Beyond Empathy

Sharing Anti-Racist Recommended Resources

Grinnell College Employees Ad Hoc Initiative

In this moment of palpable anti-blackness, it is clear that our community needs a range of responses to racial injustice, including a critique of white complicity.

Too often, the labor of responding to brutality and white supremacy falls on the same community members most likely to also be targets of anti-blackness.

In recognition of that tendency, we wanted to prepare an event that offers tools for engaging this historic moment that move beyond empathy to participatory anti-racist work. As part of an ongoing effort to center anti-racist work at Grinnell College, a commitment that includes reforming our curriculum, enhancing our community partnerships, and expanding our resources for black colleagues and students, we gather to specifically address the role of whiteness in racial injustice without asking more of those in our community who already partake in anti-racist work.

This event is open to all Grinnell College staff and faculty with the acknowledgement that it is one small step in what must be a multi-layered and long-term commitment.

We look forward to the work we have to do in the coming days and years.

Leslie Gregg-Jolly, Professor of Biology

A three-part documentary about racism, science, and history.

(Grinnell log-in required)

Mina Ino Nikolopoulou, Visiting Assistant Professor, GWSS & English

Black-Owned Independent Bookstores you can support, instead of Amazon.

A market place for audiobooks, which you can support through a monthly subscription. Each month you amass a credit, and this credit can be used to purchase a book. You have the option to choose which bookstore to support with your contribution from a list that includes the Black-Owned Independent Bookstores cited above.

Read Black Writers, Support Black Scholars, Cite Their Work.

Andrew Graham, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Embrace Race is a national organization that provides resources to parents, educators, and caretakers seeking to raise children who can think critically about race and participate in building racial justice. The website has lots of good resources (e.g., books and webinars) for folks who want to talk with kids about race and engage children in antiracist and justice work.

Autumn Wilke, Assistant Dean for Disability Resources

Bobbie Harro's tools for framing personal learning goals within communities of accountability

Jennie Jackson, Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator

Social Media Accounts to Follow:

    • Instagram:

    @wokebrownfem @nowhitesaviours @theimtiredproject @rachel.cargle @advancementproject @britthawthorne @indyamoore @wearyourvoice @ckyourprivilege @alokvmenon @theunapologeticallybrownseries @austinchanning @theconsciouskid @antiracismctr @_nickyflash_ @heyqueenyoucute

    • Twitter:

    @clintsmithIII @keeangayamahtta @DrIbram @MsPackyetti @JBouie @thearmchaircom @RevJacquiLewis @drchanequa @ava @YNPierce @esglaude @jemelehill @_nickyflash_ @nhannahjones @professorcrunk @divafeminist

Personal Diversity Inventory

Dean Bakopoulos, Associate Professor of English

Heavy: An American Memior by Kiese Laymon review by Jennifer Szalai for The New York Times, October 31, 2018.

VS. podcast features a number of recent Writers @ Grinnell guests and is produced by Grinnell alum Daniel Kisslinger '14.

Finally, Writers @ Grinnell will be expanding our digital presence and will feature many of the nation's leading Black writers in 2020-21, and will also be posting videos from past conversations about race.

Most up-to-date information can be found on our social media:

Instagram: writers_at_grinnell

Anne Harris, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College

Karla Erickson, Professor of Sociology

The First White President: The Foundation of Donald Trump’s Presidency is the Negation of Barack Obama’s Legacy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, for The Atlantic, October 2017.

Leah Allen, Assistant Professor, GWSS & English

Sign a petition demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, find a list of demands to city officials, and find contact information for officials in Louisville and Kentucky government, including:

State Attorney General: attorney.general@ag.ky.gov

Louisville Metro Mayor: greg.fischer@louisvilleky.gov

Commonwealth’s Attorney: JCooke@louisvilleprosecutor.com

Interim Louisville Metro Chief of Police: robert.schroeder@louisvilleky.gov

Additional phone and email contact information for government officials in the City of Louisville is available here:

https://www.lfpl.org/how-to/pdf/How-to-reach-elected-officials.pdf

Send a pre-written email demanding justice for Tony McDade through ActionNetwork.org to the Tallahassee Chief of Police, Mayor, City Commissioners, City Manager, and Florida State Attorney.

You can also email Tallahassee city officials directly to demand justice for Tony McDade: Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey: mayor@talgov.com

Mayoral Liaisons to the LGBTQ+ community:

Maria.Mercurio@talgov.com; Stephanie.Powell@talgov.com; Andy@bluestare.net

Donate to Black Lives Matter.

Split a donation between bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizers.

Find contact information for local City of Grinnell government officials.