Black & BIPOC Leaders, Teachers, and Activists We’re Learning From

This week we are taking a step back as part of the #AmplifyMelanatedVoices challenge and won’t be sharing the originally scheduled content. In case you missed it, we shared a resource guide over the weekend with links to books, podcasts, and more as we further our journey into becoming stronger white allies for Black people and all BIPOC. We are so fully aware of our privilege as white women. We will never understand what the Black community has to go through every day. But we will stand with them. Our commitment to learning and growing is ongoing, but it’s useless without action. We’re a small team here at Glitter Guide. It’s Taylor and myself full-time, with Wendy and Nicole working part-time. We aren’t a big organization. Taylor and I talk each day about how we can put our money and our platform where our mouth is, and it’s an ongoing learning process for our team. But it’s one we will never give up on. So today we wanted to share the voices that we’re listening to. The funds and charities that we’re contributing to. The artists we’re purchasing from. These are just tiny drops in the bucket, and we’ll keep sharing more actionable ways to learn and help for all of us here.

Instagram Accounts

@privtoprog

 

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Just listen. Then act. Don’t know what to do? Follow, learn, speak up, amplify. #ShowUp.

A post shared by From Privilege to Progress (@privtoprog) on

This account was started by Melissa DePino and Michelle Saahene, the women responsible for the viral video of two black men unjustly arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks in 2017. Since then, they’ve been using their platform to build the national #ShowUp movement while working for racial justice by desegregating the conversation about race on social media. 

@laylafsaad

 

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A post shared by LAYLA THEE ANCESTRESS (@laylafsaad) on

Layla is a globally respected writer, speaker, and podcast host on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation, and social change. Read her book Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change The World and Become A Good Ancestor.

 

@iamrachelricketts

 

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I woke up violently ill yesterday + haven’t left bed since. My heart sickness from the last week manifesting as physical dis-ease. So many Black womxn+, gxrls+ and femmes are feeling the same. Because this isn’t JUST about #georgefloyd #regiskorchinskipaquet #breonnataylor #seanreed #ninapop #tonymcdade – this is about EVERY Black humxn. It’s about me, my brother, my auntie, my friends. This is about the utter disrespect for Black life + the systems of white supremacy that seek to use, abuse + slaughter us. Black womxn+ have been paving the way for the globe’s collective liberation for CENTURIES. We support our Black mxn. Educate white womxn. Call in non-Black PoC. And when WE need support, who the fuck shows up for US? Our own damn selves. We are grieving + all y’all do is demand our time, energy + labor. NO FUCKING MORE! We are NOT your mammies. STOP DM-ing us. STOP asking for free labor. STOP expecting us to break our backs to carry you forward. CALL TO ACTION: I want EVERYONE in this community to actively + conscientiously support a Black womxn+ or femme TODAY (and if you’re a Black womxn+ or femme, please support yourself). Anonymously contribute financial reparations to us or organizations supporting us, purchase from one of our businesses, check in on us, take something off our plates (laundry, cooking, cleaning, errands), offer your services to us for free, hire us, promote us, PAY US, do something when we’re being harmed, and on and on and on. Do something + do it without recognition. Care for us. Not just because we need your support, but because we damn well deserve it. Share a 👊🏾 (in your own shade) below once you’ve done so. NOT for cookies. For accountability.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ID: a Black womxn wearing a t-shirt that says “Seen. I see you black girl. You’ll never be invisible to me. I’ll burn cities down in your name” by @simimoonlight

A post shared by Rachel Ricketts (she/her) (@iamrachelricketts) on

Rachel Ricketts is a racial justice advocate + consultant, intuitive healer, speaker, and writer. Combining her wealth of experience as a lawyer, certified intercultural communications educator + trainer, and loss+ grief professional along with her personal experiences navigating the world as a black woman, she curates difficult but necessary conversations with realness and compassion. She offers spiritual activism anti-racism webinars that you can purchase online.  

@thegreatunlearn

 

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Hello Unlearners! • The replay of this months Office Hours session with Valerie Wade is now available on our TGU platform. • Be sure to grab a pen and paper as there were lots of suggested research dropped by Valarie. • Plus we had a bit of frustrated viewer whom I had to remind that this work is not a gold star course that come to completion at any particular point in time. Anti racism work is ongoing knowledge + empathy +action. • I’m so glad you all are here to unlearn alongside me. • If you haven’t yet invested in being a part of The Great Unlearn I want to invite you to be a part of this community effort to show up more informed, more intentional. • #TGU is a self priced (starting at $5) and self paced learning community where every month I bring in a expert to guide us through unlearning our whitewashed colonized understanding of the world. With downloads, live events and resources each month you really get a chance to dive into things you didn’t know you needed to unlearn — you will exist differently in the world as a result. • Head to the link in the bio to get more details on how to join.

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Rachel Cargle (learn more about her below if you’re unfamiliar) recently launched an online platform that includes a monthly self-paced syllabi curated by Rachel and featuring expert voices and activists. Sign up and support via Patreon.

@rachel.cargle

 

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This article has been making its rounds the last several days and I hope it can offer you some critical language as you navigate conversations with each other. • Swipe for excerpts and head to the link in my bio for the full piece. • I’m going to be taking the next 48 hours off of social media to rest. To rest my mind. To rest my heart. To rest my eyes. It’s been a weary several days and I want to say thank you those who are showing up in the ways they have the ability to. We all play a role. Solidarity is the only way. • If you’d like to get in touch with me or my team please do so via my email rachel@rachelcargle.com. • Please consider donating to your local grassroots racial justice organizations. They are in the frontlines. • If you would like to support my work you can head to the highlight titled “support” and find all my details there. • If you enjoy learning from me you can join me over at @thegreatunlearn and sign up for my monthly developed syllabi to UNlearn together and create a new world. • Thank you, all 🙏🏾 talk soon.

A post shared by Rachel Elizabeth Cargle (@rachel.cargle) on

Following Rachel these past few years has been so incredibly valuable as a white woman. Her online workshops and webinars have been some of the best purchases I’ve made. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to start their journey as an ally for anti-racism and supporting black women not just with our words, but with our dollars.

 

@austinchanningbrown

 

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The photos of officers kneeling and marching and hugging are nice. The video of officers giving good speeches and becoming emotional are moving. BUT. Friends, we are not going to hug our way to justice. This fight is not about police being nicer. This fight is about systemic racism, injustice, accountability. The cute pictures won’t do. *Policy change. *Defunding. *Abolition *Prosecution These are examples of the deep changes that are being called for right now. This is what it looks like to fight for Black lives in this moment. If you don’t want this to happen again, we are going to need more than hugs. *PS: when you do see the “nice” officers; don’t ask for hugs, ask for courage. Courage to change a system that hurts Black people.

A post shared by Austin Channing Brown (@austinchanning) on

I read Austin’s book in early 2019 and it was on my list of “Best Books We Read in 2019” because it was so powerful. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whitness should be required reading. I highly encourage you to purchase and read it as soon as possible.

 

@ibramxk

 

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Fundamental.

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Truthfully, I don’t remember when I started following along with Ibram, it has been a while. But what an incredible human he is. He is the director and founder of the Antiracism Center, as well as a best-selling author, and a professor of history and international relations. All four of his books and instrumental in the fight against racism.

 

@Andrearanea

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Whenever an event of violence toward black folks gets a lot of press and media attention, I get an influx of followers who have been sent my way due to the nature of my work. I can make an educated guess that a majority of those people immediately followed me without looking at any/much of my content to see if there’s resonance. Nothing’s wrong with that, but I just wanna give you a run down so you can make sure you’re in the right place. I’m not interested in giving you answers to the questions that so many of us are asking right now. Your contribution, what you can do to make the world a better place, how you should show up in the world, figuring out what the right thing to do is, how to avoid doing harm, etc. I have thoughts, ideas, decisions I’ve made, observations and experiential and academic knowledge, but what I’m most interested in is supporting people who wish to change the world in finding their own unique way based on their integrity, power, social positioning, gifts/skills, community and vision. I don’t believe there is a right way for you to be in the world, but I do know that every decision you (and I) make comes with consequences and we are responsible (able to respond) to those. I don’t believe that you can shame and punish yourself and others into liberation. And I know that it’s all a practice. Instead of taking in everything I post as absolute truth and then obligating or coercing yourself into self-inquiry and changing what you’re doing (cause I know some of y’all be doing that shit), I have a want that you put some space between input/output and just bring some attention to how you feel or what your reaction/response is before putting that energy into action. It’s no fun when y’all use my content to reenact the toxic, abusive and dehumanizing ideas/ways of being that much of work is meant to uproot, dismantle, heal and transform. Just a suggestion. Text on the images say: 1) Anti-racism is not an identity or a checklist; it’s a practice. 2) Anti-racism is not an identity or a checklist; it’s an ongoing decision to uproot the ways white supremacy resides within you, your relationships and the systems you navigate each day.

A post shared by Andréa Ranae | she/they (@andrearanaej) on

Our friend, @DrCassidy, introduced me to Andrea’s work, and I’m so glad she did. Andrea is a coach and motivational speaker. Her work is really thought-provoking and insightful. I find her approach very open and flexible, too. I’ve signed up for her newsletter and would love to take her course. I would also recommend her Youtube video: How To Use Your Privilege for Good.

Where to donate:

Petitions to sign:

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PS. Please make sure to support Black artists today and every day. Featured image by Shanée Benjamin

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Author: Samantha Welker

Samantha Welker is the business manager at Glitter Guide. She has an Master's in Corporate Finance & Sustainability from Harvard Business School but prefers working in the creative industry. She also hosts a weekly business podcast for creative women called Pretty Okay Podcast. She loves spending time with her husband and her son, Rocky, in sunny San Diego. Follow along on Instagram ♡