Astraea’s blog, Collective Care Blog: Building the Power & Resilience of LBTQI Movements Now & for the Long Haul, is Astraea’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a feminist LBTQI funder, we believe it is our responsibility to shed light on the ways our communities are particularly impacted by the crisis, share insights around the criticality of healing justice and collective care, as well as the ways in which we’re digging deep to keep shifting power to the grassroots in meaningful and sustainable ways.

***

On Tuesday, we issued a statement supporting the anti-racist resistance taking place in the United States and around the world right now, and condemning racism, white supremacy, policing, transphobia, and state violence that would have Black people erased. As a queer feminist funder based in the United States, we owe our existence to the civil and human rights activism of the Black, Indigenous, People of Color, trans, and queer movements that have come before us. We are reminded this June that Pride itself began as a riot against policing led by trans women of color, for our collective liberation. These are our foundations, the legacy on which we build to ensure Black liberation, and indeed the liberation of all peoples and the healing of our planet. 

In this week’s blog post, we’re sharing: healing resources for Black communities and political education resources on Black and queer liberation for the moment. We’re listening to and uplifting meaningful ways to collectively care for our Black communities. 

Some of these resources are for non-Black people and uplift the importance of anti-racism, abolition, intersectionality, and inter-community solidarity – tools and strategies we collectively need to lean into if we are to dismantle deeply embedded systems of white supremacy.

At the same time, it is absolutely necessary that Black folks have the opportunity and access to resources to be able to rest, heal, and grieve as state-sanctioned anti-Black violence continues. 

In that spirit, we’re delving into and delighted by some powerful reading on the interconnected struggles for Black and queer liberation in this moment, and healing resources that we hope are helpful to members of the Astraea community. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and we encourage you to seek out other important anti-racism resources as well. We share these as one act of care and hope that if you find them helpful, you will pass them and others on to your own communities. 

Essential reading on Black and queer liberation in this moment

1. Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics – Kimberle Crenshaw 
2. Racism is exhausting Black people. Here’s what we need. – Derrick Clifton
3. How to Support Black Trans People Right Now – Jael Goldfine
4. Mother Jones: The Police Killing you Probably Didn’t Hear About this Week – Laura Thompson
5. Black Trans Men Face a Constant Threat of Police Violence – Ash Stephens
6. Black LGBTQ+ Leaders and Allies Address the Rage Against Racism – Advocate.com Editors
7. Queering Prison Abolition, Now? – Eric A. Stanley, Dean Spade, and Queer (In)Justice
8. 26 Ways to be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets
9. Black and Asian American Feminist Solidarities: A Reading List – Black Women Radicals and the Asian American Feminist Collective
10. Of course There are Protests. The State is Failing Black People – Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
11. Pride is and Always Was About Rebellion, This Year More than Ever – George M. Johnson

Healing resources for Black communities

1. Healing Offers – Harriet’s Apothecary
2. Rest for Resistance – QTPoC Mental Health
3. Talking Back – bell hooks
4. 7 Virtual Mental Health Resources Supporting Black People Right Now – Jesse Sparks
5. 10 Wellness Resources and Relief Funds for Black individuals to find some respite – Kells McPhillips 
6. Circle of Mothers: Trayvon Martin Foundation
7. The Well
8. Healing Packet – Women of Color in Solidarity
9. National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
10. Healing Resources for BIPOC Organizers & Allies Taking Action for Black Lives – Irresistible

***

Want to read more from our Collective Care Blog? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest posts!