Educate yourself: what you need to see, hear, and read

The name of our daily column says it all: what is trending? Normally, I dive into the depths of Hollywood gossip, but not today because we need to talk about what is really trending today.

On Tuesday, Instagram went dark, including for us. I have no idea what racism feels like and I will never know it because of my white skin. But I can become more aware of my white privileges, read more, and learn about what I can do, be self-critical, and speak out. Besides #blacklivesmatter #educateyourself is also trending online now. Because that is a start: listening and learning to then correct myself and address others about this behavior. I received tips from people around me about who to follow, what to see, and what to read, and I will share them with you.

Look besides these documentaries, films, and series also 13th on Netflix. The docu is about the thirteenth amendment in the USA, the amendment that was supposed to abolish slavery but did not. It was a covert act that led to a completely distorted prison system where absolutely nothing is correct.

Follow @marketingvrouw on social media. Chanel Lodik immediately indicates that her account is not for sensitive souls and names everything. I found her through Madeleijn van den Nieuwenhuizen a.k.a. Zeikschrift, who incidentally shares the best tips for when you want to read more.

The site Wit Huiswerk is intended for white people who want to deepen their struggle against racism. It is an online reference work where you can find articles, books, documentaries, and podcasts to do your homework and then take action.

It is not enough to not be a racist; we must be anti-racist. Do you have more tips for me or do you want to say something to me? Email me adeline@amayzine.com.

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Talking about whiteness feels gross. Probably because we are not used to having to address it – as we are always just ‘the normal’. And ‘white supremacy’ sounds like an extreme; not something that lies within all of us. And all we want to do is shout ‘I AM NOT RACIST’ because it’s nicer than saying ‘I am racist because I have been raised by a society drenched in racism and on a daily basis I benefit from white supremacy.’ Apart from donating, amplifying black voices and protesting, we all need to look at ourselves and our surroundings first. That’s the really hard bit. A few days ago, I talked to @yrfatfriend on my podcast ‘Made of Human’. It felt wrong to talk about anything other than our whiteness. We talked for two hours, so it became a two-parter. It was deeply uncomfortable. But in the midst of all that, we touched upon some really helpful stuff: actual advice on how to speak to racist family members, how to separate your own feelings of guilt from your acknowledgement of your own racism, what to do to help and some history of white supremacy within the police force. If you’re white, I recommend you listen to it. And myself and @yrfatfriend are open to feedback/being called in/out. As always. ♥️ Is this the right thing to do? Posting about whiteness, talking to another white person on a podcast about whiteness? Maybe, maybe not. I can see both sides. I can see how this is potentially wrong and damaging. I can also see how it *could* be helpful. And that’s my fear and uncomfortableness to sit with. Knowing full well that this might be wrong. Or, that some people will think it’s wrong and other people will say it’s right and that they will both be right. But that’s fine. That’s the situation. I know that the majority of my audience is white. I know you are mostly white women. I know you all *want* to do the right thing. I also know that loads of you live with mental health issues. So that’s sort of what I’m talking about: how we, personally, deal with what we now have to do, collectively. As white people. In both @yrfatfriend and my Instagram Highlights, there are links to How To Help the Black Lives Matter movement, where to donate etc. ♥️

A post shared by Sofie Hagen (she/they/he) (@sofiehagendk) on June 3, 2020 at 2:52 PM (PDT)