PREVIOUS ARTICLE
For me, Instagram has been an amazing place to listen and learn. If you feel the same, here are five Instagram accounts to follow…
— Ibram X. Kendi is the best-selling author of How to Be an Antiracist. He shares current events, videos and stories, including his own brilliant Atlantic articles, such as The American Nightmare. He wrote: “Protest is the heartbeat of humanity. It is the sound of human rights beating to live.”
— Rachel Elizabeth Cargle is a public academic who also runs the online learning platform The Great Unlearn. She recently wrote: “Dear white people, I’m tired of hearing you say: ‘I’m shocked,’ ‘I can’t believe this,’ ‘I had no idea,’ ‘This can’t be real.’ That is in all actuality wildly offensive that our pain is so far off of your radar that the mention of it shocks you. It’s actually hurtful to know that the news that’s been keeping me up at night hasn’t even been a topic of conversation in your world. Instead when I keep you informed on the blatant abuse, racism and trauma happening to women of color and their families I need to hear: ‘I’ve found an organization that helps in these types of instances and I’ve donated money,’ ‘I’ve brought this topic up to my coworkers and family so we can talk through what’s happening,’ ‘I’ve researched more on this and I have learned more about the history of this particular race issue we have in our country.’ Your shock isn’t enough. Your wow isn’t solidarity. Your actions are the only thing I can accept at this point. And if that is too much for me to ask of you, dear friend, feel free to let yourself out of this community because complacency is not welcome here.”
— The Conscious Kid talks about parenting through a critical race sense. They’ve also been raising money to send to Black families to help with rent and groceries during the pandemic. Among many other resources, they put together a slideshow asking if your kids are too young to talk about race. (The answer is no.)
— Soul Fire Farm, co-founded by farmer Leah Penniman, is committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system. Leah also wrote the fantastic book Farming While Black. This week, she said: “I think probably the most important thing to understand is that being anti-racist is actually not about being nice. So, racism is not the sum total of a bunch of individual actions of meanness. It has a lot more to do with who has wealth, who has power, who has influence…which has deep institutional and historical roots.”
— Stephanie Yeboah is a body positivity advocate who wrote the book Fattily Ever After (September 2020). Her stories and captions support the Black Lives Matter movement, and her personal photos are also a political act, helping to change the cultural conversation about body love. She says to white folks: “The work has only just begun. Now begins a lifetime of actively advocating for black voices and black visibility in all aspects of your life.”
What other Instagram accounts do you follow and learn from? I’d love to hear…
P.S. Two other influencers we love: Ashley Ford’s week of outfits, and Shavonda Gardner’s downsized family home.
(Photo of Stephanie Yeboah by Kaye Ford.)
