Resources

In addition to sharing my story, I know that this journey is still just beginning. It has to be more than just my words; there needs to be action taken to reinforce my commitment to both becoming a better person and affecting positive change. To that end, I've compiled a list of resources that I have found helpful in educating myself on issues affecting my community. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a humble start to raise more awareness. My hope is that others will find these websites informative and helpful.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - As described on their homepage, the NAACP is the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice.

Ways to get involved with the NAACP:

Sign up to receive alerts from the NAACP here, you can even select certain areas of interest to focus on.
Become a member of the NAACP and join either the national unit or a specific unit within your community. Annual memberships are $30 for adults and lifetime adult memberships start at $750. Becoming a member offers a great way to stay informed on the issues that your community is fighting for. The organization also holds monthly meetings and sessions on important topics.
Make a one time or monthly donation to the NAACP to help fund their initiatives in key areas of work like civic engagement, education, criminal justice, healthcare and economic development.
Stay up to date on how you can take action through signing petitions, reaching out to elected officials, or spreading the word on social media platforms here.

"Those events that once made me feel ashamed and disgraced now allow me to share with others how to become a useful member of the human race" - The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous

Black Lives Matter Global Network - The mission of the Black Lives Matter Global Network is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities.

Ways to get involved with Black Lives Matter Global Network:

Read the news section on their website. It offers information on events around the country as well as offering recommendations on how you can help facilitate change on specific topics.
Sign up for updates on their homepage to receive email or text alerts on the issues they are combating.
Make a one time or monthly donation here to help fuel their campaigns for justice.
Help the organization find misleading information about their movement on other websites by alerting them if something looks suspicious to you.
Show your support of the BLM movement by purchasing apparel from their store.

Color Of Change - Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization.

Ways to get involved with Color of Change:

Learn what Color Of Change is accomplishing by looking through the campaigns they are working and have worked on. Add support by signing the petitions that accompany their campaigns.
Join the Color Of Change movement; membership is free. By joining, you will get email/text updates on issues they are fighting and ways you can take action, offering an easy way to stay informed on topics that are of importance to you.
Make a one time or monthly donation to help their organization fight injustice and offer solutions for racial justice.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) - The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country.

Ways to get involved with ACLU:

Further educate yourself by reading about the work the ACLU has done through court battles, Supreme Court cases, and public policy.
Learn more by looking at specific issues they are fighting, like racial justice, or find out what your local affiliate is doing by going to your state specific ACLU page.
Find ways to take action by signing petitions, sending messages to elected officials, organizing/hosting events, or volunteering to engage others by calling or texting. From the same page, you can sign up to stay informed about what the ACLU is doing and different ways you can get involved.
Help the ACLU fight for civil liberties by making a one time or monthly donation.

Change.org - Change.org offers a platform for people to start campaigns, mobilize supporters, and work with decision makers to drive solutions.

Ways to get involved with change.org:

You can sign petitions, donate to get petitions more visibility, or even start your own petition.
Research the impact that these petitions have had and learn more about the victories that people signing petitions have helped create.
Become a member and contribute monthly to help Change.org continue growing their influence over decision makers, offer expert campaign advice, and provide better activism technology.

VolunteerMatch - VolunteeerMatch connects millions of people with a great place to volunteer. VolunteerMatch has helped tens of thousands of organizations better leverage volunteers to create real life impact.

One of the simplest yet most rewarding and beneficial ways to positively impact your community is by volunteering.

Search for volunteer opportunities within your community.
Browse 29 different cause areas so you can volunteer to help with the issues that matter most to you.
Search for opportunities based on your skill set so you can be sure your abilities are utilized most effectively

In addition to the above organizations, several podcasts/books that I have listened to, have

read, or plan on reading, offer insightful messages on racial issues in our society:

Hope & Hard Pills – Andre Henry and Alicia T. Crosby
Conversations with Coleman – Coleman Hughes
Pod Save The People – Crooked Media
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness – Michelle Alexander
So You Want To Talk About Race – Ijeoma Oluo
How To Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People To Talk About Racism – Robin DiAngelo

If you have other resources that you believe will be beneficial to others, or you just want

to share with me, please reach out to me via the Contact Me page.