Anti-Oppression & Wellness Resources
Photo by Quinn Corte, 2021.
New here? This is part of a series for white allies called Anti-Racism & Collective Care. Learn more about this series here.
Hi Friends! This month I’m sharing some of my favorite resources and teachings around the intersection of anti-oppression work and the wellness world. The resources listed are by creators, authors, and educators who identify as non-white. Instead of listing everything I’ve read, I’m only listing the things that have ignited big sparks for me, inspiring new directions for my personal unlearning and my activism. I will continue adding to this list.
I'd love to hear from you in the comments: what single article, podcast episode, book, or documentary has most impacted your anti-oppression education or activism?
Remember to follow your threads of interest, anger, and passion—and to honor your unique capacity and learning styles. In other words: be selective (for sustainability), open-minded (for stretching yourself), and think critically (for fact-checking and resonance) about what you consume.
*And don’t forget to generously and directly compensate teachers and authors of Color for their labor and expertise.*
Rachel Ricketts’ Spiritual Activism 101 online course
[$30-111; 2 hours]
Rachel is a queer Black woman, global disruptor, author, and mystic. As a facilitator, Rachel demonstrates ways to integrate decolonization and activism into teaching. This class was a great foundation for all my anti-racism learning, and it included journaling and breathwork meditation.
Yoga is Dead podcast series
[donations encouraged; 6 episodes @ 1 hour each]
With cheeky yet searing titles like “White Women Killed Yoga” and “200 Hours Killed Yoga,” this series by Indian-American yoga educators Tejal Patel and Jesal Parikh was a game-changer for me. Meticulously researched and delivered with care, I highly recommend this series to all yogis who are not of South Asian descent. I also love Tejal’s activist-leaning yoga and meditation community classes.
“13TH,” a documentary by Ava DuVernay
[free viewing on YouTube or Netflix; 1:40]
This documentary blew my eyes wide open. DuVernay shares the history of America’s racial inequality through the lens of mass incarceration. It’s a sobering, captivating, and critically important film.
“An Invitation to Brave Space” podcast episode with Jennifer Bailey and Lennon Flowers
[donations to The People’s Supper encouraged; 52 minutes]
This is a profoundly inspirational episode of the On Being podcast. Bailey and Flowers are the founders of The People’s Supper project, which gathers people with different identities and backgrounds to break bread and build trust. They speak about the power of “slow justice,” collective care, and generational healing.
“Relationships move at the speed of trust. Social change moves at the speed of relationships. There’s been no movement for justice or equity in this country that didn’t start with relationship.”
- Jennifer Bailey
Anti-Racism Daily newsletter and articles
[donations encouraged; 3-minute daily or weekly email]
This incredible POC-run media platform offers daily, relevant mini-essays on everything from Indigenous boarding schools to Chinese take-out. Essays that focus on the wellness world include this one about spiritual bypassing and this one about preserving Palo Santo and white sage.
Native Land website
[reference]
If you want to learn more about the ancestral history of an area of land, I encourage you to start with this interactive map by Canadian non-profit Native Land Digital. It shows approximate boundaries of the Indigenous tribes who were forcibly removed from North America by white colonizers. Let it serve as a starting point for personal research and acknowledgement.
Instagram posts by Susanna Barkataki
[donations encouraged]
Susanna Barkataki teaches about yoga’s spiritual roots, and her fun and educational posts celebrate yoga as a decolonized and inclusive practice for all bodies and all people.
Instagram stories and writing by adrienne maree brown
[donations encouraged - or buy her books]
brown teaches about pleasure activism, Black joy, emergent strategy, and healing through sensuality, collective care, poetry, and memes.
“I touch my own skin, and it tells me that before there was any harm, there was miracle.”
- adrienne maree brown