LibGuides: We Need To Talk : Taking Action

Where Do We Go From Here?

In a world where many are "woke" and have an understanding of what issues need addressing, what are the next steps?

We believe having conversations that spur action like the We Need To Talk Series are a part of the solution,

but there's still plenty of work to do! What can you do to be a part of the change?

Approach the conversation with respect.
Embrace the discomfort of not knowing.
Internalize what you've learned.
Commit yourself to change.
Acknowledge that there's no one size-fits-all solution.
Understand that "the work" is a lifelong commitment.

Earworms For Thought

The First 100 Days of Biden-Harris: Pod(cast) For The Cause
The Leadership Conference’s founders came together in 1950 out of the belief that the fight for civil rights could not be won by one group alone, but needed to be waged in coalition. The Leadership Conference coalition is our enduring common purpose: full equality for all.
If Hindsight Is 2020, Why Are We Still Not Saved‪?‬
Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by a panel of guests to unpack the learnings from a year of pandemic, political revolution, and purported racial reckoning; and to help envision a path forward as the panelists contextualize the events of January 6th through a critical race theory lens. They discuss what the new Biden administration must consider in order to truly address white supremacist terror at its root.
Culture In The Time Of The Uprisings
In recent years, artists, athletes, culture-bearers, cultural organizers, and narrative strategists have moved millions to embrace radical racial justice narratives and ideas. How are people innovating and advancing racial justice narratives? How do we think about the cultural battleground now in this time of uprisings? Race Forward is proud to present this plenary of leading cultural organizers, thinkers, and influencers.

How Do We Pull Ourselves Back Into The Narrative?

Resources For Tackling Conversations AND Taking Action

The African American Policy Forum
The African American Policy Forum (AAPF) is an innovative think tank that connects academics, activists and policy-makers to promote efforts to dismantle structural inequality. We utilize new ideas and innovative perspectives to transform public discourse and policy. We promote frameworks and strategies that address a vision of racial justice that embraces the intersections of race, gender, class, and the array of barriers that disempower those who are marginalized in society.
Racial Equity Tools
Racial justice organizations use a variety of strategies to end structural racism and advance social change. Given how entrenched structural racism is in the U.S., the decision on what strategy to deploy is often a matter of audience, goal, and outcome.
Restructure Your Organization to Actually Advance Racial Justice
For diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners, the influx of interest being seen from organizations that want to both support their Black employees and upskill their workforce around racism, bias, and inclusivity is unprecedented. What does this actually look like, and what tools can organizations actually implement?

Everybody Against Racism: Anti-Racism > Being Not Racist

A Change Is Gonna Come: Literature To Empower a Generation

Watch Us Rise by Renée Watson; Ellen Hagan; Renée Watson
ISBN: 9781547600083
Publication Date: 2019-02-12
"A nuanced meditation on race, privilege, and intersectionality." --SLJ, starred review

Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission. They post their work online--poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial microaggressions she experiences--and soon they go viral. These two dynamic, creative young women stand up and speak out in a novel that features their compelling art and poetry along with powerful personal journeys that will inspire readers and budding poets, feminists, and activists.
Lighting the Way by Douglas Rice
ISBN: 9780813943947
Publication Date: 2020-03-03
Do our federal courts, including the Supreme Court, lead or merely implement public policy? In Lighting the Way, Douglas Rice details the essential role of the Supreme Court and other federal courts in directing attention to issues in American politics through influential relationships with Congress, the presidency, and the public and the interactive nature of policymaking and the critical role of social movements in shaping policy agendas.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
ISBN: 9780525509288
Publication Date: 2019-08-13
Stamped from the Beginning's approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in our society--and in ourselves. Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science with his own personal story of awakening to antiracism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.

We Need To Talk : Taking Action

Our Panelists