The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd are violent, tragic and painful reminders of the 400-year legacy of the persistent and pervasive effects of slavery, white supremacy and racism in America. Yesterday, peaceful protestors in Washington D.C. were dispersed with force and the use of tear gas by the U.S. Park Police and the National Guard. Through the news, social media posts and community protests, we have witnessed violent reminders of racial injustice recently – but we also recognize these are instances where acts of brutality and oppression happened to be captured on video. Deeply rooted in systems, policies and structures, the painful realities of racial injustice are felt by black and brown communities daily.
Events like those in the past month are often met with disbelief, indifference or silence from white people. We must do better–our humanity depends on it. Black and brown communities have been organizing and fighting for racial justice for over a century, with many organizations working to deconstruct racist policies and structures of these deeply rooted systems.
If you are not part of anti-racist work, now is the time to begin learning and listening – and to join together in community with others.
We acknowledge that for people of color, the daily experience of being black and brown involves repetitive racial trauma. Included below are resources for people of color.
- Radical Self Care for People of Color
- Counseling for a variety of needs, including trauma — for Duke employees, for Duke students
- Report harassment or discrimination at Duke
For white people, the call to action is overdue – below are resources to dig deeper and join in the movement to dismantle racism.
- Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks)
- Anti-Racism Resources
- Six things white people can do to be stronger allies from Sojourners Network
- Affirming Black Lives Without Inducing Trauma
- Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources
- “Study, Support & Action” online caucus
General Resources
- 26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets
- Resources for Accountability and Actions for Black Lives
- Racism, Vulnerability and Refuting Black Pathology
- What Coronavirus Means for Black Communities
- Under the Blacklight series
- The Steve Fund
- The Equity Paradigm
- Working to Extend Anti-Racist Education (we are)
Duke University Resources