At Atomic Scribe, we support the Black Lives Matter movement and are aware of the continuing fight for racial equality in the United States. We are located in Atlanta, Georgia, the home of Martin Luther King, Jr., and we acknowledge that unfortunately we are still fighting the same fight over 50 years later that he fought and that many other Black people fought in this country before him.
And language is a part of that. The language we use can be coded and harmful, but it can also be a force for good. So here are some resources to harness the power of language to fight for racial equality.
Translation
Black Lives Matter is not an English-only fight. So, if you’re able, commit to translating materials into other languages to spread messages and awareness.
One avenue to do this is Letters for Black Lives, which is “a set of crowdsourced, multilingual, and culturally-aware resources aimed at creating a space for open and honest conversations about racial justice, police violence, and anti-Blackness in our families and communities.”
Code Switch
Code Switch is a terrific podcast made by NPR that explores race and identity. The podcast often focuses on how language and linguistics affects racial, ethnic and cultural identity.
Episodes can be found on NPR.org, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
Education
The Anti-racism Resource Guide has a plethora of literature to help educate one’s self on racism and inequality. The guide starts with suggested pre-reading and is clearly organized in a way to guide you and not overwhelm. There are too many amazing works on there to name, so check it out for yourself here.
Awareness
Language is a tool and should be used for good. On the flipside, realize that language can be harmful and coded.
So make sure to listen to Black people about acceptable terminology and language in order to further the movement. Your voice is powerful, no matter what race you are. If you are not Black, make sure to help amplify the voices of those impacted by racial inequality and brutality.
