It’s not enough to know what’s right – we must stand up for what’s right.
This week’s FRIDAY FOURTEEN highlights what we’ve been reading, listening and watching this week to widen our perspective and shake us from our bubble. Ongoing, we’ve made a commitment to feature more work by BIPOC writers, creators, artists and illustrators.
As a business, we’ve made donations to the families of two Indigenous men and one woman who have died in police custody: David Dungay, Tanya Day, and Kumanjayi Walker. We've also donated to the NPY Women's Council, who provide health, social and cultural services to 26 desert communities across SA, WA and the NT.
On Saturday, we'll be marching in Adelaide to protest the countless Black, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives that have been stolen by racism. You’ll find details for every Australian protest here.
Enough silence. Time for action.
V&L
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An incredibly comprehensive, Australian-focused Google doc that outlines places to donate, free online resources, books to read, films and documentaries to watch, podcasts to listen to, and a detailed guide to this weekend’s protests (including what to wear and what to bring). Here’s a US version of that Google doc, which also has excellent recs on what to read, watch and listen
Independent Aboriginal-rights journalist Amy McQuire on why Australians must bear witness to black deaths in our own country (“While the high profile deaths of black men in the United States have allowed white Australians to see the racist violence perpetrated by police and the white supremacy ingrained in systems, these are lessons they are not willing to learn on this land.”)
A no-bullshit guide for white Australians wanting to channel their anger into action
The difference between being non-racist and antiracist (“Being antiracist means learning about and identifying inequities and disparities that give, in particular, white people, or any racial group, material advantages over people of colour.”)
We can’t recommend Harvard’s implicit bias test enough. It’s free, anonymous and quick
How to navigate anti-racism conversations with white family members, friends and colleagues
“Some white people act as if there are two sides to racism, as if racists are people we need to reason with. They fret over the destruction of property and want everyone to just get along. They struggle to understand why black people are rioting but offer no alternatives about what a people should do about a lifetime of rage, disempowerment and injustice.” – Roxane Gay, The New York Times
Five series on Netflix to educate yourself on black oppression (there’s also loads of gold in the comments)
No police officer in Australia has ever been held criminally responsible for an Aboriginal death in custody. Barrister and Waanyi/Kalkadoon man Joshua Creamer explains why there are so many Black deaths in custody and so little justice (“On a death, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families will be told by police ‘we are preparing a report for the coroner’. Which really means we are conducting a second rate investigation, which will then limit a coroner’s ability to make findings.”)
Vanessa’s started listening to Citations Needed, a podcast about how the media shapes stories about power. The most recent episode covers the patronising, racist media coverage of the protests in Minneapolis and it will blow your mind
A Spotify playlist of Indigenous artists
White and feeling guilty? This utterly brilliant video explains why you might be feeling that way, and what you can do about it
Portraits of protest
