21/64 is commemorating Juneteenth. Juneteenth represents the day when enslaved Africans were legally freed in the United States on June 19, 1865 and shows us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for Black Americans – a battle that continues to this day.

As an organization that espouses aligning values with decision-making, along with our commitment towards racial justice, 21/64 is closing our office tomorrow to take the time to continue reflecting, learning and educating ourselves.

We hope that you will join us on our learning journey by exploring the resources below, including many excellent recommendations from Audrey Jacobs, Founder and Principal of The Sarafina Group and 21/64 Advisory Committee member.

We thank and honor Audrey for being a tremendous source of learning for 21/64 and growing the intellectual capital of our organization.

Join us to:

Attend a virtual conversation on June 21 at 11:30am EDT featuring Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian, Annette Gordon-Reed and President of the Ford Foundation, Darren Walker on the history of Juneteenth and why this fight for equality is even more exigent today.

Listen as Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green and Jeff Bradach, Managing Partner of The Bridgespan Group talk about Overcoming Racial Bias in Philanthropic Funding. The conversation centers on the barriers that leaders of color encounter in the field and examples of philanthropists who have put racial equity at the center of their work.

Discover Edgar Villanueva’s book, Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance, which discusses the underpinnings of resources that fund philanthropy. For those who are familiar with (and are followers of) his work, check out his Money is Medicine Guided Journal for a deeper dive on how to use resources for healing and wholeness by reflecting on our relationship to money and racial justice.

Read Gasby Brown’s OpEd on philanthropy in the African American Community which features a study by U.S. Trust and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The piece highlights that not only do African-American households give more than 25% of their discretionary income to charitable causes compared to other demographics, but they are also more likely to encourage their next generation to get involved in charitable causes and giving campaigns.

Examine the relationship between wealth inequality and racial discrimination by reading Mehrsa Badaran’s book, The Color of Money. This book focuses on the ways in which African Americans were locked out of the financial engines that create wealth in America and how current financial structures have played a role in maintaining racial inequalities in the U.S.

Explore the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States by watching Ava Duvernay’s 13TH. Titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime, the movie contends that slavery has been perpetuated through criminalizing behavior which disproportionately affects the Black community.

Rethink our most deeply held implicit beliefs with Ibram X. Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist. The concept of antiracism continues to reenergize conversations about racial justice in America and points us towards new ways of thinking about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it.

Learn about the foundation of American white supremacy by watching Raoul Peck’s, Exterminate All the Brutes. The docuseries explores the reconciling America’s true history with its ideals of freedom and democracy, pointing to the struggle for representation and the legacy of slavery in institutionalized racism today.

Watch this four-part series on Reconstruction: America After the Civil War. The series explores the transformative years of the post-war Reconstruction era (1865-77). While it was tragically short-lived, this period witnessed millions of former slaves and free Black people strive for their rightful place as equal citizens under the law; where they could advance, achieve education, exercise their right to vote and run for public office.

Uncover how the U.S. government and justice system upheld racist policies which gave rise and reinforced neighborhood segregation through the research and storytelling in Richard Rostein’s The Color of Law. The impact of these actions has been devastating for generations of African Americans who were denied the right to live where they wanted to live, and hence unable to raise and school their children where they could flourish most successfully.

Listen to the 1619 Podcast and discover how slavery has transformed America . As part of this country’s first big business, learn how the institution of slavery turned a once fledgling nation into a financial powerhouse which formed the foundation of American capitalism.

Understand the complexities of African American masculinity with The Black Man Project, an organization that creates safe spaces for young Black men to engage in dialogue that grants space that nurtures their healing, wholeness, leadership, accountability, and brotherhood.

Inspire the next generation of antiracist activists in your community by stimulating conversations on race using Flying Elephant’s How to Start Talking About Race Card Deck. Each deck includes thought-provoking cards that help to unpack the thoughts, questions and feelings on topics related to race and privilege.

Facilitate these question cards at a future convening. Each card includes a prompt that is designed to support you and those in your community have discussions on antiracism.

Follow chef and writer Stephen Satterfield as he traces the history and journey of Black food in High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. Moving from Africa to Texas and blending a cross section of stories that address land and ownership, preservation and innovation, this docuseries is an energetic and deeply nuanced celebration of Black people and their food.

*These resources were posted on June 17, 2021.