I think we’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: the NYTimes has a newsletter they send out weekly, with a collection of great blog posts and other pieces on race-related issues. It’s definitely worth the free subscription.

Liz Loeb is a local justice activist in the Twin Cities. She spoke recently at a local synagogue, and shared this beautiful witness. Read the whole thing! But here is just a brief excerpt:

I am also here to tell you that when you give up the lies of white supremacy, when you turn yourself against the resistance that is inside you, you open towards the interconnected liberation to which our humanity owes itself. I truly believe that when we find the place of our own-most stake in black lives mattering, we open towards an experience of love. The love and community and care and possibility I have experienced as part of a resistance movement towards justice is like nothing I can describe. It means knowing that there are people to catch you when you fall, and it means knowing that there are people there to love you when we win. It is something different than the intimacy of family or the individual history of friends. It is the connectedness that binds us to one another, and it is sweet beyond measure. Wherever you are in this journey, I hope you will find a way to give it a try. Let go just a little but. Worry just a little less. Trust the amazing black leaders who are shaping this movement more. And I promise, if we can do this, if we can keep trying together, we will find ourselves somewhere new.

There are all sorts of resources out there for talking with kids about race. White families, in particular, need to be more intentional. Here are some great curated collections from which to draw:

• A community generated list of resources
• A long list from the blog Creative With Kids
• Children’s books exploring race and racism, from the Institute for Humane Education
• A set geared for the adults in your life who are with children
• A Mighty Girl’s personal development list

FemTechNet is a group of scholars who focus on feminist engagement with and learning about technologies. They have begun a resource project which seeks to create a workbook of resources and syllabi to support critical race and ethnic studies pedagogy. The project is extensive, being built with the support of their graduate students, and a highly original and interesting attempt. Check it out!

There is so much flying around the net these days on race and the US that it’s hard to keep track! That’s a good thing. But the reality is that it’s helpful to have curated collections of pieces. Here’s a great collection curated by Kari Cobham. I imagine it would be an excellent place to start for a congregation seeking to learn.

Hank and John Green together form the “Vlog Brothers” — two white brothers who regularly post short videos on a number of different themes via YouTube. John is also an award-winning and very popular author of YA fiction (think Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Fault in Our Stars), and Hank is the creator of Crash Course videos, as well as a whole host of other popular resources. They have pulled together a very helpful list of videos on racism and race, and are urging people to LISTEN carefully.

This is an essay relevant in all sorts of ways, to all sorts of organizing. Today it appeals to me in the aftermath of recent deaths, arguing for ways to be a peacemaker in a time of hatred.

Dr. Emilie Townes offers a compelling reflection this week on what it means that we continue to bear witness to injustice, without ever finding justice.

Here is a piece that was first published back in 2013 offering a strong critique of the liberal use of the word “ally.” I still agree with Chescaleigh’s offering of “5 tips for being an ally” — one of which is that “ally” is a verb! — but I think this piece offers some important pushback on the use of “ally” when it means only personal perspectives rather than actual action.

Here’s an even more concise piece by Robin DiAngelo on “white fragility.”