After the horrific murder of George Floyd last May, I tried to compile as many resources as I could and put them into blog posts to educate myself on racism in America. I came across the work of Rachel Cargle, an author, speaker, and anti-racism activist. I decided to take her free 30-day #DoTheWork course.
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I believe education is one of the most important things in life, and it would be remiss of me to think that I finished learning after graduating college. It’s even more important to educate myself on the subjects that weren’t covered in school.
We are living in unprecedented, tumultuous times. On one hand, we have coronavirus. Everyone agrees that the elderly and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk and suffer the most. Therefore, when it came time for vaccination, those people were prioritized. If someone said, “senior citizens’ lives matter,” no one would question it. No one would say, but what about millennials’ lives or teens’ lives? (Yes, I know that ageism exists, but that is another conversation). On the other hand, we have police brutality and racism, but we don’t all agree that Black people suffer the most from it and therefore need more assistance to overcome it. When people say, “Black lives matter,” there’s backlash.
I cannot speak for all Asian Americans, nor do I deny that Asians suffered in internment camps during World War II and are still victims of racism in this country today, as seen by recent violent hate crimes during coronavirus. I can only share about my own experience. I am fortunate that racism has only affected my life in minor occasional instances of microaggressions. Clerks never followed me in stores. I grew up in safe neighborhoods and going to college was expected from me. My hair isn’t deemed unprofessional. I’m never seen as a threat when I wear a hoodie or go for a run. I was never afraid of being killed by the police. I may not be the victim of racism all too often, but it’s pretty clear to me that it exists. While it’s not a competition, racism definitely seems to negatively affect Black people more frequently and harshly.
The #DoTheWork course helped me start my journey to being a better ally and anti-racist. Each day of the course addresses different aspects of racism and makes you examine your own biases and privileges. The course provides links to articles to read, videos to watch, and organizations to look into. It’s self-paced, so you can take your time with it.
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Rachel Cargle’s course taught me so much about the racism, cultural appropriation, and the daily experiences that Black people have to go through. Slavery really wasn’t that long ago and there were some videos that were really hard to watch. The violence and discrimination were more brutal and widely accepted back then, but Black people are still facing the residual discriminatory effects today. It’s not mass lynchings anymore, but the fact that we know the names Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin shows that racism still very much present in this country.
The course also highlights the racism in daily life like beauty standards and classrooms as well. I tried to treat it like a real class and took a lot of notes. There is a long way to go in equality and representation. The AP US History textbooks from high school had chapters on the Civil War and school segregation, but they didn’t cover the Black hair products kept under lock in retail stores, the school to prison pipeline, or people like Amy Cooper. Racism did not end with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It didn’t end with the first Black U.S. president.
This course in no way made me an expert; it was just the start of my journey. Racism is not going to be dismantled in a day. It will probably take years, decades, maybe another century. But progress counts, and it’s up to each one of us to acknowledge the past and keep pushing for change so we can call this country the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Do the work.
Start Rachel Cargle’s free 30-day #DoTheWork course here: https://mailchi.mp/rachelcargle/dothework-course-all-30days
DAY 1: THE ROAD AHEAD
DAY 2: GET OVER YOURSELF
DAY 3: NEVER FORGET
DAY 4: WHAT LIES BENEATH
DAY 5: EXAMINING PRIVILEGE
DAY 6: CLEAN HOUSE
DAY 7: COME TO TERMS
DAY 8: SYSTEMIC RACISM
DAY 9: MEDICAL RACISM
DAY 10: N/A
DAY 11: RACISM IN THE CLASSROOM
DAY 12: RACISM IN THE COURTROOM
DAY 13: UNSETTLE YOURSELF
DAY 14: DECOLONIZING YOGA
DAY 15: DECOLONIZE BEAUTY STANDARDS
DAY 16: DECOLONIZING ACADEMIA
DAY 17: DECOLONIZING GENDER AND SEXUALITY
DAY 18: DECOLONIZING FITNESS
DAY 19: DECOLONIZING OUR HISTORY
DAY 20: WHITE SAVIOR COMPLEX
DAY 21: “WHITE FEAR” (CALLING THE POLICE)
DAY 22: WHITE GUILT
DAY 23: WHITE WEAPONIZING OF MENTAL HEALTH
DAY 24: WHITE EXCEPTIONALISM
DAY 25: PERFORMANCE ACTIVISM
DAY 26: REDISTSRIBUTION OF RESOURCES
DAY 27: VOTE IN SOLIDARITY
DAY 28: SHOW UP FOR BLACK WOMEN
DAY 29: ACCOUNTABILITY
DAY 30: WHAT NOW? THE WORK NEVER ENDS
Instagram: @rachel.cargle
Website: rachelcargle.com
Patreon: The Great Unlearn by Rachel Cargle
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