Silence speaks loud. Black lives matter.

A graphic with a variety of hands in different colors, "your voice matters."

Despite the fact that we don’t know what to say or how to articulate our feelings regarding last week’s events; saying absolutely nothing at all seems like a stance as well and that’s not one I am willing to take. Instead, I want to use this week to find ways to educate myself, my family and most important of all - be part of the change. I want to help put an end to hatred once and for all. In doing so, I want to share a list of resources that I am discovering or have connected to in the past. I expect this list to grow with more time and education.

Please share with anyone and everyone you know who feels helpless in finding a way to contribute. If nothing else, using your voice to invoke change on your personal platforms is FREE and you can start that today. Listen, talk, research, donate, act. It starts with me, it starts with our kids and it starts with you.


Discussion points on talking to your children about racism:

  1. Talking to Children after Racial Incidents 

  2. Supporting Kids Of Color In Wake Of Racialized Violence 

  3. Tips for Parents on Media Coverage 

  4. Talking to Children about the Shooting 

  5. An Activity Book For African American Families: Helping Children Cope with Crisis 

  6. 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books For Racism and Sexism

  7. Talking to kids about discrimination

  8. What White Children Need to Know About Race

  9. Talking to Kids about Racial Stereotypes – Tip Sheet

Children’s books on the subject of racism and discrimination: We have these books and I highly recommend all of them. Follow @diversereads for more!

  1. Who We Are

  2. Something Happened in Our Town

  3. Separate is Never Equal

  4. A Kids Book about Racism

  5. Not My Idea

  6. Same, Same But Different

  7. Teach Your Dragon About Diversity

Adult books on the subject of anti-racism: I do not own these but I was recommended these and will be ordering.

  1. White Fragility

  2. How to Be an Antiracist

  3. White Rage

  4. Uprooting Racism

Organizations you can donate to:

  1. NAACP

  2. UNCF

  3. Fighting Racism and Discrimination Fund

  4. Girls For A Change

  5. My Block. My Hood. My City.

  6. Color of Change

  7. George Floyd Memorial Fund

  8. Innocent Project

Documentaries you can watch:

  1. When They See Us

  2. 13th

  3. American Son

  4. See You Yesterday

  5. Dear White People

  6. The Hate U Give

  7. King in the Wilderness

  8. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Black owned businesses in Chicago:

  1. Black Chicago Eats

  2. Black Owned Chicago

  3. Black People Eats

  4. Black Food & Beverage

  5. Chicago Black Restaurant Week

  6. Chicago’s Black and Brown Owned Restaurants and Small Businesses

Petitions you can sign:

  1. Justice for George Floyd

  2. Justice for Ahmaud Arbery

Black influencers to follow:

  1. Chelsea Olivia

  2. Whitney Madueke

  3. Janea Brown

  4. Clark and Stone

  5. Hayet Rida

  6. The Kitchenista

  7. Karen Brit Chick

  8. Musings of a Curvy Lady

  9. Cranberry Tantrums

  10. Signed Blake

  11. Ally Love

  12. Kris Christian

  13. Misty Copeland

  14. Brown Skin Beautiful

  15. Dr. Kiarra King

  16. June Ambrose

  17. Sophia Roe

  18. Taylor Barrington

Not taking action is a form of neutrality. It’s the grey zone and there is no room for either. You have to stand for something and now is the time to use your voice…not just for a week, not just for a month but as a movement to change our world for the better. Thank you for reading.

** If you have other suggestions I can add to this list - please leave a comment. I am more than happy to add to this list with pleasure. **

A pink graphic that says, "nothing changes if nothing changes"