Since George Floyd's death on May 25, almost one month ago, the world has looked very different for many people. Floyd's unjust murder - alongside Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade's deaths - sparked a global uprising and resurgence of Black Lives Matter. The Black Lives Matter movement took off in 2013 when three radical Black organisers — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi — created #BlackLivesMatter in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman.
Since long before #blacklivesmatter entered mainstream media, Black and Indigenous educators have been writing and speaking about systemic racism and racial injustice. With so many people finally waking up to this movement and pledging to do better, to learn more, and take action, social media can be a critical tool in aiding this change. Below, we've listed five of our favourite Black and Indigenous educators and writers to follow on Instagram for daily lessons on dismantling racism. As a note: we acknowledge that there is far more to be done than following and posting on social media and encourage you to purchase the work of these educators for deeper learning and to support those taking their time to patiently teach many of us.
@rachel.cargle
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Rachel Cargle is an academic, writer, and lecturer. Through her activism and academic work, she provides intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood. she has a live online lecture called Unpacking White Feminism which unpacks white centred activism and provides tools and insight to becoming more intersectional.
@dranitaheiss
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Dr Anita Heiss is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors. Publishing across genres including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, and children’s novels. In 2004 Anita was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards.
@laylafsaad
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Layla Saad is a writer, speaker & teacher on the topics of race, identity, leadership, personal transformation & social change. She is the new york times bestselling author of her sold-out book Me and White Supremacy (2020), the host of endlessly educational Good Ancestor Podcast, and the founder of Good Ancestor Academy.
@ljeomaoluo
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Ljeoma Oluo is a writer, speaker and activist who's work focuses primarily on issues of race and identity, feminism, social and mental health, social justice, the arts, and personal essay. She is the author of best-selling book, So You Want to Talk about Race which is a New York Times bestseller and deeply educational.
@ihartericka
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Ericka Hart is a sex educator, Racial, Social and Gender Justice activist, writer, breast cancer survivor, and podcast host. Her work looks at the ways we can dismantle systemic patriarchy and anti-black standards of beauty that affect our everyday lives, as well as encouraging discourse, representation and reform around the medical industrial complex and the ways systemic racism affects healthcare for marginalised groups. She has multiple workshops, webinars, courses and more on these topics.
