Global and national events can often make us feel powerless and paralyzed, especially when they are related to systemic issues of injustice. You’re not alone. But sometimes we do know of things we can do but are afraid of offending people, afraid of the cost, or afraid of making a mistake. But it’s better to make mistakes along the way than to live a lifetime in ignorance or be complicit through your inaction.

There are many anti-racism resources already available out there. Xavier Ramey has said that “the perpetuation of ignorance is another form of [racial] violence.” Many of us have been taught a white supremacist education—an education that implicitly assumed whiteness as normative and centered white European history and white European authors. Take a look at your bookshelf: how many Black and Brown authors are represented there? With the world at our fingertips, it is our responsibility to broaden and diversify our knowledge, to become more informed allies and advocates, and to amplify the voices of scholars and activists from traditionally marginalized communities.

The following material predominately centers Black and African-American voices and the problem of anti-Black racism. It is impossible to completely and exhaustively represent the scholarship and activism that exists, let alone adequately document the other many faces of white supremacy that oppress and marginalize Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and other subaltern voices.

As an academic department, these resources also lean heavily on educational and learning tools, but education is not enough. In fact, reducing racism to an epistemological category or an abstract concept to be grasped is a form of racial violence itself. And making a long list of resources is merely a performative gesture on its own. While educating ourselves is important, it has its limitations. If you are a beneficiary of white privilege, you might never comprehend the spiritual, psychological, and physical trauma that comes with being Black or Brown in America. However, we can bear witness to the suffering of others, actively listen to their stories, participate in protests, and advocate alongside them even if our knowledge is in part.