Anti-Racism Resources for Aotearoa New Zealand

Kia ora koutou,

In light of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and conversations with Kiwis wondering how they can take action as an ally here, we’ve put together the following resource list for anti-racism work in Aotearoa.

If you want tips on how to approach this work as an ally and create your own action plan, please check out our blog post on the topic.

Anti-Racism Resources for people in Aotearoa New Zealand:

• To read: Try to buy books directly from the author, or from businesses owned by Māori, Pasifika, Blacks, or other people of colour:

  • Aotearoa: 

    • Anti-racism reading list for Aotearoa: This list highlights 10 non-fiction books by Māori authors that cover Māori history and institutional racism in Aotearoa.

    • Colouring in the White Spaces, by Dr Ann Milne - In this book, Dr Milne explores the systemic reasons behind institutionalised racism in an academic context. This book is the culmination of years of work on cultural identity and racial and cultural inequity. (One of our facilitators, Vivian Chandra, is also going through a course by Dr Ann Milne - click here to learn more.)

    • Imagining Decolonisation, by Bianca Elkington, Moana Jackson, Rebecca Kiddle, Ocean Ripeka Mercier, Mike Ross, Jennie Smeaton, and Amanda Thomas

    • Island Time: New Zealand’s Pacific Futures, by Damon Salesa

    • Justice and Race: Campaigns against racism and abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand, by Oliver Sutherland

    • Working as Allies, by Jen Margaret

  • International: 

    • Becoming, by Michelle Obama

    • Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

    • How To Be an Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi

    • Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism, and Change the World, by Layla F. Saad

    • So you want to talk about race, by Ijeoma Oluo

    • White Fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism, by Robin DiAngelo

    • For more, check out this detailed list of anti-racist books created by Victoria Alexander (she’s also on our list below of people to follow and support). 

• To watch: Try watching one of these as part of a movie night with friends - that way you can watch the video and then have a discussion afterwards.

  • Aotearoa:

    • Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen - a documentary about filmmaker and activist Merata Mita, the first women from an Indigenous Nation to solely direct a film anywhere in the world (available on Netflix)

    • Māori Television and NZOnScreen have a range of documentaries on topics ranging from the actions of wāhine Māori in the suffragette movement to the Polynesian Panthers and their work in the 1970s to counter the “dawn raids”. 

  • International: 

    • 13th - a documentary about the criminalisation of African-Americans in the US prison system (available on Netflix)

    • Selma - a historical drama based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches initiated and directed by James Bevel and led by Martin Luther King, Jr.

    • When They See Us - mini-series about the true story of five black teens from Harlem who were falsely accused of an attack in Central Park (available on Netflix)

    • Any film from Array - a platform dedicated to amplifying independent films by people of colour and women filmmakers globally; founded by Ava DuVernay (Merata is also featured on this site)

• Organisations to follow and support:

  • Aotearoa:

    • E-Tangata - Independent Māori and Pacific media, a not-for-profit site run by the Mana Trust (Twitter)

    • Groundwork - offers Te Tiriti workshops, books, and more

    • Inclusive Aotearoa Collective - founded by Anjum Rahman after the Christchurch shootings, this group works to build a socially inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand

    • People Against Prisons Aotearoa - a prison abolitionist organisation working for a fairer, safer, and more just Aotearoa

    • STIR (Stop Institutional Racism) - a social movement committed to te Tiriti o Waitangi and ending institutional racism in the health system

    • Tauiwi mō Matike Mai Aotearoa - A forum for building the movement of tauiwi (non-Māori) supporting treaty-based constitutional transformation as envisaged by Matike Mai Aotearoa

    • Te Pumaomao Nation-Building Seminars - These decolonisation workshops provide a transformative journey to develop a holistic understanding of cross-cultural relationships today

    • Treaty Resource Centre - He Puna Mātauranga o Te Tiriti - provide Te Tiriti o Waitangi learning resources and workshops, consultation on policy development, and support for conducting Treaty audits.

  • International:

    • Black Lives Matter - the global organisation behind the Black Lives Matter movement (Twitter, Instagram)

    • The Body is Not an Apology - a resource to promote, demonstrate, and assist in the development of a global movement toward radical self-love & body empowerment (Twitter, Instagram)

    • NAACP - founded in 1909, the NAACP is the USA’s first and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization (Twitter, Instagram)

      • Their legal defence fund is a good organisation to support, especially now: NAACP Legal Defense Fund 

    • Southern Poverty Law Center - combats hate, intolerance, and discrimination through education and litigation; founded in 1971 (Twitter, Instagram)

• People to follow and support:

  • Aotearoa:

    • Amber Craig - Muaūpoko, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa & Rangitāne; part of Te Rua o Mahara, a project to empower the Wairarapa community and wider whānau by sharing stories (Twitter)

    • Anjum Rahman, MNZM - a founding member of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand and the founder of Inclusive Aotearoa (Twitter)

    • Guled Mire - Co-founder, of 3rdCultureMinds; community advocate, writer, and MC/speaker; born in Somalia, was a refugee in Kenya, raised in Aotearoa (Twitter)

    • Hēmi Kelly - Māori language teacher, writer, and translator; creates podcasts on “Everyday Māori” (Twitter)

    • Kera O’Regan - Kāi Tahu, multimedia storyteller, the Comms & Impact Director of Activate Film; speaks about climate justice and indigenous & disability rights (Twitter)

    • Leonie Hayden - Editor at Spinoff Atea, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara (Twitter)

    • Leonie Pihama - Kaupapa Māori academic, of Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Māhanga and Ngā Māhanga ā Tairi descent (Twitter)

    • Lisa Meto Fox - lawyer, unionist, and organiser; Faleapuna & Kaukapakapa (Twitter)

    • Mihingarangi Forbes - Journalist at The Hui (Twitter) 

    • Sonya Renee Taylor - founder of The Body is Not An Apology, a website for radical self love; American now living in Aotearoa (Instagram)

  • International:

    • Ibram X. Kendi - History Professor and Director of the Antiracism Center; #1 New York Times Bestselling Author; wrote How To Be an Anti-Racist (Twitter, Instagram)

    • Ijeoma Oluo - speaks about race and racism; Editor of The Establishment (Twitter, Instagram)

    • Layla F Saad - author, speaker, and teacher on topics of race, identity, leadership, and social change; wrote Me and White Supremacy (Instagram)

    • Rachel Cargle - writer, lecturer, public academic, and founder of The Great Unlearn (Twitter)

    • Roxane Gay - author of books include Ayiti, Untamed State, Bad Feminist, Difficult Women, World of Wakanda, Hunger, Not That Bad (Twitter, Instagram)

    • Victoria Alexander - PhD student focused on racial and social equity in education; anti-racist researcher who’s developed great resources (Twitter, Instagram)