my un-learning process. I highly recommend it. Her classes are also life-changing, if you are able to attend.
I also highly recommend Making Whiteness Visible, as an excellent documentary to share at work or watch as a group. It was also a foundational aspect of this work for me.
Continue to educate yourself. List of Anti-Racism Resources for White People
Be an activist. List of Ways to Take Action in Support of Black Lives Matter
Gratitude.
There is plenty of healing work to do with the ancestors who are wounded, but I wanted to remind us that there is also a wellspring of wisdom and support in our blood as well. I have recorded a brief meditation to support this work as well. May it serve the evolution of our human family well.
Thank you, from the depths of my heart for doing this work. I know it is not easy to examine yourself in this way and change patterns and internalized trauma, and it is absolutely necessary. We cannot continue to look away while so many in our human family suffer. May our continued work serve the highest and deepest good for all beings. Blessed be.
With Love, Kundrie
Shared from Leah Thomas’ work.