Are you looking at what’s going on around the world right now and thinking, what can I do? A great place to start is by reading books on the topics of systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Educating yourself is key to combating internalized racism and prejudice in the world.
A good place to start: Ideal Bookshelf has created artwork and a book list of Antiracist YA. According to the website these “are very specific books on being an antiracist and being Black in America, but also some about being discriminated against for other qualities (including magical powers! see: Children of Blood and Bone), and how to love everything about yourself ❤️”. All books on this list are for age 13+.
The Bookshop Diverse Spines, a shop that highlights female authors of colour, has also created a book list called the #diversespinesreadingchallenge. The idea is to diversify what you read to include more books written by people of colour in order to encounter more view points and experiences which differ from your own. See how many you have you read from the list and try to read some more.
They have also curated a list called An Anti-Racist Reading List to Help You Do The Work
* please note that the last two lists are general and not specifically focused on teens
I will leave you with this quote from Leslie Dwight:
What is 2020 isn’t cancelled? What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for? A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw- that is finally forces us to grow. A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber. A year we finally accept the need for change. Declare change. Work for change. Become the change. A year we finally band together, instead of pushing each other further apart.
2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.