Am I doing my work to become an anti-racist?
Like many white Americans, George Floyd’s death was a wake-up call for me. Not that the work of racial justice wasn’t important to me before, but it was something I was able to compartmentalize due to my own privilege. If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that we can’t afford to silently support this cause from the sidelines. To shift the tide of systemic racism and dismantle white privilege, we all need to be willing to step into the ring and actively engage not just in the aftermath of a brutal murder but every single day.
Maybe you, like me, are trying to find sustainable ways to use your money to become an anti-racist for the long-haul. That’s what this week’s post — and this month’s Date Night Club — is all about.
But before you jump to action, I encourage you to take a step back to listen. As Ijeoma Oluo shares in her article Welcome To The Anti-Racism Movement — Here’s What You’ve Missed, those of us who are joining late have some homework to do. This work is emotional as well as educational, but it’s imperative. This summer, I’ve joined two book clubs — one at my work and one at my church — to kickstart my process of doing this work. I’ll be reading “How to Be An Anti-Racist” by Ibram X. Kendi as well as “My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway Forward to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” by Resmaa Menakem. Instead of reading these books on my own, I decided to read them in community so I could learn from others as I process my own journey. For those of us who are white, this process is not a “one and done” — the listening and the learning needs to become a habit continually reminding us that we are not experts in the experience of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and we never will be.
During this education process those of us who are white will be confronted by our own privilege. As Oluo points out, it’s important to remember that privilege is a two-edged sword. It’s both the greatest risk and greatest benefit you can bring to the movement. It’s a risk because privilege left unchecked and uninvestigated can do so much harm both to those inside the movement and to the fight against White Supremacy. However, privilege when realized and weaponized can be used in ways to fight the very system that imbues it.
Here are some ways to use your money (and your privilege) to become an anti-racist right now (and over the long-term):
Know the Enemy: Jasmine Rashid does a great job of laying this out in the “Financial Activists Playbook for Supporting Black Lives.” Ask yourself: “Who around me is profiting from the continued devaluation of black lives? Who’s taking economic advantage of Black pain? How am I directly or indirectly supporting them?” White supremacy and racial disparities continue because it’s profitable for the people the system serves.
Tip: Sometimes the enemy is obvious; sometimes it’s not. Rashid lists a few examples in her article, like companies that commit wage theft by violating the minimum wage, overtime, and break policies, or real estate companies contributing to gentrification. To know the enemy you have to be a savvy and conscious consumer.
Use Your Influence: For those of you with privilege, this is your moment to use it to ask probing questions of the organizations you are connected with. Rashid lists so many ideas in her article. Be sure to listen to the responses you receive, and be prepared to follow up.
Tip: For those of us who have been ensconced in our privileged enclaves, these can be scary steps to take. Do it anyway — don’t let your own fear of rejection outweigh the fear people of color experience everyday. Start with one email or one phone call, and keep pressing forward. Find other friends committed to being anti-racist and invite them to join you.
Spend Your Money: Choose to seek out and buy from Black-owned businesses. Wondering how to find them? Here are some websites and apps designed to help. Support Black artists and entertainers via Paypal, Venmo, or Patreon. Get to know the organizations and businesses in your community that are actively anti-racist and pushing for reform and racial equity, and intentionally buy from and support them through word-of-mouth recommendations and social media. Have kids in your life? Purchase books that teach about Black history and/or feature people of color’s stories of triumph, wealth, and heroism. Show them movies and TV shows that illustrate Black history and/or feature positive depictions of people of color.
Tip: Shop mostly online? Here’s a great way to support Black-owned businesses online.
Invest Your Money: You may not think about your savings as a natural venue to be an anti-racist, but it’s a very important one. Remember, whether you are saving money at a bank or investing it, this money isn’t staying put. It’s being used to invest in other ventures in the hopes of making more money. Look into your bank: Are they using the money to support Black communities, or to fund mass incarceration, private prisons, or environmental harm? Similarly, look at the places where you are investing.
Tip: One of the best ways to fight racism while investing is take advantage of impact investing. Rodney Foxworthy talks more about how this works in this article for Mission Investors.
Give Your Money: This may seem rather obvious, but take it a step further. Yes, donate to help meet the needs you see now, but what about funding lasting change? Are you currently donating to any causes that are directly supporting the anti-racist movement? Any Black-led causes? Any causes directly impacting Black communities? Add or make a change to your recurring donations to support one or more of these organizations over the long-term.
Tip: Suffering from decision fatigue? Check out this fund, which allows you to split a donation between 70+ community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizers.
This month in Date Night Club, I’m helping couples reflect on how they would like to use their money to support the causes they care about like anti-racism. We’re investigating how the businesses we support do (or don’t) reflect these values. Haven’t joined Date Night Club yet? TODAY is the last day to get in on my three freebies: a one month free trial; my favorite date night activity, Money Mad Libs; and free tickets to my virtual Love & Money Brunch. Snatch up these deals before they are gone!