We Must Do Better
As a predominantly white organization, 3HO acknowledges the culture of white privilege and implicit bias that has existed within our community. We are now doing the deep work necessary to change—to raise awareness and educate ourselves and our 3HO community in support of anti-racism and social justice. Our hope is that by sharing these resources, we can help to inspire our spiritual community to join us as we work towards a world of true equality, equity and justice for all.
The following resources are compiled by Autumn Gupta and Bryanna Wallave for Justice in June, a website dedicated to providing a starting place for individuals trying to become better allies.
Read
- “America’s Racial Contract is Killing Us” by Adam Serwer
- “Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?” by Ibram X. Kendi
- The 1619 Project from the New York Times
- “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh
- “The Intersectionality Wars” by Jane Coaston
- “The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- “Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups” developed by Craig Elliott
Listen
- “Your Body Being Used” CodeSwitch Podcast from NPR ~ 6 min
- “When Civility is Used as a Cudgel Against People of Color” CodeSwitch Podcast NPR ~ 6 min
- “The Power of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Anger” CodeSwitch Podcast NPR ~ 5 min
- “Opinion: My Father Stood for the National Anthem for the Same Reason Colin Kaepernick Sits” CodeSwitch Podcast NPR ~ 4 minutes
- “When Calling the Po-Po is a No-No” CodeSwitch NPR ~ 4 min
Act
- Help reallocate city budgets by defunding the police. The following link leads to Defund12.org which generates an email template pre-populated with elected officials emails. Simply fill in some of your information and the body of the message (advocating for defunding the police in that city) is automatically filled in for you. Automatic Email Template Link
- Register to vote! If you are serious about real change, your individual vote does matter. Use this link to register to vote, check your registration, vote by mail, get election reminders, pledge to register if you are <18, find the nearest polling place, and fill out your 2020 census form. Take today’s action a step further by sharing this link with friends and planning time into your schedule to vote in the closest upcoming election - city, state, or national.
- Google whether your city or town currently employs evidence-based police de-escalation training. The racial make-up of your town doesn’t matter — This needs to be standard everywhere. Write to your city or town government representative and police chief and advocate for it. Multiply your voice by soliciting others to advocate as well, writing on social media about it, writing op-eds, etc. (Source: 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice)
- Donate to anti-white supremacy work such as your local Black Lives Matter Chapter, the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, the NAACP, Southern Poverty Law Center, United Negro College Fund, Black Youth Project 100, Color of Change, The Sentencing Project, Families against Mandatory Minimums, A New Way of Life, and Dream Defenders. Join some of these list-serves and take action as their emails dictate. (Source: 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice)
- Buy educators books that feature POC as protagonists and heroes, no matter the racial make-up of the classroom. A few good lists are: Baby and Blog, NPR, Grassroots Community Foundation . Purchase educational toys that feature POC, such as finger puppets, Black History Flashcards, etc for their classroom. Use these items year-round, not just in February. The racial make-up of students doesn’t matter — kids of every race need to know American history and be exposed to people from different races, religions, and countries. If the friend is interested, buy them for your pal’s classroom. Don’t be shy to ask Facebook friends that you haven’t actually talked to in ten years.(Source: 75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice)
Join the 3HO staff for our Weekly Anti-Racism homework
3HO staff is currently working on educating themselves on racism and social injustice. The weekly readings and videos are leading to analysis of our personal lives as well as 3HO as a whole. As we all become educated and further analyze what needs to change we will be moving to action steps.
Updated January 2022
Week 4
Week 14-22
- The 3HO Staff spent 9-weeks reading the book Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
- Dare to Lead Hub
Week 22-30
- See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur
Week 31
- America’s Native Prisoners of War by Aaron Huey
- Research and read about the people whose land you are occupying
Week 32
- A Lot to Ask of a Name
White Spaces and Indian Symbols by Natchee Blu Barnd - Indian Enough by Emma Hodges
- An Understated Sacredness by Rina Swentzell
Week 33
- Tribes Create Their Own Food Laws to Stop the USDA From Killing Native Food Economies by Tristane Ahone
- Optional extra credit: Gather
Week 34
- The Standing Rock Resistance and Our Fight for Indigenous Rights – TED talk by Tara Houska
- Water Is Life: Indigenous Women are Fighting for Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans by Charnel Anderson and Kelly Boutsalis
Week 35
- How Indian Reservations Came to Be by Sarah Elliott
- Americans Need to Know the Hard Truth About Union Monuments In the West by Megan Kate Nelson
Social Justice Resources
Read
I Need to Talk to Spiritual White Women About White Supremacy by
Layla Saad
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Rachel Ricketts on Spiritual Bypassing & Why We Need To Quit It
Converting Hidden Spiritual Racism Into Sacred Activism: An Open Letter to Spiritual White Folks by Virginia Rosenberg
Yoga: How White People can Respect what was Never Theirs to Begin With by M. Butler and S. Price
Spiritual Activist Rachel Ricketts Challenges White Women to Rethink Wellness by Erin Bunch
Holy shit, being an ally isn’t about me! by Real Talk: WOC & Allies
How white spirituality, religious or not, allows racism to grow by Kerry Connelly
woke. is a quarterly publication that centers and amplifies Black and Brown voices and marginalized narratives.
Organizations
Black Lives Matter #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
Campaign Zero Campaign Zero’s data-informed platform presents comprehensive solutions to end police violence in America. joincampaignzero.org
Color of Change Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, which helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us.
Community Change Community Change is a national organization that builds the power of low-income people, especially people of color, to fight for a society where everyone can thrive.
Emergent Fund The Emergent Fund provides resources to support grassroots organizing and power building in communities of color who are facing injustice based on racial, ethnic, religious, and other forms of discrimination. See a list of the Fund’s grantees since 2017 here.
Equal Justice Initiative The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. eji.org
GLAAD GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition.
Obama Foundation “I’m asking you to believe. Not in my ability to create change—but in yours.” President Barack Obama.
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability.
Teaching Tolerance Teaching about race, racism and police violence.
Listen/Watch
Stepping into Spiritual Activism with Rachel Ricketts
Cultural Appropriation with Susanna Barkataki on From The Heart Podcast by Yoga Girl
How to Overcome our Biases with Verna Myers – TED Talk
Courses
Anti-Racism for White People is a learning community for people interested in showing up as agents of racial justice. This self-paced journey will support participants in learning, reflection, and action-taking to combat white supremacy and racism in our daily lives. Though this course is designed with the unique challenges of white identity in mind, everyone is welcome. Classes are run by the nonprofit Social Venture Partners LA
Authentic Harmony Anti-Racism Training- This course is open to everyone in the yogic community to have a deeper insight in supporting a welcoming and truly inclusive yogic community.
This training is designed to provide a deep look into the systems of Racism. To deepen our experience of dismantling its effects within ourselves and our yogic community.