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1. Book: by Debby Irving

   Article: , Christina Marie Noel, June 2, 2020 

   Article: , Kellie Carter Jackson, June 1, 2020

   Video: , Equal Justice Initiative (5 min) 

2. Book: by Michelle Alexander

   Article: by Matthew J. Harris (‘20), June 3, 2020

   Video: , Childish Gambino,  (4 minutes)

   Online Toolkit:

3. Article: , Treva Lindsey, June 3, 2020

   Video:   (5 min) 

   Movie:

   Book Chapter: , Sarah Jaffe (excerpt available)  

4. Article: by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ta-Nehisi Coates, June 2014

   Article: , Indigenous Action Media

   Article: Holiday Phillips

   Video: ,  (51 minutes) 

1. Lectio divina is a spiritual practice in which you “read” a poem, text, art, music, nature, or an interaction four times. The first time, you read just to get your bearings. The second time, you read to listen to what the poem has to say to you. The third time, you respond. The fourth time, you rest in gratitude for the experience you have had. See video for a guided lectio divina using the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes.

2. Check out the written and recorded by Dr. Candice Nicole, music provided by Richard Maddox. They are 17 minutes long each.

3. Check out this post “Caring For Ourselves As Political Warfare” by Adrienne Maree brown and listen to an excerpt.

4. Reflect and journal about the last week of your life. Have patience with yourself as you come up with a phrase or word that can guide you as you move forward. What do you want to keep in mind in the future? Write that phrase on slips of paper and hide them throughout your house. Pick days at random in your calendar for the next year and enter that phrase as an event. In GMail, you can email that phrase to yourself multiple times and then “snooze” the email until a later date and time. Find multiple ways to hold yourself accountable.

1. Write: Who is the top election official in your county? In Shelby County, that's the Administrator of Elections, Linda Phillips, but the person’s title might be different in your county. Ask them what your county is doing to prevent the suppression of Black votes, especially in the areas of absentee ballot measures, voter ID requirements, and the number and location of polling places. Explain why this issue matters to you and what you would like to see happen. Writing campaigns are more impactful in bulk. Invite local friends to email the same person and voice similar concerns.

   Commit: Register to vote and get 10 other people to register to vote. One organization doing this work in Memphis is . Go one step further and commit to volunteering at the polls.  

   Donate: Who in your local community is helping people register to vote? Donate to them. 

   Comment on �������� social posts to say which action you took! 

2. Write: Write to the principal of the school you went to growing up. Ask them how they teach the Civil War and American history. Is February the only time of the year when the contributions of Black people are taught? Encourage the principal to consider an inclusive curriculum.

   Commit: Find and follow Black artists, writers, and commentators on social media. Chaplain Beatrix follows The Root and The Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter. Comment with the voices that you recommend.

   Donate: Donate to a local organization that promotes art made by Black people.

3. Write: Email your state legislator and demand that they end cash bail. Explain why this issue matters to you and what you would like to see happen. Writing campaigns are more impactful in bulk. Invite local friends to email the same person and voice similar concerns. 

   Commit: Court watchers observe and report on the fairness of criminal justice actors in courts. Research how to volunteer as a court watcher in your county. One organization doing this work in Memphis is Just City. 

   Donate: Most states have a system called "cash bail" in which  a cash payment is required for a defendant to be released pre-trial. If they cannot pay, they remain detained. Who in your local community has set up a cash bail fund? Donate to them. .

4. Write: How has your local police department responded to protests both this week and in the past? Are they de-escalating or are they escalating conflict? Email or call your local police director demanding reforms if there have been any disproportionately militarized responses to protests in the last two weeks. Is it clear from their website how officers are trained in use of non-lethal force and de-escalation? If not, email or call to demand reforms and transparency. Explain why this issue matters to you and what you would like to see happen. Writing campaigns are more impactful in bulk. Invite local friends to email the same person and voice similar concerns. 

   Commit: Attend a protest in your area. Look for Black leaders and follow their lead. Use your best judgment to stay safe, and act in line with your values. 

   Donate: Who in your local community is providing free legal services on civil rights cases? Who in your local community is providing free legal services to people who have been wrongfully accused? Donate to them. 

Compiled as a community effort by Rhodes College faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.

Bibliographies

Articles and Blogs

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• Cut Dead But Still Alive by Greg Ellison
• Citizen by Claudia Rankin
• West Indian Immigrants: A Black Success Story? by Suzanne Model
• The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America by Khalil Gibran Muhammad
• Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century by Dorothy Roberts
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• The Autiobiography of Malcom X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
• Bury The Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves by Adam Hochschild
• Stamped From the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X Kendi
• White Fragility by Robin D'Angelo
• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
• I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
• Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
• How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
• Necessary Trouble by Sarah Jaffe

Websites

•  - ACLU
•  - National Museum of African American History and Culture   
•  - National Museum of African American History and Culture
•  ()

Videos