I am committed to learning more about racism, my role in it, and how to become actively anti-racist.
Starting in August, I began sharing a monthly selection of five counselors, counseling associations, legislative leaders, and/or community organizations leading the charge for racial and social justice, as well as relevant books, articles, and resources to help facilitate healthy discussions around race and social justice issues. These incredible individuals and organizations are strong advocacy resources for BIPOC mental health support, and those eager to continue their growth as an ally.
Below are my racial and social justice resource highlights for the month of September. I encourage you to use the links below to learn more about these organizations, follow them on social media, and support their efforts to bring justice and equality to our marginalized communities.
Association of Black Psychologists:
The Association of Black Psychologists was founded in San Francisco in 1968 by a number of Black Psychologists from across the country. They united to actively address the serious problems facing Black Psychologists and the larger Black community. Their goal was, and continues to be, to have a positive impact upon the mental health of the national Black community by means of planning, programs, services, training, and advocacy.
Kent Butler:
Dr. Butler is the President-Elect of the American Counseling Association, as well as University of Central Florida’s interim chief equity, inclusion and diversity officer and professor.
YWCA Evanston/North Shore Equity Institute & Race Against Hate:
YWCA is the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. The Equity Institute is dedicated to promoting racial and gender equity at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels by partnering with individuals and institutions through training and education, community engagement programs, and annual events.
Equal Justice Initiative:
The Equal Justice Initiative is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. The EJI works with communities that have been marginalized by poverty and discouraged by unequal treatment, as well as provides research and recommendations to assist advocates and policymakers in the critically important work of criminal justice reform.
“How to Be an Anti-Racist”, by Ibram X. Kendi:
Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and re-energizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. This powerful novel reveals all facets of racism so that we may work together to effectively oppose them.
