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, 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:
Start Here: An Anti-Racist Reading List
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. Here’s a list of Black-owned online bookstores for you to keep building your anti-racism library. But don’t stop at books! 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.
Stay Informed: Follow These Movement Leaders
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.
Dig In: Listen & Watch
🎙️ 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
♫ 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 — Angela Davis joins Dream Defenders to discuss abolition and movement building
🎙️ "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 “How America Reached its Current Policing Crisis and What We Must Do Next”
🏛️ Keep educating yourself: Take a virtual tour of the National Museum of African American History & Culture
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. 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 how to make a protest sign that will get your point across.
Take Action: Add Your Name
Sign on to push our elected officials to take brave and bold action: Sign the Movement for Black Lives petition to ensure that Black communities are supported during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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