A note: No blog post for the next two weeks. I’ll be back in July.

It is June and summer is kinda here — it rained hard in Seattle today. My friend Bao makes BINGO cards for each month. I thought I’d riff off of her idea and make one for Fakequity for summer. This BINGO board has different suggestions for things to do, experience, or learn about. My goal for this blog post is to help us explore and think differently about topics during the summer.

Since the graphic is not screen-reader friendly, the text from the squares are below. I’ve expanded on some of them to explain why they made the BINGO board.

Finally, I hope you have fun, relax, and enjoy summer. Reflecting back on the first six months, including the COVID omicron wave, atmospheric rivers of rain in the Pacific Northwest, or really hot and dry days in other parts of the country, the invasion of Ukraine, and too many mass shootings, we need to also reflect on the good and where we can learn and make an impact too.

BINGO Board Squares Text

Learn the Indigenous place name of where you are or where you will travel

Learn about Juneteenth – Don’t think of this as a holiday, learn about the history of Juneteenth and why it is important to Black and African Americans

Wear a mask while at a summer event – COVID is still a thing

Attend a summer POC festival/event online or IRL

Watch a film by a POC filmmaker – There are a ton of great films by POC filmmakers. A few suggestions: 13 by Ava Duvernay, Everything Everything All at Once – Michelle Yeoh is a badass in this multiverse film, as a family we’ve been revisiting the Hayao Miyazaki films, including watching a documentary on his films.

Get a COVID booster or take someone for a COVID booster – Protecting yourself from COVID protects the community, including POC communities

Read a book by a POC author – If you need suggestions, check out some previous Fakequity posts

Make a dish from your ethnic background, and research it – Connecting with your own heritage and culture is an important part of supporting POCs

Research a social justice topic from a POC perspective

Write to a policymaker telling about a topic you care about – Policy changes happen quicker when people advocate and share why they believe in a topic. Take a moment to share your thoughts with a policymaker.

You watch a gov’t meeting – learn more about how policy is made – Government meetings are often fascinating if you are interested in the topic. Find a meeting (many are recorded) and watch it to learn more about the topic. Learning how policies are made or adjudicated is an important part of influencing policy. Just today the January 6 – Insurrection hearing was held in Congress, watch that one if you need to learn about a topic.

You have a close encounter with COVID – Please continue to be COVID careful.

Donate blood / Help someone donate blood – Advocate for a diverse blood supply. In my city many of the blood drives are not held in diverse neighborhoods, I will be making an ask of the local blood bank to host blood drives in my neighborhood where there are many more POCs. The FDA (and blood banks) should eliminate the ban on men who have sex with other men. It is discriminatory.

Register to vote for the August primary – if you’re registered remind someone else to register

Drink water – Give thanks for that clean water. Clean water is not something everyone has access to. — Learn about access to clean water, especially as it relates to POC communities. Think about Native Americans – Standing Rock protest, reservations without clean water, lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, or the water contamination by the US Navy in Hawaii.

You congratulate a graduate – Find a graduate and congratulate them on growing their minds and hearts. Preschool, kindergarten, high school, college, or beyond, or maybe a graduate of something else, we all deserve congrats when we accomplish something great.

Reflect on what you appreciate from the past six months – What from the past six months do you want to keep, what do you want to release, what can you do to be a better ally to POCs?

Support a POC farmer – Buy fresh produce, flowers, or other products from small POC farmers. BONUS – learn more about POC food sovereignty.

Your Choice 1 – Have fun!

Your Choice 2 – Share what you’re doing with someone else.

---

Thank you to our Patreon subscribers. At this time I don’t offer ‘extras’ or bonuses for Patreons. I blog after working a full-time job, volunteer and family commitments thus it is hard to find time to create more content. Whatever level you are comfortable giving helps to keep the blog ad-free, pay for back-end cost, research costs, supporting other POC efforts, etc. If your financial situation changes please make this one of the first things you turn-off — you can still access the same content and when/if you are able to re-subscribe we’ll appreciate it.

Abby, Adrienne, Agent001, Aimie, Alayna, Alessandra P., Alessandra Z., Alexa, Aline, Alison F.P., Alison P., Allison K., Amanda, Amber, Amira, Amy, Amy H., Amy H.N., Amy K., Amy P., Andie, Andrea, Andrea J., Angelica, Angelina, Ann, Ashlee, Ashlie, Avery, Barb, Barbara, Barbara B., Barrett, Becky, Beth, Brad, brian, Bridget, Brooke B., Brooke D.W., Cadence, Caitlin, Calandra, Callista, Cari, Carmen, Carol Ann, Carolyn, Carrie B., Carrie C., Carrie S., Caryn, Catherine L., Catherine S. x2, Cedra, Celicia, Chelsea, Christa, Christina, Christina S, Christine, Clara, Clark, Claudia, Claudia A., Courtney, Crystal, Dan, Daniel, Daniellex2, Danya, Darcy, Darcy E., Deb, Denyse, Diana, Diane, E., Ed, Edith B., Edith B. (2), Eileen, Elizabeth, Elizabeth U., Emiko, emily, Erica J., Erica L., Erica R.B., Erin, Erin H., Evan, Francis, Gail, Genita, Hannah, Hayden, Heather, Heidi, Heidi H., Heidi N and Laura P, Heidi S., Hilary, Hope, J., Jackie, Jaime, Jake, Jane, JJanet, Jason, Jean, Jeanne, Jelena, Jen, Jena, Jenn, Jennet, Jennifer C., Jennifer M., Jennifer S., Jennifer T., Jennifer W., Jess G., Jessa, Jessica F., Jessica G., Jessica R., Jessie, Jillian, Jody, John, Jon G., Jon P., Jordan, Jordan L., Julia, June, Karen, Kari, Katharine, Kate C., Kate G., Kate T., Kathryn, Katie D., Katie O., Kawai, Keisha, Kelly S, Kelley, Kelli, Kellie H., Kellie M., Kelly, Kim, Kymberli, Kim, Kimberly, Krissy, Kirsten, Krista D.B., Krista W., Kristen, Kumar, Kyla, LA Progressive, Laura T., Laura G., Laurel, Lauren, Laurie B., Laurie K., Leah, Lindsay, Liora, Lisa C., lisa c., Lisa P.W., Lisa S., Liz, Lori, Lori N., Lyn, Lynn, Maegan, Maggie, Maka, Maki, Marc, Mareeha, Marge, Marilee, Mark, Marki, Mary, Matthew M., matthew w., Maura, McKenzie, Meghan, Melissa, Melody, Meredith, Michael, Michele, Michelle, Mickey, Migee, Mike, Milo, Mindy, Miranda, Misha, Molly, Myrna, Nancy, Nat, Natasha D., Natasha R., Nicole, Nora, Norah, Norrie, Peggy, PMM, Polly, Porsche, Rachel G., Rachel S.R., Raquel, Raquel S., Rebecca O., Rebecca S., Reiko, Risa, Rise, Ruby, Ruchika, Sandra, Sarah B., Sarah H., Sarah K.B., Sarah K., Sarah L., Sarah O., Sarah O. (2), Sarah R., Sarah S., Sarena, Sarita, Sean, Selma, SEJE Consulting, Sharon, Shannon, Sharon, Shaun, Shawna, Shelby, Shelley, Skyler, Steph, Stephanie, Stephen, Su, Susan, Susan M., Susan M.x2, Susan U., T., Tallie, Tana, Tania DSC, Tania T.D., Tara, TerraCorps, Terri, Tim, Titilayo, Tracy, Tracy G., Tracy T.G., Tyler, virginia, Vivian, Will, Willow, yoko, Yvette, and Zan

If you subscribe to the blog, thank you. Please check fakequity.com for the most up-to-date version of the post. We often make grammatical and stylistic corrections after the first publishing which shows up in your inbox. Please subscribe, the sign-up box on the right sidebar (desktop version). To see what Erin is reading and recommended books check out the Fakequity Bookshop.

I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.