BE THE DIFFERENCE BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE

June 6, 2020

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Written by Ikechukwu Ogwuegbu

BE THE DIFFERENCE BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE

June 6, 2020

·

Written by Ikechukwu Ogwuegbu

Without the Black community

Veii Apparel would not exist.

We must stand behind those who look like us and be allies for those who don’t.

Here is a comprehensive list of resources to help you take action and join the movement. Please stay safe & continue to change the world for the better.

Educate Yourself:

Anti-racism resources:

The Anti-Racism Resource Guide by Ibram X. Kendi: This guide provides a comprehensive overview of anti-racism, including its history, key concepts, and actionable steps that individuals and communities can take to dismantle racism.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: This book is a New York Times bestseller that has been praised for its clear and accessible explanation of anti-racism. Kendi provides a number of practical tools and strategies for individuals and communities to work towards racial justice.
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad: This book is a workbook that invites readers to explore their own internalized racism and how it manifests in their everyday lives. Saad provides a number of prompts and exercises to help readers challenge their own biases and work towards becoming anti-racist.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: This book is a collection of essays that explore a wide range of topics related to race, including racism, white privilege, and intersectionality. Oluo's writing is clear, concise, and thought-provoking.
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo: This book explores the concept of white fragility, which is the discomfort and defensiveness that white people often experience when they are confronted with racism. DiAngelo provides a number of insights into how white people can overcome their fragility and become more effective anti-racist allies.

Black history documentaries:

Eyes on the Prize (1987): This six-part documentary series chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from 1954 to 1965. It is considered to be one of the most important documentaries ever made on the subject.
I Am Not Your Negro (2016): This documentary is based on the unfinished manuscript of James Baldwin's book "Remember This House." Baldwin's words are narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, and the film explores the lives of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.
13th (2016): This documentary examines the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery but not involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
When They See Us (2019): This miniseries tells the true story of the Central Park Five, five Black and Latino teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989.
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021): This documentary chronicles the Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week music and cultural festival that took place in Harlem, New York in 1969. The festival featured some of the biggest names in music at the time, including Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Books by Black activists:

Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley: This autobiography is a powerful account of Malcolm X's life, from his childhood in Harlem to his conversion to Islam to his assassination in 1965.
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois: This book was first published in 1903 and is considered to be one of the most important works of African American nonfiction ever written. Du Bois explores the complex experiences of Black people in the United States, from slavery to Reconstruction to the early 20th century.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: This memoir is a coming-of-age story about Maya Angelou's childhood in the American South. Angelou writes about her experiences with racism, sexism, and abuse, but she also writes about her resilience and hope.
The Color of Purple by Alice Walker: This novel tells the story of Celie, a young Black woman who is forced to marry an abusive man. The novel is a powerful exploration of racism, sexism, and violence, but it is also a story of love and resilience.
Beloved by Toni Morrison: This novel is a Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece that tells the story of Sethe, a former slave who is haunted by the ghost of her dead daughter. The novel is a powerful exploration of the legacy of slavery and the trauma it has inflicted on Black people in the United States.