The Anti-Racism Primer is a resource provided by U-M Human Resources for staff to learn about institutional and systemic racism and how to actively engage in fighting against inherently racist and oppressive systems.
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Staff Recommendations
The Netflix documentary 13th, by Ava Duvernay, (also available on YouTube) examines the U.S. prison system, and how the transition from slavery to incarceration was a systemic effort reinforce raciism. The 13th amendment to the constitution is "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The loop-hole exercised freely is the phrase "except as punishment for a crime," which supported policies initially after the abolishion of slavery to arrest black people for small crimes, thus taking away their fundamental rights. This documentary is eye opening when considering the word "SYSTEMIC RACISM," there is not doubt policies were deliberate and effective at perpetuating the inequities originating with slavery.
-Alena Stocking
The film "When They See Us" is a web television miniseries that explores the lives of five black boys that were being boys in the park, and that were racially profiled, manipulated, and yanked from their families for a crime they did not commit. The miniseries examines how racism, socioeconomic status, lack of education, and politics work together to stifle progress for some, and yet, how these boys have grown into men and continue to live today despite this gruesome experience. Director Ava Duvernay is amazing and humanizes these characters who the media often portrayed as "The Central Park Five" when the case began in 1989.
-Nichele Moses
The Code Switch podcast from NPR examines the intersection of race and culture in a variety of insightful and engaging ways. With each new episode, this podcast proves why it is an invaluable ongoing project that deserves our attention and support.
-Eric Anderson