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Resources for our readers: Take action and support the Black Lives Matter movement

The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Today and every day, we mourn the loss of the countless innocent Black lives at the hands of the police and white supremacy both in this country and around the world. We mourn the death of George Floyd and remember this was not an isolated incident — Black citizens in this country are affected by violent police actions every single day. This is a trend that has existed for centuries. We also mourn and remember the lives of Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Aubrey, Trayvon Martin, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Eric Garner, Philando Castile and the countless other Black lives that have been lost because of systemic violence.

Charlottesville is clearly not exempt from this horrifying trend. Multiple stories have come to light about the issues with the local justice system. Both the University Police Department and Charlottesville Police have targeted people of color in the past and failed to keep our communities safe, especially during the white supremacist rally in August 2017.  

The Editorial Board echoes all of the demands listed in the statement released by the Black Student Alliance, and we call on the University to listen to the voices of Black and Brown students and community members. This University was built on white supremacy, and we cannot ignore that any longer. 

For all of our readers — particularly our non-Black readers — it is crucial to educate yourself and learn how we can all help support the Black Lives Matter movement. Below, we have compiled a non-exhaustive list of resources and materials for the University and Charlottesville communities. Here you can find educational opportunities at the University and at home, petitions to sign, organizations taking donations and ways you can contact local officials to call for change. We thank all of the student and community activists, as well as the student organizations at the University, who have been sharing these resources and protesting for justice and racial equity. We hope these resources and materials help potential allies work towards becoming anti-racist.

The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board welcomes any suggestions or additions to these lists.

Read:

These readings and sources offer a necessary starting point into the difficult conversations about the history of racial violence in America but still do not provide a comprehensive history of racial inequity and violence in the U.S. 

  • Educated in Tyranny: Slavery at Thomas Jefferson’s University by Maurie D. McInnis and Louis P. Nelson
  • How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
  • When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
  • The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America by Naomi Murakawa
  • From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
  • “Beyond the Hashtag: How to Take Anti-Racist Action in Your Life” by Zyahna Bryant
  • Many readings and other resources are provided in MILE's statement
  • Readings in African American history, compiled by the Miami Herald
  • “A Racial Justice Reading List” of nonfiction works from the Memorial Hall Library in Massachusetts
  • Free PDFs of Black revolutionary texts compiled by Alijah Webb

Contact:

Reforming the University requires support of our administration. In order to enact real, positive change, it is important to remind administrators of the injustices within our community. Always hold University leadership accountable.

  • Contact University President Jim Ryan or Dean of Students Allen Groves and ask questions about increasing accommodations for Black students. 
  • Contact the University Police Department, or Chief Tim Longo, and encourage it to review its practices and increase anti-racism training. Ask UPD to review its affiliation with the Charlottesville Police Department, and consider whether CPD’s policing efforts are anti-racist.

We must also remind our public officials of their commitment to representing us all. The following are local Charlottesville officials you can contact.

Donate/Support:

If able, donate to organizations that are working towards achieving justice and supporting victims of police brutality. This can be a powerful way to support marginalized groups while making a difference in your community.

Bail and Bond Funds:

Mutual Aid Groups:

Organizations:

Petitions:

Legal Help:

Black-owned Businesses in Charlottesville:

  • The Charlottesville 29 has compiled a list of Black-owned restaurants and food businesses in Charlottesville
  • AfroTech has outlined a list of Black-owned bookstores nationwide

Educate:

Through the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies and other departments, the University offers many classes that can provide a more comprehensive understanding of racial history and violence. Non-Black students should especially commit to taking some of the following courses in the coming fall semester.

  • AAS 1010: Introduction to African-American and African Studies — Kwame Otu
  • AAS 2224: Black Femininities and Masculinities in the US Media — Lisa Shutt
  • AAS 2559: The Racial Life of COVID-19 — Tony Perry
  • AAS 3500: Black Environmental Thought — Tony Perry
  • AAS 3500: Race, Class, Politics & the Environment — Kimberly Fields
  • AAS/HIUS 3671: History of the Civil Rights Movement — Kevin Gaines
  • AAS 3810: Race, Culture and Inequality — Sabrina Pendergrass
  • AMST 1050: Slavery and Its Legacies — Kirt von Daacke
  • AMST 3221: Hands-On Public History: Slavery and Reconstruction — Lisa Goff
  • DRAM 3070: African-American Theatre — Theresa Davis
  • EDLF 4610: Civil Rights Movement and Education — Alexis Johnson
  • EDHS 2860 – Fundamentals of Child Protection in Emergencies — Valerie Adams-Bass
  • EDHS 3100 – Media Socialization, Racial Stereotypes and Black Adolescent Identity — Valerie Adams-Bass
  • EDLF 3170 - Introduction to Adolescence — Chauncey Smith
  • EDHS 5400 - Youth Sociopolitical Development: Foundations, Theory, & Applications — Chauncey Smith
  • ENGL 2572: Black Women Writers — Lisa Woolfork
  • ENGL 3570: Jim Crow America — K. Ian Grandison, Marlon Ross
  • FREN 3585: Slave Narratives from the Francophone World — Nicolas Lombart
  • HIAF 1501: Africa and Virginia — James LaFleur
  • HIUS 2259: African-American Women's History — Justene Hill Edwards
  • HIUS 3281: Virginia History to 1900 — George Gilliam
  • HIUS 3490: From Motown to Hip Hop — Claudrena Harold
  • HIUS 3671: African-American Freedom Movement, 1945-Present — Kevin Gaines
  • HIUS 3853: From Redlined to Subprime: Race and Real Estate in the US — Andrew Kahrl
  • INST 1605: History of Mr. Jefferson’s University — University Guide Service
  • PLAP 3500: Race and the Obama Presidency — Larycia Hawkins
  • PSYCH 4870: The Minority Family: A Psychological Inquiry — Melvin Wilson
  • RELG 3559: Black Music, Black Faith — Kai Parker
  • SOC 3451: Race and Ethnic Relations — Rose Buckelew
  • SOC 4750: Racism — Rose Buckelew
  • WGS 4620: Black Feminist Theory — Lanice Avery

For any additional resources or materials that should be included on this list, please email eb@cavalierdaily.com. The Cavalier Daily is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions, perspectives and letters — and we’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Editorial Board is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors and their Senior Associate. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.

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