My Steps to Fight Racism

Hi. I'm Christine. 

That was me, on February 28th, 2020, just after surgery at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Though I'd just walked a 26.2-mile marathon 4 months prior, I had to start over and learn how to carry myself anew.  I had to relearn how to walk -- something I'd been taught more that half a century ago. 
 
At first, I could hardly get out of bed. I needed guidance, inspiration and support --particularly when I stumbled or was afraid. It wasn't easy, but since then, with tons of support, I've taken lots of little steps, adding more and more each and every week.  

And, it occurs to me that, in a small but very important way, my healing journey has not been completely unlike what many of us face today.

Many of us -- especially those who are white -- grew up with and were taught many things we need to revisit, to reconsider, and to relearn.  White citizens, in particular, need to take conscious steps to recognize and cut out the toxic and unhealthy (a.k.a. racist and white privileged) ways of thinking and behaving, and to learn how to walk as stronger, more supportive allies and anti-racists.

These efforts are not always easy. Sometimes they're painful and difficult.

And, they're necessary.

Of course, change does not happen overnight. And, while this work requires marathon-like efforts, there will be no official finish lines to cross. It's up to us to design our own routes, and it's up to us to stay on track. 

This year, I was registered for the 2020 Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11th. Today, July 13th, the event was officially cancelled due to safety concerns amidst the global pandemic.

Nevertheless, I'm still following the training schedule I designed (see Updates section), and I will still raise funds for a cause I believe in. This year, I'm raising money to benefit YWCA Evanston/North Shore (https://www.ywca-ens.org/), which, among its many remarkable endeavors, works to END RACISM and EMPOWER WOMEN. 

Any donation will help make an impact, so thank you in advance for your contribution to a cause that means so much to the community -- and me.

I've been training for 13 weeks now.  After my surgery, I recovered for 6 weeks, then created a training schedule and began walking in earnest during the pandemic's shelter-in-place order. Walking gave me a sense of structure and purpose and focus -- not to mention a healthy outlet for my stress.  While I trained last year, I listened to podcasts and my favorite music. I'll continue to do that this year, and have added many new and important podcasts (listed below).

I'll do my best to post updates, including what I learn along the way. Thank you for ANY support you can offer, including comments (I read every one), money (it goes straight to the YWCA) or your own efforts to practice anti-racism in your community.

And, as I share my journey, please let me know how YOURS goes, as well. 

Please keep going.

Sincerely, 

Christine

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RESOURCES 

Key Organizations:
https://www.naacp.org/
https://www.splcenter.org/
https://blacklivesmatter.com/partners/
https://www.playbill.com/article/black-lives-matter-resources-101

Podcasts:
https://player.fm/podcasts/Antiracist
https://blog.feedspot.com/black_history_podcasts/
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/06/05/podcasts-to-listen-to-about-race-america

TV, Books & Films:
https://www.epl.org/antiracist-resources-and-reads-lists-for-all-ages/
https://skokielibrary.info/lists/527/black-lives-matter-a-reading-list-for-adults/
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/06/06/871023438/this-list-of-books-films-and-podcasts-about-racism-is-a-start-not-a-panacea

Social Media Platforms:
• On Twitter: @boldhoneyinc, created by "Stranger Things" actor Priah Ferguson that "amplifies the voices, narratives and creative merits of young women and girls of color” through culturally and socially relevant storytelling.
•On YouTube: We The Voices of Gen Z, created by “Little Fires Everywhere” actor Lexi Underwood, spotlights topical issues including racial inequality. “Our mission is to change the narrative, create awareness, tell our own stories, and inspire others to dream.”

Videos:
Robin DiAngelo on "White Fragility": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O27_yBQ8Qc
Ibram X. Kendi on "Antiracist Baby": https://youtu.be/dNn2ecyU-HU
James Corden gets a lesson in white privilege: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUB3MGWT3xo

Did you know that over half of Black people with disabilities in the US will be arrested by the time they are in their late twenties? Disabled Black Americans are at greater risk for arrest and violence by the police. Take a look at these resources to see how you can help:

Black-Led LGBTQ+ Organizations:
•House of GG -- Creating safe and transformative spaces for community to heal, and nurturing them into tomorrow's leaders, focusing on trans women of color in the South. www.houseofgg.org
•Trans Justice Funding Project --Community-led funding initiative to support grassroots trans justice groups run by and for trans people. www.transjusticefundingproject.org
•The Okra Project--Collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked meals and resources to the community. www.theokraproject.com
•Youth Breakout--Works to end the criminalization of LGBTQ youth in New Orleans to build a safer and more just community. www.youthbreakout.org
•SNaPCo -- Builds power of Black trans and queer people to force systemic divestment from the prison industrial complex and invest in community support. www.snap4freedom.org
•Black AIDS Institute --Working to end the Black HIV epidemic through policy, advocacy, and high-quality direct HIV services. www.blackaids.org
•Trans Cultural District --The world's first-ever legally recognized trans district, which aims to stabilize and economically empower the trans community. www.transgenderdistrictsf.com
•LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund--Posts bail for LGBTQ people held in jail or immigrant detention and raises awareness of the epidemic of LGBTQ overincarceration. www.lgbtqfund.org
•Assata's Daughters --A Black woman-led, young person-directed organization rooted in the Black Radical Tradition. AD organizes young Black people in Chicago by providing them with political education, leadership development, mentorship, and revolutionary services. Programs aim to Deepen, Escalate, and Sustain the Movement for Black Liberation. www.assatasdaughters.org
•Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network (AWN) -- Direct support, mutual aid, and reparations by/for autistic people of color.  https://awnnetwork.org/
•Women for Political Change -- Working with the Black Disability Collective, prioritizing funds to go to Black/Disabled people. https://tinyurl.com/WFPC-MutualAid
•Ramp Your Voice! --Vilissa Thompson is a disability rights consultant and writer creating content about the intersectional disabled experience. You can support her work through her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RampYourVoice

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More information about YWCA Evanston/North Shore (https://www.ywca-ens.org/):
YWCA has been entrusted to run the Ricky Birdsong Race Against Hate, honoring the legacy of Ricky Byrdsong, former Northwestern University Basketball Coach, Vice President of Affairs at Aon Corporation, and Skokie resident who was murdered by a white supremacist in 1999 while walking in his neighborhood with two of his young children. On the same day, the shooter wounded six Orthodox Jews in Rogers Park. Over the subsequent weekend, he killed a Korean American graduate student in Indiana and wounded an African American minister in Decatur before taking his own life.

YWCA is also the largest and most comprehensive provider of domestic violence services in north suburban Chicago, providing crisis intervention, emergency shelter, community counseling, legal advocacy and longer-term housing and support services.