NARAL Pro-Choice America
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John—
Today is Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United
States and the day when formerly enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were
informed by Union soldiers that they were no longer enslaved — more than
two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
More than 150 years later, we recognize that the fight for true freedom is
far from over and that while the institution of slavery may have been
abolished in the United States, its legacy still is very much alive in our
criminal justice system and in the framework of our government.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve pledged to regularly uplift Black voices
and share educational anti-racist resources. We’ve compiled some below and
hope that you’ll find them informative and empowering. As we’ve said
before, we want your ideas on how NARAL can be a force for good in the
movement for racial justice — so please, reply to this email with your
questions, let us know about resources you’d like us to share, or simply
share your insight and perspective with us.
As part of our commitment to following the lead of Black-led
organizations, [ [link removed]- ]we’re endorsing the Movement For Black Lives policy
demands, including a call to defund the police and invest in Black
communities. But our work doesn’t end here — in fact, it’s just getting
started. We’ll keep you updated on other actions we plan to take to
advance racial justice in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here are actions you can take today to learn how to
dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy in your community:
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Start Here: An Anti-Racist Reading List
* [ [link removed]- ]The context behind the importance of this Juneteenth and [ [link removed]- ]key
principles of the Movement for Black Lives to understand, from the
coalition of organizations leading Six Nineteen: Defend Black Lives
* [ [link removed]- ]A deeper dive into Juneteenth and why it’s so significant from the
New York Times
* "[ [link removed]- ]Freedom from Prisons & Police," a primer from Dream Defenders
* [ [link removed]- ]What does it mean to defund the police, an explanation of how
reallocating excessive police budgets back into our communities will
improve public safety and protect Black lives
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Keep It Up: Buy From Black-Owned Businesses
Buying from Black-owned businesses is one way you can directly help close
the racial wealth gap, strengthen local economies, support job creation,
and celebrate Black culture and communities. [ [link removed]- ]Here’s a list of
Black-owned online bookstores for you to keep building your anti-racism
library. But don’t stop at books! [ [link removed]- ]Take a look at this list of over 100
Black-owned businesses from cosmetics and clothing to fitness and home
decor that you can also support.
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Stay Informed: Follow These Movement Leaders
* [ [link removed]- ]Movement for Black Lives
[ [link removed]- ]Twitter | [ [link removed]- ]Facebook | [ [link removed]- ]Instagram
* [ [link removed]- ]Color of Change
[ [link removed]- ]Twitter | [ [link removed]- ]Facebook | [ [link removed]- ]Instagram
* [ [link removed]- ]SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective
[ [link removed]- ]Twitter | [ [link removed]- ]Facebook | [ [link removed]- ]Instagram
* [ [link removed]- ]Black LGBTQIA + Migrant Project
[ [link removed]- ]Twitter | [ [link removed]- ]Facebook | [ [link removed]- ]Instagram
* [ [link removed]- ]The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
[ [link removed]- ]Twitter | [ [link removed]- ]Facebook | [ [link removed]- ]Instagram
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Time to Reflect: Self-Care for Black People
Here are some additional resources for Black NARAL members who are
struggling to prioritize self-care. In a world hostile to your safety and
health, self-care and self-preservation are revolutionary acts.
* Basics: [ [link removed]- ]Understanding self-care and its value for the Black
community from the National Museum of African American Museum History
& Culture
* Ideas: [ [link removed]- ]25 self-care tips for Black people from AfroPunk
* Listen: [ [link removed]- ]“black joy & black power” playlist by Rachel Wilkerson
Miller
* Follow: [ [link removed]- ]13 Black women in wellness to learn more from
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Dig In: Listen & Watch
🎙️ [ [link removed]- ]The Code Switch Guide To Race And Policing, a compilation of
podcasts from NPR’s Code Switch team — a project from a multi-racial and
multi-generational team of journalists focused on the intersection of
race, ethnicity, and culture — that tracks how we got to this unique
moment in U.S. history
♫ [ [link removed]- ]This Is How I Feel: A Playlist By Young Black Listeners — a
crowd-sourced playlist inspired by responses to the question, “Is there
one song that's helping you address your feelings right now?”
📺 Watch: a recorded Facebook Live event — [ [link removed]- ]Angela Davis joins Dream
Defenders to discuss abolition and movement building
🎙️ [ [link removed]- ]"What Matters," a podcast from the Black Lives Matter collective
that combines documentary narrative and interviews to create a dialogue in
pursuit of freedom, justice, and collective liberation
📺 The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Sherrilyn Ifill on “60
Minutes” discussing [ [link removed]- ]“How America Reached its Current Policing Crisis
and What We Must Do Next”
🏛️ Keep educating yourself: [ [link removed]- ]Take a virtual tour of the National Museum
of African American History & Culture
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Show Up: Events Happening This Weekend
Don’t just talk about it, be about it. Consider attending one of the many
Movement for Black Lives events happening in your area — there are virtual
as well as in-person events planned. [ [link removed]- ]Check out this interactive map to
see if there are any protests happening where you live.
Already signed up? Make sure you’re heard loud and clear: Here’s [ [link removed]- ]how
to make a protest sign that will get your point across.
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Take Action: Add Your Name
Sign on to push our elected officials to take brave and bold action:
[ [link removed]- ]Sign the Movement for Black Lives petition to ensure that Black
communities are supported during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What's Next?
To be honest, we don’t know. That’s because so much depends on you. How
are you going to keep showing up for racial justice?
We are committed to being a part of a movement — not a moment. This was a
BIG email — so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, the good news is there are
SO many ways for you to engage. And we promise to keep offering more.
We also promise to be accountable as we move forward — and want you to be
a part of holding us up to the standards we’ve committed ourselves to. If
we’re messing up, you should tell us. Reply to this email — a real person
reads the replies and will respond.
We won’t pretend that we have this figured out — but we’re committed to
making a difference.
And we know that if all 2.5 million of us are ready to be a part of that
change, we can build the world every body deserves.
—NARAL HQ
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Copyright 2020 NARAL Pro-Choice America. 1725 Eye St, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20006 All rights reserved.
