Yvonne's Anti-Racism Accountability Plan
Late 2021 Update:
Books I’ve read, learned from, and discussed on the topic of race and ethnicity this year:
Non-Fiction:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee
Minority Leader / Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience by Brené Brown & Tarana Burke
Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
Fiction:
The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
By Non-Black POC:
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn
More on Goodreads
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July 2021:
While not exactly BLM-adjacent, I’ve finally completed training to become a volunteer crisis counselor with The Trevor Project. Crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, or texts from LGBTQ young people who reach out on the free, confidential, and secure 24/7 service when they are struggling with issues such as coming out, LGBTQ identity, depression, and suicide.
This year, for my birthday, I organized a birthday fundraiser for Trevor as well. My community helped me raise $360! I also matched my original goal of $300, too.
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March 2021:
My accountability plan has largely not changed since 2020, but additional resources re: #StopAsianHate
Mental Wellness Resources for AAPI
I am also currently taking this course with a study group (all women of color), and I highly recommend it: Making the Body a Home. We are studying the “Unpacking Internalized Racism (for BIPOC)” course, and it has been a great resource for deep discussions on race and upbringing. There is also a version for white folks that aligns with the BIPOC schedule.
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June 2020:
Thinking about longer-term action can be overwhelming and hard to pinpoint when you’re not sure what your life might look like, especially during a global pandemic. What about a 6-month plan? If you were to check back in with yourself around Christmas time 2020, what do you hope to have learned and done?
→ Keep everything as quantifiable as possible (SMART goals). Be realistic about how much time you have to avoid burnout.
→ If you’re willing, create a shared document and grant access to your accountability partners.
Here’s my personal action plan for June – December 2020:
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DONATE:
Donations of my time or my money. Volunteer. Research and support Black-owned businesses (local and online). Research about and donate to at least one new BLM organization or relevant charity every month.
June (Pride Month):
Black Lives Matter Global Network, National Black Justice Coalition, The Martha P. Johnson Institute
July (Minority Mental Health Awareness Month & my birthday month – in lieu of presents I asked my friends to recommend charities for me to donate to for my birthday presentation party):
Black Hills Legal Defense Fund / NDN Collective, National Urban League, Black Women's Health Imperative, United We Om (The Yoga of Anti-Racism), The Loveland Foundation
August (National Black Business Month, Immunization Awareness Month):
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Source Booksellers, The Intention Co. Scholarship Fund,
September (National Suicide Prevention Month):
The Trevor Project, San Jose Strong
October:
It’s Blue Turn (Silicon Valley postcard writing campaign), Students for Justice, Taiwanese-Americans for Biden/Harris, Vote Save America, Michigan for Biden Text Bank
November:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Atlanta Chapter, Text Banking to Georgia via Democratic Volunteer Center
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READ:
Reflect on more books by Black authors (either in book clubs or on my own), both informative and for fun. Read more books and stories by marginalized people (e.g., translated authors, people of color AKA people of the global majority, women, LGBTQ+ authors; poetry, essays, speeches, memoirs, etc.) – less books by dead white men – more stories that celebrate Black excellence, Black joy, and Black Girl Magic!
My 2020 Reading List on Goodreads
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LEARN:
- The History of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
- Asian-American History PBS docuseries
- Anti-Racism Daily Newsletter
- Learning Through Narrative Webinar - The Legacy of Systemic Racism: Exploring Structural Inequality + The Justice System with Jerry Rafiki Jenkins, Ph.D. and Carlton Dwayne Floyd, Ph.D.
- The Yoga of Anti-Racism Training: 4 part series
- May 2020: 3rd Annual Central Coast Social Justice Education Conference “Pedagogies of Hope, Disruption, and Transformation”
- Ibram X. Kendi on "How to Be an Antiracist"
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WATCH:
Consume at least 30% media by or about Black people (TV, movies, documentaries, etc.)
Movies: Letterboxd
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LISTEN:
Consume at least 30% media by or about Black people (podcasts, music) and 80% media by or about people of the global majority.
Podcasts: Good Ancestor Podcast, Still Processing, 1619, Asian Boss Girl
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DO:
Workouts: Participate in 50% fitness classes taught by BIPOC instructors
My favorites for:
Strength: Jess Sims, Adrian Williams, Chase Tucker,
Yoga: Nicole Cardoza, Chelsea Jackson Roberts, DeAndre Joseph
Cycling: Tunde Oyeneyin, Alex Toussaint
Volunteer:
Second Harvest
Mentorship Program? (Find one to volunteer with by the end of the year) – update: 9/21, joined San Jose Strong’s Mentorship Committee as a founding member to create a new high school and college mentorship for students starting in January of 2021.
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SPEAK:
Family: Talk to my parents in an ongoing and open dialogue about race. Make a conscious effort to respectfully call out parents when relevant and important. Document and journal about convos.
Check-In: Communicate with my accountability partners regularly. M, D, E, 10 Rest/Read/Reflect/Act Group (weekly, Tuesdays), CP Book Club (bi-monthly, Wednesdays), A (monthly).
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Thank you to my friends and family for the inspiration!
There is, of course, so much more work to be done. This is not a checklist, but an initial framework and living document to keep my own momentum going in a more open way while navigating life during the BLM movement. I know that for change to truly endure, it will need to take permanent hold in my daily life, my community, and beyond. I will hold myself accountable for this action plan by sharing updates on my progress publicly. With that in mind, I am open to any and all feedback! I welcome your suggestions on how I can improve this plan as well as recommendations for new recourses to explore.
✒️ Yvonne Yeh
Last updated: November 19, 2021
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