The place you have the most impact and most access to action is within yourself. This is why this must be the starting point for your anti-racist work. Those who try to impact and take action outside themselves without doing the work within themselves are most likely to make harmful mistakes they need to apologize for. Action within yourself includes:

• reflecting on your own privilege and discomfort with race

• reading, watching, and listening to black voices and anti-racist texts, not just about the negative, but also those that celebrate black life

• actively reconsidering your attitudes toward BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) and examining your actions in order to change behaviors and reprogram your socialization

Because this work is lifelong work, you should always be working on this level. However, this does not mean you cannot be working on the other two levels at the same time.

Your voice, opinion, and privilege have the most immediate external impact when you take actions on this level. Within your direct communities, the personal connections you have give you power and influence to change minds. Remember to wield your power in these areas thoughtfully. You do not want to be a white savior, trying to tell BIPOC how to help themselves. Your work on this level is largely about changing the minds of white folks around you and carry the weight of the emotional work that people of color often have to do in mixed communities and white communities. Action within your communities includes:

• addressing and voicing inequities you observe in your workplace, school, organizations, neighborhood, and businesses you frequent

• beginning discussions of race in groups of white friends to share with and teach what you are learning as you do the work yourself

• checking in on BIPOC friends (FRIENDS, not acquaintances or colleagues that you don't normally speak to), listening to them, and supporting them

• calling in friends, family, colleagues, and peers when they do or say harmful, racist, and biased things

• sharing resources and information, when it is appropriate through social networks

• requesting, participating in, creating, or leading spaces for discussion and allyship through organizations to which you belong

• buying from and recommending local black-owned businesses in your neighborhood or city

• pressuring your workplace to hire BIPOC and include BIPOC in decision-making

• calling on your school to celebrate BIPOC culture, history, and achievements

• hold local businesses accountable for taking anti-racist action and maintaining anti-racist policies

• organize and participate in larger actions together with others in your communities

The actions you take within yourself and your direct communities are always impacting the larger cause, but there are particular actions that can help change racism on a systemic level. This level of action is about demanding that racist institutions and policies change, impacting the financial and economic factors that give power to racist institutions/policies, and be present for collective actions on a local and national scale. Action within the larger cause include:

• canvassing for anti-racist politicians and policies in white and conservative communities

• voting in local and state elections and primaries for anti-racist candidates and policies

• signing petitions to defund racist budgeting choices, repeal racist legislation, and hold police and politicians accountable

• writing to and calling local and state legislators to demand action on anti-racist legislation

• financially supporting BIPOC communities by putting money into black-owned businesses, political campaigns, and communities

• avoiding investing in and supporting businesses that fund and support racist politicians and organizations

• contribute to reparations financially or by sharing knowledge, time, and connections to help black people

• attend protests peacefully, marching in solidarity (following the directions of black leaders), and putting your body between BIPOC protestors and the police

• support protestors by providing bathrooms along protesting routes, offering your phone number for people who might be arrested at protests, creating signs for protestors to carry, and helping fund or gather resources to keep protestors safe and protected

• donating to organizations devoted to anti-racism

• donating to bail out protestors

Remember that this level of action is immensely important, but is most powerful when you are also taking action within your community and yourself. If you only take action at this level, you risk being a part of the problem you are trying to alleviate.