Things I have learned, am still learning about, and talking about with my family. It begins at home
1. Educate Yourself
My public schooling has clearly left out some of the most important and most crucial parts of this country’s flawed history. I am embarrassed that I used to think before that I was so lucky to be educated in America. Anyways, the fix is to educate yourself. Read about the dramatic contributions that people of color have made to this country. CLASP published an educational article on this topic in February of 2020: https://www.clasp.org/blog/african-american-workers-built-america. I’ve been reading “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race”{Amazon Affiliate Link: AAL} by Reni Eddo-Lodge and “Born a Crime” {AAL} by Trevor Noah. I have a long way to go to make my knowledge of history more authentic, more robust, and more accurate.
Books to read in the near future: {Amazon Affiliate Links}
– So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
– The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
– White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson
– How Blacks Build America by Joe R. Feagin
2. Make Your Voices Heard
Donate to some causes that help the movement. You can also send texts and emails to elected officials. These little things add up. I also posted some things I found valuable to my own journey of learning in hopes that it can resonate with any family or friends who may not be exposed to information about the BLM movement. My attempts pale in comparison to all of the great work thousands are doing by peacefully protesting but it’s a start.
Places to Donate:
– The NAACP Legal Defense Fund
– Black Lives Matter
– Bail Project
– Movement for Black Lives
– American Civil Liberties Union
135 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color
3. Spread Your Knowledge
Talking. This is the best thing I think we can do. There is a lot of built-up racism, spoken and unspoken within our community and families. A simple face to face conversation can help soften the minds of those who are maybe unaware of their biases. Irene Sarah spoke PERFECTLY about the word “kaalu”. You know it, I know it, if you’re Bengali, you know it. Stop it. Watch her explanation under her BLM highlights (it is a video about 3/4 of the way through) if you need an explanation.
#southasiansforblacklives
4. Live a Consciously Diverse Family Life
Channel ALL of this to our home life and family. This is of utmost importance because our children are the future. Make more diverse friends, read culturally and racially diverse books to your children, take them to places where they will get a chance to play with children that don’t look like them. Watch television, movies, and theatre productions that have a diverse cast and portray people of color in a positive/helpful way.
Seeing color and spreading kindness, Tasneem
Great Books for Children that Promote Diversity: {Amazon Affiliate Links}
–All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
–The Proudest Blue By Ibtihaj Muhammad
–Mommy’s Khimar By Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
–Not Quite Snow White By Ashley Franklin
–Mae Among the Stars By Roda Ahmed
–Imani’s Moon by By Janay Brown-wood
–Whose Knees Are These By Jabari Asim
–I Beleive I Can By Grace Byers
–This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer By Joan Holub
–When God Made You By Matthew Paul Turner
– Black Heroes: A Black History Book for Kids: 51 Inspiring People from Ancient Africa to Modern-Day U.S.A. by Arlisha Norwood
Bonus: The People in Power and Power of People
A footnote from Metro Detroit Mommy Founder: Amber Louchart
If you want to be heard on important issues, be in a position of power. Elected officials, business owners, business leaders, and decision-makers all have power. It is important for everyone to ensure that ALL voices are heard. Representation matters.
You can promote fair representation by lifting up black-owned businesses, and those businesses that have a diverse leadership team. This means supporting businesses that not only hire a diverse population of employees but have diversity in positions of power. Check out this Vox Video: American segregation, mapped at day and night. How diverse are our workspaces, really?
Conversely, decline to do business with those who have openly voiced their racism, expressed hateful sentiments, or have provided support for those that endorse racist views. Your spending dollars are your power.
Advocate for community leaders that share your views on equality and justice. Research candidates and VOTE to ensure that your voice is heard. Register to vote today. And finally, fill out the 2020 Census.
A special Thank You goes out to Honeycomb Art Design for the use of their image for this article. They have super cute t-shirts and prints for sale in their shop. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Arts & Scraps, a local Detroit nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen families of Southeast Michigan. They also offer free community art activities and free coloring pages.
Tasneem Bhuiyan {Author}
Briana Marie {Editor}
Amber Louchart {MDM Founder}
Hi! I am a Muslim American-Bangladeshi wife and stay at home mommy of twin girls. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas. I moved to the Detroit area, more specifically Auburn Hills about a year and a half ago from Dallas, Texas and have been enjoying all that I can that the city has to offer. I love spending time with my two girls exposing them to various activities and fun to make them well rounded Muslim American Bangladeshis! Follow my personal Instagram @tazzybe3 to catch a glimpse of the twins’ daily adventures and navigating my life with 2 sassy toddlers!