Anti-Racist Resource Guide for the Tech & VC Community
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
-Angela Y. Davis
At Female Founders Fund, we remain more committed than ever to our goal of creating a more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem. All of us have a role to play in shifting existing paradigms.
The resources below have been compiled for the tech & VC community with the intention of deepening anti-racism knowledge and to share ways we can participate in creating change. #BlackLivesMatter
Resources for your company
- An Intro to Diversity & Inclusion in Business: Resources for HR, Hiring, Managers, Founders, and Allies
- Inclusion Ventures, Delivers internal training for thought leadership, product design, coaching, speaking with a D&I focus.
- The Ready Set Co., Helping create diverse and inclusive work environments through advisory, policy, and strategy services.
- Peoplism, Helps companies build a more diverse and inclusive environment through trainings.
- The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work.
- How To Have Conversations About Race At Work
- Talking about Race at Work
- 10 Ways to Start a Conversation about Race
- Steps companies can take to make the workplace better for black employees
To understand inherent bias in tech
- Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Ruha Benjamin
- Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Noble
- Rage Inside The Machine, Rob Smith
- Technically Wrong, Sara Watchter-Boettcher
- Racism in technology: how our tools acquire bias
- Technology and the Logic of American Racism, Sarah E. Chinn
- Racism, Technology and the Limits of Western Knowledge, Michelle Wright
- Why Algorithms can be racist and sexist, Vox
- Racist in the Machine, The Disturbing Implications of Algorithmic Bias, Megan Garcia
Coursework and other Resources
- Showing Up For Racial Justice’s, educational toolkits
- Rachel Cargle’s free 30-day Anti-Racism course #DoTheWork
- NMAAHC Talking About Race, resources and frameworks to talk about Race
- “Why is this happening?”, an introduction to police brutality from 100 Year Hoodie
- Rachel Ricketts Anti-Racism Resources, curated list of anti-racism resources
- Anti-Oppressive Facilitation by AORTA Collective
- Facilitation Tools for Meetings and Workshops by Seeds for Change
- Social Justice Toolbox, activities and facilitation guides to help you make the most of your diversity workshops and social justice trainings
Organizations to follow on social media doing important work regarding racial equity and justice
- Antiracism Center: Twitter
- Audre Lorde Project: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Black Lives Matter: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Black Women’s Blueprint: Facebook| Instagram | Twitter
- Color Of Change: Facebook| Instagram | Twitter
- Colorlines: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- The Conscious Kid: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Families Belong Together: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- MPowerChange: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Muslim Girl: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- NAACP: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- National Domestic Workers Alliance: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- RAICES: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): Facebook| Instagram | Twitter
- SisterSong: Facebook| Instagram | Twitter
- United We Dream: Facebook| Instagram | Twitter
Organizations working to diversify the tech and coding landscape
Reading List
- Black History Month Library
- White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
- 27 Things to read if you care about women of color
- How To Be Less Stupid About Race, Crystal M Fleming
- White Tears, Brown Scars, Ruby Hamad
- The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga
- When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
- Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
- Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
- Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
- How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
- Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander - The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs
Podcasts and Radio
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast, features movement voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice.
- Seeing White Series from Scene On Radio, a 14-part documentary series exploring whiteness in America.
- Uncivil, a podcast from Gimlet Media that presents a history of the Civil War not often found in school textbooks.
- Code Switch, a podcast that presents contemporary news viewed through the lens of race and identity.
- 1619 (New York Times), audio series on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
- About Race, National conversation about Race and politics
- Code Switch (NPR), a podcast that presents contemporary news viewed through the lens of race and identity.
- Intersectionality Matters!, a podcast hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory.
- Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights), a podcast created for those of you wanting to effect change, who understand the importance of restoring our democracy.
- Identity Politics, a podcast on race, gender, and Muslims in America.
Movies and Shows
- 13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
- American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
- Black Power Mixtape: 1967–1975 — Available to rent
- Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
- Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
- Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
- I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
- Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent
- King In The Wilderness — HBO
- See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
- Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
- The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
- When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
Take Action
If you plan to participate in any civil action protests or events please ensure that you educate yourselves on your rights as a protester: Know Your Rights. If you would like to educate yourself or those around you on citizen rights in the face of discrimination and your rights when encountering law enforcement, please utilize these resources.
We recognize that these issues are emotionally traumatic and taxing for anyone that is burdened by them. Your health and safety is most important. Please prioritize yourselves during these difficult times.
If you’re looking to get involved outside of organizing in person, we’ve rounded up a list of ways you can take action from home:
Sign a Petition
- Sign the Color of Change petition, here or text “FLOYD” TO 55156
- Sign Change.org petition and consider donating, here
- Sign the petition, Justice for Breonna Taylor, here
Donate
- Black Lives Matter
- Communities United Against Police Brutality
- The Minnesota Freedom Fund
- Official George Floyd Memorial Fund on gofundme.com
- The NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Contact Officials
Contact the Police Chief Medaria Arredondo to demand the Fraternal Order of Police hold these four officers accountable through their pension or other penalties monetarily for George Floyd’s death and work to revise policing policy in his department. Ways to contact:
- Phone: 612–673–2735
- Twitter: @minneapolisPD
- Facebook: Minneapolis Police Department
Contact the Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey and demand that the District Attorney seek charges immediately. Ways to contact:
- Phone: 612–673–2100
- Twitter: @MayorFrey
- Facebook: Mayor Jacob Frey
Contact the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and demand these officers be charged with murder and arrested. Ways to contact:
- Phone: 612–348–5550
- Twitter: @hennepinatty
- Facebook: Hennepin County Government
- E-mail: citizeninfo@hennepin.us
Contact the Minnesota US Attorney’s office to express your outrage on the lack of charges for these officers:
- Phone: 612-664–5600
- Twitter: @dmnnews
- Facebook: US Attorney for the District of Minnesota
Send a letter to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey or Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz demanding justice, accountability and/or policing changes.
