Several years ago I made a spring cleaning list for Fakequity. It is time to make a part two, you can think of it as a rotational list, maybe you do this one on even years and the other list on odd years or some other fun rotation.

Start Cleaning

Clean out your hobby gear. Hobbies are great and often keep us connected to other parts of the community. Now is a good time to clean out your gear and make plans to share some of it with others. Maybe arrange a trade with others and make it a relational event, or a way to support POCs.

Evaluate your charity donations. Do the charities you support with time, money, or talent match your racial equity goals? If not maybe now is a good time to shift some of that time, talent, and funds to something more aligned with your beliefs.

Clean your entranceway. The entranceway is an often overlooked place of our house for a good cleaning. I recently wiped down the walls and dusted our entranceway, it made it look and feel much better. If your entranceway has a stairwell, make sure to wipe that down too, and baseboards.

Clean out your pantry. The other Fakequity spring cleaning list says to clean your refrigerator. This year clear out your dry goods pantry. Maybe you have extra noodles or rice paper wrappers from that time you tried a TikTok or Instagram recipe – are you really going to use the rest? I hope so, but if not pass the rest along or compost them.

Clean your vocabulary. We all use problematic language, maybe you let the word ‘guys’ even when speaking to not men. Or you say something ableist, now is a good time to make a conscious effort to be less racist and ableist.

While you’re cleaning your vocabulary, spring clean your keyboard. Pull out some alcohol wipes and literally wipe down your computer keys and phone. This has little to do with race, and more of the vein of a good hygiene practice, and I watched a reel of someone cleaning their keyboard so it is top of mind.

Spring clean your eating. We all need more veggies and fresh stuff in our diets, or maybe if you’re already on this path, you spring clean by trying something new. Stop by a farmer’s market or small ethnic grocery store and try some new to you produce. I recently tried nagaimo, a root veggie that becomes gummy when grated. I made Japanese okonomiyaki with it – a vegan version to get more veggies into the rotation.

Order your air filters for smoke and wild fire season. Some years we get lucky and don’t need air filters for smoke and wildfires, other years it is bad. Make sure you have a fresh filter on hand in case there is wildfire smoke. If you are economically privileged, make sure to donate to others who need this support too. Climate change is impacting fire risks. Learn about how Indigenous people around the world relate to fire and land management, and learn about how POCs are more heavily impacted by wildfires and other climate related disasters.

Finally, spring clean to make you feel good. Clean out things that don’t serve your social justice, racial equity, and overall life goals. Retiring an activity or possession that doesn’t align with your racial equity beliefs, may create space for something new to come in and bring you joy.

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