Today marks the end of a month that has been painful and traumatizing, yet sadly not an anomaly for so many people. Yesterday we shared a few resources and ideas for anyone who needed some starting points to either begin or further their anti-racism education (including ourselves). It wasn’t a perfect post, and there were moments where we fell short. We might fall short again today, but we have to keep trying.
First, we’d like to thank everyone who used their time to share their feedback and perspectives with us. We can imagine that even on the best of days, finding the energy to engage with and educate someone can be draining. These have not been the best of days.
Secondly, we wanted to take today to share more – More resources we’ve been directed to, more ways we’ve researched to support the Black community, and more of the information that was generously shared with us in yesterday’s comments. Let’s get into it.
One way we can begin to possibly better understand the perspectives of Black Americans is to watch, read, and listen to the content they are already creating. In this way we are able to avoid putting the burden of our own anti-racism education back on them, while also supporting them as journalists, authors, filmmakers, and artists.
PODCASTS TO LISTEN TO, A DOCUMENTARY TO WATCH, AND BOOKS TO READ
Pod Save The People is an award-winning podcast hosted by activist DeRay Mckesson in addition to Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Sam Sinyangwe, and writer Dr. Clint Smith. They cover everything from the news, culture, social, and political issues and specifically how they affect people of color.
From our reader Kristy: “Here’s a recommendation for another podcast: NPR’s Code Switch. All of the episodes talk about race, but one of their most powerful discusses race and friendships. It was so moving and powerful, and spawned a great discussion between myself and friends, who all could relate.”
Sooo Many White Guys is a podcast hosted by Comedian, Actress, and Author Phoebe Robinson that Jess really loves. There are 4 seasons of incredible dialogue on topics of racism, tokenism, and everything in between with humor beautifully woven in.
If you haven’t seen the Ava DuVernay directed documentary “13th” on Netflix, consider watching it. It explores the prison system in America which, because of the 13th Amendment, is the only legal form of slavery. The documentary examines how this Constitutional Amendment was exploited by incarcerating (and re-incarcerating) the Black community, and how the prison system then became a billion-dollar industry.
This is an amazing list of anti-racism resources, and here are even more books to read.
Yesterday reader Michelle, recommended this children’s book for kids ages 5-9: A Kids Book About Racism by Jelani Memory
MORE CREATORS & BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT
If you’re in the market for a new piece of art, this beautiful print by Cleo Wade serves as a reminder that thoughts and actions always start at home. The full proceeds of each sale will go to The Antiracist Research & Policy Center.
ShoppeBlack not only has endless resources for all of us to discover black-owned businesses, but here is a list of bookstores you can purchase online when you’re ready to order some of the books from the lists that have been linked up above.
Goodee, owned by twin brothers, Byron and Dexter Peart, have created an incredible store that only carries products from designers that are making a strong social or environmental impact.
Sara has been on the delicate jewelry hunt recently, and just purchased this perfect single initial earring from Etsy shop Nolita Diamonds. If you’re looking for something beautiful, take a peek at all the different pieces this shop has.
IF YOU CAN, DONATE
Consider donating somewhere in lieu of exchanging money for something in return. Many of us reading (and writing) this post have some unearned resources at our disposal. Our government and institutions will not redistribute them. But we can, and we should. This article published on The Cut has a long list of places where donations can be made.
ALGORITHM DIVERSITY
A quick note before jumping into this section – Much of the content created by the activists, authors, content creators, and educators that are linked in this section is free (like a podcasts or the information someone might share on their social media account)! But we – the EHD team – know first hand how much work it takes to create high quality content you are proud of. As always, if you’re able, consider financially supporting these creators by buying their books, online lectures/classes, purchasing their services, or supporting them via a patron style monthly payment or one-time payment. This is a reminder to ourselves as well!
One account to follow on Instagram is that of Ericka Hart (@ihartericka) a sex educator, model, writer, and racial/social/gender justice disruptor. She shares her perspectives on being black in America alongside important information about racism, sexism, and a myriad of other important topics. She also has two online Racial and Social Justice classes that you can purchase, a podcast you can listen to, and an extensive list of books to read in this highlight on her stories.
Yesterday, reader Danielle put together and shared this incredible list of Black creators, designers, shows, and movies for us all to support and enjoy. We want to be clear that we did not create this list, and truly appreciate the time, effort, and generosity on Danielle’s part. We hope that by sharing it again here, more people can use it as a resource.
From Danielle: “Change your algorithm on streaming platforms with Black entertainment movies, shows, and documentaries. This supports Black artists, Black tastemakers, and Black businesses. While also making you laugh, smile, learn, and binge watch Black lives in all complexities and layers. If you search for some and even add a few to your watchlist your algorithm will change and you will see whole swaths of Black entertainment that never popped up for you before.”
FAMILY CONTENT
- Fro Babies – Family Love
- Black Fathers – Family Love
DESIGN CONTENT
- Carmeon Hamilton – Interiors
- Gail Davis – Interiors
- 54kibo – Design Decor
- Coco Cozy – Lifestyle & Home Decor
- Brown Bohemians – Lifestyle, Fashion, & Decor
- Shavonda Gardner – Interiors
- Justina Blakeney – Interiors
- Studio Mucci – Artist, & Decor Influencer
- Yaël & Valérie Fabrics – Home Decor Textiles
ART
- Fabiola Jean-Louis – Artist Painter
- Benny Bing – Artist
- Tilly The Artist – Artist Surrealist
- Kayla Mahaffey – Artist Surrealist
- Nick Davis – Artist Painter
- Lina Iris Viktor – Artist Painter
- Andre Woolery – Artist Painter
- Harmonia – Artist Painter
- Kervin Andre – Artist Painter
- Afroscope – Artist Surrealist
- Terry Joshua – Artist Painter
- Tawny Chatmon – Artist Painter
COOKING CONTENT
- Tabitha Brown – Black Vegan Cooking
- Angela Davis – Black Cooking
- Darius Williams – Black Southern Cooking
- Shea Butter Village – Beauty and Wellness
CONTENT CREATORS
- Janelle Marie Lloyd – Fashion Influencer
- Onyi Moss – Lifestyle Editorial
- Vanessa Oblinsky – Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger
- Jackie Aina – Beauty Influencer
- Signed, Blake – Attorney & Content Creator
- Aurora James – Fashion Designer & Influencer
- Lee Litumbe – Travel Influencer
- Beauty & The Blog – Beauty, Fashion, & Lifestyle
- Highlowluxxe – Style Expert
- Prissysavvy – Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger
- Chichiromeoandme – Kids Fashion Guru
CULTURE CONTENT
- Pubby Longway – Black Culture Comedy
- Because of Them We Can – Black Culture
- Push Black – Black Culture
- Black Thought – Black Culture
- Jennah Brittany – Black Culture Situational Humor
- Fashion Bomb Daily – Black Culture
- The Shade Room Teens – Black Culture
- Baller Alert – Black Culture
- Daquan – Black Culture Comedy
- Bleacher Report – Black Sports Culture
INDUSTRY CONTENT
- Zuri Hall – Emmy-Winning TV Host
- Bozoma Saint John – Leader
- Elaine Welteroth – Black Fashion Leader
- CRWNMAG – Black Beauty Publication
- Sam Fine – Beauty Guru
- Jason Bolden – Fashion Guru
- Candice Marie – Influencer
CLUBS
- Black Bloggers Club – Compendium of Black Influencers
- Black Interior Designers Network – Compendium of Black Influencers
- Black Girls Who Blog – Compendium of Black Influencers
TV – DRAMAS
- Queen Sugar
- The Wire
- Scandal
- Bold Type
- Snow Fall
- All American
- Dear White People
- Sex Education
- Black Lightning
- The Good Fight
TV – ROMANCE
- Four Weddings And A Funeral
- High Fidelity
TV – COMEDY
- Family Reunion
- Atlanta
- Blackish
- Black AF
- Grownish
TV – DOCUMENTARY
- Trigger Warning With Killer Mike – Documentary
- Marching Orders – Sports Documentary
- Styling Hollywood- Reality TV
- Rhythm and Flow – Music Show
- Hip Hop Evolution – Music Documentary
- Quincy – Music Documentary
- Black God Father – Music / Hollywood Documentary
TV – INTERNATIONAL
- Blood & Water – African TV Show
- Shadow – African TV Show
- Queen Sono – African TV Show
MOVIES – HORROR
- Get Out
- Us
MOVIES – DRAMA WITTY / COMEDY
- BlackKlansmen
- Dope
- The Last Blackman of San Francisco
- Girls Trip
- Dolomite Is My Name
MOVIES – SPORTS
- High Flying Bird
- Creed
- First Match
MOVIES – SCI-FI
- Raising Dion
- Fast Color
- See You Yesterday
- Spider Man Into the Spider Verse
- Black Panther
MOVIES – ROMANCE
- Loving
- Belle
- Beyond the Lights
- Been So Long
- Lovebirds
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Queen & Slim
MOVIES – DRAMA
- Sorry To Bother You
- Jinn (the movie with Zoe Renee)
MOVIES – DOCUMENTARIES
- Becoming – Michelle Obama Personal Documentary
- Homecoming – Beyoncé Music Documentary
- Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami – Music Documentary
- Amazing Grace – Aretha Franklin Music Documentary
- Serena – Personal Documentary
- Savage Fenty – Fashion Documentary
Reader, Herselfindublin also left a comment on yesterday’s post about how our platform algorithms shape our world views, along with more suggestions: “I’d just to add two things. A lot of streaming services and things like Instagram use powerful algorithms that track your choices and recommend new stuff based on them. So if you’re white you’re almost definitely being recommended mostly, if not exclusively, white content. But it’s really easy to hack this, and have the algorithm adapt to make more varied suggestions.
On Instagram try and find Instagrammers who are not white. You don’t even have to change the types of accounts you follow – I pretty much exclusively follow design accounts and can recommend @designaddictmom, @iamkristabel, @malcolmsimmons, and @aphrochic for starters. Also look for and pass along recommendations of other POC on these platforms.
And on Netflix etc., just search for a show or film you know to have a predominantly black cast – it doesn’t have to be “heavy” or “educational”, you can search for “Blackish” or “Black Panther”, add them to your favorites and the algorithm will then suggest more.
This is also incredibly important because it tells the content creators that white people have no problem watching POC in films and TV programs, and that will in turn make projects by POC more likely to get commissioned, and to be commissioned in a variety of genres. A film I really enjoyed recently that has a predominantly black cast is “Uncorked” about a man expected to take over his family’s barbecue rib business but who has dreams of becoming a barista. It’s on Netflix, so if you haven’t heard of it yet then search for it and start changing your algorithm.”
To both Danielle & Herselfindublin’s recommendations we’d like to add a few more from ourselves and other comments from yesterday’s post: Author Ijeoma Oluo, author Layla F Saad, actress Indya Moore, actor & comedian DJ (also known as Shangela), writer Kendriana Washington, actress Mj Rodriguez, designer Kelly Finely, designer Ariene Bethea, designer Veronica Solomon, Geeky Glamohemian, interior design enthusiast Miki Carter, designer Kelly R. Collier, furniture designer Nicole Crowder, and Pinterest coach and designer Christina Willis.
If you are not Black, and choose to follow any of these suggested accounts, please do so respectfully. Start by listening. Spend more time listening. And then listen some more – something we are continually striving to do better at ourselves.
A FEW MORE NOTES . . . .
Let’s not forget that while George Floyd’s murderer has been charged (though the other officers have not), Breonna Taylor’s killers haven’t. She deserves the same support and justice. Click here to sign the petition and make phone calls to support this fight. Thank you to our reader Anne who gave us this link. While these specific cases have been brought to media attention, there are hundreds of other horrific incidents just like these that don’t make it to our newsfeeds or timelines because there isn’t video or photo evidence. These are not isolated or rare events.
One very important way white allies can support the anti-racism movement is by showing up to protests and marches. This instagram post by Jen Winston does a good job of explaining why. If you are able to attend a march or protest, checking to see if your local Black Lives Matter chapter has any organized plans could be a good place to start. You can search for a local chapter here.
Lastly, reader Jessica shared this article titled “5 Racist Anti-Racism Responses “Good” White Women Give to Viral Posts“. It’s an article written for White women by a White woman. It’s a good read, and gave us a lot of moments of self-reflection. Especially after yesterday’s post.
That’s it (for now). Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday’s post and shared their perspectives, knowledge, and resources. And thank you in advance to everyone who will continue to share today, while also respecting that some people may be too drained, overwhelmed, and tired to share anymore. To those people we say, your voice and story are important and we are ready to continue listening if ever you are ready to share again.
Opener Image Credit: Design by Brigette Romanek | via Romanek Design Studio
And … as I opened this post, I turned to my partner (I’ve been reading comments aloud to him during his favourite TV show andhe listened!) and said:
“This is powerful work they’re doing.
For real.
They are walking their talk at EHD!!!”
I am in awe. 😌
Hi Rusty, as always thank you for your support! We seriously love your daily, well-thought out comments. Please make sure to continue holding us accountable moving forward. We have a lot of work to do xx
Amen to that. Such powerful work. Emily and team…thank you for making me a better human. In awe and incredibly grateful.
Thank you for the time, energy, and commitment it took to provide such a great list of resources. In conversing with some colleagues yesterday about how I could be a better ally, one of them suggested that I could more frequently use my voice as a senior white male professional within our organization and profession to champion issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. No doubt some other EHD readers might be able to do the same in their respective situations.
In all fairness, much of the content in this round up was generously shared with us via the hard work and effort of our Black readers, in the comment section of yesterday’s post. We hope that moving forward you, along side us, can build on this list of resources and see them just as a starting point in our anti-racism education. Having (sometimes uncomfortable) discussions with your other white colleagues about how you can all be better allies is another good starting point, especially as you point out that you are a senior white male with a privileged position and the influence to help make real change where you work. Thank you for reading and taking time to comment xx
TV Comedy category is missing Insecure on HBO – one of my absolute favorite shows on tv right now. Definitely not kid-friendly, but hilarious and real and full of heart and centered on Black female friendships and relationships. Plus its quick 30 min episodes and 8 episode seasons make it super easy to binge! Go watch it! There’s also a recap podcast you can listen to with each episode called Insecuritea. Also hilarious.
Thanks EHD team for this post – in particular, the article on white women responses. It gave me a lot of food for thought. We white women all have so much more to do and so much more to learn.
Hugs to everyone today. ❤️
Insecure is a GREAT show. So glad you found that article as self-reflective as we did, and use it to continue your anti-racism education along side us xx
Good Morning Hi, This is Danielle. The woman that put together that insanely long list of palatable and pleasant black TV/Movie/Influencers/Entertainers for white people. FYI…I;m going to say black people and white people a lot in this comment. This comment is not about my fellow people of color or my fellow minorities. I’m a black woman and I”m not talking about anything else but the unique and fraught dynamics of Black and White America’s race relations. First, a bit of context for the list…there are many other influencers and content creators I personally follow that are bigger, smaller, different, interesting, and popular. I didn’t include all of them. Because I was trying to make the list palatable and pleasant….so know that there are others and you should search for them. Second, I want to be very clear on the purpose of list and it’s lack of deeper true knowledge. I didn’t make it heavy because was trying to fit into the clear demographic that reads EHD… By that I mean….I really believe there are ways white and black people can relate. I believe there are ways white people can passively learn about black culture, experience, power and joy. I believe… Read more »
Thank you, Danielle, seriously for all of your time going into this let alone your perspective. I emailed you back this morning before I saw this, but i’m so so sorry that I didn’t respond to the comments that you have posted in the past (i wasn’t intentionally ignoring, i promise, but i’ll be better about not missing them or at least having someone from the team who is monitoring comments flag them for me). As I wrote in my email, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your constructive comments and done in a way that felt encouraging, empowering and educational. I’m learning so much, my eyes are WAY more open than they’ve ever been regarding my role in this. I now know that white moderate liberals have failed in so many ways. And i’m in that group. I’m sorry. But excited to learn more, do the work, and help fight for justice both publicly and privately. Thank you.
Danielle, thank you for once again taking time to share such a thoughtful and informative comment. I hear you when you say that this list was specifically curated to be palatable to White people. White woman have a long history of embracing and appropriating parts of Black culture ONLY when we find it palatable and it suits us. I am not exempt from this.
I will use your initial list only as a generous starting point (including the new links that you’ve shared today), and know that it is now up to me to continue seeking out Black creators and their content on my own.
I am sorry that we have not responded to your comments in the past, and you are owed a sincere apology. There are no excuses we can make. However, there are two things we can do moving forward – First, apologize for our silence in the past and acknowledge that our silence was a manifestation of our privilege, and therefore a form of racism. Secondly, we can do the work, and do better moving forward. Not only for the Black readers who support our site, but for our fellow Black Americans.
Danielle here…back again…
Emily took the time to publicly and personally respond to my comments. And I want to acknowledge Emily’s response and her teams commitment to following up on many of the amazing comments from multiple readers that Emily’s recent series of posts have generated. The EHD team has clearly been online and actively responding to comments since yesterday. I like what I see. And I’m hopeful for any thing that makes us all feel more accountable to each other. Each of us (myself included) can do better. All of us here are willing to try. That’s a start. And as I watch the military shoot at my fellow citizens (both black and white citizens) I think grace and care is needed for all of us to survive. It is up to white people to do the work. It is up to us as Black to give them the chance…not the education or a pass on the work, just the chance to do better. And hopefully we can all move forward into the light.
Be well.
Thank you Danielle xx
I think … for all peoples, for human beings.
Through working through this issue, a life-long course, it has the capacity to change all ofus for the better.
It goes vastly further than “fellow Black Americans.”
Global website = global influence. 🙃
Mahalo Danielle for a great starter list. I found some great Instagram accounts which lead to more interesting accounts.
Best post you’ve ever written!
Hi Danielle back again…as promised some curated comments and emails I’ve posted or emailed to EHD team. Note, I am not trying to put Emily on blast. She has tried and has somehow made a safe space the trolls haven’t found for all of us to discuss complex topics. And over the years I’ve also emailed Chris Loves Julia and Jamie Spears on Furbish and Jealous Currator with little to no response from any of them. It is not unusual for white decor bloggers to be non-responsive to risky topics. So I applaude Emily’s effort and actual posts. But with that applause comes feedback and suggestions… SUGGESTIONS SENT VIA GENERAL EMAIL TO EMILY AND OCCASIONALLY POSTED IN SITE COMMENTS OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS Your post was a start… Basically Emily, you wrote a risky and honest post about your white privilege. But in addition to writing a post like that, maybe you use your power to subtly change and depict minorities in a manner that is inclusive and design focused. You don’t need to do it often but you can choose to do it regularly. And by making that choice you can show that decor and design is both… Read more »
Thank you for the huge amount of emotional labor you’ve done here, for free, asking nothing in return but for folks to try harder <3
Do you have a product, or a patreon, or specific organization you like, that people can buy/support as a way of saying thank you?
And of course I'd also love to hear from any of the other POC who've been commenting!
Hey Danielle. Definitely not offended, totally grateful, actually. thank you so much for your time, its incredibly generous. thank you. And your suggestions are where I’m headed so I really appreciate the suggestion, confirmation and encouragement. I do think a problem of mine is being reactionary and not being daily pro-active in social issues. Things get inflamed, we react, they die down, we go back to normal. And that’s not OK and i see that now more than ever. So yes, its about finding a consistent cadence, one that invites others and gives me more time to do more research, go deeper inside, self reflection, and just feel more educated and empowered. And re making the brand more inclusive, I totally agree, you are right and we are on it. its a much needed shift, so thank you. xxxxxx
Please be mindful when you thank a Black person for the “encouragement” in conversations around being anti-racist. Words matter, and when white and non-black POC are grateful to Black people for their “kind words,” “encouragement,” “patience,” “understanding,” etc. it is effectually saying you need motivation or niceness from Black people to do the work.
You shouldn’t need encouragement to carry out this work.
A Trump campaign video popped up in the ads. Passing along the info as it’s antithetical to the entirety of today’s SUPER awesome post, and I’m guessing you’d want to stop it if you can.
hiya! This campaign is mislabeling their ads to get around all our blockers in place — got a screenshot in my email this morning and we’re working with our ad network to get it down ASAP.
Let me first just say that some of your readers will be supporting Trump in the upcoming election. People who are against racism, division, violence. A Trump supporter doesn’t equal a hate monger, though that’s what the media is trying to portray. There are so many issues that I don’t agree with politically but here is not the time or place. This is a SEPARATE ISSUE. I am thankful that your site supports the movement against racism and the atrocities that have been going on, but if this site continues to throw jabs politically (because this is not the first time I have seen it) you will lose this reader.
We’ve intentionally blocked ALL political advertisements here – not just for one candidate.
This campaign in particular is using unapproved tactics, mislabeling their ad units, and is breaking both our terms of service and our ad network’s terms of service.
It’s not about silencing. I welcome anyone who has seen a political ad from any candidate, PAC, or organization to email me a screenshot at caitlin@emilyhendersondesign.com so we can maintain ad space for actual vendors and businesses, as intended.
That’s great but I’ve seen actual digs against the right written within a post. Not an ad. It’s frustrating when I come here for design content.
You seriously want us to believe that you are simultaneously against racism and violence and are still voting for Donald Trump? Beth, please. People like you are exhausting. And dangerous.
Thanks, Caitlin! Keep at it.
Hi Danielle again…I think this will be wrap up comment not because I don’t have more to say, but because it’s important we all breath and learn without data dumps of information from one lone woman deep in the weeds on a home decor blog making a valiant attempt to talk about race. And frankly the news is playing in the background and I’m terrified. So let’s dig in and wind down…. I want to provide a little bit of context for who I am and what I say. So that anyone who possibly reads this comment won’t think I just don’t get design and I’m pressuring a space that isn’t racist so why not post my thoughts on news sites or sports sites or reddit or etc. Here is who I am as context for my thoughts… I’m passionate about decor and fashion. It is my sports team to follow and fan over. It is my happy place to relax, read, and review. I follow most of the top white design / influencers we all know (Lauren Liess, Jenny Komenda, Emily Henderson, Amber Interiors, Chris / Julia, Yellow Brick Home, and etc). I even followed Grace at Design Sponge… Read more »
Hi, Danielle! I appreciate the lists, the caveats about the limits of the lists, and context for your posts/who you are. It hit me that all this time I haven’t been the sole “black woman enjoying EHD but finding some things deeply frustrating and occasionally offensive”! Heartening to see myself in this community (even if only the comments, at the moment); hopeful that the EHD team follows up on your excellent suggestions.
Reanna –
I’m so glad you responded because I’ve always wondered how many of us Black readers are out there…I think there is a woman named Dani who has responded to many posts that is black…I think there is another woman I’ve seen in comments. But I don’t see many of us. I know we are here though…because black women are always here…unseen but present. So shout out to my fellow black readers and commentors!
I just want to say thank you for your continued willingness to share, your incredibly on-point observations about cultural appropriation, and your generosity and kindness in doing so. May it make this little space full of pretty things more honest, inclusive and fabulous as a result!
Danielle, thank you. I’m appreciative of the thought-provoking contributions you’ve made to the conversation.
Danielle, thank you so much for your continued feedback and thoughtful comments. I agree with everything you are saying and I am sorry. I am sorry you have to have those talks with your son and I am sorry you fear for your husbands safety. I am sorry that white woman take up so much space in the design world I want to do better as a white woman myself. I am sorry for so many things I can’t even name and I can’t thank you enough for you just telling us about your experiences.
Danielle, thank you for your work here. I appreciate your comments and your recommendations. I’d follow your blog. 🙂 Much love to you from San Francisco, Sam
Thank you so much for sharing every single word!
If Emily and her team are sincere, then they will put in the work to help educate themselves and this larger community. Today was a small step with this post, however regurgitating your words without doing extra research is simply not enough.
Thank you so much for your incredibly respectful and thought provoking contributions! Amazing. You’ve definitely left a questioning ‘mark’ on my mind. xx
Hi Danielle, I so appreciate your voice here! I have Chinese ancestry on my mother’s side and Euro on my father’s so I walk with a fair amount of privilege and yet I am not the same as a white person. I don’t know what else to say except, “Brava!”
🙌
I am really impressed with the large amount of content…. BRAVO !
As a black buisness owner of a mid century modern furniture /art shop in Los Angeles… I watched so many parts of our city burn last night. I understand the rage and yet as a buisness owner my heart breaks as I saw little small buisness owners having their windows busted out. This post has given me life today…. it has warmed my heart! Excellent Job!
We promise we won’t stop <3
I am all for this discussion however I think it’s a bit hypocritical to say follow these designers and diversify your feed when you yourself don’t follow many of these accounts including Shavonda Gardener and Carmeon Hamilton, who are both very talented designers. Beyond this, it would be great to know how you are using your privilege to actually support POC within your industry and work, whether through hiring or highlighting their work on this blog.
I feel like they have both been suggested SO MANY times in these comment sections and are amazing designers/content creators. Every “influencer” should look at Shavonda’s stories as a true example of how to be authentic and create daily design content that people value. I can’t think of anyone in the design space doing it better than she is.
Hi Kap, I can absolutely see how hypocritical that looked, and was. Please know that we are now absolutely following Shavonda, Cameron, and many more extremely talented designers and creators. We understand that we need to make changes to our content and company culture, and hope to prove with our actions in the coming weeks and months that we are committed to making those changes.
Thank you so much for these “resource” posts! I have wondered how do I help make a meaningful difference (beyond discussions with family and friends). I plan to start utilizing your resources today.
I want to take a moment to encourage you to not be so hard on yourself. You frequently take on the hard issues with thoughtfulness and compassion. You are often critiqued by some for this but then criticized by others when you don’t (or if you do it at “the correct” time). Be you and be proud of it. You use your platform and “privilege” responsibly and don’t need to apologize.
I think that Emily might agree when I say that she is being the correct amount of “hard on herself”. She didn’t choose the wrong rug here, she is owning up to a problematic post and her own white privilege, and is promising to educate herself and try to do better in the future. The folks “criticizing” her were politely calling her out on both a problematic post and the white-centeredness of this blog, and she did need to apologize.
I recommend carefully reading yesterday’s post, the discussion of updates made to it, and the comments for more context. Then perhaps read about “white fragility”.
Privilege is real. There is no reason to put it in quotation marks. It’s also counterproductive to center this conversation on Emily’s feelings or assuaging her guilt, whether she asked for that or not. It is not your place to deem her responsible enough to not necessitate an apology – you cannot speak for all the people who are harmed by racism, and Emily doesn’t need to be absolved of all guilt to engage in anti-racism work. We all carry racism within us, and there will never be a point where you can completely divest yourself from a racist society. We all need to be better about sitting with our own feelings, however uncomfortable they may be, and letting our guilt fuel our desire to do better, rather than a desire to seek validation and further emotional labor from our Black and brown friends and family.
Thank you so much for this! We are all trying, for some of us who have been doing this a long time and for others who are just beginning, it all works!
Hi Emily,
Thank you for the kindness shown in today’s entry. Your words, support, and empathy are appreciated.
Danielle here…My final comment on all of this …because I’m going to hug my husband, snuggle with my son, and feel privilaged that I can do that as my country and my city burn. This was a comment and email from 2018 in response to Emily’s Charlottsville Riots. This was also in response to Emily’s IG post about Obama and that caused her to loose 4K followers overnight. RACE AND POLITICS, POWER AND PRIVILAGE 2018 STYLE ‘Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion, is being asked to dance, and equity is making sure your music is played.” Quote unknown source. But Equity in this case means the reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable power, access, treatment, and outcomes for all. This is a doozy. Race is such a complicated and fraught issue. I considered not even commenting on it. But as an African American woman and in response to your statements on Obama I felt I had too. I’ll start this comment with a personal experience. In my job I am in a leadership position and manage complex teams of sales and technical engineers. But my environment is mostly male and always white. Which results… Read more »
You are an incredible communicator. Thank you for taking your time to engage and enlighten.
‘Fair to middling white people’ got me. Absolutely.
I had a conversation with my partner today, about virtue signalling and how it might apply to our own lives.
It’s a “thing” I think all ‘fair to middling’ white, and representing as white, people all need to dig deeply into.
Thank you so much for this quote, I’ve saved it to my computer so I can send it to folks as needed.
MLK was probably the greatest communicator of the 20th century, and it is a f-ing tragedy for the human race that he was murdered right as a partnership with the white unions was beginning.
Danielle – Your words are beautiful and powerful. Sad that they weren’t amplified by Em years ago. Thanks so much for your labor to educate and inspire.
Danielle, you’ve gone above and beyond. I’m staggered by your eloquence. Thank you for being a lighthouse, spark, and flame.
I see that my work is only just beginning.
Thank you, Danielle.
You are amazing, Danielle. Thank you for saying all of this in the most clear and thoughtful way. I suggested to one successful blogger that they should give their instagram live to a black person for A day. And I think Emily should give it to you or at least do an instagram live with you. That would be amazing.
i added all of the interior designers Danielle and the EHD team recommended time my feed and one thing I noticed is how many of the rooms on those feeds are bright and JOYFUL! A whole different vibe than the “low key, quiet chic” I so often see.
Also, to add to the drama list: Power on Starz. And, the best show ever, you should drop everything and go watch it: Survivors Remorse!!
I admit that I did not see this coming. Great job and thank you for the information.
Tomorrow Looks Bright is a great newsletter that focuses on Black woman creatives and makers around the globe. So much beautiful work and design.
I wanted to expand on the list of artists here because it omits many of the most influential Black artists working today. If you’re interested in art (especially painting, which is what I know the most about), check these artists out! Also shout out to curator Kimberly Drew who has done so much work to draw attention to Black Contemporary Art.
Chris Ofili
Mickalene Thomas
Devan Shimoyama
Nina Chanel Abney
Kerry James Marshall
LaToya Ruby Frazier
David Hammons
Nari Ward
Kara Walker
Kehinde Wiley
Zora Murff
Amy Sherald
Njideka Akunyili Crosby
Nick Cave
Ebony G. Patterson
Derek Fordjour
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones
Naudline Pierre
Tschabalala Self
Hurvin Anderson
Carrie Mae Weems
Martin Puryear
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Deana Lawson
Cauleen Smith
Henry Taylor
This is an AMAZING list. Thank you so much for sharing. Black art means so much to me so this is a wonderful resource.
Tonya Engel is a lovely artist of color as well.
I just followed! Brilliant work.
Thank you for sharing about Tonya Engel. Her work is magic and I’m so glad to know about her
Thank you for this list! It’s already changing what is coming into my feed.
Thank you so much for this list Emma <3
@PrivtoProg is a good follow. It was founded by the women (one Black, one White) who witnessed, filmed and amplified the infamous Starbucks arrest of black men in Philadelphia. They co-founded an org to confront white privilege.
Thank you for this–in going through all of these links I’ve found so many that are right up my alley. It makes me so angry that I scroll endlessly through things anyone who’s met me for 5 minutes would know I have no interest in but clicking on just a few of these I’ve bookmarked almost all of them, & yet the majority I would never have seen otherwise. If the world is going to use platforms that rely on algorithms & AI they have a lot of work to do to be better. I knew that before out of general frustration, but didn’t pay it much mind. That’s on me–to step up & demand better.
I hade to share this!!!
In Perth, Western Australia, THE most isolated capital city in the world, in the middle of a pandemic …
WE HAD A PEACEFUL PROTEST TODAY IN THE CITY CENTRE TO SUPPORT BLACK RIGHTS IN THE USA!!!
See? It IS a nlobal movement. Truth. Justice. Voice.
G lobal. Ha!
I appreciate your efforts in showcasing the work of black America. But racism is the key. Native Americans are dropping like flies in reservations from Covid-19, Latin American immigrant children are incarcerated and abused in jails, and black people are murdered by police with impunity and are incarcerated and impoverished at astounding rates. Those are all signs of an illness that affects all POC. Black people have it worse, particularly when it comes to police violence – the result of centuries of dehumanizing them to justify their slavery. But racism, in all its forms, and addressing that blindness is the key. So that is why even though the start is addressing anti-blackness, it should not end there. The same system that puts the knee in a black person’s neck is the one that calls a child “illegal” and separates them from their parents, and the one that justifies hoarding native Americans in poor reservations without running water. Being in California, most of that beautiful construction work that Emily shows has been by a good number of undocumented people, whose contributions, artistry, and work are rarely acknowledged in her blog and books, unlike many restauranteurs who have been vocal activists supporting,… Read more »
Did you know that children internalize racial bias by age 2-4? Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help with talking to children about racial bias:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Talking-to-Children-About-Racial-Bias.aspx?fbclid=IwAR353HTZhdXGYbvB2xWVOJK1U_FBZyLmrav2ibQXAuQ1mGBt5USBZPg6KmA
Thank you for sharing all of this, and especially to Danielle for all of her wonderful suggestions. I watched Lovebirds last week and it was SO good. I was laughing so hard I was in tears multiple times. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani were fantastic!
I also wanted to recommend Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. It was a great book written from the perspectives of a black woman that works as a nanny and her white employer.
I’m so impressed with the thorough and thoughtful posts from the past two days. I know how much work it took to compile the information, but more importantly, to listen to your audience and share their input for further research/resources. Well done, EHD staff. Proud of you all.
Thank you!
This is such an important post ! I didn’t know many of items on this list but I will for sure give my support to as many as possible. Thank you for sharing this. Change is needed and we can all do our part and support where we can
xx
Coconath
http://coconath.com
Please continue to make this a priority. I’m a white woman who agrees that white people need to do better, be better, act better, think better. You have the visibility and resources to do so. I believe you will, but I’m also wary of this issue fading away from white social media resources until the next tragedy. I hope this is the beginning of a sea change for white people. I’m included and have made the commitment to do the work. Let’s hold each other accountable, educate ourselves, choose to be the generation of white women who finally, finally, finally opened our eyes, opened our minds, listened, learned, corrected ourselves, and demanded a better world for everyone. There are so many designers, artists, makers, businesses in the design community that are people of color who’s work you can bring attention to. I’m a big fan and long time reader of this blog and I look forward to seeing more content that shows respect/appreciation/support for people of color. I believe it really needs to be about that at this point in history. We must course correct, and we have the knowledge, resources, desire and moral obligation to do so.
Yes, along this topic of accountability. Does EHD have a planning calendar for each month? Can you commit to X number of posts each month being about racism, highlighting designers of color, etc etc. Can you list what shops by black owned people you can intentionally visit each time you complete a roundup?
Make sure this list of resources is not lost and put this on a calendar so it doesn’t get lost as we move forward. I want to hear about this on-going, not just in times of media chaos – or an election.
Thank you for this!
A big thank you for this, and to everyone who generously shared resources and wisdom in the last post (and before)!
Not sure if she was already mentioned on the amazing lists. Morgan Harper Nichols, artist, musician, wordsmith. She has a beautiful instagram account as well!
https://morganharpernichols.com/
https://garden24.co/
I would like to share this article about Target https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/6/1/21277192/target-looting-police-george-floyd-protests
I love Target and it was upsetting to read this, but it’s a perfect example of how insidious structural racism is. I will not be shopping there until there are changes in their loss prevention strategies and I hope your team will consider not promoting their products in future product round-ups.
Emily is target’s home style expert.
I see nothing wrong with Target’s loss prevention strategies. Cooperating with police to prevent shoplifting is NOT racist. It IS racist when individual store managers only focus their attention/suspicion/harassment on black shoppers or Latinx shoppers and never on white shoppers.
But corporate policies to minimize shoplifting and to get police help in doing so are good business practice.
Protest is valid. Looting is not. And any suggestion that looting is a legitimate reaction only undermines the Black Lives Matters cause.
Can someone answer a question I have? Please forgive if I say something wrong or insensitive, this is just not very discussed here, I am uneducated and i couldn’t find any specific information for this queestion on the internet. My family is white, we live in Germany in a very white environment. I want to educate my kids (7 and 10) but don’t know exactly the best way, as race is not something that that is very much a theme here. They have each black classmate, who they don’t feel any different about than the white kids. How could a start a discussion, without making it worse, without highlighting a difference that for them is not important at all? Iwould be very grateful for any tips.
Hi Launa, this has lots of information on this
https://cupofjo.com/2020/06/raising-race-conscious-children/
I’m sure there’s more information in the above post too.
Launa, sadly, a close friend of mine immigrated from Germany to Australia purely due to the racism she experienced there as an Indian woman married to a white German. It was that bad. She says it’s so much better here (been here for 14 years) and that does myhead in, because there’s still overt racism in our very white affluent neighbourhood.
Hi Luana, @theconciouskid account on Instagram also has a lot of great resources!
Hi Luana, I am also white and from Germany and it was so nice to see your comment here 🙂 I think you are totally right that race is something that is much less discussed in Germany but sadly that doesn’t mean that there is less racism, it just makes racism more invisible and harder to talk about, so I think its super cool and important that you want to teach that to your kids! This is not neccesarily a kids’ book but one that I have found super helpful for myself and have gifted to several friends and relatives who wanted to learn more about racism (especially in Germany): exit RACISM: rassismuskritisch denken lernen by Tupoka Ogete is a really really really GREAT great book specifically aimed at white people in Germany trying to educate themeselves and if you are looking for further reading I also really enjoyed Deutschland Schwarz Weiß Der alltägliche Rassismus by Noah Sow also aimed at white folks, a bit ‘harsher’ in tone maybe? but also really good and Eure Heimat ist unser Albtraum which is a collection of essays – I haven’t read it myself yet but lots of my friends really reccommended it… Read more »
And I just found this really cool website with German books of and about people of colour and they have a lot of reccomondations sorted by age group https://medienregal.wixsite.com/medienregal – good luck!!
Thank you!
I see you deleted the very thoughtful post by the teacher because it was a bit too honest and realistic about the situation.
What did it say?
Hi Tanya, the comment was moderated and removed because it contained hateful language we do not condone on this site, including referring to children (his students) using derogatory terms. To be clear – negative comments, criticisms, and suggestions are all absolutely welcome – please don’t stop those. We love the dialogue and feedback is crucial to the progression and success of the blog and to us, personally. However, hateful language of any kind will be removed from the comments as soon as we are aware of it.
Yup…I nearly didn’t respond to it because if that language, but, because it was up and posted, I did. My gut wanted to call the language out. I didn’t. And I feel bad for that.
In my bones, I’m glad it’s down. 😌
Thank you so much for the list of resources, enabling me to immediately order from my Independent book store, would never have known otherwise.
You are actually doing something positive, not just feeling the angst of white privilege, so try to feel better about yourself. Remember, it first needs to be taught, to exist; being a good role model for your children is probably the most important thing we can do to combat future racism.
One thing that Congress must change by legislation is the standards police are held to in all kinds of police brutality cases because of a 1989 US Supreme Court decision in Graham v Connor.
I have contacted my senators and representative about it. You can too.
https://www.senate.gov/senators/How_to_correspond_senators.htm
https://www.house.gov/representatives
To learn more about this case and the unintended consequences listen to this:
Radiolab Presents: More Perfect – Mr. Graham and the Reasonable Man
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/radiolab-presents-more-perfect-mr-graham-reasonable-man
Description: “On a fall afternoon in 1984, Dethorne Graham ran into a convenience store for a bottle of orange juice. Minutes later he was unconscious, injured, and in police handcuffs. In this episode, we explore a case that sent two Charlotte lawyers on a quest for true objectivity, and changed the face of policing in the US.”
I learned yesterday that there is a bill called the “Peace Act” to address the police standards issue at least for Federal officers. It’s a start. You can write to your Congress people and refer to this bill.
H.R.4359 – Police Exercising Absolute Care With Everyone Act of 2019
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4359/text?r=4&s=1
‘just white folks doing white things in a white room” … quote from Danielle
As an FYI, you can be white and feel and see this and be very uncomfortable with it online and in person.
Applaud you for taking a stand.
“Let’s not forget that while George Floyd’s murderer has been charged” … Do you understand the concept of innocent until proven guilty? The trial hasn’t happened yet. It sounds like you really believe that all blacks are innocent angels and the police gun them down for fun. Blacks commit a lot of crimes, both in countries with a history of slavery and in countries with no history of slavery.
Innocent until proven guilty?
The police imposing a death sentence on a prone and handcuffed suspect is not justice.
This comment seems to be trolling for trouble and does not reflect the spirit of genuine open minded discussion that is characteristic of this blog and this comment thread specifically.
I find your unsubstantiated race based opinion to be highly offensive and I encourage you to check yourself and your privilege.
There is nothing innocent about kneeling on a man’s neck for nine minutes.
I agree.
You are way too rational Tanya.
And you don’t have a chip on your shoulder either.
Cup of Jo is matching reader donations – that would be an awesome thing for EHD to do too! It’s great to provide information to your readers, but I would love to commit resources to this work as well. If you did a matching fund I would donate!
https://cupofjo.com/2020/06/where-to-donate-black-lives-matter/
I saw that too. Awesome.
* I would love to see EHD commit resources…
Hi all, really appreciate your willingness to take bigger risks on this right now and to model for us what it looks like to learn in public. I’m excited to see the way this plays out for this beautiful corner of the internet in the months to come.
This is a great list. However, I believe you might need to recommit to hiring my POC onto your team.
Are you being a bully ?