The Black Lives Matter Reference Guide

Published in

Malcolm Teller

55 min readJul 9, 2016

Permanent URL to the Guide: http://tinyURL.com/BLMRefGuide

So. In July of 2016, I posted on a Facebook group made up of professional librarians, (ALA Think Tank), asking for a syllabi on the Black Lives Matter movement. Basically, a list of ‘required readings’ to become acquainted not just with the movement, but with said movement’s philosophical, intellectual, and scholarly/academic underpinnings and foundations. And the results, yielded by the kind individuals in that group, were quite helpful. I then decided to compile the results here, in one single source, so as to create a better and wider access of information. I shared it back with the Think Tank, and it was extraordinarily well-received. Then I thought “why not add to this?” One thing led to another, and in a span of five days, this went from the initial 6–8 sources supplied by my fellow librarians to a little over 60 resources listed here (as of July 13 2016), with a heavy number of these resources being lists of materials to read, or lists of lists of materials to read.

As it stands now and on into the future, this Reference Guide will be updated as I come across more resources and the like— both directly touching on Black Lives Matter (direct commentary on the actual movement itself and the flashpoints that involve it, such as Ferguson and Baltimore, as well as its underlying philosophical and intellectual foundations), and indirectly relating to it (commentary from throughout America’s history on what it means to be black in America).

Here is a list of categories in this Guide with a brief description of each:

Categories

Starter Pack
Basic introductory material to get a firm introduction to the movement
The Background Issues
This section focuses on the issues that form the background for the movement — things such as racial disparities in the criminal justice system, for example.
On the Movement
Detailed sets of information to give a thorough and firm understanding of the movement as it exists
Black Lives Matter in the Age of Trump
This section includes sources that dive into how the movement, and issues connected/related to and central to it, intersect with the rise, presidency and policies and implications thereof of Donald Trump.
Black Lives Matter in the Age of the Nazi-Fascist Resurgence
This section includes sources that explore the troubling and disturbing (openly public) resurgence of Nazism, Fascism and Neo-Confederatism throughout the United States during the Trump presidency. As each of these strains, particularly in their American expressions, seek after the outright subjugation and destruction of the black human being, its presence in American society and the American historical experience is inextricably linked to Black Lives Matter and what the movement represents.
Underlying Philosophy and Background of the Movement
The philosophical and historical background of the movement
The Queer Dimension of Black Lives Matter
Readings and resources relating to the LGBT dimension of Black Lives Matter, as it is an intersectional movement led by Black queer folk
Literature
Fiction and non-fiction literature specifically that relates to the movement or touches on aspects that involve the movement (such as racial justice and the like)
The Religious Dimension of Black Lives Matter
Readings and resources, what I could find, relating to how religious faith and activism and belief intersect with the movement
Educational Resources
Resources on how to educate and teach on BLM in the classroom
Art
Resources that touch on art that intersects with the movement — music, film, and more
Activism Resources
Resources that relate to how to actively get involved in the movement
Other Resources
Miscellaneous resources that relate to the movement, and yet don’t fit into a firm category in this list
International Perspectives
Readings and resources on how Black Lives Matter is now a global movement
Related Reading
Readings that touch on aspects related to Black Lives Matter, but not 100% connected to it
Related Organizations
Organizations that are connected to the movement in any way at all, whether they be a direct part of it or be partners with it

Let me be clear: this isn’t endorsed by any Black Lives Matter chapter, organization, or leadership. This is me compiling resources on the movement, from a variety of sources, based on my own research. Take it as that.

Many, many thanks to not only the wonderful librarians, activists, and mix of those two categories who linked me to these resources, but also to the ones who went to the time, effort and trouble to put them together. When a better world is finally here, you will be among the many who helped build it.

Also, one last word before we start — this disclaimer/notice is located in the ‘Queer Dimension of Black Lives Matter’ section, but I’m including it here at the start as well in case you see certain resources that don’t belong or whose relevance is improperly described or the like, and you take offense.

“ Also, let me be clear: I am a cisgender heterosexual male, and that definitely affects my curation of LGBT-focused resources. I may get things wrong [regarding LGBT-focused resources, or other categories of resources]— what I list, how I describe particular resources and their relevance, and the like. When this happens, please believe me — I do not intend harm, and I am trying my best. Nevertheless, I may mess up, and when I do, I do invite correction from the parties who notice the faults, flaws or shortcomings of my curation of this Reference Guide [with LGBT-focused resources in particular in mind]. If you see a resource here, and think to yourself “that’s….not relevant at all to Black Lives Matter”, or anything else that gives you an urge to comment, I urge you, tweet me your thoughts so I can get to work setting things right. That’s all.”

And, as always, if you have more sources to recommend to me, please, hit me up over Twitter (@malcolmteller) or e-mail (Kryptonovich (at) gmail dot com).

I’ll try to give a basic description alongside each link where possible. So, here we go.

Starter Pack

This portion of the reference guide is for you to focus on if you don’t know where to start, or only have so much time to read only so much. These resources constitute a very decent, substantial, general and thorough introduction to Black Lives Matter.

BlackLivesMatter.com — The official Black Lives Matter website. This website features a host of information on the movement (naturally) where the political action aspect of the movement is concerned.

A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement by Alicia Garza — The Feminist Wire— A very understandable and approachable introduction to Black Lives Matter from one of the co-founders, Alicia Garza. One of the focuses in the article is on the role of women and queer folk in the movement.

Policy — The Movement for Black Lives — The policy outline and platform for a primary Black Lives Matter organization. This involves a set of coherent, established demands that the movement has put forth.

Black Lives Matter: Start — Gustavus Adolphus College — This is a LibGuide that contains some helpful starter resources on the Black Lives Matter movement. Of high note is the list of the social media handles of some major activists involved in the movement. If you want to know ‘who to follow’ in this movement, the list provided in this guide is an excellent start.

Black Lives Matter: A primer on what it is and what it stands for — USA Today— A very recent summary of the movement (posted a day or so ago at the time of this resource’s inclusion into this Guide) that summarizes the movement in a very brief way. I particularly find this summary helpful in that it clearly lays out how decentralized the movement is. Relevant quote:

How does Black Lives Matter work?
What sets Black Lives Matter apart from other social justice groups, however, is its decentralized approach and reliance almost solely on local, rather than national, leadership. Cullors said organizing is often spontaneous and not directed by one person or group of people.
“We don’t get (people) onto the streets, they get themselves onto the street,” she said.
Black Lives Matter is made up of a network of local chapters who operate mostly independently. Chelsea Fuller of the Advancement Project, a nonprofit that works with grassroots justice and race movements, said that local organizing is a powerful way to address poverty, access to housing and jobs, community policing and other issues that intersect with systemic racism.
“We can’t affect national narrative, we can’t affect national legislation that comes down and affects local people if local people don’t push back and take a stand about what’s happening in local communities,” Fuller said.

Black Lives Matter Syllabus — A collection of course syllabi from an American professor who has taught, and is presently teaching, entire courses on Black Lives Matter and related issues. Of particular note is the syllabus to the Fall 2016 offering of the Black Lives Matter course offered by Frank Leon Roberts, located here. This specific syllabi is relevant in particular because it takes into account the most recent developments in the movement, such as the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Colin Kaepernick’s powerful protest within the NFL, and this year’s (2016) American presidential election.

Listen, Learn, Participate: A #BlackLivesMatter Resource Series — A set of resource guides, organized by category (“Institutional Racism: History and Context”, “Protest, Social Movements & Community Solutions”, “Police Conduct, Race and the Justice System”, “Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice”).

The Background Issues

This section will focus on the issues that form the background and justification for the movement. Such as, fact sheets on racial disparities in the criminal justice system and other aspects of institutionalized and systemic racism.

25 Solutions for Police Brutality, by Shaun King — A list of 25 heavily researched solutions/approaches to police brutality, written by journalist and Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King. Each point has a full article associated with it where said point is unpacked and explored in a thorough manner. This is relevant because police brutality and police violence against black individuals is a core concern of what the Black Lives Movement is agitating against.

What the Data Really Says About Police and Racial Bias — Vanity Fair — This article in Vanity Fair lists “academic studies, legal rulings, and media investigations” on where policing and racial bias intersect. This is relevant because it is the evidence-based background of the passion that imbues the Black Lives Matter movement — the movement claims that race is a vital factor in a number of police shootings of black individuals, and the resources listed in this article thoroughly examine that very claim.

Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism–from Ferguson to Charleston — This is a resource guide put together by educator and writer Jon Greenberg, aimed at helping white Americans educate themselves about racial injustice so as to be better allies in the fight against racial injustice.

Written Submission of the American Civil Liberties Union on Racial Disparities in Sentencing — Hearing on Reports of Racism in the Justice System of the United States — This is a report written by the American Civil Liberties Union and submitted to the 2014 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, on the racial disparities in sentencing in the American criminal justice system.

Privilege 101: A Quick and Dirty Guide — Everyday Feminism — A really decent introductory exploration of the notion of ‘privilege’ (unearned societal advantages granted to particular groups arbitrarily). This is relevant because the notion of ‘white privilege’ (privilege granted to white people in the Western world simply by virtue of their Caucasian skin colour) is central to the philosophical notions of the Black Lives Matter movement and is a key concept in their discourse on race relations in the United States today.

White Privilege Conference — Resource & Readings — This website contains a set of resources, and lists of resources, that can be used to educate one’s self about the concept and realities of white privilege.

Criminal Justice Fact Sheet — NAACP — A fact sheet on racial disparities in the criminal justice system and in aspects related to the criminal justice system (such as contributing factors to the over-incarceration of black individuals).

Race and the Drug War: Resources — The Drug Policy Alliance — A resource guide curated by the Drug Policy Alliance on the racial impact of the War on Drugs. Also good very brief reading is the ‘Overview’ section, giving a short six paragraph explanation of the problem as it exists in American society today.

Excessive or reasonable force by police? Research on law enforcement and racial conflict — Journalist’s Resource — An in-depth report on how racial conflict and law enforcement intersect.

Selected Publications — Jennifer Eberhardt — This is a list of selected publications by American academic Jennifer Eberhardt, whose focus and specialty is on the psychological association between race and crime, which is significant as systems and societal structures are made up of people, and therefore problematic and harmful attitudes, when held widely enough, will inevitably impact and shape said systems and structures. Most of the publications at this link pertain to the psychological association between race and crime and the implications of this.

On the Movement

This portion of the reference guide focuses on the movement specifically and directly. Included in this are resources on the ‘flashpoints’ that have come to define and illustrate the movement — instances such as Charleston, Ferguson and Baltimore.

#CharlestonSyllabus — “ Here is a list of readings that educators can use to broach conversations in the classroom about the horrendous events that unfolded in Charleston, South Carolina on the evening of June 17, 2015. These readings provide valuable information about the history of racial violence in this country and contextualize the history of race relations in South Carolina and the United States in general. They also offer insights on race, racial identities, global white supremacy and black resistance. All readings are arranged by date of publication. This list is not meant to be exhaustive–you will find omissions.”

Black Lives Matter Resource Guide — Collection of links by the Que(e)ry Librarians blog, that all relate to Black Lives Matter. Includes a huge list of LibGuides/resource guides, hosted by various libraries, on Black Lives Matter.

#blacklivesmatter library, teaching, activism, and community resource list — The full Black Lives Matter resource list put together by Que(e)ry Librarians. This guide has a massive list of resource guides, reading lists, valuable resources, and more, and as such it must be listed here.

“How To Teach Kids About What’s Happening In Ferguson” by Marcia Chatelain — The Atlantic — An article in The Atlantic containing a number of resources relating to and expanding upon issues that Black Lives Matter touches on.

Forum on Police Accountability — Columbia Law School — From the website: “Columbia Law School faculty members provide information on the St. Louis grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on any charges related to the death of Michael Brown and the Richmond County decision not to indict New York City police officers on any charges regarding the homicide of Eric Garner.” Included in this resource are fact sheets on the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases, as well as an examination of ‘the Ferguson Effect’ (changes in crime rates and policing as a result of Ferguson and Ferguson-like scenarios).

A Ferguson Syllabus: Reading a Movement — A wide collection of readings and resources relating to the unrest in Ferguson, and its motivations and course, that followed the death of Michael Brown.

Ferguson Syllabus — Another syllabus on Ferguson and conditions and causes leading up to it and intersecting with Michael Brown’s death, put together by Sociologists for Justice.

Charlotte Uprising — A website hosted by activists focused on the activism and resistance-focused movement in Charlotte, North Carolina that begin in September 2016 in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott by Officer Brentley Vinson. This website features a list of demands, news on the movement in Charlotte (from the activists perspective), a list of organizations affiliated with the movement in Charlotte, basic information on the movement in Charlotte, and a link to donate to said movement.

Here’s the best of what we’ve read #CharlotteProtest — AuntieBellum — A collected list of articles and written material focusing specifically on the movement in Charlotte, North Carolina, that sprung into being in reaction to the police shooting deaths of Keith Lamont Scott and Terence Crutcher. This list aims to “offer insight into the protests in Charlotte and the larger Black Lives Matter movement that continues to grow in the face of near-monthly abuses and tragedies” and also features “a few pointed suggestions here on how we can all support a 21st-century movement for racial equality.”

#ColinKaepernickSyllabus — This is a syllabus of resources focused specifically on the struggle of the black athlete in America in the context of racial inequality and resistance to said inequality by athletes and others, with a focus on and surrounding NFL player Colin Kaepernick and his protest against the United States national anthem, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

9/22 Shut It Down: Black Lives Matter and the Ethics of Disruptive Protest (Or, What We Can Learn from Mizzou and Colin Kaepernick) — A section of the Fall 2016 offering of the NYU Black Lives Matter course (taught by Frank Frank Leon Roberts), that focuses specifically on the Black Lives Matter movement and how it relates to disruptive protest, with a specific focus on Colin Kaepernick and his protest as a way to examine this matter. It involves a list of readings and also a video to view.

“How 4 Black Lives Matter activists handle queerness and trans issues” by Deron Dalton (The Daily Dot) — This is a piece on the Daily Dot interviewing four LGBT Black Lives Matter activists, who relate “their stories of coming out, and how queer and trans issues correlate with the organizing and activism work they do.” This resource is relevant because as Black Lives Matter is an intersectional movement and encompasses LGBT folk and issues and interests relating directly to them, the voices of LGBT Black Lives Matter activists are particularly important, and this resource specifically has them relating how — as the quoted portion states — queer and trans issues correlates with their activism and organizing.

Syllabus — “POL 210 A — Black Lives Matter: Perspectives on Blackness, State Violence, and Resistance” taught by Prof. Melissa Harris-Perry and Prof. Jaira J. Harrington — A course syllabus for a course taught on Black Lives Matter. It contains the list of course readings and the class session topics that particular readings apply to. The course touts itself as “an effort to understand the contemporary web of social, political, economic, and direct actions operating under the broad theme of Black Lives Matter.” The course, as the syllabus describes, draws on “broad, interdisciplinary approaches” and further “[contextualizes] the long history of racial justice, non-violent, and anti-racist political movements within academic historical, social scientific, and legal frameworks.”

Your Baltimore ‘Syllabus’ — A crowdsourced syllabus containing various resources on the civil unrest in Baltimore relating to the death of Freddie Gray, as well as on rioting and race relations in Baltimore in general.

#BlackLivesMatter: A Bibliography for the Revolution — A continually-updated bibliography, put together by Black Lives Matter Nashville, that — in their words — is helpful for “conceptualizing and navigating the movement”.

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter: Race, Policing & Protest — As stated by the curators of this LibGuide, “ This guide is meant to serve as a jumping-off point for students and faculty to gain a better understanding of the deaths of unarmed individuals by police officers and the protests that centered on notable cases in 2014.”

Race Matters: Resources for Activists — This is a LibGuide curated by the Metropolitan College of New York Library, on the movement. It contains four categories of resources — #Blacklivesmatter (on the movement), ‘Critical Analysis: Understanding the System’ (focused on the systemic issues that have given rise to the movement), ‘Activism’ (resources on activism and the like), and ‘Police Brutality & Restorative Justice’, focused on those two subjects.

Black Lives Matter in the Age of Trump

The election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency in the 2016 presidential election shocked America, just as his ascendant rise to political prominence throughout the 2016 Republican Party Presidential Primaries stunned and confounded both observers of and participants in that process.

Given the oppositional status that the Trump Administration will likely take towards the Black Lives Matter movement — ranging from his appointment of an Attorney General who opposes criminal justice reform and endorses strict sentences for drug offenders, to labeling the movement a threat and hinting at directing his Attorney General to have the Justice Department investigate them, to an endorsement of ‘stop and frisk’ police tactics and an endorsement of the viewpoint that in the crisis of police killings of black individuals, and the resulting loss of confidence in the police, that the police are the real victims — he, as a man and a President and as a figure and as an agent of history, must be reckoned with.

As such, this section will include resources that connect Black Lives Matter, and its related and core issues, to the phenomenon of Trump, and what he represents.

Exclusive: Black Lives Matter issues a statement on Trump’s election — Mic.com — In the wake of Donald Trump’s election to the U.S. presidency, Black Lives Matter released a statement, in which it states that it “would continue to demand an end to police brutality and to fight for the socioeconomic and political empowerment of black people through ongoing organizing effortsit would continue to demand an end to police brutality and to fight for the socioeconomic and political empowerment of black people through ongoing organizing efforts.” The full statement, in its entirety, is provided.

Trump Syllabus 2.0 — A revamp of a syllabus put forth by the Chronicle of Higher Education, this set of readings “explores Donald Trump’s rise as a product of the American lineage of racism, sexism, nativism, and imperialism. It offers an introduction to the deep currents of American political culture that produced what many simply call “Trumpism”: personal and political gain marred by intolerance, derived from wealth, and rooted in the history of segregation, sexism, and exploitation.”

The “Stop Trump” Reading List — Haymarket Books — In its own words, this reading list is “a short list for all of you who are looking for resources to understand Trump’s election, how we got to this point, and how we can organize to fight for a better world.”

Resistance Manual — This is a wiki launched by the good folks at Stay Woke and Campaign Zero revolving around how to properly organize and resist in Trump’s America. It contains a vast array of resources on a variety of topics, including policing, voting rights, immigration, Muslim Ban / Registry, and more. It’s also open-source, so anyone is able to add to it.

Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda — This guide, written by former congressional staffers, is best described in this way (from the guide itself): “ [The Guide] offer[s] a step-by-step guide for individuals, groups, and organizations looking to replicate the Tea Party’s success in getting Congress to listen to a small, vocal, dedicated group of constituents. The guide is intended to be equally useful for stiffening Democratic spines and weakening pro-Trump Republican resolve.”

A Yale history professor’s powerful, 20-point guide to defending democracy under a Trump presidency — This is a set of points from a Yale professor, based on 20th century history, on how to best operate in order to defend democracy in America in the age of Trump.

Post Election/March Response — A guide on how to best operate to resist and mitigate the damage of the Trump administration in the wake of Trump’s election to the presidency.

Rebel Well: A Starter Survival Guide To A Trumped America — Scarleteen — This is a ‘survival guide’ aimed at youth. The guide’s opening page describes itself in this way: “We’ve created this survival guide — available as both an online version and a printable packet — to provide information that can help you take some initial steps to protect yourself and others, and to cope with the bad stuff as best anyone can. Unfortunately, it’s not going to magic all of the awful away. But it can help to reduce harms and, hopefully, help you and all of us get through this, and with our senses of self and humanity still intact and perhaps even improved through our own personal and political resistance.”

Essential Readings — Resistance Manual — This is a vast list of essential readings in the Resistance Manual, from a variety of traditions and subjects and sources, but all with one goal: the mobilization and preservation of resistance against Trump and what he represents.

Minorities Worry What a ‘Law and Order’ Donald Trump Presidency Will Mean — New York Times — This article, published shortly after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, explores the potential wide-ranging impact that the Trump Presidency — with its heavy emphasis on Law and Order and its antagonism toward Black Lives Matter — will have on black communities, Black Lives Matter as a movement, and more.

Black Lives Matter in the Age of the Nazi-Fascist Resurgence

This section includes sources that explore the troubling and disturbing (openly public) resurgence of Nazism, Fascism and Neo-Confederatism throughout the United States during the Trump presidency, as most vividly expressed in the 2017 Charlottesville Race Riot. As each of these strains, particularly in their American expressions, seek after the outright subjugation and destruction of the black human being, its presence in American society and the American historical experience is inextricably linked to Black Lives Matter and what the movement represents.

The Charlottesville Syllabus — This is a resource put together by the Graduate Student Coalition for Liberation. It aims to put the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, that took place in late 2017, in its context — historical and otherwise. It includes (contemporary and archival primary and secondary) resources on the history of the Ku Klux Klan and White Supremacy in Charlottesville, and the history of Jim Crow and Civil Rights activism organizing by students from the University of Virginia, and more.

The Antifa Syllabus — With the advent of the Nazi Fascist Resurgence, Antifa has arisen organically as a counter-force — a reaction to the Nazi Fascist action, as it were. Known primarily for their aggressive — and yes, violent — resistance to fascism in the streets, they are both admired and hated. As they play a major role in the present historical narrative of fascism’s resurgence in America, they must be included in any discussion on 21st Century American Fascism. This resource includes sources on anti-fascist history, immigration and migrant defense, and — of course — introductory writings on fascism itself, on its very nature and necessary conditions.

Nazi Punching: A (Short) Reading List — On the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017, noted white supremacist Richard Spencer was punched on live television in the midst of an on-the-street interview. This sparked a flurry of debate and both praise and recrimination on the topic of the exercise of political violence against fascists and white supremacists, debates that are still with us and very active and relevant to this very day. This non-exhaustive resource list/guide is meant primarily as a limited overview of the debate that has arisen surrounding Nazi punching.

#NOLASyllabus — This syllabus surrounds the issue of Confederate monuments in the United States and the controversy surrounding them and the calls for their removal, and — on the broader level — Civil War Memory. As the 2017 Charlottesville Race Riot actively included Neo-Confederates, and as American fascism is often — if not always-linked to Neo-Confederatism, this debate and the tensions and emotions surrounding it are very relevant where the Nazi Fascist Resurgence, and active resistance to it, is

Underlying Philosophy and Background of the Movement

This section will focus on the underlying philosophy and background of the movement in general. In essence, many of these resources that touch on what it means to be black in America, with said resources ranging in timespan from as far back as slavery, through Jim Crow, to the modern day. These are relevant because the black experience throughout these time periods and in those historical moments have shaped the conditions and realities of black life in America today that have given rise to Black Lives Matter. In addition, there will be resources that relate to the conceptual foundations of the movement — aspects such as intersectional feminism, black feminism, queer theory, and more.

#BlackLivesMatter: A Longform Reading List — The curators of this list describe it best: “ This list consists entirely of longform interviews, essays and articles by black people about the experience of being black in the white supremacy of America, police violence, and the U.S. government’s undeclared war on its black citizens.” A bonus is that all the pieces included in this list are by black authors, thus centering black voices in the discussion and discourse on the black experience in America.

Black Lives Matter: A Reading List — A reading list organized by category (Childrens Books, Civil Rights History, Contemporary Civil Rights Issues, Memoir, Novels and Stories Exploring Race, Policing and Incarceration, Race In St. Louis History).

The Black Panthers Syllabus — A list of readings relating to the Black Panthers Party and related topics (as in, not just the Black Panthers Party, but Black Power more broadly, women in the movement, and more). This is relevant because the Black Panthers and the Black Power movement more broadly were and remain broadly and powerfully influential and transformative in the black anti-racist struggle in the United States and in subsequent post-Black Panthers anti-racism movements, including the Black Lives Matter movement (a good example of their lasting influence is Beyonce’s Superbowl half-time show performance of Formation).

The Black Feminist Syllabus by Melissa Harris-Perry — This was created by black feminist professor Melissa Harris-Perry (who is also a teacher of a Black Lives Matter course whose syllabus is featured in this reference guide) in response to a Washington reporter calling Michelle Obama ‘a feminist nightmare’. This resource is included because of the credentials of its author, as well as due to the fact that black feminism is a core part of the Black Lives Matter movement, with black women being occupying positions of prominence within the movement, and the movement having been founded by women. Consequently, the legacy of black feminism is a necessary aspect of Black Lives Matter that should be understood.

Reading List: Debating Justice, Politics, and Culture in Black America, From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter — An extensive syllabus put together by Nursing Clio, an “open access, peer-reviewed, collaborative blog project that ties historical scholarship to present-day issues related to gender and medicine”, that attempts to thoroughly explore the various dimensions of the various issues connecting to the Black Lives Matter movement, along with their historical context.

Black Lives Matter Reading List by Samarth Bhaskar — A reading list put together by New York Times employee Samarth Bhaskar, that seeks to illuminate and explore the various issues connecting to the Black Lives Matter movement and their place and role in American history, culture and society and how these have impacted — negatively and otherwise — black people and their experiences within the United States.

Black Disabled Woman Syllabus: A Compilation — This resource is a constantly-growing guide of resources that focus specifically on the intersection between race, gender and disability, which is timely and relevant given the late September 2016 police shooting death of reportedly disabled man Alfred Olango in the United States. It’s also relevant due to disability intersecting in police actions, how they are conducted and the results of said actions — this is illustrated, for instance, in an NBC News article from 2016 citing a white paper on how half of people killed by police have a disability.

Disability Justice In the Age of Mass Incarceration: Perspectives on Race, Disability, Law & Accountability — Summer 2016 — This is a course syllabus that aims to specifically explore “the nexus between race, disability and structural inequality, focusing in particular, on people with multiply marginalized identities”, particularly where these concern mass incarceration. This resource is relevant due to the September 2016 police shooting of reportedly disabled man Alfred Olango. It’s also relevant due to disability intersecting in police actions, how they are conducted and the results of said actions — this is illustrated, for instance, in an NBC News article from 2016 citing a white paper on how half of people killed by police have a disability.

[Ruderman White Paper] MEDIA COVERAGE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT USE OF FORCE AND DISABILITY — March 2016 — A report issued by the Ruderman Family Foundation on the intersection between law enforcement and disability, that proceeds as follows:

“This white paper focuses on the three years of media coverage of police violence and disability since the death of a young man with Down syndrome, named Ethan Saylor, in January 2013. After reviewing media coverage of eight selected cases of police violence against individuals with disabilities, the paper reveals the following patterns in the overall data:
Disability goes unmentioned or is listed as an attribute without context.
An impairment is used to evoke pity or sympathy for the victim.
A medical condition or “mental illness” is used to blame victims for their deaths.
In rare instances, we have identified thoughtful examinations of disability from within its social context that reveal the intersecting forces that lead to dangerous use-of-force incidents. Such stories point the way to better models for policing in the future.
We conclude by proposing best practices for reporting on disability and police violence.”

This resource is relevant due to disability intersecting in police actions, how they are conducted and the results of said actions — this is illustrated, for instance, in an NBC News article from 2016 citing the report/white paper on how half of people killed by police have a disability.

“As Proud Of Our Gayness As We Are Of Our Blackness” by Jonathan Bailey— This is a blog post by Jonathan Bailey, a doctoral student at Morgan State University, writing a rough history of the black gay rights movement in America from the 1970s to the present. This resource is included because Black Lives Matter is an intersectional movement, that encompasses LGBT folk and their interests, and consequently, queer blackness and the struggle of queer black folk is an integral part of the foundation of Black Lives Matter.

Black Queer and Trans* Reading List — A reading list of materials that pertain to Black Queer and Trans* issues, developed and curated by Tumblr blogger childofzami. Resource included for the same reasons the Bailey article above is included.

‘Black Feminisms’ Course Syllabus (taught by Prof. Keisha Lindsay) — As the syllabus describes, “The aim of this course is to critically examine key issues, assumptions, and debates in contemporary, post civil rights black feminist thought.” Being that Black Lives Matter is heavily inspired by the black feminist movement of the 1980s, it is absolutely necessary to include a resource on Black Feminism as it relates to the underlying philosophy of the movement.

Intersectionality 101 by Olena Hankivsky and “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics” by Kimberlé Crenshaw— These two resources are, in order of mention, a primer that gives an accessible introduction to the concept of intersectionality, a theory put forth originally by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, and which Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza has said the movement is “heavily influenced” by. The second resource is the actual 1989 article by Crenshaw that launched the theory of intersectionality. Being that this theory constitutes a strong conceptual foundation of Black Lives Matters’ work, these two resources — one, a basic entry-level introduction to the theory, and the other, a detailed primary source-exploration of the theory and its conceptual foundations — are included here.

‘Intersectionality’ Course Syllabus (taught by Patrick Grzanka) — As the course syllabus itself describes, “This seminar in African American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies serves as an introduction to concept of “intersectionality,” which denotes the ways in which structures of power and domination, such as sexism and racism, are interconnected and co-constitutive.” As intersectionality is integral to the underlying philosophical foundation of the Black Lives Matter movement, as we’ve seen above, it is necessary to have a reading list relating to intersectionality. Hence, why this resource is included.

‘Queer Theory: A Reconceptualization of Gender and Sexuality’ Course Syllabus (taught by Kreimild Saunders) — This is a course syllabus for a University of Massachussetts course on Queer Theory. It traces the development of queer theory, along with a number of other aspects. All the course readings are included in the syllabus.

‘A Genealogy of Black LGBT Culture and Politics’ Course Syllabus (taught by Dr. Jafari S. Allen) — As the course description states, “This course is an interdisciplinary survey of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and same gender loving (SGL) culture and politics.” It describes what the course primarily concerns itself with when it states “After a review of key concepts in Black feminism and Black critical cultural theory and methodology, we will survey key texts and concepts of major nodes of Black LGBTQ social formation and intellectual production.” Given that Black Queer voices have both founded and led, and are leading, the Black Lives Matter movement, resources that touch on Black LGBT culture, politics, and thought in general are always valuable to have. That’s why this is included.

‘Queer of Color Theory’ Course Syllabus (taught by Prof. Robin Bernstein) — This is a course syllabus from a course focusing on the theoretical work of queer people of color, primarily in the U.S., from the 1970s to the present. As said with the Allen course syllabus, given that Black Queer voices have both founded and led, and are leading, the Black Lives Matter movement, resources that touch on Black LGBT culture, politics, and thought in general are always valuable to have. That’s why this is included.

‘ Transgender Issues, Identities, and Politics’ Course Syllabus (taught by Eli Clare) — A course syllabus, that describes itself best: “This course will examine some of the cultural and political issues gender variant, transgender, and transsexual peoples face in the U.S. We will look at these issues both as they appear today and as they have evolved over the last century. Topics to be addressed will include: Conceptual frameworks around gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; Medicalizing/pathologizing of trans identities and bodies; Media representations of trans people; Politics of trans liberation”. Given that Black Trans folk continue to lead the Black Lives Matter movement, understanding transgender issues is — in my mind — critical to a full understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement. Hence, this resource is included.

‘Seminar in Transgender Studies’ Course Syllabus (taught by Talia Mae Bettcher) — A seminar offered at California State University, Los Angeles. Described in the syllabus as such: “This seminar is a graduate-level introduction to the interdisciplinary field of transgender studies. Because it is a philosophy seminar, there will be a particular emphasis on theoretical issues. Some of the questions we examine include: Who are transgender people and what do we want? What is transgender studies and how does it differ from other forms of scholarship? What is the relationship between (trans) politics and theory? What is transphobia? How does trans politics relate to feminist politics, to queer politics, and to anti-racist politics? What is gender? What is sex? And how do they relate to the self?”

This is a full course, with many available readings and all lectures available via video file, on transgender studies. As said in the description of the Clare course resource above, given that Black Trans folk continue to lead the Black Lives Matter movement, understanding how trans politics relates to anti-racist politics is critical to a full understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement. Hence, this resource is included.

Trans of Color Mini Course Syllabus — This is an informal course syllabus, that describes itself best: “This four-module mini-course will act as a targeted entry into the still burgeoning field of Queer of Color Critique. We will consider different approaches and debates surrounding the concomitant and simultaneous study of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Not limited to points at which these categories meet, we will investigate: How is gender racialized? How can we queer ethnic studies? How should we articulate coalition building? Specifically, transgender, transsexual, and transvestite people of color will be the main subjects in this module since their disassociation with embodiment and their complication of gender expectations and desires shapes contemporary debate and controversy around Queer of Color Critique.” It includes a thorough reading list, which includes a number of films to watch as well as part of the mini-course. Being that Black Trans folk are an integral part of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is necessary to include in this Reference Guide material that relates to their realm of experience, theory and life.

The Queer Dimension of Black Lives Matter

This section will focus on resources dedicated to the uncompromised reality that Black Lives Matter is a movement with queerness — particularly, black queerness — at its center. It was founded by black queer women, and is presently led by black queer women, largely. Consequently, this aspect of the movement cannot and must not be ignored, and the Black LGBT voices of the movement must not be silenced, erased or excluded. These resources will include Queer Theory primarily, given that Queer Theory is a mode of thought that the Black Lives Matter movement was deeply indebted to early on.

Items in this list will likely be also located elsewhere in the Reference Guide. This is because, while I wish to have a section focusing specifically on the Queer Dimension of Black Lives Matter, I don’t wish for these resources to be segregated to this section where they would be missed/skipped over by those not specifically looking for them. Consequently, resources on the queer dimension of the movement will be located here and in other sections that they hold relevance in, such as the one on the underlying philosophy of the movement, for instance.

Also, let me be clear: I am a cisgender heterosexual male, and that absolutely affects how I curate LGBT resources, in that how I approach these resources — even with the best of intentions, which I very much have — will be undoubtedly influenced by my own biases and lived experiences as a cis-heterosexual male that has no experience or lived understanding of what it is like or what it means to be LGBT. It is a fact that, regardless of my best intentions, and for better or worse, I will not approach LGBT resources the same way an LGBT person would. Consequently, I may very well get things wrong in this section — what I list, how I describe particular resources and their relevance, and the like. When this happens, please believe me — I do not intend harm, and I am trying my best. Nevertheless, when I mess up, I do invite correction from the parties who notice the faults, flaws or shortcomings of my curation of this particular section of the Reference Guide. If you see a resource here, and think to yourself “that’s….not relevant at all to Black Lives Matter”, or anything else that gives you an urge to comment, I urge you, tweet me your thoughts (@malcolmteller) or e-mail them to me (Kryptonovich (at) gmail dot com) so I can get to work setting things right. That’s all.

‘Queer Theory: A Reconceptualization of Gender and Sexuality’ Course Syllabus (taught by Kreimild Saunders)— This is a course syllabus for a University of Massachussetts course on Queer Theory. It traces the development of queer theory, along with a number of other aspects. All the course readings are included in the syllabus.

Black Trans Women Lives Matter —This campaign describes itself in these terms: “Black Trans* Women Lives Matter, a national call for peace, is a social justice campaign drawing attention to America’s epidemic of male violence and hate crime murders targeting African American young girls and women in the transsexual and transgender communities.” This campaign is connected with and in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, having collaborated with the Black Lives Matter Network and organizations affiliated with Black Lives Matter (such as the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100)). Given this, as well as the fact that this is a component of Black Lives Matter activism with a specific Trans focus, it is therefore included here.

‘Black Trans Lives Matter, Too’ by Cherno Biko — Huffington Post — A post by activist Cherno Biko on how the Black Lives Matter can and should encompass Trans-focused issues and activism, and her own perspective on the struggle where Trans folk are concerned.

Black Trans Lives Matter — Trans Student Educational Resources — A web page on a Transgender Rights organization’s website pertaining to the intersection between the Transgender Rights movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. What is also particularly useful about this site is that, in addition to aligning itself with the Black Lives Matter movement, it possesses a number of valuable resources where the rights of Transgender students are concerned. Given that this organization aligns itself with Black Lives Matter while simultaneously advocating for Transgender Rights, it therefore indicates and creates an intersection between the two subject areas that make it, in my mind, a valuable addition to this Guide.

‘ Transgender Issues, Identities, and Politics’ Course Syllabus (taught by Eli Clare) — A course syllabus, that describes itself best: “This course will examine some of the cultural and political issues gender variant, transgender, and transsexual peoples face in the U.S. We will look at these issues both as they appear today and as they have evolved over the last century. Topics to be addressed will include: Conceptual frameworks around gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation; Medicalizing/pathologizing of trans identities and bodies; Media representations of trans people; Politics of trans liberation”. Given that Black Trans folk continue to lead the Black Lives Matter movement, understanding transgender issues is critical to a full understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement. Hence, this resource is included.

This is a full course, with many available readings and all lectures available via video file, on transgender studies. As said in the description of the Clare course resource above, given that Black Trans folk continue to lead the Black Lives Matter movement, understanding transgender thought and theory is critical to a full understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement. Hence, this resource is included.

“As Proud Of Our Gayness As We Are Of Our Blackness” by Jonathan Bailey — This is a blog post by Jonathan Bailey, a doctoral student at Morgan State University, writing a rough history of the black gay rights movement in America from the 1970s to the present. This resource is included because Black Lives Matter is an intersectional movement, that encompasses LGBT folk and their interests, and consequently, queer blackness and the struggle of queer black folk is an integral part of the foundation of Black Lives Matter.

The Woman Behind #BlackLivesMatter on the Real Threat to Black LGBTs — The Advocate — A commentary piece by Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, on how heteronormative attitudes (the attitude that heterosexuality is the only default ‘normal’ set of sexual identities and sexual orientations within humanity) are harmful and deadly to black LGBT folk. This resource is included because it touches on the pro-LGBT aspect of Black Lives Matter, and also is by a BLM co-founder.

Pride ‘firmly rooted in a tradition of protest’: Black LGBT community leaders on parade controversy — CBC News— This is an editorial, written by members of the Black LGBT community, on how Black Lives Matter Toronto’s noted disruption of the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade actually constitutes a loyalty to the true, original principles of Pride as it first existed in Toronto in the 1980s.

Black Lives Matter on the Pride Controversy and Whether Toronto Is A Racist Hell Hole — VICE — An interview with LeRoi Newbold, a Black Lives Matter Toronto spokesperson, over various aspects and issues relating to Black Lives Matter’s disruption of the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade.

EXCLUSIVE: BLACK LIVES MATTER TORONTO CO-FOUNDER RESPONDS TO PRIDE ACTION CRITICISM — NOW Toronto— A written piece by Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder Janaya Khan explaining her and the movement’s side of the story regarding their disruption of the 2016 Toronto Pride Parade — why it was done, and why they saw it as necessary.

10 Novels & Memoirs By and About Black Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women — This is a list of 10 novels and memoirs that are either by, or about, or both, Black Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Women. It is included here, and in this category specifically, because fiction novels and memoirs have — at least in my view — a powerful and transformative effect on the heart and mind, lasting for and transmitting through generations, and therefore have a place in the cultural pantheon of groups that they relate to — in this case, Black Queer folk. Consequently, novels and memoirs that pertain to queer/lesbian/bisexual blackness, female blackness in particular, are relevant to Black Lives Matter, given that it is an intersectional movement that focuses not just on cis-heterosexual black issues, but also queer black issues and queer black women issues in particular.

Literature

This section will focus on fictional and non-fictional literature specifically that touches on and relates to the aspects focused on by Black Lives Matter.

Read This: #BlackLivesMatter Reads for Teens — A reading list of 12 books, aimed at teens, that touch on themes related to Black Lives Matter — themes such as race, privilege, and justice. The list was put together by Chelsea Couillard-Smith of Hennepin County Library. Many thanks to her.

Black Girls Matter: A YA Reading List — A reading list of YA (young adult) novels that the list creator (Kelly of StackedBooks) believes can and will empower young black women/teenagers. Given the strong emphasis BLM has on the sanctity and value of black women and girls, and how librarians (who may be using this reference guide as a resource) as a regular matter of their work direct their patrons (including youth) to various literature, I felt it necessary to include this resource.

Black Lives Matter: Building Empathy Through Reading — Parts I and II — A two-post list of YA (young adult) novels from YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association, a branch of the American Library Association). The aim of this list is to provide “ our communities [with] the very stories that provide the context and, most importantly, the emotional connection so crucial to empathy and change” regarding “the depth of suffering, injustice, and daily struggle that has defined Black life in America for centuries.”

New Crop of Young Adult Novels Explores Race and Police Brutality — The New York Times — This is an article on a recent (as of early-to-mid 2017) explosion of YA literature inspired by, or focused on, Black Lives Matter and the issues it represents as a movement. The primary focus of this article, through which the broader issues are explored, is an exploration of the 2017 YA novel “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, which is directly inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the issues it represents, and has received critical acclaim.

5 Books: Who Polices the Police? — The Nation — This is an annotated book list put together by Alex Vitale focusing on the subject of policing, police abuse, and racial injustice, and the intersection between these three points. As the list’s opening paragraph explains:

“Popular concern with policing has long been driven by high-profile tragedies,” he says. “What’s new is people organizing against more mundane forms of mass criminalization, like stop-and-frisk and ‘broken windows’ policing.” How should we understand these new battles? Vitale offers five starting points.”

Black Lives Matter: A Reading List for Children & Families — Curated by the Skokie Public Library, this list aims to, as the Skokie Public Library puts it, “ offer a starting place for exploring racism, prejudice, discrimination, and inequity in a manner accessible to youth.”

Black Lives Matter: A Reading List for Young Adults — Curated by the Skokie Public library, this list aims to “offer a starting place for exploring racism, prejudice, discrimination, and inequity in a manner accessible to teens and young adults.”

A Black Lives Matter Reading List [BookRiot] — A video booklist set up and performed by the literature website BookRiot, this video lists six books and has Rincey Abraham explain what is meaningful and impactful about each book mentioned.

Talking with Kids about Ferguson: Recommended Titles on Race & Equality — This is a book list meant to “provide some context to discussing Ferguson in the classroom, library or at home” where young children are concerned.

Black Lives Matter — Middle School [Free Library of Philadelphia] — A reading list of books pertaining to issues touched on by Black Lives Matter, aimed at a middle school-audience.

Black Lives Matter — Elementary School [Free Library of Philadelphia] — A reading list of books pertaining to issues touched on by Black Lives Matter, aimed at a elementary school-audience.

Black Lives Matter — Teens [Free Library of Philadelphia] — A reading list of books pertaining to issues touched on by Black Lives Matter, aimed at a teenaged-audience.

A #Black Lives Matter Reading List for Teens — A reading list put together by author and school librarian Shanna Miles meant to give insight into why the Black Lives Matter movement is relevant and important.

The Complete Summer Reading Syllabus on Black Lives Matter — A list of 52 books, with descriptions of each, that pertain to the Black Lives Matter movement. The books are drawn from a number of different reading lists, each one curated by librarians.

The Religious Dimension of Black Lives Matter

Though Black Lives Matter is by no means a religious movement, it has provoked interest, resistance, and solidarity from various religious organizations and faith streams. This section is dedicated to this such aspect of the movement.

This section will by no means be exhaustive, and will consist mainly of what I can find. Naturally, some religious faith streams or organizations may well be excluded. This is by no means intentional, and if any readers have any resources to suggest to rectify any unfortunate exclusions, I urge you to tweet me (@malcolmteller) or e-mail me (Kryptonovich (at) gmail dot com) them so I can include them.

#BlackChurchSyllabus — This is a resource that seeks to catalogue and pull together large amounts of writings on the Black Church, which has historically been central to the Black American experience. This is relevant to Black Lives Matter because of the intersection between the movement, its interests and concerns and goals, and the societal and religious power of the Black Church and how the aspects of the movement intersect with the Black Church.

How the Black Lives Matter Movement Changed the Church — This is an article on how the Black Lives Matter movement intersects with the American Church, with quotes from clergy and other religious figures situated right in ‘the middle of the action’, so to speak.

Black Activism, Unchurched — The byline for this article reads: “A new generation of young leaders in Baltimore are largely organizing outside of congregations. What does this mean for their movement — and for the Church?”

This article appears to explore the connection and intersection between the Church (in particular the Black Church) and Black Lives Matter and other assorted activist movements — particularly, how some activists are fueled by their religious faith and organizations, and others have stepped outside of those dimensions in order to pursue their activist work.

Who Has the Right to be Violent? By Jamye Wooten — This article is by Jamye Wooten, an organizer, that explores the topic of violence in context, examining violence in American society, the use of American military force, and police violence — particularly as directed against black Americans — and compares and contrasts how these are treated and viewed with regard to violence enacted by protesters and/or rioters.

#BlackDeath — Can Pain Be Transformed Into Power? — This is a piece by Jamye Wooten on his thoughts on the direction the movement can and should take in light of its current course.

‘Black Lives Matter: Religion and Justice’ Course Syllabus (taught by Kayla Wheeler) — A course syllabus of a course on Black Lives Matter, specifically studying and analyzing where religion and the movement intersect. As the course describes itself: “Whereas history has attributed the success of the Civil Rights Movement to heterosexual Black men grounded in the Black Church, the Movement for Black Lives is led by “unchurched” queer and trans Black women who reject the claim that tackling sexism should be a secondary issue for activists. Radically inclusive, these activists trace their lineage back to Assata Shakur, Ella Baker, and Ida B. Wells rather than Martin Luther King and even Malcolm X. Black women in the Movement for Black Lives are focused on recovering the forgotten history of earlier Black women activists and centering women, girls, and femmes in conversations on state violence. This push has shifted conversations about the role religion will play in this new movement. Focusing on Christians, Muslims, and “religious nones” (atheists, agnostics, and unaffiliated people), this course will explore how people in the Movement for Black Lives have used religion in their activism, and how the movement has, in turn, also shaped religion” As this source touches specifically on the intersection of religious faith and the movement, it is included.

“The Catholic Church and The Black Lives Matter Movement: The Racial Divide in the United States Revisited” — A Pastoral Letter By His Excellency, The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D. Bishop of Belleville, Illinois — A pastoral letter by the Catholic Bishop of Belleville, as it touches specifically on the Black Lives Matter and how it connects to the racial divide in the United States.

Why the Church Should Support #BlackLivesMatter — A conversation with Michelle Higgins — RELEVANT Magazine — An interview transcript with Michelle Higgins, Christian youth leader and Black Lives Matter activist, who stirred controversy in the evangelical Christian world when she voiced support for Black Lives Matter in a major speech at Urbana, a major Christian conference. The interview includes the video of Higgins’ speech and her elaborating her thoughts on the movement, what she believes the Christian response should be, and the Christian community in America’s own failures where racial justice and reconciliation are concerned.

“Is Black Lives Matter the New Civil Rights Movement?” by Mika Edmondson — The Gospel Coalition — Transcript of a speech given arguing that conservative evangelical Christianity can and should embrace Black Lives Matter. Also worth reading is Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler’s response in support of Edmondson’s speech, in which Mohler touches on the ugly history of the Southern Baptist Convention where race is concerned in America and the responsibility they, and other conservative Christians, have to correct their mistakes and strive for racial justice. This resource is included because ‘conservative Christianity’ has held a prominent place in American society and in American political and social discourse for a number of decades, up to the present time. Therefore, resources that illustrate the intersection of Black Lives Matter and this component of the Christian faith within America are relevant to the issue of Black Lives Matter.

Should Evangelicals Hijack Black Lives Matter? —Mere Orthodoxy — An article that criticizes evangelical Christian involvement in Black Lives Matter, from the perspective and argument that Black Lives Matters’ principles and biblical orthodoxy are incompatible. This resource is included because it touches on and delves into the debate that currently exists within conservative evangelical Christianity in America, where many evangelical Christians are uncomfortable with aspects of the movement’s founding ideological precepts that are, in their minds, at odds with biblical orthodoxy (precepts such as an open desire to normalize non-heteronormative sexual orientations and identities within society).

Educational Resources

This section will focus on resources for educators to teach on Black Lives Matter and on how to incorporate it into a teaching/educational curriculum.

Teaching “Black Lives Matter” | SLJ Talks to Educator, Author Renée Watson — This is an extended interview by School Library Journal with Educator and Author Renée Watson on what it means to teach Black Lives Matter in the classroom, and how to properly teach and engage with it in the classroom.

Black Students’ Lives Matter: Building the school-to-justice pipeline — Rethinking Schools — This is an editorial from the website Rethinking Schools on how the ethos and actual movement of Black Lives Matter can and must apply to youth/K-12 students. Included near the end is a list of points on how to properly engage with Black Lives Matter in the classroom.

#BlackLivesMatter: Resources for Educators — A resource list, put together by Jamie Piperato, that aims to empower educators to properly educate youth on aspects related to Black Lives Matter — issues such as police brutality, racism, what happened in Baltimore and Ferguson, and more.

Learning Black Lives Matter — Los Angeles Review of Books — This article is a thorough review and exploration, by the Los Angeles Review of Books, of the recent textbook Black Lives Matter (published 2015–11–01) and its contexts. It examines its capacity for pedagogical use in the classroom, and the reactions the book has sparked in various sectors of society.

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter — San Francisco Unified School District — This is a LibGuide aimed at educators, that was made with the purpose of “offer[ing] teachers resources to teach the BLM movement and the context in which that movement exists.” It is not exhaustive or prescriptive, but is meant primarily “to function as a menu of options and is updated when possible.”

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter — Teaching For Change — Lessons and ideas for teaching on Black Lives Matter-related issues, such as the history of racism, police brutality, and more.

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter: Countering the Pedagogies of Anti-Black Racism — A Collaborative, Crowd-Sourced Syllabus — This is a crowdsourced syllabus, put together by a number of faculty and staff members from the City University of New York (CUNY), aimed at how to properly teach about and engage with the topic of race in the classroom.

Teaching #BlackLivesMatter — Countering the Pedagogies of Anti-Black Racism — Live Notes — These are the meeting minutes of a meeting/discussion held at the City University of New York on teaching Black Lives Matter in the classroom.

Has Black Lives Matter Had an Impact? — Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility — This is an individual lesson plan that “consists of two readings that encourage students to think critically about the impact of Black Lives Matter.” To go into more detail, “[t]he first reading examines the argument that the movement’s demands for social change need to be more specific. The second reading looks at some of the things the Movement for Black Lives has accomplished in the last two years. Questions for discussion follow each reading.”

Teaching the New Jim Crow — Teaching Tolerance — This resource is aimed at facilitating the education of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, with the target student audience of such lessons being students in the grade 9–12 range. Included in this resource are ten lesson plans, and supplementary resources.

Do’s and Don’ts for Teaching About Ferguson — theRoot — This is a resource containing a number of helpful suggestions/advice points for teaching about the events in Ferguson, MO (the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, and the associated contexts and movement that’s resulted from it) in a K-12 context. From the resource itself:

So what do we tell them about the at-once disturbing and deeply revealing set of events of August 2014 that are now simply referred to as “Ferguson”? Educators, activists and others have weighed in this week in a flurry of interviews, blog posts and articles. From their insights and from lessons from the past, here’s a set of dos and don’ts for teachers (as well as for parents who consider themselves their children’s most important guides to understanding the adult-sized issues in the world around them)

3 Ways to Address the Black Lives Matter Movement in Your School Library — This resource is a short guide offering helpful points and suggestions on how to, as a school librarian, “point [your] teachers and students to quality resources to teach and understand the current and historic racial justice debates.”

Black Lives Matter and Constitution Day — Classroom Law Project — A detailed and thorough lesson plan on how to teach Black Lives Matter in the classroom, in addition to teaching on the U.S. Constitution. This resource also contains a wide variety of web resources linked within it.

Teaching on Race and Criminal Justice — A list of resources compiled by Stonehill College faculty on teaching on racial issues and criminal justice concerning racial issues (both of which deeply concern Black Lives Matter) in the classroom.

“Diversity and Inclusivity in Higher Education: A Guide” — Howard-Tilton Memorial Library — A resource guide for teaching on race and diversity in the classroom. The page itself describes itself as “[providing] resources to Tulane students, faculty, and staff to support discussion of racism, discrimination, and diversity on college campuses.” This resource list includes resources that concern, touch on and relate to Ferguson, Baltimore, and other aspects that Black Lives Matter is intimately concerned with.

Black Lives Matter: From Hashtag to Movement (Anti-Defamation League) — A high school lesson plan from the Anti-Defamation League on teaching Black Lives Matter and related issues in a high school setting. From the lesson plan’s homepage: “This high school lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about Black Lives Matter and the activists involved, explore the controversy about using the term “All lives matter,” and posit their point of view in writing to a person of their choice.”

Teaching with the News — Black Lives Matter: Continuing the Civil Rights Movement — A lesson plan for teaching Black Lives Matter and related issues in a high school setting.

Teaching #Ferguson — A resource that is dedicated, in its own words, to “gather resources for learning about the [shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mississippi in 2014].” This resource contains a wide variety of material that can be used to learn and teach about the events in Ferguson.

Art

This section of the reference guide will focus on art related to Black Lives Matter. Music, film, and more will be highlighted here where it focuses on the movement and issues related to it.

Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement [documentary] — This is the link to the ‘about’ section of the homepage for the 2016 documentary focused on the Black Lives Matter movement. Quoted from the linked website:

Directed by Peabody and three time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Laurens Grant, “Stay WOke: THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT,” chronicles the evolution of the Black Lives Matter movement through the first person accounts of local activists, protesters, scholars, journalists and celebrities including Jesse Williams, Nelly, Deray McKesson, Michaela Angela Davis, Wesley Lowery, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Johnetta Elzie, Brittany Packnett and others.

Sounds of Black Lives Matter — A website dedicated to collecting and highlighting all the music, inasmuch is possible, dedicated to or inspired by Black Lives Matter. Includes sections for song audio files, music videos, and an artist index.

The Ferguson Theater Syllabus — From the website:

Inspired by the #FergusonSyllabus (a crowd-sourced list of resources and an on-going Twitter conversation for educators), we set out to create a list of plays that can catalyze the difficult but vital conversations we need to have now. We crowd-sourced a list from the Ferguson Moment Facebook group, asking specifically for plays that provide opportunities for conversation around this particular historical moment: the shooting of Michael Brown and the response to that shooting by citizens, law enforcement and the justice system, in Ferguson and in other places like it around the nation.

Also included in this resource is a list of books aimed to provide context to the listed plays and the matter at hand.

“How #BlackLivesMatter started a musical revolution” by Daphne A. Brooks (The Guardian) — An article describing how Black Lives Matter has given birth to a new era and genre of protest music, specifically and contextually suited to and focused on the struggles of black folk in the modern world and particularly in America. The article includes a specific focus and analysis on particular artists, such as Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar.

The BLACK LIVES MATTER Film Syllabus by Antwaun Sargent — Tribeca Film — As the page itself states, “Here are 10 films that explore the meaning of black life in America, films that are a part of a countless list of movies that contextualize the history of the movement to recognize the value of Black life to America”.

The Lemonade Syllabus — This is a syllabus containing a set of resources and references surrounding the Beyonce visual album Lemonade. Specifically, it is a collection of resources that highlight various pieces of art and culture, that celebrate black womanhood and speak to the essence of black womanhood, that best accompany Lemonade. Due to how the celebration of blackness, and in particular black womanhood, is central to Black Lives Matter, and Beyonce’s role as a central artistic figure and figure of influence within Black Lives Matter and the importance of her work to the cultural realm of the movement, I felt this resource was necessary to include.

#BLACKLIVESMATTER — TORONTO BLACK CITY MIXTAPE : A Love Letter In Song To Black Community — A collection of music, curated by Black Lives Matter Toronto, that aims to speak to the movement and to black people in general.

#BlackLivesMatter Protest Music — 22 Track Mix Tape For The Movement — A 22-track ‘Black Lives Matter soundtrack’, curated by Buzzfeed user UmmahWide (apologies for previous mistake that it was curated by Buzzfeed), that collects various black protest songs — related to and inspired by the movement — that speak to black protest and struggle within America in the context of Black Lives Matter. Each song has a descriptive blurb attached to it.

‘songs for survival’ by Jay Z — A soundtrack on Tidal (you need to have a Tidal account to listen to the full length of each song), created and curated by hip hop superstar (and husband to Beyonce) Jay Z. This playlist was created in the context of the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. This soundtrack aims to highlight the struggle, and to lend strength to those involved in it.

What to Watch This Weekend: 15 Short Films That Say #BlackLivesMatter — This is a collection of short films, submitted as part of a short film contest, that “speak to the ongoing #BlackLivesMatter movement”. The films come from a variety of filmmakers, and are of a variety of genres and types.

“We Gon’ Be Alright”: A Collaborative Mixtape For Black Healing — A collaborative mixtape, curated by Bridget Todd, aimed at furthering Black Healing in the midst of the struggle.

Activism Resources

This section focuses specifically on resources that actively direct readers on how to get actively involved in the movement.

Stay Woke — This site aims to connect individuals with activism related to the Black Lives Matter movement

26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets — This resource lists 26 ways, each described fully, anyone can get involved in the movement.

Race Matters: Resources for Activists: Activism — A section of a LibGuide on the movement that focuses specifically on activism and activist organizations.

Law4BlackLives — Resources — This is a set of resources aimed at helping activists on the ground — both individuals and groups of them — when it comes to protesting safely and effectively. The resources are written from a legal perspective, such as ‘here are your rights when protesting’ and the like.

Other Resources

Resources that are still valid and significant, and yet that aren’t necessarily guides or lists to a whole other set of resources in and of themselves.

Black Lives Matter — The Internet Archive — A collection of audio/visual digital archival material relating to Black Lives Matter, located on the Internet Archive

Black Lives Matter — The Free Library of Philadelphia — A massive collection of various resources (blog posts, news articles, reading lists and more) on Black Lives Matter, that don’t fit into any one specific category. Curated and hosted by the Free Library of Philadelphia.

International Perspectives

This section will focus on the international aspect of Black Lives Matter — that is to say, Black Lives Matter as a global movement.

‘They kill us because they see that we were never alive anyway’ — Black Lives Matter in the UK — This is a short video (a little over 2 minutes long) where speaker Wail Qasim explains why Black Lives Matter is relevant in and has a place in the United Kingdom, in the context of their own histories and legacies of police abuses and police killings. It is an intriguing and relevant resource for anyone seeking to see how Black Lives Matter has international expressions, as well as, more specifically, how it can and does apply to a UK-context.

#BlackLivesMatter: Race and Resistance in the UK by Novara Media — A radio interview administered by Ash Sarkar for Novara Media, with Ashok Kumar, Adam Cooper and others regarding the UK context of race, racist policing, immigration policy, and whether or not the UK needs a Black Lives Matter movement.

#BlackLivesMatterUK (Twitter @ukblm) — The Official Twitter account for the United Kingdom (UK) chapter of #BlackLivesMatter.

No, we won’t get over it: Black Lives Matter protesters — The Age — An Australian news article focusing on the Australian expressions of Black Lives Matter. This piece is particularly relevant because not only does it report on the existence of the movement in Australia, it reports on the own specific context for the expression of the movement there (such as racial tensions and injustices where Indigenous Australians are concerned, and more).

“How a Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder sees Canada” by Zane Schwartz (Macleans Magazine) — This resource is an interview with Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder Janaya Khan. Discussed is the experience of blackness in Canada as compared, and contrasted, with the experience of blackness in the United States, the various social ills plaguing Canada that relate to the movement as compared to that of the United States, and the particular idiosyncracies that the Canadian movement has as compared with the American one.

“Black Lives Matter has become a global movement” by Janaya Khan — An article by Janaya Khan on how Black Lives Matter, begun as an American movement, now exists across the globe. Examples are drawn upon from the Canadian experience of Black Lives Matter as well as that of other nations.

27 Stunning Photos of #BlackLivesMatter Protests From Around the Globe — mic — A collection of photos of Black Lives Matter protests from around the world, illustrating the global reach and nature of the movement.

Black Lives Matter is a global cause — Washington Post — An article exploring the presently global nature of the movement.

White Man’s Manslaughter. Black Man’s Murder. White Man’s Riot. Black Man’s Uprising— An article/editorial in New Matilda on the situation in Australia where racial tension and racial injustice are concerned. This piece charts the course of racialized violence over the past few decades in Australia and how this has led to an extremely tense environment in Australia for Aborigines and otherwise non-white populations there, and how, according to Chris Graham (the author), the angry backlash toward such violent incidents (in the form of riots) are, by now, understandable.

Related Organizations

This section will contain links to various groups or organizations that are connected to or related to the Black Lives Matter movement in some way or another. Links will only be included if their connection to the movement is confirmed (such as by being mentioned as being connected on BlackLivesMatter.com).

The Movement for Black Lives — The organization’s website describes itself as “a collective of more than 50 organizations representing thousands of Black people from across the country have come together with renewed energy and purpose to articulate a common vision and agenda.” Formed in response to “sustained and increasingly visible violence against Black communities in the U.S. and globally”, it is a movement dedicated to racial justice in the United States. This website features the organization’s platform, a page focused on how to take action, and more.
The Injustice Boycott — This is a compartment of the broader Black Lives Matter movement, spearheaded by journalist and Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King, that aims to use the economic and social pressure of boycotts to spur change, in that it aims to force corporations, cities and communities into abandoning their support for racial injustice and to spur their active support for reforms aimed at eroding and ending racial injustice. The full write-up of what the Injustice Boycott hopes to achieve, written by Shaun King, is located here.
Millennial Activists United —From the website: “Activist collective created by queer black women. Ferguson made. Building grassroots power and leadership”. Organization referenced on BlackLivesMatter.com.
Black Youth Project 100 — From the website: “BYP 100 is an activist member-based organization of Black 18–35 year olds, dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people. We do this through building a collective focused on transformative leadership development, direct action organizing, advocacy and education.” Organization referenced on BlackLivesMatter.com.
The Organization for Black Struggle — From the website: “THE ORGANIZATION FOR BLACK STRUGGLE was founded in 1980 by activists, students, union organizers and other community members in order to fill a vacuum left by the assaults on the Black Power Movement. OUR VISION: To contribute to the creation of a society free of all forms of exploitation and oppression. OUR MISSION: To build a movement that fights for political empowerment, economic justice and the cultural dignity of the African-American community, especially the Black working class. OUR PROGRAM: Our program is based upon the Black Freedom Agenda that was introduced at the founding of the Black Radical Congress in 1998 and ratified in 1999.” Organization referenced on BlackLivesMatter.com.
The Dream Defenders — From the website: “Dream Defenders is an uprising of communities in struggle, shifting culture through transformational organizing.” Organization referenced on BlackLivesMatter.com.
Hands Up United — From the website: “HandsUpUnited is a collective of politically engaged minds building towards the liberation of oppressed Black, Brown and poor people through education, art, civil disobedience, advocacy and agriculture.” Organization referenced on BlackLivesMatter.com.