Antiracism Resources

Racism and hate have no place in our community. We seek to work with others to build a resilient community that expresses a deep concern for the well-being of every person. We remain committed to action that is rooted in equity and respect for human dignity.

To that end, our librarians have curated this guide to antiracism terms, online resources, and materials available to borrow from the Orland Park Public Library.

Terms you should know

BIPOC

BIPOC is an acronym that stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Discrimination

An act or instance of discriminating, or of making a distinction.
Treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:
Racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

Oppression

The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
An act or instance of oppressing or subjecting to cruel or unjust impositions or restraints.
The state of being oppressed.

Privilege

A right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most

Racism

A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.
A policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
Hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

White Supremacy

The belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society.

For more, see: https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary

National Organizations

• ACLU
• Anti-Discrimination League (ADL)
• Black Lives Matter
• Campaign Zero
• Center for Anti-Racist Research
• Movement for Black Lives
• NAACP
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

Chicago-Based Organizations

• Chicago Freedom School
• Enrich Chicago
• Let Us Breathe Collective

Organizations For Non-Bipoc

• Anti-Racism Resources for White People
• Make Yourself Useful
• Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Chicago
• Whiteness Project

Guides

These guides from other organizations and universities contain history, information, articles, and much more on the topics of anti-racism and oppression.

• Guide to Anti-Oppression (and others) – Simmons University
• The Black Lives Matter Syllabus – Prof. Frank Leon Roberts
• The Charleston Syllabus – African American Intellectual History Society

Podcasts

• 1619 (New York Times)
  How slavery transformed America. Transcripts available.
• Code Switch (NPR)
  A variety of podcasts dealing with racial issues.
• Momentum (Race Forward)
  Episodes feature voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice.
• Pod Save the People (Crooked)
  Unique looks at current events and frequently overlooked stories that impact BIPOC.
• Seeing White (Scene On Radio)
  A 14 part series on the history of whiteness, and white supremacy, in America.

Books

The library has copies of the following books. If they are checked out, a librarian will be happy to place you on a wait list for the next available copy. Many of these books have digital versions that are available through Overdrive and/or Hoopla.

Films & Documentaries

The library has copies of the following DVD films and documentaries. If they are checked out, a librarian will be happy to place you on a wait list for the next available copy.

The following list of films and documentaries are only available only through the Netflix streaming service. A personal subscription is required to view these.

• All Day and a Night (2020)
• American Son (2019)
• Becoming (2020)
• Dear White People (2017)
• Self Made: Inspired by the life of Madam C.J. Walker (2020)
• Seven Seconds (2018)
• Strong Island (2017)
• The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)
• 13th (2016)
• Trial by Media: 41 Shots (2020)
• When They See Us (2019)