issue #56 - the one where we’re not going back

The past two weeks. Whoa.

I’m late to this fight. I’m guilty of telling myself all the things (‘but I have Black friends!’ ‘I read books by Black authors!’ ‘I support Black Lives Matter!’). But there’s a difference in living in a non-racist bubble of privilege like I have, and being anti-racist.

I’ve popped that bubble. I’m awake. And I refuse to go back.

Black lives matter.

Black history is AMERICAN history.

Black people deserve the public safety and security that we have always enjoyed and taken for granted.

Anti-racism is not something to check off your list. It’s a new way of living, of questioning all your preconceived notions of how things work, and for listening and learning versus saying ‘but!’

It’s about damn time I showed up. I hope you’ll join me in this fight.

If this is your first e-mail from me, welcome! In addition to writing the book How To Pack, I'm an entrepreneur and angel investor, an avid reader, and a mom of two boys (a 5 year old and a 1 year old).

Every Saturday, I share the 25 best reads from the Internet (culled from the daily shares on my Instagram), the books I've read that week, and things I'm generally loving at the moment. You can join the conversation on all these articles - and more! - in my Facebook group.

Looking for my packing list template? Here you go!

Be Anti-Racist. Do These.

• Register to vote - and request an absentee ballot. This is the bare minimum you can do if you’re a citizen.

• Form an anti-racism circle among your friends or family.Read White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy MacIntosh, as a group. Do a Zoom call or a e-mail chain on which daily privileges you are now aware of, how they’ve impacted your life, and how it makes you feel.

• Become a patron of The Conscious Kid, which gives you access to their list of children’s books to teach your children about race. Purchase one (or some) of those books from a Black-owned independent bookstore.

• Commit to purchasing all your books from a Black-owned bookstore from here on out. I recommend The Lit Bar,The Bronx Is Reading, Semicolon Bookstore, Uncle Bobbie's which are all on Bookshop.org.

• Capitalize Black when you’re referring to Black people. This is why.

• Give your entertainment an anti-racist cleanse. Watch one of these films/shows, or pick up a book by Jasmine Guillory, Talia Hibbert, Alyssa Cole, or Farrah Rochon.

#ThingsILove This Week

I’ll be perfectly honest - I haven’t been aware of how many of my regular purchases were going to Amazon and other major retailers until last week. I went on the same black-owned business shopping spree that I think many of you did as well. It would be wrong to pretend otherwise, so I’m going to share the businesses I have been shopping for a while and will share new businesses as I shift my regular purchases over to them.

• I have struggled to find a nude pair of shoes for…ever. Until I met Rebecca Allen and slipped my feet in a pair of her shoes. And I’ve never gone back. Allen’s three styles are timeless, insanely comfortable, and you’re guaranteed to find YOUR nude shade. I’m a proud investor in Rebecca Allen, and I am so excited for what they’re launching next.

• Evryday Jane was founded by Rakia Reynolds (communications powerhouse and a dear friend). I remember her telling me about an idea for a travel-friendly clothing brand that was also fashion forward, and that’s exactly what she created. I own and love this matching top and trousers (for a jumpsuit look), this modern take on a skort, and the travel pod is *chef’s kiss*

• Rec Room’s dresses are magic. They hit top marks for comfort, fit, color, I’m proud to call Dre and Val friends, and even more proud of their commitment to racial justice. With actual money. Not lip service.

• My sweatshirt collection is exclusively made up of Phenomenal, which I’ve shared here time and time again. Each of these cozy sweatshirts and kitten-soft t-shirts supports a different cause, and my father has a habit of ‘borrowing’ mine. My boys have quite a growing Phenomenal collection as well, with these Feminist t-shirts and onesie (sold out) and this Black Lives Matter shirt for Rho (and for myself).

• I’ve only blow dried my hair once during quarantine, and that’s exclusively because of Briogeo’s avocado & quinoa co-wash (the BEST one and done shampoo/conditioner I’ve ever used and better than all the separate products I’ve used) and rice amino + avocado leave-in creme. Their hair quiz is excellent (it recommended these two products to me), and I haven’t had to use my Overtone coloring mask as frequently when I switched over to the Briogeo products.

What I read this week

• No, You Shut Up - Symone Sanders is the only reason cable news was worth watching during the Democratic primary in 2016, and the rare times she’s on a news network today. I thought she was a political prodigy who swept onto the scene as Senator Sanders’ national press secretary in ’16, but I know now she’s been doing the work since childhood to earn her seat at the table and I AM HERE FOR IT. Her memoir is rip roaringly funny, so smart, and I really want to be her friend. Until that day comes, I have her book (on audio, on Kindle, and the physical one is on the way) to keep me company.

• Kamala And Maya’s Big Idea - if you have kids, you know how rare it is that they want to read a book again and again and again, and even rarer that you like that book. This is the book that hits both marks. It’s a true childhood story of how young Kamala and Maya Harris rallied their apartment building to come together and build a playground in their courtyard, despite the early no’s and lack of funds. Meena brought the story alive with so much love, positivity, and a youthful sense of activism and my boys (well, Rho) is just obsessed with it. As am I.

I’m building outmy Bookshop store, which will house all my favorite books in all the categories. Please consider purchasing your books throughBookshopandLibro.fm(use code HITHA for 3 free books when you start a membership) to support independent bookstores!

Hitha’s Favorite Things

• Libro.fm is my favorite audiobook app (it credits your favorite independent bookstore with the sale). Use code HITHA to get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you create a monthly membership. Please choose one of these bookstores to support through your membership!

• PLEASE purchase your books from independent bookstores! I recommend The Lit Bar,The Bronx Is Reading, Semicolon Bookstore, Uncle Bobbie's which are all on Bookshop.org.

• I use BOM to order a lot of our household products. Highly recommend this cleaning spray, this laundry detergent, and these wipes. Use this link to get $10 your order!

• my favorite vitamins (both their pre-natal and their essential one for women). Use code HITHA for 10% off your first 3 months.

• CBD has been a lifesaver for me. Get 20% off your first order with code HITHA.

• my favorite produce delivery company that supports small farms in the process. Use code COOKWME-NM5DMZ for 25% off.

• my ultimate kitchen essential (and one of my portfolio companies)

• Small Packages (one of my portfolio companies) is the curated gift box company I’m always talking about - get 15% off your order with the code HITHA

• Use this app to save #5SmartReads to read later

• MasterClass is worth every penny. I watch them while cooking meals, when I need a break, and when I’m feeling unmotivated and I’ve learned so much from it.

• the notebook that has changed my life (see how I use it here and here). Get 15% off with code HITHA15.

• the marriage check-in my husband and I do every single week

• my favorite workout - and why. Use code G37YVV for $100 in accessories (spin shoes, weights, headphones - oh my!). You can also follow me on the app (I’m hithaonthegogo) to see what workouts I’m doing, and join our tag #smartnsweaty.

The Top 5

1. Model Minority' Myth Again Used As A Racial Wedge Between Asians And Blacks (NPR)

2. How White Women Can Use Their Privilege to End Racism (Zora)

3. Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You (Medium)

4. On Brands, Black Lives Matter, And Allyship (Rebecca Allen)

5. Why Are Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence? (TIME)

The Catch Up

Monday

• The Massacre Of Black Wall Street (The Atlantic)

• It Does Not Matter If You Are Good (Elle)

• The Center Is Not Holding (The Dispatch)

• Your Love Journey Must Begin Within (Zora)

Tuesday

• White supremacy takes so much already, don’t let it take your grief too (The Grio)

• Insecure's Kendrick Sampson on Black Mental Health & Reimagining Justice (Essence)

• How the U.S. Got Its Police Force (TIME)

• Alabama balances privacy against accuracy in contact tracing app (AL.com)

Wednesday

• Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not (Refinery 29)

• Police act like laws don't apply to them because of 'qualified immunity.' They're right. (USA Today)

• The Only Politicians Leading Right Now Are America’s Black Female Mayors (The Mary Sue)

• Even As Black Americans Get Richer, Their Health Outcomes Remain Poor (Pacific Standard)

Thursday

• I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet. (Washington Post)

• Ferguson picks Ella Jones as first African American and first woman mayor (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

• Kamala Harris Calls For Legislation To Be Passed, Demands To Be Met To Satisfy Protesters (Essence)

• The Trans Woman Who Changed “Voguing” Forever (Zora)

Friday

• What happens when social media discovers ‘black cool’ (WeWork)

• Meghan Markle: 'George Floyd's Life Mattered’ (Essence)

• The African-American Suffragists History Forgot (Vogue)

• 'This Is A Very Strange Time To Be A Black-Owned Business’ (HuffPost)