Performative Allyship, Amplifying, & Black Lives Matter
INTENTIONS | 6.4.2020
Hey Herders,
For our June Issue, the message is simple: single narratives—like those enforced by our schools, by racist policies and by police departments—are dangerous. Or better said by award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.”
Lots of work—and continued effort—are needed, and will continue to be needed, to regain the paradise that Adichie speaks of.
This article by social justice advocate Holiday Phillips on Performative Allyship is illuminating. For me, as a white woman, wanting to express solidarity and stay involved with Black Lives Matter as an ongoing movement, I appreciated Phillips’ guide. As a woman of color, Phillips writes how she is,
[…] not overlooking the fact that public allyship can help spur positive change. Voices can be heard, and some small version of justice may even be served as a result. But we must also not be lulled into believing that this kind of allyship is enough to dismantle the conditions that made it possible for an innocent black man to be lynched in broad daylight. And we must not let the kind of performative allyship that begins and ends with hashtags take center stage in the quest for equality. —Holiday Phillips
Click here to read the full article.
The learning and growing never ends, and the power of language and words that lead to action, in the Black Lives Matter movement, are clear. There is an abundance of resources available too—online, in print, in videos—that continue exploring the role of language, words, and race in America.
Here are just a few.
And if you haven’t heard about #BlackBirdersWeek, check it out on Twitter, Instagram, and this article by The Cut.
Amplifying Literary Voices from Black Leaders, Activists, and Writers
Video with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi breaking down “racism and anti-racism.” Dr. Kendi is a bestselling author and founder of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University. You can still backorder his sold-out books.
The Disparities of Covid-19 in Communities of Color and How We Can Help Youth Heal Through Nature by Charles Thomas, executive director of Outward Bound Adventures. As a person of color, Charles has been advocating for other people of color since the 1980s. His nonprofit appreciates any donation for post-pandemic operations. Learn more here.
Educate yourself on media bias and media literacy; this may help you when in conversation with others who are presenting “news” or “facts” from extremely biased news sources.
Stay engaged with the lives and voices of black writers and leaders like Roxane Gay, Ibram X. Kendi, @Ava DuVernay, Ijeoma Oluo, @RueMapp, @hood_naturalist, @Laylafsaad, and many many more.
If you’re white, then this could be a good time to listen, act, and amplify black voices. Acting might mean different things for different people. Here are three resources for reading anti-racist texts, donating if you can, and contacting local representatives.
Click here or the image above to read more about #BlackBirdersWeek and how it is a vital part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
May 31st - June 5th is also the first official #BlackBirdersWeek—you can learn more or show your support @BlackAFinSTEM. Check it out if you haven’t yet, and hear what leaders like Corina Newsome are saying right now.
The United States of Birding, by J. Drew Lanham, is a wonderful essay. Lanham is an ornithologist, wildlife professor, and Poet Laureate of Edgefield, South Carolina, who weaves together race, birding, community, and nature connection.
In his essay, Lanham writes about a racist incident he encountered as a black man, while birding.
He goes on to explain that, “No matter what transpires negatively in my life, things with wings lift me. And in the psychological sink of the White-crowned Sparrow affair, I turned more intently to that buoyancy.”
JUNE WRITING PROMPT | 6.1.2020
Stereotypes are one reason why it is hard to talk about race in America. In his book Whistling Vivaldi, social psychologist Dr. Claude M. Steele describes an early memory he has as a black man, around swimming pool restrictions.
Dr. Steele explains how “[…] if we were going to swim that summer in that pool, we would have to go only on Wednesday afternoons. And the reason for that became because we were black, because we were African-American. And that was, in some ways, the first realization I had of being black and that the other kids I lived around were also black and that we had this contingency of identity, as I've been calling it, to deal with.
For the June prompt, please watch this 4-minute video on The Effects of Negative Stereotypes on Performance at the College Level.
Then take 20 minutes to reflect and explore what stereotypes exist—in your mind, physical appearance, or both—that scare you. Do any sterotypes keep you from talking about race or speaking up when you witness racism at work or in public spaces? Take 20 minutes to write and reflect.
LIT REVIEW | 6.4.20
EVE L. EWING BUSTS GENRES & WRITES OF SURVIVAL
This collection of poems called “1919” has been celebrated as a genre-busting, and obviously emotional read. This collection is written by Eve. L. Ewing, who is celebrated by some critics as the “Zora Neale Hurson” or her generation. As a Chicago-based writer and sociologist of education, Ewing delivers poems that punch readers in the gut, and offer reflection, anger, and healing as America grapples with its racist history and current ramifications. Her love of Chicago, and commitment to make it more equitable for people of color is so strong, and so clear.
Eve L. Ewing has several projects going on at once—all the time—and you can explore more of them here, or sign up for Eve’s newsletter to stay in the loop about events and future publications.
HAPPENINGS | 6.4.20
Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Reading List by Layla F. Saad.
Online workshop for artists this Saturday on “how we can each better use our influence and voice.”
Dania Ayah Alkhouli, who many of you heard perform spoken word during Weekend of Words this May, is still fundraising for inmates in southern California jails who need masks & protection from Covid. All proceeds from her book Contortionist Tongue go to this cause.
Register for Nikky Finney and Jericho Brown, “The Beautiful Witness We Bear,” June 5th at 7 PM, as part of the Bay Area Book Festival.
Herder Lindajoy Fenley shares her recent article, co-produced with Leslie Layton, “Pandemic is costly - and often violent - for women worldwide.” This article was originally published in Chicosol.org.
What’s next for @BlackAFinSTEM? Steps for a more inclusive STEM environment? Hope? Allyship? Long-term change?
Thank you to all the Herders, family, and friends who participated in Weekend of Words in mid-May. Fellow Herders who read their work and/or led workshops included Katia Aoun Hage, Brett Benson, Elizabeth Forsyth, Iris Crawford, Dania Ayah Alkhouli, and Daniel Eugene. I will circle back to those artist’s work and updates in our next issue too.
That’s it for Issue XI of The Herd. Thank you for reading.
The Herd is a literary newsletter that celebrates artistic expression and elevates artists who build community and foster connection.