The Cayman Islands community is remarkably diverse with over 130 nationalities coexisting in a population of just under 70,000. Despite relative social harmony, racial injustice remains inherent with wide sections of our population experiencing the personal, social and economic effects of racial inequality on a daily basis – something upon which COVID-19, along with the events in the US, has shed a stark light. As we look towards recovery and reopening, how do we come together in solidarity to acknowledge and address systemic racism in our community, and advocate for lasting change?
The National Gallery strives to serve as a forum for open, honest, and difficult dialogue while creating understanding through the power of art. Talking about race and racial injustice, although hard, is essential. It’s a lifelong journey and one that starts with personal reflection. We commit to having these difficult discussions as a team and with our stakeholders, and joining other community groups over the coming weeks and months to help instigate true change. In advance, we’ve included some resources and tools below to help inform and empower your own journey, and to inspire reflection and conversation.
Smithsonian Resources – How to Talk about Race
Documentaries that Address Racial Inequality
Reading Materials For Adults
- New York Times: An Anti-Racist Reading List
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- The Condemnation of Blackness by Khalil Gibran Muhammad
- Culture and Imperialism by Edward Said
- How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
- Women, Race and Class by Angela Y. Davis
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Reading Materials for Children and Teens
- Anti-Racism for Kids 101: Starting to Talk About Race
- ‘No Reader is Too Young to Start’: Anti-Racist Books for All Children and Teens
- Looking for books about racism? Experts suggest these must-read titles for adults and kids
- These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids
- I Am Enough by Grace Byers
- I Believe I Can by Grace Byers
- Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
For Teachers and Parents
- Five Essential Practices for Teaching the Civil Rights Movement: Practice 2: Know How to Talk About Race
- Healthline Parenthood: Anti-Racism Resources for Parents and Kids
- How White Parents Can Talk to Their Kids About Race
- Black Lives Matter Teaching Resources
Questions on Addressing Privilege
Caribbean-Specific Resources
- Premature Abolition, Ethnocentrism, and Bold Blackness: Race Relations in the Cayman Islands, 1834–1840
- Bodies, Race and Performance in Derek Walcott’s ‘A Branch of the Blue Nile’
- Mirror Mirror: Identity, Race and Protest in Jamaica by Rex Nettleford
- Capitalism and Slavery by Eric Williams