Resources

These are just a few places to learn and connect to more resources:

Some Things People Can Do Every Day to Work on Systemic Racism

Economics – Business, Banking, and Finance

  • Where do you shop? Support Black-Owned Businesses.
  • Where do you bank? Most big banks have horrible lending practices to people of color for homes and businesses. Consider putting your money in an African American bank or moving your business to a bank with a better record of fair lending to Black people or with a greater percentage of BIPOC in leadership positions. One United Bank is the largest Black owned bank in the US.
  • Do you invest in the stock market or have mutual funds? What companies do you invest in? How’s their track record for hiring people of color? Consider investing in Black-owned companies, or, if you are a major stockholder, raise the issue to the companies you invest in.
  • If you are self-employed, own a company, or are a contractor, subcontract work to BIPOC-owned businesses. Develop jobs programs to increase work opportunities among BIPOC.
  • At your workplace, bring up the issue of hiring practices, to increase the presence of people of color at work. Are there BIPOC in the management positions?
  • Are you a member of a union? Does your union represent people of color fairly – in the membership and in leadership positions? If not, raise the issue.

Media, Television, the Entertainment Industry

  • How fair or biased are the news outlets you read? Check if crime reporting names the race of the offender (it shouldn’t unless it’s vital to understanding the story). The media overwhelmingly links people of color with crime and drugs which perpetuates negative stereotypes. Write letters to the editor challenging stereotypical coverage and bringing light to injustice.
  • Do the newspapers you read and TV news programs you watch have Black reporters? How does the ratio compare to the community where the outlet is located?
  • Support Black media in Asheville: The Urban News; WRES radio station at 100.7 FM; The Waters and Harvey Show on Blue Ridge Public Radio.

Schools and Libraries

  • What books on African American history, on the true story of colonial expansion, on Latinx, Native American, Asian, and other non-Eurocentric history are in your public library and the schools? Check to make sure there are good, accurate books representing these experiences.
  • Get more politically involved to legislate for more funding for education and not for prisons.
  • Black students get disproportionately punished, suspended, and put into special behavior classrooms. Bring this up as a racism problem to the school officials, school board, and teachers.
  • Property taxes fund schools! Fight to change this deeply inequitable practice. Otherwise rich neighborhoods get good schools, and the rest have under-funded, understaffed, under-resourced schools.

Housing and Subsistence

  • Become active in building equitable housing, funding healthcare, and providing food for those without means. 
  • Fight gentrification! Help people own their own homes by forcing banks to increase their lending practices to people of color. Volunteer or get contractors to volunteer to help with home remodeling.

Neighborhoods and Communities – From the Grassroots to Congress!

  • Volunteer working at a school as a tutor, mentor, helper, whatever is needed.
  • Offer your skills – a service for free that people may not have resources to pay for.
  • Become active on local city councils, school boards, neighborhood associations, state or national government, whatever. Run for office. Work to elect candidates of color.
  • Find out who was on the land you inhabit before you came, and before white people came. Tell your friends, tell your community and teach your children. In Asheville we occupy the land of the Anikituwagi, more commonly known as the Cherokee. 
  • Record incidents of harassment and violence against BIPOC by police and others in power. Record the interaction and share what you have seen if it is okay with the person of color. 
  • Do the research and vote!  Help get out the vote. Support candidates who promote antiracist policies. Volunteer with organizations working against voter suppression, which is often race-based. 
  • Hold leaders and law enforcement accountable. As fits your ability, write, call, email, attend council meetings, town halls, and protests to demand equity and justice. 

Educating Ourselves and Our Families 

  • If you are Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color, work on issues that arise for you. Do you recognize internalized oppression? Do you find opportunities to advocate for yourself, your family, and others? Give and receive support in community with other BIPOC.
  • If you are white, notice your whiteness, and the privileges you get from it every day, regardless of whether you want them. 
  • If you are white and have white children, do you teach your children about the privilege of whiteness? Do you teach them to value rather than erase differences?
  • Work out your own “white issues” with other white people, on an ongoing basis. Do not expect your Black and Brown friends to educate you or help you work through your guilt or distress about racism.
  • Remember to listen. You have two ears, but only one mouth. You’ve been given more to listen with than to talk.