Julia Schuster, Core team member of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Denver

Many white people wonder how to be effective in dismantling systemic racism. We can get stuck while trying to say, learn, or express the "perfect" thing. We are not sure how to learn the stories of, and support, Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) without burdening them. We know we need to call other white people in, and we want to make sure we are not taking the lead or centering ourselves.

 

Listen in as Julia Schuster, core team member of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Denver, shares her own insights, paradigms, and tools for engaging in the essential work of dismantling system racism.

 

EPISODE NOTE: The SURJ Denver team receives feedback from local accountability partners, all of which are community leaders or organizations led by BIPOC, as part of their work. The work that SURJ Denver engages in is requested by their accountability partners. Though participation in this podcast was not a direct request from an accountability partner, SURJ Denver has received the request to take on more of the work of calling in and educating other white people during this time. 

 

NOTE: Julia would like to note the following corrections: 

 

1. There are 15 Characteristics of White Supremacy.

 

2. Julia discusses looking for actions organized by organizations led by People of Color. She meant to say look for actions organized by organizations or groups led by People of Color. Sometimes actions are led by groups without formal name recognition or other status that may typically deem them as an "organization," and lack of formal "status" should not discount their work. SURJ Denver encourages white people to generally look for actions and community events organized by a collaborative group as opposed to those organized by a single individual.

Works Rerferenced and Recommended in this Episode:

Books and Workbooks:

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

“Two years after Obama’s election, Alexander put the entire criminal justice system on trial, exposing racial discrimination from lawmaking to policing to the denial of voting rights to ex-prisoners. This bestseller struck the spark that would eventually light the fire of Black Lives Matter.”
—Ibram X. Kendi, The New York Time

Dismantling Racism by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun

"Dismantling Racism Works (dRworks) is
​pleased to offer our workbook and other resources.
We hope you find the material here useful
to you, your organization, and your community. "

Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad 

"Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. The book goes beyond the original workbook by adding more historical and cultural contexts, sharing moving stories and anecdotes, and includes expanded definitions, examples, and further resources."

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

"In this New York Times bestseller, Ijeoma Oluo offers a hard-hitting but user-friendly examination of race in America

 

Widespread reporting on aspects of white supremacy--from police brutality to the mass incarceration of Black Americans--has put a media spotlight on racism in our society. Still, it is a difficult subject to talk about. How do you tell your roommate her jokes are racist? Why did your sister-in-law take umbrage when you asked to touch her hair--and how do you make it right? How do you explain white privilege to your white, privileged friend?

 

In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life."

Social Media:

Rachel Cargle, Public Academic, Writer, and Lecturer

Ericka Hart, Sex Educator, Racial/Social/ Gender Justice Disruptor, Podcaster, Breast Cancer Survivor, Model

Sonya Renee Taylor, Award Winning Poet, Activist, Author, and Leader

Showing Up for Racial Justice, SURJ-Denver 

Showing Up for Racial Justice, National