If society is the water we all swim and float in together, white supremacy is a slurry of hate that has been dissolved into it, and anti-racist action is the surfactant that can eventually free us all from drowning.
First, how do we recognize the signs of white supremacy and our roles in supporting or dismantling it?
How do we recognize the seemingly more innocuous attitudes and behaviors (e.g. of white fright, fragility, and even feminism) that prop up white supremacy just as much as less-subtle examples of racism (e.g. a klan rally)?
Understanding the telltale signs of white supremacy is critical to developing and executing strategies to combat the underlying causes.
First, think about White Supremacy and think about how to address these questions.
Where is it?
What does it look like?
Who generates it and maintains it?
Who is stopping it?
How to use these resources
- Find a friend. In moving from reflection to action, we are asking that readers identify another person (or a group of people) that they want to work through the materials with.
- Pick the zine format you prefer. This year, we have created zines (small pamphlets) that you can either download and read in PDF form, or print out and fold in half to make a paper booklet. Both have the same content, one is just laid out so you can print and fold!
- Read the material, reflect together. We will be doing this activity ourselves, reflecting on the questions we’ve posed, and discussing them. Since your trusty BlackLight curators don’t all live in the same place, we’ll be doing those discussions online, and posting them– you can choose to meet with your partner or group in whatever format works best for you!
- Make a plan of action, and then ACT ON IT. From each week, we want readers to identify actions they will take to combat white supremacy. These actions should take place outside of yourself– addressing internalized white supremacy is an important aspect of the work, but it is not the only aspect of the work. Get out there!
Black Light 