The Bridge - Special Edition

The Bridge

Resources

June 17, 2020

Moving Pittsburgh's Legal Community Forward, Together

SPECIAL EDITION

T his issue of The Bridge - Resources is dedicated to all those individuals who, in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the outpouring of rage and grief and self-reflection that has followed it, have decided that they want to be better allies to people of color and, in particular, to African-Americans. Below, we provide a variety of resources we hope you will find helpful.

Being a Better Ally: How to Get Started

So Much to Choose From, But the Important Thing Is Just To Start

If you’re just getting started, Fortune’s raceAhead by Ellen McGirt e-newsletter suggests the following:

Choose one book, film, or podcast recommended by a friend you know well.
Finish it.
Discuss the material with your friend, and get comfortable with the experience of talking about the issue.
Choose a second resource, this time recommended by a person who you may not know well (any list works well here) and which has been created by someone as different from you as you can possibly imagine. That's your opportunity to encounter a truly new point of view.
Pay it forward by recommending that resource to your peer-group for later discussion.
Do it all again.

See the latest issue of raceAhead .

The New York Times also has a weekly newsletter devoted to issues relating to race entitled Race/Related . See a recent example of this publication.

Interested in talking to your children about race? Get help in the EmbraceRace newsletter and it's many resources. For 16 ways to help children become thoughtful, informed, and BRAVE about race, s ee the latest newsletter .

Lists Abound!

Anti-Racist Books Top Amazon’s Best Seller List Amid Floyd Protests

Suggested reading and viewing lists are everywhere. Here’s a list of “20 Best Anti-Racism Books to Read Right Now”:

20 Best Anti-Racism Books

Another list of books, but also including a list of organizations to support, articles and blog posts, films and TV shows, and resources for parents :

Anti-Racist Resources

For an all-film list: “30+ Films You Need to Watch About Race in America”:

30+ Films About Race

Or if you would like to zero in on the work of Spike Lee, America’s premier Black film maker, here’s a curated list of his films from the New York Times:

The Essential Spike Lee

Spike Lee’s new movie, Da 5 Bloods, debuted last week on Netflix. Read a review of the film .

But Now I’m Overwhelmed!

Can't You Narrow It Down for Me?

Ta-Nehisi Coates exploded to national attention with his article in The Atlantic, “ The Case for Reparations .”

If you like Coates’ voice, you could go on to his short book, the National Book Award winner, “ Between the World and Me .”

Finally, you will be heartened by last week’s podcast interview with Coates conducted by Ezra Kline in which he talks about the hope he feels in this moment.

I Keep Hearing the Term “Anti-Racist.”

What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?

The anti-racism movement asks White people to be more than just “not racist” — rather, to be “anti-racist.” A person who is no more than not racist may be a passive observer — and thereby, a passive enabler — of racism. A person who is an anti-racist is an active participant in challenging and changing values, structures and behaviors that adversely impact people of color.

Two Important Books on Anti-Racism

“How To Be An Anti-Racist” by Ibram X. Kendi (No. 4 on the Amazon best seller list). Kendi is a National Book Award winner and the founding director of Boston University’s Center for Anti-Racist Research. Here is a recent interview with him, explaining what it means to be anti-racist in America.

“White Fragility; Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin DiAngelo (No 1 on the Amazon list). For more DiAngelo, just wait until September 10, when every Coalition member will have the opportunity to hear her speak as part of the Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture Series. More on this in next week’s newsletter.

Ready to Be a Full Diversity Partner?

If yes, you might want to check out the website, podcast and many webinars offered by the organization, White Men As Full Diversity Partners . (Women are allowed to look, listen, and participate too.)

Juneteenth: A Good Day for Reflection on Where We’ve Been and Where We Still Need to Go

This Friday is Juneteenth — America’s other Independence Day. The annual holiday — a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth” — commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. It marks the June 19, 1865, anniversary of the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learning they were liberated, almost two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free all slaves. Learn more about Juneteenth.