The Time is Now.
An answer is self education.
So many times people ask, “well what can I do? How can I help.” When our eyes are open to injustice – if only for a moment we look down from a place of priviledge, a blind spot – to see the vastness that is social injustice can be overwhelming. In a society of instant gratification, we want an instant fix for big problems so that the hurt goes away immediately, so that we can feel better because we have done something.
But there is no easy fix.
What you can do is open your eyes, and stay committed to keeping your eyes open even when what you are viewing is hard to see. What you can do is educate yourself. As I work to educate myself, I will update this list of books, articles, documentaries, movies, etc. that offer only a small peep hole into a version of someone else’s lived experience. From here each and every one of us must do the work to dig deeper and learn on our own.
Resources specifically about the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Petitions
For the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil from DHS detention.
Books
Barraccoon by Zora Neale Hurston
IRL by Tommy Pico
The Mourning Road to Thanksgiving by Larry Spotted Crow Mann
Trails of Tears, Paths of Beauty by Joseph Bruchac
Educational Resources
Facing History and Ourselves – Their mission is to challenge teachers and students to stand against bigotry and hate through history lessons. This link is to upcoming webinars, but check out the rest of the site.
Partnerships With Native Americans (PWNA) – Offers a list of books and resources to view to self-educate. PWNA works to provide support to Native American reservation communities in the U.S. year-round.
Reconstruction – Educational resources for youth (ages 4-18) and folks 19+ to connect kids to the magic of the Black Community. The history and legacies that kids aren’t traditionally taught in school.
Whose Land – (also available on Google Play) This app helps users identify Indigenous Nations, territories, and communities across Canada.
Documentaries
American Experience: Blackout – Director: Callie T. Wiser
Asian Americans – A 5 part history mini-series of identity, contributions, and hardship of the Asian American experience. Complimentary educational materials.
Disclosure – A film that looks into how the film and television industry portray transgender people.
Films
Bombay Rose – Director: Gitanjali Rao | Nadja Dumouchel (story editor), Asad Hussain (dialogue), Gitanjali Rao
Kapoor & Sons – Director: Shakun Batra | Writers: Shakun Batra, Ayesha DeVitre, and Spandan Mishra
Moonlight – Director & screenplay writer: Barry Jenkins | Story by: Tarell Alvin McCraney
Passing – Director: Rebecca Hall | Writers: Rebecca Hall, Nella Larsen (based on her 1929 book)
Series
Unbelievable – Creators: Susannah Grant, Michael Chabon, Ayelet Waldman
Unorthodox – Creator: Anna Wingor
Articles/Reports
“Gender Neutral Pronouns 101: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know” – on Them.
“How a Public Media Campaign Led to Japanese Incarceration during WWII” – by Patricia Miye Wakida, found on PBS.
“(Un)Heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community” – from Futures Without Violence
“Punishment & Profit: Food & Commissary” – Punishment & Profit is a series hosted by the Green Space. This conversation talks about food in the prison system.
Caia Rose 