Be The Change You Want To See
As a small business we are listening, learning, and finding ways we can support the Black community. We are still learning how best to do that. We have made a donation of $1000 to support the Black Lives Matter movement and their critical work for social justice.
In support of #BlackLivesMatter We will be using this time to educate ourselves and for our small team to be connected with their communities.
As we learn, we will share resources with and from our community. This is just one step, and it’s not nearly enough.
It’s not enough for us to not be racist, we need to be taking anti-racist steps in our daily lives. We need to listen and learn from the Black community.
The only way to create lasting change
is to take action.
Be Informed with these anti-racism resources compiled by women working to make a difference.
Take steps daily to be a better ally.
Becoming Trustworthy White Allies by Melanie S. Morrison
Trayvon Martin, the Legacy of Lynching, and the Role of White Women by Melanie S. Morrison
‘At the hands of persons unknown’: The verdict in the Michael Brelo Case by
Melanie S. MorrisonHow Racism Damages White People by Aaron Wilson-Ahlstrom
Week Six of the National Media Assault on Obama by Aaron Wilson-Ahlstrom
Resource via Allies For Change
Resource document #1
bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES Document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein in May 2020.
Sign the Petition:
Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet
theactionpac.com (George Floyd)
colorofchange.org (George Floyd)
Moveon.org (Breonna Taylor)
colorofchange.org (Breonna Taylor)
theactionpac.com (Ahmaud Arbery)
Change.org (Ahmaud Arbery)
Hands Up Act: Punishes police for shooting unarmed citizens.
Fire Racist NYPD Cop Michael J. Reynolds
Resource document #2 - Justice in June
LINK HERE Compiled by Autumn Gupta with Bryanna Wallace’s oversight for the purpose of providing a starting place for individuals trying to practice better allyship.
Why Voodoo needs to act - a note from Brand Manager Sally Cotching
We aren’t an ordinary company, and we haven’t created some boring products under a brand that doesn’t have an opinion. We have worked as a team to create a brand with a clear and distinct voice, a story, and products that go beyond just serving a function - they’re intertwined with human pleasure and emotion. Our customers are seeing the news right now, watching the same horrifying footage, hearing the same tragic stories as we all are.
We need to do more than just address the current conversation. I would like to offer our customers and followers ways to actively support the fight against racial injustice and police brutality through financial support and wearing support on apparel.
We don’t just sell pleasure products, we have created a community that love and enjoy our products and we have a responsibility to be actively involved in moving our world toward changing for a better future for Black communities.
I believe that Voodoo - and therefore us, the employees behind it - cannot be sitting on the sidelines in this incredibly significant moment of history. If you don’t know where to start - that’s okay, neither do we.
We’ve compiled a list of resources, listening and reading created by people who do know where to start - there’s no time like right.this.moment.
Films & Series about systematic racism to watch:
Selma - on Youtube
The Hate U Give - on Youtube
Just Mercy - Available for free on Vudu, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNow, or YouTube
Birth of a Movement - Amazon
Non-fiction Books to read:
Full list here, compiled by Abrar Al-Heeti
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: This book challenges the idea that President Barack Obama's election welcomed a new age of colorblindness.
Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by Bell Hooks: This work explores issues such as the impact of sexism on black women during slavery and racism among feminists.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Framed as a letter to his son, Coates pursues the question of how to live free within a black body in a country built on the idea of race, a falsehood most damaging to the bodies of black women and men.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X: In this classic text, Muslim leader Malcolm X shares his life story and talks about the growth of the Black Muslim movement.
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo: This book explores how white people uphold racial inequality when they react a certain way to their assumptions about race being challenged.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde: Black lesbian poet and feminist writer Lorde shares a collection of essays and speeches exploring sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia and class.
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis: The activist and scholar shows the link between several movements fighting oppression and state violence.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: The author's debut memoir explores themes like loneliness, bigotry and love.
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans From the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon: This text explores the period following the Emancipation Proclamation in which convicts were brought back into involuntary servitude.
Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi: The historian chronicles how racist ideas have shaped US history and provides tools to expose them.
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson: The historian addresses the forces opposing black progress in America throughout history.
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: The founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center uses history, science, class, gender and his own journey to examine racism and what to do to fight it in all forms.
Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.: The author explores the war on crime starting in the 1970s and why it had the support of several African American leaders in urban areas.
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper: In a world where black women's anger is portrayed as negative and threatening, Cooper shares that anger can be a source of strength to keep fighting.
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon: This memoir explores the impact that lies, secrets and deception have on a black body and family, as well as a nation.
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: The author provides a blueprint for everyone on how to honestly and productively discuss race and shares ways to bring about change.