June 5, 2020

CulturePolicy

Learn it, Live it, Love it: The Black Lives Matter Edition

By: Cindy Cerquitella

The events of the last two weeks have brought police brutality, racial history and freedom of expression to the minds and lips of nearly every American. As we work to find solutions that will bring us closer to the mission statement espoused in our founding documents, we’ve compiled a list of useful resources to help inform your thinking.  Please note, these resources are not exhaustive, and not meant to promote any particular side of these discussions. These resources are simply a collection of content from across AF’s community, please share yours with us. 

Learn it:
Read Thomas Sowell’s Race and Culture which spans centuries and continents to expand our thinking on this issue. 

Listen to Part One and Part Two of The Fifth Column’s podcast’s series on anti-racism, facilitated by former AF Chairman, Kmele Foster. 

Catch up on Zuri Davis’s columns over at Reason

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute shares a list of Black Conservative Thinkers to Follow  Ed. Note: John McWhorter’s Great Courses class on the history of language is not to be missed. 

Live it:
 A collection of fantastic posts: 

The Heritage Foundation’s president, Kay Coles James

2019 Buckley Award Winner Aaron Rice

AFF’s chairman and of Foundation for Economic Education, Richard Lorenc 

If you are looking for organizations to support, we asked Clark Neily of the Cato Foundation to recommend a few places: 

Due Process Institute

Innocence Project

Civil Rights Corps

And a recommendation from Patti Rausch at Leadership Institute: the Gloucester Institute.

AF Chapters around the country have jumped to action and are putting together a variety of events that tackle Criminal Justice Reform. Watch this post for the latest events. 

Love it:
I had the opportunity to see the Migration series by Jacob Lawrence at the Phillips Collection year, and it was eye-opening to learn about the experience of former slaves as they fled the south, and sought new, freer lives in the north. I encourage you to dive in.