reading and listening and taking action

we're all upset with the events that have been happening. greg has had this book on the shelf for awhile: stamped from the beginning, the definitive history of racist ideas in america, by ibram x kendi. i also have out as an ebook on my phone: so you want to talk about race by ijeoma oluo, who i heard on the brain lehrer show this morning. i have listened to scene on radio's seeing white, which you can find here. i found it when the discussion began within the instagram knitting community about a year ago. it's extremely important to listen to, giving a history of slavery and racism. check out the suggested reading list from the lit bar, an independent bookstore in the bronx, which you can find here. i've had my head in my phone these past few days, reading post after post about the pain people feel. i'm trying to learn about white privilege and to listen to what black people are saying about how they feel living in this country that was built on slavery. i'm hearing my friends say that we need to be actively anti-racist and we need to speak up, especially since the president of this country is intent on sowing chaos, and pitting us against each other. it's the fourth night of helicopters whirring above our homes seemingly all night long. it's a frightening time.