While this post is not specifically in line with our plant-based lifestyle brand, we feel this topic and discussion is important to the health, happiness, and well-being of all the humans who live here. We are reminded of Desmond Tutu’s words…

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

If you are like us, you might be struggling with news, grief, and hopelessness, and wondering how you can best lift up your Africian-American brothers and sisters. NAACP and ACLU have and are doing great work and they have plans in motion that just need a little gas. Supporting these two organizations will do a world of good.

No matter your color or where you are in this world it seems we are all in an existential crisis. We must remain diligent and explore all areas of ourselves, our families, and our communities. It may not happen overnight, but we can do something now to be good ally’s to humans, specifically BIPOC, who live on our planet. Have difficult and uncomfortable conversations with your peers

Let’s be crystal clear, this whole movement is about systemic racism. This video shows how racism expresses itself. Breaking these cycles requires everyone’s involvement. Your voice matters. Call/write your representatives. As a result of the George Floyd riots a movement to defund the police has arisen. No doubt it’s a complicated subject and the wording of “defund” is confusing, however, John Oliver has done a great job outlining the movement and why it is needed.

Curated Resources

Here are a few resources from trusted sources that have helped us better understand the race landscape. We will add more resources to this post as we find them.  

Books to read:

• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
• How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

Films and TV series to watch:

• 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
• American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
• Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
• Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap  (Vox Media) — Youtube & Netflix
• If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
• King In The Wilderness  — HBO
• See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
• Time: The Kalief Browder Story (Jenner Furst) — Netflix
• The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
• When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
• Who Killed Malcom X? (Rachel Dretzin and Phil Bertelsen)  — Netflix

Find more books and movies via Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein

If you’re looking for a primer on how to be a strong white ally, browse this document by Paul Kivel Source: Melanie McFarland

If you use Instagram check out these accounts for additional perspectives.

• @brandonkgood
• @gisellebuchanan
• @officialmillennialblack
• @unity.celeste

Business owners and those interested in Masterclass learning, try these:

• Dismantling White Feminism – A 90-Minute Good Ancestor Academy Masterclass by Layla F. Saad
• Business Beyond Profit by Toi Marie
• Unlearning: America’s Birth by Valerie Wade

Another way you can be a good ally is to seek out businesses that are owned by black folks. We wrote a post featuring a few plant-based businesses that are women-owned, sell vegan products, and who can ship directly to you. We will be adding more posts about how to support BIPOC in the coming weeks.

In addition, many black-owned businesses suffered because of COVID-19 and then the destruction of their property due to riots and looting. If you have the means here is a sampling of GoFundMe requests (there are too many to list them all) by the area that you can contribute to.

Atlanta, GA
Austin, TX
Bay Area, CA
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Philadelphia, PA
Brooklyn, NY

We hope this starter document about Allyship in 2020 is helpful in your personal journal to finding peace in these challenging times.

xoxo