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Explore More Resources

Build Competence Foster Connectedness Encourage Confidence to Act

In this section you will find resources to dig deeper into your work and understanding of racial justice in organizations, systems and in every day life.

Each resource will be connected to blocks of:

  • Black Culture
  • Tools to Get You Started
  • Youth Leadership

You will also find additional resources from our Town Halls, videos and other tools to boost your allyship.

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Black Culture Resources

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Explore the Schomburb Center for Research in Black Culture 
A photograph, circa 1970, of an African American woman.
A collage of faces of prominent African American/Black leaders such as Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr.
a photograph of three African American men and one woman, including author James Baldwin.

Learning about Black Culture and history is a great way to increase our knowledge, overcome barriers and dismantle racism. It is important to note that that Black History and Black culture did not start with slavery and in fact, holds roots that begun centuries before enslaved people were brought to the Americas.

To illustrate,
watch the following video from Black History Unlocked:

Learn more about African History from HomeTeam History:

Tools to Get You Started

Tools for Understanding White Privilege

A book cover with the title 'race talk' and two hands pulling opposite directions on a rope, one white and one Black.

Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race

By Derald Wing Sue

Learn to talk about race openly, honestly, and productively Most people avoid discussion of race-related topics because of the strong emotions and feelings of discomfort that inevitably accompany such conversations. Rather than endure the conflict of racial realities, many people choose instead to avoid the topic altogether, or remain silent when it is raised.

Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence: Understanding and Facilitating Difficult Dialogues on Race puts an end to that dynamic by sharing strategies for smoothing conversations about race in a productive manner. A guide for facilitating and participating in difficult dialogues about race, author Derald Wing Sue – an internationally recognized expert on multiculturalism, diversity, and microaggressions – explores the characteristics, dynamics, and meaning behind discussions about race as well as the hidden “ground rules” that inhibit honest and productive dialogue. Through emotional and visceral examples, this book explains why conversations revolving around racial issues are so difficult, and provides guidelines, techniques, and advice for navigating and leading honest and forthright discussions.

Readers will develop a stronger ability to build rapport with people unlike themselves, and discover how not talking about race impacts society as a whole. Overcome and make visible the fears associated with race talk Learn practical ideas for talking openly about race Facilitate and navigate discussion with expert strategy Examine the hidden rules that govern race talk Understand the benefits of successful conversations Discussions about race do not have to result in disastrous consequences, and can in fact be highly beneficial to all parties involved. It’s important that people have the ability to converse openly and honestly with their students, colleagues, children, and neighbors, and Race Talk provides the path for achieving this goal.

A book cover with the title "white fragility, why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism"

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism

By Robin Diangelo

Peggy McIntosh’s groundbreaking essay:

White Privilege, Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Youth Leadership

Your Voice Matters: Talking to Your Lawmaker

Your Voice Matters: Talking to Your Lawmaker

Used with permission from Family Voices of Tennessee

Allyship

A colorful green and blue graphic showing the words 'so you wanna be a better ally.'
A graphic with the word 'allyship' and two hands shaking, one white and one Black.
A colorful graphic with the words 'ally is a verb.'

Videos

Town Halls

What is a town hall?

“Town hall” meetings, also referred to as town halls or town hall forums, are a way for local and national politicians to meet with their constituents, either to hear from them on topics of interest or to discuss specific upcoming legislation or regulation”.

  • Organizations or groups also use town halls to hear from and discuss specific topics with stakeholders
  • Family Voices used town hall format to hear from its national network after the racial reckoning of 2020
  • A series of town halls led to the creation of Families United to End Racism Against CYSHCN project

See our “how to” guide to discover how you can develop town halls in your state as a tool to educate and affect change.

Four woman smile while talking in a virtual meeting.
Two college-aged women stand in line to at questions at a lecture hall.

Materials from Family Voices’ Town Halls

The Voices of Black Families in Health…Interactions with Health Professionals Across the Lifespan/Systems

A graphic with the text 'town hall number 7, the voices of Black families in health.'

The School to Prison Pipeline

Mental Health

A screenshot of the "deeper dive" document for mental health town hall

“The Talk”

a screenshot of the "deeper dive" document from this town hall

Racism, Segregation, and Schools

a screenshot of the "deeper dive" document from this town hall

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With families at the center of health care, all children and youth reach their full potential and health disparities are eliminated.

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Family Voices is a national organization and grassroots network of families and friends of children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities that promotes partnership with families—including those of cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity—in order to improve health care services and policies for children.

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