Welcome!

The resources below are organized around NOW LOVE’s Anti-Racism Action Nuggets™.  The selections are curated to inspire you to take action and to illustrate the potential impact of the specific actions put forth in the series.

ICYMI = In Case You Missed It  |  We use this to indicate the resource highlighted in each nugget, just in case you missed it the first time around.

Explore!

Nugget 1 | Focus on Systemic Racism

• This powerful, 4-minute video about the interplay of systemic racism, White privilege, and unconscious bias, explains how systemic sacism doesn’t play out between individuals, in a moment’s time. Instead, it plays out across systems, and is reinforced over time: Systemic Racism Explained.

• For data that examines whether outcomes have improved for Black New Orleanians since the Civil Rights era, check out these indicators across Employment, Income, Housing, Health, Education, and Criminal Justice from The Data Center’s 2018 report.

• ICYMI: There are a number of books that explore how White Americans can dismantle the system that denies Black Americans the opportunity to build wealth. One resource we highly recommend is The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee.  Check out this interview with the author.

Nugget 2 | Equalize Resources in Education

• Here you can find a list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) organized by state: http://www.thehundred-seven.org/hbculist.html.
• This article describes wealthier communities sharing resources with less wealthy communities in support of education and describes places where parents learned to share power as well at PTA funds.
• Read this short article on why HBCUs struggle to close the endowment gap: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/hbcus-struggle-to-close-the-endowment-gap.
• And even philanthropic foundations give 178 times less money to HBCUs than Ivy League schools. 
• This article explains how Congress and state governments have failed to equitably support Black "land grant" universities (such as Southern University), while White "land grant"universities (such as LSU) flourish. 
• Another way to equalize resources in education is to contribute to Tribal Colleges and Universities. 
• At this link you can see all the stats from 2023 GiveNOLA Day.
• Listen to Nice White Parents - a podcast from New York Times and Serial Productions.
• ICYMI: Read this article: Hidden Money: The Outsized Role of Parent Contributions in School Finance on AmericanProgress.org.

Nugget 3 | Build Economic Equity

• Check out data on what constitutes a living wage in your parish.
• For stats about domestic workers and their vulnerability, check out this Domestic Workers Chartbook.
• Read this article on taking someone else's kid to work.
• For more on hiring interns, read Unpaid Internships: Support beams for the glass floor.
• Watch this short video on how upper income Americans families (earning >$200,000) routinely hoard the American dream.
• ICYMI: Reimagining the Internship to Promote Racial Equality

Nugget 4 | Support Black-Owned Businesses

• With a free account, you can access this national list of Black-owned businesses and sort by major US cities around the US. Finding a local listing for your area will always yield more! For example, here's a comprehensive list of Black-owned businesses in New Orleans. 
• Here's a shorter set of Black-owned businesses for residents or visitors who want a quick consult. Here's an evolving site with a sample of Black-owned Nola businesses organized by categories. 
• Read this fascinating article about Black chefs and how they are correcting the "white-washed" history of New Orleans food. 
• Read this short article on "How to Support the Black Community in New Orleans".
• Here's the national data on Black-owned businesses and their revenues. 
• Check out this explanation and listing of Black-owned banks across the U.S.
• ​Visit these Black-owned food markets.
• ICYMI: See the research on discrimination in bank lending: Racial Funding Gap.

Nugget 5 | Let Art Expand Your Worldview

• Enjoy this powerful, fun, uplifting 8 min. video on the history and joy of Homecoming among students and graduates of HBCUs. Reflect on what it shows you about the lived experience of Black graduates and their loved ones. *Access to this video may be limited for non New York Times subscribers.
• Watch this short video on Black Genius. 
• Read this article on Media Portrayals and Black Male Outcomes.
• If you have Netflix, check out Colin in Black and White – Colin Kaepernick narrates this series recounting his youth as a mixed race boy, adopted by a White family, navigating race and class issues.
• Listen to this 7-minute clip from NPR’s weekend edition: Some white congregations are paying to use hymns written by enslaved African people.
• ICYMI: Here’s a wonderful Black Film Archive. Choose one decade and one film to watch soon. What does it say to you about both the struggles and the triumphs of BIPOC? ​

Nugget 6 | Become a Conscious Driver (on + off the road)

• Here's a powerful, personal reflection on white privilege: What riding my bike has taught me about white privilege. 
• Here's an easy-to-read research study on driver behavior near Black pedestrians.
• ICYMI: Check out the research we cited: Examining racial bias as a potential factor in pedestrian crashes.

Nugget 7 | Provide Unbiased Services

• Check out this study or this recent NY Times story about bias in the health care sector.
• Take a peek at this study about bias in higher education.
• Here's a brief article on bias in hotel service delivery.
• ICYMI: Watch this inspiring video below on improving birth outcomes for Black Mamas.

Nugget 8 | Discover Your Personal Privilege

• This report explains how policies denied Black New Orleanians the possibly of accumulating wealth through homeownership: Rigging the Real Estate Market: Segregation, Inequality, and Disaster Risk.
• This report details how blatant discrimination in home appraisals continues today and what can be done about it.
• This article encourages advocating FOR  rentals in your neighborhood while ensuring your city regulates upkeep.
• And did you know that reparations have been paid – but to former slave-owners? Here’s an eye-opening article.
• Listen to this story on one proposal to compensate Black WWII veterans who didn't benefit from the GI Bill.
• ​Read this blog by Allison, written in the summer of 2020, in which she uses the Census to find out more about her family history (not all of it pretty), and describes the racist history of the Census – as well as its importance.
• ICYMI: How the GI Bill's Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veterans.

Nugget 9 | Expand Business Networks

• For more on how networks form and why they are important for combating systemic racism, read this great report: HOW WE RISE: How social networks in Charlotte impact economic mobility.
• Are you a volunteer board member? Check out this comprehensive guide on how to ensure your board of directors includes diverse voices: Building Anti-Racist Boards.
• ​When you do expand your business networks, read this: Inclusive Leadership Advice: Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable.
• Here’s some great advice from Harvard Business School about how to lead an inclusive meeting (and make sure that the White men don’t do all the talking).
• Microaggressions are more common than we might think, and can impede well intentioned networking efforts.  Here’s a good primer on Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions At Work.
• Watch this short video from Belvedere Vodka CEO Rodney Williams: Black talent needs the opportunity to fail.
• ICYMI: Read this great report on How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation.

Nugget 10 | Hire with Intention

• Here's a helpful set of How Tos for nonprofits (and for profits) looking to hire with intention. 
• If you want a fuller read, here’s the study on bias in hiring.
• This research reveals that your company’s diversity may be more important than how much you pay when you’re trying to attract new workers.
• For those aiming to increase racial equity in your organization, here’s an article about the importance of doing more than simply hiring people of color and here's a great article on 6 Steps Towards Meaningful Change.
• And to get a sense of how bias affects BIPOC's behavior when looking for a job, this description of a tightrope is revealing.
• Here's a great article on how to be an effective ally and here's an important article about working together when addressing inequality in work settings. 
• Don't miss the resources from Nugget 9 on microaggressions, inclusive meetings, and getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
• And here’s another article on How to Respond to Racial Microaggressions
• This little book has a solid description of unconscious bias  and straightforward guidance about how to move from awareness to action. It costs $15.95 and can be ordered here. 
• ICYMI: Resumes that appear to come from white candidates get more call backs. Here's the research managers can do differently. 

Nugget 11 | Vote Local

• Here are just a few great organizations to follow for resources and information about voting local: Together La,  Power Coalition, League of Women Voters.
• Check out the data cited in this nugget.  
• Concerned about crime in New Orleans? Jeff Asher discusses 2022 crime trends in New Orleans. Lamar Gardere explains how persistent inequality underlies the city's public safety issues. 
• Here's comprehensive research and recommendations for how to increase public safety. ​
• ICYMI: Check out this leading resource to learn more about racism in the criminal justice system.

Nugget 12 | Be Generous

• Explore ways to give your credit card rewards to charity.
• Listen to the Presidents of the Ford Foundation and Greater New Orleans Foundation, talk about the importance of being uncomfortable, giving up our privilege, and, yes, distributing our wealth.
• Read more about how former slave owners were paid reparations: When France Extorted Haiti, Slavery Abolition Compensation, and America’s Sordid History of Paying Reparations to White Enslavers.
• Check out these reparations toolkits from Resource Generation,  Fund for Reparations Now and First Repair. 
• ICYMI: Learn more about how credit cards grow the wealth gap.

Reflection Resources

For more about the role of emotions in learning and change, check out this article. 

A Disclaimer & An Invitation

The content for this series came from practical experience and commitment. We intentionally offer a wide range of ideas and resources. Some of these ideas and resources could benefit from more in-depth research down-the-road. NOW LOVE invites you to alert us of any oversights or miscommunication in the pilot content we provide. We also invite you to share your ideas and resources to expand on what we put forth. We look forward to learning with you