Dismantling Racism and other Oppressions

These resources are part of a collection of readings, videos etc. I have explored in an attempt to understand my own role in the maintenance of a culture of white supremacy, particularly within my workplace and local community. This is being shared because “white people need to do this work themselves” before they take any actions or try to be an ally with a marginalized community, according to the author of My Grandmother’s Hands, Reesma Menakem.

General Resources

15 Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture (1999) – Tema Okun
WSC: Catching our Conditioning (video) – Tema Okun
White Supremacy Culture webpage – Tema Okun
Four Stages of White Identity Formation – Beloved Conversations
Resmaa Menakem in Conversation with Robin DiAngelo (both audio and transcript available)
A chapter from The Sum of Us by Heather McGee
I am racist too (how could I not be?)…..A brief interview with Sonya Renee Taylor on combating racism

Thinking about White Supremacy Culture

Why Anti-racism will Fail – The Rev Thandeka
How did we get here: white supremacy culture – The Fifth Principle Project
Is the “White Supremacy Culture” Paradigm a Useful Strategy for Anti-Racist / Anti-Oppression Social Justice Work? – Anne Schneider
The current Unitarian Universalist Racial Crisis – The RevThandeka
From White Racist to White Anti-Racist – Tema Okun
A Word for White People – adrienne maree brown
Scaffolded anti-racism resources – collection of contributors

Key Concepts:

AUDIO/POEM: “Sometimes” by David Whyte (audio file, 7:21)
READING: Characteristics of and Antidotes to White Supremacy Culture by Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones
To go deeper into these concepts visit Tema Okun’s new website: CHARACTERISTICS – WHITE SUPREMACY CULTURE
VIDEO: Shame vs. Guilt with Brene Brown (excerpt from a Ted Talk, Brene Brown standing on on a stage, lecturing, 2:12)
READING: The Bias of Professionalism Standards by Aysa Gray
READING: 7 Ways to Support and Center People of Color
The Cost of Whiteness – The Rev. Thandeka
VIDEO: A Radical Vision for the Future (8:58)
Love Beyond Belief – The Rev Thandeka

Reparations and Reconciliation

The Four Parts of Accountability – Leaving Evidence
The Case for Reparations – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Reparations for Amherst– Daily Hampshire Gazette
Will the Towns of Amherst be Renamed – History Inquiry
Native American Reparations – ABC News
More Guidelines for Native American Reparations – Univ. of Wisconsin
Land Tax for Native American Reparations – Native Gov’t. Center
You’ve already stolen the land – you might as well pay rent
Reconciliation as a Spiritual Practice
UUA 2007 Truth, Repair, and Reconciliation Resolution

Resilience Wisdom:

VIDEO/SONG: Rising Appalachia – Resilient (two women singing on a stage with banjo and drum, 3:42)
GRAPHIC: Window of Tolerance Rainbow

An Introduction to Native sites in Amherst and surrounds

Dismantling Racism within Unitarian Universalist Institutions and Culture

READING: Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Susan Frederick Gray’s UU World Column “A Message to White Unitarian Universalists”
Widening the Circle of Concern (chapter on Congregations and Community, p. 39) – UUA Commission on Institutional Change
Dismantle White Supremacy – UUA
The history of the Eighth Principle
Land Acknowledgements – UUA
Chapter from UUA Common Read, MIstakes and Miracles titled “To Answer the Call of Love”