As the United States (and now, the world) moves to bring the injustice towards black lives under a magnifying glass, people are doing whatever they can to stand in solidarity and support in different ways.
It’s important to know what to do to help from wherever you are! From protesting in the streets to calling state and government officials to relearning and re-educating ourselves on how to be better allies, there are various things that you can do to contribute to the progression of educating each other to be a better anti-racist ally and amplifying black voices.
Everyone everywhere can make a change if we know how to, right? Here are different links you can use to reach out, reflect, and use as a resource remotely:
Educating Yourself and Reflection:
Mireille Cassandra Harper from Vogue (U.K.) wrote a piece on how to become a better non-optical ally. This thought-provoking read is an excellent guide for looking to be better educated and proactive as a person that wants to stand in solidarity. Read it here.
Reading How to Be Anti-Racist, Black Authors, and Reading About Their Experience:
There’s a vast collection of books about being anti-racist that give a better understanding of the oppressed’s perspective. Here is a list of books that have been circulating socials that are necessary, suggested reads:
- Between the World and Me
- Beloved
- How to be Anti-Racist
- Biased
- So You Want to Talk About Race
- The Hate U Give
- They Can’t Kill Us All
- The Fire Next Time
- From Mammy to Miss America and Beyond
- The New Jim Crow
- Pushout: the Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
- White Fragility
- Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
- The Color of Law
- Dying of Whiteness
- The Bluest Eye
Other essential pieces to read: How the U.S. Got Its Police Force
Donate! Donate! Donate!
I made a carrd with all the ways to help I could find to make it even easier to do your part!! It only takes 5 seconds to help make change. #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd https://t.co/1ohWe1ni2i
— BLACK LIVES MATTER (@dehyedration) May 28, 2020
Twitter user @dehyedration created a Carrd with resources to educate and take action, including links to places to donate.
Donating to the mentioned organizations and your local organizations will help bring the community up and put the funds in the hands that need it the most.
Supporting Black-Owned Businesses
By supporting black-owned businesses, you’re putting your money towards hardworking creatives that need us to stand in solidarity as well as helping them gain financial support for their art and hard work instead of big box companies! These instagram links will lead you to black-owned businesses that cater to you wherever you are!
Dont have money? Can’t go protest? Here’s a simple, free way you can help!
Zoe Amira put together a video together that you can watch for an hour long that is jam-packed with ads. Why? The ad revenue generated will go towards Black Lives Matter as well as Black Lives Matter associated protester bail funds. She’s a genius, and it’s an easy way for you to do your part from home!
Another significant piece you can watch is Ava DuVernay’s documentary, 13th. This Emmy award-winning documentary is a direct, hard-hitting look at how America’s history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration. And Netflix has it up on YouTube for FREE.
Vote. Vote in your primaries when it’s available in your state, and vote in this upcoming election.
It’s key for us to be vocal about our rights and the rights of others by voting in our election. The only way we can bring forth true change is to stand up and be counted. We need to stand up and vote to bring forth forward movement.
Check your voting registration and register: vote.org
If you are intending to go out and protest, here are some links to help you better organize, prepare, and stay safe while you are out:
Protesting is your right, considering the First Amendment protects your right to assemble. That said, law enforcement officials often violate this right with force and arbitrary restrictions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) put together information for organizers and protesters to know their rights.
With Covid-19, protesting has another element to prepare for and be mindful of. The Vox article, How to more safely protest in a pandemic, provides useful tips from health experts on reducing the spread of the virus in mass gatherings.
Plan to protest? Here are tips to reduce the risk of spreading #COVID19:
✔️Wear a face covering
✔️Wear eye protection to prevent injury
✔️Stay hydrated
✔️Use hand sanitizer
✔️Don’t yell; use signs & noise makers instead
✔️Stick to a small group
✔️Keep 6 feet from other groups— nychealthy (@nycHealthy) May 30, 2020
We need to do our part by continuing to educate and re-educate ourselves in our everyday lives by opening and making ourselves better anti-racist allies.
Whatever you chose to do, pick a side. Moderates” and people who would rather stay quiet to maintain the status quo choose the oppressor’s side and should confidently stand in that. Your silence is loud, so don’t think we don’t see you.
Black Lives Matter.
Written and arranged by Oddity & Co. Owners, Desiree Tolentino & Mariah Berry
We stand with you in strength and solidarity.