“How Can I Use My Privilege To Help”: Woman Creates A List Of Recommendations For Every Person Who Wants To Help
Interview With AuthorPeople from all walks of life are coming out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and are demanding justice for George Floyd. But what exactly can we do to help BLM, the African-American community, and all people of color? There’s no single answer, but some people are doing their part in helping others educate themselves. Betsy Faulkner from Manchester created a poster with a list of books, movies, documentaries, and podcasts that people should read, watch, and listen to if they want to support BLM.
She also added a list of organizations, charities, and initiatives that you can donate to if you want to make a difference. Scroll down for the links to every single resource that Betsy has shared, as well as for some more educational links that explain systemic racism and white privilege. If you have any resources to share or any suggestions, post them in the comments section below, dear Pandas.
Betsy told Bored Panda that the response to her poster has been overwhelming and unexpected. “While I was aware it would be a useful resource, I assumed it would stay among my friends and followers, but instead it has reached a much wider audience. Even actress Susan Sarandon! I’m so happy to know that the message and tips have been shared and received well by many and I hope it translates into better education and awareness of the movement.” Scroll down for the rest of our interview with Betsy.
More info: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Betsy Faulkner created a poster with useful information for everyone who wants to support BLM and POC
Image credits: _betsyfaulkner
Here’s the info on the poster from up close. Books
- Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race
- White Fragility
- Queenie
- Small Great Things
- It’s Not About The Burqa
- Me And White Supremacy
- Between The World And Me
- Heavy: An American Memoir
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
- The Color Purple
- Their Eyes Were Watching God
What to watch
- 13th
- American Son
- Selma
- When They See Us
- Queen And Slim
- LA 92
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
- More Than A Month
- I Am Not Your Negro
- Fruitvale Station
- The Kalief Browder Story
- Just Mercy
- Black Britain On Film
- 12 Years A Slave
- Strong Island
- Blindspotting
- Brian Banks
- Dear White People
Podcasts
- About Race
- Diversity Gap
- 1619
- Code Switch
- POD Save The People
- How To Be An Antiracist
- What Matters
- #BLACKLIVESMATTER
- Uncomfortable Conversations
- You’re Pretty For A…
- The Intelligence
Accounts
- Rachel Cargle
- Sassy-Latte
- Mona Chalabi
- Munroe Bergdorf
- Candice Brathwaite
- ArlanWasHere
- Official Millenial Black
- Blklivesmatter
- Colorofchange
- Karamo
Donate
- George Floyd Memorial Fund
- Minnesota Freedom Fund
- Black Visions Collective
- Reclaim the Block
- Campaign Zero
- Unicorn Riot
- The Bail Project
“How can I use my privilege to help?”
“Everything happening in the US at the moment is long overdue but it’s almost a shame it’s come during the pandemic. While I am desperate to join the protests in my city, I have to make sure I secure the safety of my family, as they are key workers,” Betsy told us. “It’s so amazing to see all 50 states participating in protests which I believe makes this the biggest civil rights movement in history. I just sincerely hope change comes about as a result. The first step is ensuring all four officers are charged and sentenced, and I am confident that this has only become a possibility as a result of the protests and a huge increase in awareness of the movement. It has really proven that using your voice is vital in bringing about necessary change.”
She explained that in her opinion, reforming the US system won’t be easy. Betsy stated that the American justice system “wasn’t initially designed to protect POC.” She believes that even though the challenge might seem daunting, everything starts with the people and education. “Racism is taught. Therefore we must unlearn these deep-rooted harmful stereotypes and attitudes and stop teaching our children such hatred. We need to stop allowing our family and friends to carry this negative attitude and educate one another to treat people with equality.”
Betsy continued: “Listen to their stories and make them feel important like they deserve. This isn’t just in the eyes of the law but in the streets, in homes, schools, locker rooms, and in every walk of life.”
She pointed out that real change won’t happen until politicians are held accountable and until Americans “stop voting for racist leaders.”
Voting is key
Betsy added: “My political opinion aside, nobody can deny that a large majority of politicians have been openly racist and this needs to stop. What example does this set for our children? The simplest solution, however, is to treat everyone, regardless of race, with respect, dignity, and love. When we all master that, the world will be a much better place.”
Betsy doesn’t deny that she has white privilege—instead, she says she used it to make important information accessible to everyone. She urges people to do more than simply repost images on the internet. Real change happens when we change and learn new things.
She believes that other people can use their own privilege to help. According to Betsy, we should all be proactive by standing up to racism, protesting, signing petitions, holding ourselves accountable, and supporting POC businesses. But the biggest way to make a difference is by exercising your political rights and by voting.
One of the books that Betsy mentioned in her poster is White Fragility by University of Washington professor Dr. Robin DiAngelo. In her book, she analyzes why white people find it difficult to talk about racism and discusses how they can engage more constructively across race. You can watch a lecture by DiAngelo on the topic right here. It’s long but it’s very insightful.
If you’d like to learn more about what systemic racism is and what it looks like, you can watch this short video that summarizes the issue right here.
People absolutely loved her poster and some had additional suggestions about what to read and watch
Image credits: LivingTru
Image credits: Rillymeen
Image credits: issadonvibe
Image credits: doTERRASher
Image credits: dawnkuntze
39Kviews
Share on FacebookOr, here's a radical idea, just treat everyone else the way you expect to be treated. No need to indoctrinate White Guilt into people.
The challenge is - not everyone wants to be treated the same. And not everyone believes in equality to begin with. And those, who don't believe in what is such a simple, positive idea of "doing unto others, as you would have those do unto you", are the ones that the rest of us (ie the majority of us, I'd hope) have to worry about. And it's those, that we are trying to deal with, in order to stop the bigotry. This list, is about providing resources that can help the majority deal with those horrid few who just can't understand the idea of treating others as being equal to themselves. It's such a simple idea - and yet one that is sadly ignored by those horrid few. Hopefully this will at least help people find ways to make it better. Hopefully. <3
Load More Replies...Hi Christin, I'm a "Mixie" too (I call myself a "bitsa" ie bitsa this, and bitsa that"). It's a tricky path the walk, especially considering the racial tensions happening within the US. It's one of those things where I 100% agree with not focusing on the guilt, which is why I like this post, because it's about how *anyone* can be proactive in helping, as opposed to having guilt alone as the focus. I think that most people just don't know what to *do* in order to make things better. Having a list of things that people can choose from, I believe is a wonderful way to empower people to take action, and not just get caught in the anger / sadness / frustration of it all. Hopefully it will start to help make things better. I hope. <3
Load More Replies...Can we please stop using the term "white privilege"? Assuming I have privileges because of my skin color is just wrong. I have seen wealthy privileged people in all shapes and colors. I have seen poor, down and out people in all shapes and colors.
This why intersectionality ( looking at factors like age, gender, class etc) is paramount when discussing privilege. White privilege is a thing but it exists in context of other hierarchies as well
Load More Replies...Sorry but it's racist to assume all white people are rich or have priveledge.. I grew up on welfare..im white.. stop with the white priveledge bs
Thanks for the input. A lot of new jargon, or terminology can appear quite loaded for some people, simplistic for others. There are a lot of issues around poverty, such as being looked down on, not being able to buy items in bulk (ironic that you need to have money to save money), being discouraged to aim high in life (that happened to Michelle Obama in high school in spite of being a top student - I can see how a poor white student could face similar bias). Poverty definitely sucks and can really grind people down.
Load More Replies...white privilege does not mean you have a completely privileged life. it means your life isn’t made more difficult by the colour of your skin.
An article like this on Bored Panda proves that white life is made more difficult by their skin. Requiring whites to atone for the crime of having white skin is as monstrous as having any other race apologize for their own.
Load More Replies...I don't understand. What privilage? Being white? How is that a privilage? Its what I am, and there is nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to read or watch any of the above, becuse I already know how to treat people. Its called empathy and decency.
I support equality, but none of this trash. I'll support a POC business not because they are POC but because I want to do business with them, not because of their skin color because if I discriminated based on race I would be a racist.
So, the best way to fight racism....is to be racist against yourself? Speaking of the level of white guilt in that list, I was under the impression that self hate was a mental illness.
You forgot "Virtue Signaling for beginners". I don't need your help, your hand outs, or your pointless guilt. I was never a slave - and you were never a slave owner. Want to talk about privledge? It is a privilege to be born in the USA - where there are more black millionaires than anywere on earth.
STOP the WHITE PRIVILEGED word/phrase. I had my a*s beat when I was 12 in NY because I was white. I was on of 3 out of 200 . All humans experience prejudice... Guess what? Unless you are a Kardashian you will experience prejudice...
To everyone who reads this: I don't want anyone to feel guilty about anything, but I do have to say that you truly do not understand what it's like to be someone like me. I know that poor white people get looked down on, but not to the point that every aspect of your life is literally life and death. When I was 12 years old, my family had a paper route. One night while throwing the Sunday morning paper, my father was stopped by four carloads of police officers. Thankfully, they knew him and nothing bad happened. But what if they didn't know him. He could have been shot that night. You don't understand what it's like until you look at the situation through our eyes. There is no need for guilt, but there is a need for understanding and listening. Thank you, my brothers and sisters around the world.
Let me blow your mind. White people get guns drawn on them by police too. I myself have had guns drawn on me twice, three times if you also count a taser. The difference is that I don't attribute this to race, but rather bad policing. Ive been stopped by 3 cop cars (at the same time, with a k-9 unit, lol) "for not having a license plate light". I'm not a criminal and I've never been arrested. I have no doubt you have experienced hardship in your life, the difference is that you are framing this bad policing as a racial issue because it conforms with your worldview that the bad policing happens because you are black and the world is against you because its racist. Saying I cannot understand because of my white skin is as evil and racist as saying that you cannot because of yours.
Load More Replies...I REFUSE to apologize or feel guilty because I was born white. I don't expect anyone else to apologize for being born black, asian, middle eastern, hispanic, etc and I am freaking SICK of the new racist term "white privilege".
This may be the first thing on bored panda that I'm truly embarrassed for the commenter's reactions as a whole. For the love of pete people. If you are white, you do have the privilege. The privilege of not having people snap judge you based on nothing more than your coloring. (at least not negatively). This does not mean you need to feel 'white guilt' (whatever the hell that means) or that you are automatically a bad person or something. It is just an acknowledgement that it is one hurdle in life you don't have to deal with. That all of you would find the contents in this article anything more than an exercise in empathy is disturbing. Learning more about others experiences is a mark of maturity.
Thank you, Helen. They don't seem to understand this.
Load More Replies...Stupidist thing I've EVER read. No one cares about your specific "white privilege". Not all of us who are white have done a dam thing wrong. You are a dum a*s snowflake.
What i do not understand in this context is the double standards used in promoting this narrative. It seems like it promotes the idea that people of colour are unable to function in a society and need special rules. Racism is a thing in certain places, but if bigoted ideas rule and people are excluded based on that then it is that society's loss in the value of the excluded people. Forcing people to "accept" diversity by "white quilting" them will just enforce racism not end it.
Look, I get the uncomfortable feeling of knowing that we white people have privileges that other people don't. I don't like it. I don't want it, and I sure as s**t didn't ask for it and would NEVER ask for it, but it exists. It's not our choice, but we benefit all the same. The only way forward is to break the system down and build it better, but we can't do that until we admit that it exists and isn't working for most people. I'm only as safe as my neighbors are, and only as free as my friends are. I have seen one of the most gentle, unassuming, non-violent men I've ever known hauled away in handcuffs twice. Never charged, never was at fault, and I know BECAUSE I WAS THERE. Guess what color his skin is? One of the worst feelings in the world is watching the weariness of racism pressing down on the shoulders of someone you love and being helpless to do anything. Yeah, it hurts and it f*****g sucks to admit, but it is literally killing the people we love. Grow a spine, and demand better
1st) All you need to do is remove the economic incentive for Black women to marry the Government instead of the fathers of their children. Fatherless households are the single greatest problem facing the community. 2nd) stop spreading the lie that Black people are being oppressed. Its verifiable b******t.
The Black Lives Matter protesters think themselves courageous, when in fact their actions can only be described as cowardly. Rather than meet the ideas of others head-on, they censor and intimidate opposing voices while hiding behind a veneer of collective action to avoid individual accountability. Their reasons for doing so are very clear: beyond its gaping credibility issue, Black Lives Matter is a movement devoid of substance, one whose obsessive identity politics do not coincide with reality outside the ivory tower. There seem to be no concrete objectives in the Black Lives Matter movement. There has been no coherent message beyond the allegations of mass state violence directed toward African Americans and the general affirmation that black lives matter. The movement then goes on to falsely conflate the two, accusing anyone who questions the first assertion of also questioning the latter (that is, accuse anyone who dares criticize the movement of being racist). Providing nothing more than irrational anger, Black Lives Matter collapses on its own weight; its allegations of mass, racial state violence are simply untrue.https://dartreview.com/the-problem-with-black-lives-matter/
I wonder if the same reaction would have occurred if a white person would have been instead of George Floyd? One does not end racism with violence you end it with knowledge and hard work to prove bigots wrong. Violence will only enforce the stereotype that black people are dangerous and therefor undesirable.
Load More Replies...The Obamas are millionaires,they are a 2 parent household,the have connections..so do the obsmas have black priveledge
Michelle Obama came from a working class background, but she did have the following advantages: intellectually gifted and she was close to her father, who pushed her to excel. Barack Obama had the following advantages: his mother, father and stepfather were university graduates and he grew up in a middle-class household. Connections definitely help, but it doesn't guarantee success. Some people are gifted at networking, others burn bridges. One of my sisters is very good at making connections, whereas I'm not that good at it, but have gotten better at it.
Load More Replies...OH MY GOD! All of the comments here are the exact problem people are tired of. Yes, racism goes both ways and there's privilege in things other than skin color. But anyone who thinks white people aren't privileged obviously doesn't understand what that word means. It doesn't mean that white people can't also be oppressed in some ways and it doesn't mean that non-whites don't or can't be successful. What it means is that because there is conditioned bias people who are white don't have the automatic barriers that non-whites have to struggle with. Yes, the Obamas are very successful but that doesn't meant that they didn't have to work harder than a white family in the same position would have. And sure lots of white folk are poor, destitute and so on, but they didn't have to be worried about being arrested simply because they are black. I'm sorry but so many white people's opinions on this are so far skewed that they are proving the exact thing they say doesn't exist...
Rich privilege is a much bigger problem. It's only in the US that it's overshadowed by your racism. Pretty privilege is very important too. Put a good luck person of color next to an ugly white person and I guarantee you the POC will have the advantage. Don't confuse your US problems with world problems.
Load More Replies...Or, here's a radical idea, just treat everyone else the way you expect to be treated. No need to indoctrinate White Guilt into people.
The challenge is - not everyone wants to be treated the same. And not everyone believes in equality to begin with. And those, who don't believe in what is such a simple, positive idea of "doing unto others, as you would have those do unto you", are the ones that the rest of us (ie the majority of us, I'd hope) have to worry about. And it's those, that we are trying to deal with, in order to stop the bigotry. This list, is about providing resources that can help the majority deal with those horrid few who just can't understand the idea of treating others as being equal to themselves. It's such a simple idea - and yet one that is sadly ignored by those horrid few. Hopefully this will at least help people find ways to make it better. Hopefully. <3
Load More Replies...Hi Christin, I'm a "Mixie" too (I call myself a "bitsa" ie bitsa this, and bitsa that"). It's a tricky path the walk, especially considering the racial tensions happening within the US. It's one of those things where I 100% agree with not focusing on the guilt, which is why I like this post, because it's about how *anyone* can be proactive in helping, as opposed to having guilt alone as the focus. I think that most people just don't know what to *do* in order to make things better. Having a list of things that people can choose from, I believe is a wonderful way to empower people to take action, and not just get caught in the anger / sadness / frustration of it all. Hopefully it will start to help make things better. I hope. <3
Load More Replies...Can we please stop using the term "white privilege"? Assuming I have privileges because of my skin color is just wrong. I have seen wealthy privileged people in all shapes and colors. I have seen poor, down and out people in all shapes and colors.
This why intersectionality ( looking at factors like age, gender, class etc) is paramount when discussing privilege. White privilege is a thing but it exists in context of other hierarchies as well
Load More Replies...Sorry but it's racist to assume all white people are rich or have priveledge.. I grew up on welfare..im white.. stop with the white priveledge bs
Thanks for the input. A lot of new jargon, or terminology can appear quite loaded for some people, simplistic for others. There are a lot of issues around poverty, such as being looked down on, not being able to buy items in bulk (ironic that you need to have money to save money), being discouraged to aim high in life (that happened to Michelle Obama in high school in spite of being a top student - I can see how a poor white student could face similar bias). Poverty definitely sucks and can really grind people down.
Load More Replies...white privilege does not mean you have a completely privileged life. it means your life isn’t made more difficult by the colour of your skin.
An article like this on Bored Panda proves that white life is made more difficult by their skin. Requiring whites to atone for the crime of having white skin is as monstrous as having any other race apologize for their own.
Load More Replies...I don't understand. What privilage? Being white? How is that a privilage? Its what I am, and there is nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to read or watch any of the above, becuse I already know how to treat people. Its called empathy and decency.
I support equality, but none of this trash. I'll support a POC business not because they are POC but because I want to do business with them, not because of their skin color because if I discriminated based on race I would be a racist.
So, the best way to fight racism....is to be racist against yourself? Speaking of the level of white guilt in that list, I was under the impression that self hate was a mental illness.
You forgot "Virtue Signaling for beginners". I don't need your help, your hand outs, or your pointless guilt. I was never a slave - and you were never a slave owner. Want to talk about privledge? It is a privilege to be born in the USA - where there are more black millionaires than anywere on earth.
STOP the WHITE PRIVILEGED word/phrase. I had my a*s beat when I was 12 in NY because I was white. I was on of 3 out of 200 . All humans experience prejudice... Guess what? Unless you are a Kardashian you will experience prejudice...
To everyone who reads this: I don't want anyone to feel guilty about anything, but I do have to say that you truly do not understand what it's like to be someone like me. I know that poor white people get looked down on, but not to the point that every aspect of your life is literally life and death. When I was 12 years old, my family had a paper route. One night while throwing the Sunday morning paper, my father was stopped by four carloads of police officers. Thankfully, they knew him and nothing bad happened. But what if they didn't know him. He could have been shot that night. You don't understand what it's like until you look at the situation through our eyes. There is no need for guilt, but there is a need for understanding and listening. Thank you, my brothers and sisters around the world.
Let me blow your mind. White people get guns drawn on them by police too. I myself have had guns drawn on me twice, three times if you also count a taser. The difference is that I don't attribute this to race, but rather bad policing. Ive been stopped by 3 cop cars (at the same time, with a k-9 unit, lol) "for not having a license plate light". I'm not a criminal and I've never been arrested. I have no doubt you have experienced hardship in your life, the difference is that you are framing this bad policing as a racial issue because it conforms with your worldview that the bad policing happens because you are black and the world is against you because its racist. Saying I cannot understand because of my white skin is as evil and racist as saying that you cannot because of yours.
Load More Replies...I REFUSE to apologize or feel guilty because I was born white. I don't expect anyone else to apologize for being born black, asian, middle eastern, hispanic, etc and I am freaking SICK of the new racist term "white privilege".
This may be the first thing on bored panda that I'm truly embarrassed for the commenter's reactions as a whole. For the love of pete people. If you are white, you do have the privilege. The privilege of not having people snap judge you based on nothing more than your coloring. (at least not negatively). This does not mean you need to feel 'white guilt' (whatever the hell that means) or that you are automatically a bad person or something. It is just an acknowledgement that it is one hurdle in life you don't have to deal with. That all of you would find the contents in this article anything more than an exercise in empathy is disturbing. Learning more about others experiences is a mark of maturity.
Thank you, Helen. They don't seem to understand this.
Load More Replies...Stupidist thing I've EVER read. No one cares about your specific "white privilege". Not all of us who are white have done a dam thing wrong. You are a dum a*s snowflake.
What i do not understand in this context is the double standards used in promoting this narrative. It seems like it promotes the idea that people of colour are unable to function in a society and need special rules. Racism is a thing in certain places, but if bigoted ideas rule and people are excluded based on that then it is that society's loss in the value of the excluded people. Forcing people to "accept" diversity by "white quilting" them will just enforce racism not end it.
Look, I get the uncomfortable feeling of knowing that we white people have privileges that other people don't. I don't like it. I don't want it, and I sure as s**t didn't ask for it and would NEVER ask for it, but it exists. It's not our choice, but we benefit all the same. The only way forward is to break the system down and build it better, but we can't do that until we admit that it exists and isn't working for most people. I'm only as safe as my neighbors are, and only as free as my friends are. I have seen one of the most gentle, unassuming, non-violent men I've ever known hauled away in handcuffs twice. Never charged, never was at fault, and I know BECAUSE I WAS THERE. Guess what color his skin is? One of the worst feelings in the world is watching the weariness of racism pressing down on the shoulders of someone you love and being helpless to do anything. Yeah, it hurts and it f*****g sucks to admit, but it is literally killing the people we love. Grow a spine, and demand better
1st) All you need to do is remove the economic incentive for Black women to marry the Government instead of the fathers of their children. Fatherless households are the single greatest problem facing the community. 2nd) stop spreading the lie that Black people are being oppressed. Its verifiable b******t.
The Black Lives Matter protesters think themselves courageous, when in fact their actions can only be described as cowardly. Rather than meet the ideas of others head-on, they censor and intimidate opposing voices while hiding behind a veneer of collective action to avoid individual accountability. Their reasons for doing so are very clear: beyond its gaping credibility issue, Black Lives Matter is a movement devoid of substance, one whose obsessive identity politics do not coincide with reality outside the ivory tower. There seem to be no concrete objectives in the Black Lives Matter movement. There has been no coherent message beyond the allegations of mass state violence directed toward African Americans and the general affirmation that black lives matter. The movement then goes on to falsely conflate the two, accusing anyone who questions the first assertion of also questioning the latter (that is, accuse anyone who dares criticize the movement of being racist). Providing nothing more than irrational anger, Black Lives Matter collapses on its own weight; its allegations of mass, racial state violence are simply untrue.https://dartreview.com/the-problem-with-black-lives-matter/
I wonder if the same reaction would have occurred if a white person would have been instead of George Floyd? One does not end racism with violence you end it with knowledge and hard work to prove bigots wrong. Violence will only enforce the stereotype that black people are dangerous and therefor undesirable.
Load More Replies...The Obamas are millionaires,they are a 2 parent household,the have connections..so do the obsmas have black priveledge
Michelle Obama came from a working class background, but she did have the following advantages: intellectually gifted and she was close to her father, who pushed her to excel. Barack Obama had the following advantages: his mother, father and stepfather were university graduates and he grew up in a middle-class household. Connections definitely help, but it doesn't guarantee success. Some people are gifted at networking, others burn bridges. One of my sisters is very good at making connections, whereas I'm not that good at it, but have gotten better at it.
Load More Replies...OH MY GOD! All of the comments here are the exact problem people are tired of. Yes, racism goes both ways and there's privilege in things other than skin color. But anyone who thinks white people aren't privileged obviously doesn't understand what that word means. It doesn't mean that white people can't also be oppressed in some ways and it doesn't mean that non-whites don't or can't be successful. What it means is that because there is conditioned bias people who are white don't have the automatic barriers that non-whites have to struggle with. Yes, the Obamas are very successful but that doesn't meant that they didn't have to work harder than a white family in the same position would have. And sure lots of white folk are poor, destitute and so on, but they didn't have to be worried about being arrested simply because they are black. I'm sorry but so many white people's opinions on this are so far skewed that they are proving the exact thing they say doesn't exist...
Rich privilege is a much bigger problem. It's only in the US that it's overshadowed by your racism. Pretty privilege is very important too. Put a good luck person of color next to an ugly white person and I guarantee you the POC will have the advantage. Don't confuse your US problems with world problems.
Load More Replies...
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