One way to support Black Lives Matter if you’re not Black is to be an ally. However, being an ally isn’t as simple as retweeting BLM posts or asking your Black friends if they are okay.
If you are white, it is no secret you were born with privilege. If you want to genuinely support BLM, there are some things you should and shouldn’t do. Here’s a guide on how to show your solidarity with the Black community.
A statement isn’t enough; you have to put in the work
Many brands like Pretty Little Thing have published statements regarding Black Lives Matter. However, Black Twitter wasn’t very satisfied. Making a statement doesn’t equal action so they both must coincide.
Two weeks later, PLT posted a pledge to “do better” by stating they will create a diversity board and “create a plan for change.” While creating a diversity board is a step, the question about the recruiting process comes into play.
Will they just hire any Black person to add color to the team? Or will they carefully select someone who can uphold Black representation and be effective?
The point is, doing the work is more than just a plan. It looks more like having an honest representation of Black people, donating to BLM-related causes, using your privilege to help others who don’t have the same opportunities.
Influencer Jackie Aina also shared some thoughts on Pretty Little Thing, Fashion Nova, and Missguided’s approach to standing up for the Black community:
Slide three notes white people benefit from the oppression of Black people and other groups of color. If you did or didn’t know that, it is important to fully understand it. Next time you see a lack of Black or POC representation in your job, call it out. Help put a Black person on!
Not all chants are for you
White folks, thank you for supporting the Black community at protests.
Before you create that poster or follow along with the chants, realize that not all of them are for you.
It isn’t appropriate to say, “I can’t breathe”, because you’ve most likely haven’t been in that situation or won’t experience it. Black people are subject to get stopped and harassed by the police more than a white person would. Therefore, leave this to the Black community because their skin complexion is already a target.
George Floyd couldn’t breathe on May 25, 2020, and Eric Garner couldn’t on July 27, 2014. There is a long list of Black people that couldn’t breathe, either, in the hands of police officers.
Don’t ask a Black person if they’re “okay.” Of course, they’re not!
Checking in on your Black counterparts is nice and all, but it doesn’t do anything. The Black community has been oppressed for over four hundred years and they are still dealing with the effects today. Instead, give them their space and #PullUpOrShutUp.
The hashtag and challenge were created by beauty CEO Sharon Chuter. Pull Up Or Shut Up is a direct action movement whose goal is to fight for economic opportunities for Black people.
The Instagram account, @pullupforchange, calls on big brands like Adidas to show their support and numbers on how they are contributing to the financial wellness of Black people:
By showing up for the cause, you are saying your support for Black lives goes beyond the internet.
Understand your privilege and know when it’s time to stay shut
White privilege doesn’t need to be explained here because we all know what that looks like.
It looks like being able to go for a jog without getting killed, serving a significantly lower amount of time for a crime than a Black person would, and seeing people that look like you at work.
When Black people are expressing their feelings about how they are being treated, don’t include your two cents about your own experiences. Everyone measures pain differently, but no pain relates to what Black people have undergone throughout history.
Once again: acknowledge your privilege and don’t compare.
On Friday, June 12, 2020, President Trump’s administration reversed the protection. This fell on the four-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre, where 49 people were killed.
The Trump administration just finalized a rule that would remove nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in health care & health insurance on the 4 year anniversary of #PulseNightclub 💔49 human beings lost their lives…we will keep fighting for equality & gun control pic.twitter.com/qGRdqvv0Br
The regulation falls under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the Health Care Rights Law. It “prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities.”
Transgender people, along with women seeking abortions, can now be discriminated against under this reversal. The Trump administration enforces the clause by keeping gender definitions brief.
The Health Department, also known as HHS, now enforces Section 1557 by “returning to the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination according to the plain meaning of the word ‘sex’ as male or female and as determined by biology.”
The definition contradicts the Obama-era’s: “redefined sex discrimination to include termination of pregnancy and gender identity, which it defined as ‘one’s internal sense of gender, which may be male, female, neither, or a combination of male and female.'”
Legal action
Lambda Legal, a civil rights organization represents the LGBTQ+ community, announced they will sue the Trump administration. The Human Rights Campaign will be following suit.
“We cannot and will not allow Donald Trump to continue attacking us. Today, the Human Rights Campaign is announcing plans to sue the Trump administration for exceeding their legal authority and attempting to remove basic health care protections from vulnerable communities including LGBTQ people.”
Dr. Susan Bailey, President of the American Medical Association, opposed the change. “The federal government should never make it more difficult for individuals to access health care — during a pandemic or any other time,” said Bailey.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo assured New Yorkers they have expanded coverage. Moreover, Cuomo “enshrined the critical protections from the Affordable Care Act into state law.”
Social media backlash
It’s clear LGBTQ+ members and supporters are displeased with the June 12 finalization. This news weighs heavily on the community and its allies.
Twitter users took to social media to express their concerns:
Trump dishonored the 49 victims of the Pulse massacre and every LGBTQ American today by rolling back nondiscrimination health care protections for LGBTQ people during Pride month. The cruelty is the point.
If you support Donald Trump, you do not care about my life, LGBTQ+ lives (specifically trans lives), Black lives, POC lives, Indigenous lives, immigrants lives, women’s lives, you ONLY care about the straight white man.
Remember that, because I won’t forget your support of him.
— Gaelen🧑🎤✨(they/them) (@g_mccartney_) June 13, 2020
if you support trump you’re racist and anti LGBTQ this isn’t a question of just politics it’s a question of morals and ethics
The violation of the human right creates more tension between LGBTQ+ members and Trump. This is not the first occasion where he exercises his homophobia.
Trump also opposes marriage equality in the United States. In 2019, the Trump administration denied all LGBTQ+ flags from flying over on U.S. Embassy building flagpoles.
This regulation will become another nationwide problem, along with racism.
Cancel culture describes boycotting a person or an organization because of something unfavorable they said or did. This approach can be toxic because it draws bad narratives of people and makes others feel guilty for agreeing with those who have been canceled.
“Cancellations” of people come in different forms like bashing them, not listening to their music, and creating movements against them.
While those who have been canceled for reasons–like being racist– deserve it, it is unfair to those who may have been falsely accused of something.
In a sensitive time like during the BLM movement, a few internet personalities and ‘celebrities’ have felt the wrath of cancelation for comments they have made. Take a look at some of the recent ones:
B. Simone
Simone has recently been under fire for her latest video, where she speaks on not wanting a man that works a 9-5 job. She states it’s not a money issue, but more of a lifestyle issue.
does B. Simone not realize that if we didn’t pay her corny ass any attention she would be back at the call center? oh ok.
B. Simone says nothing is wrong with a day job but she wants an entrepreneur that understands her grind. Social media users were not fond of her statements because they felt she doesn’t have a high-caliber status to make such demands.
B Simone needs to tread lightly considering she doesn’t even have a quality product to fall back on. If you’re winning all bc people like you, it’s probably a good idea to keep them liking you.
The comment, completely insensitive to George Floyd’s death, has landed her a spot on the “canceled” list. She issued a video apology shortly thereafter, but the internet wasn’t here for it.
Tokyo Jetz apologizes for making a joke using George Floyd’s death:
We’re gonna keep this one-two Virgils. Abloh has been criticized for his $50 dollar donation to a bail fund, (F)empower. Many called him cheap, considering his ownership of street fashion line Off White.
He addressed the comments by posting an Instagram statement (which is no longer available) proving his involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I also joined a social media chain of friends who were matching $50 donations. I apologize that appeared to some as if that was my only donation to these important causes.”
VIRGIL ABLOH AKA THE CEO OF HIGH FASHION BRAND OFF WHITE ONLY DONATED A MEASLY $50 to THE BLM FUND AND I AM ORBITING
The rapper and Love and Hip Hop Miami star referred to BLM protesters as “animals” on her 99 Jamz Radio show alongside rapper Trick Daddy. Trina expressed her support for an extended curfew to avoid the rioting and looting.
“Lock them up at 5 pm, so the streets can be nice and clean, that’s how I feel,” said Trina.
Trina is df cancelled!!!! this is a black women at that!!!!! She said “ animals “ and apparently she thinks she’s safe with a license and registration….that didn’t save nobody else girl!! They don’t give a FUCK about u having a license & registration. pic.twitter.com/bdWW3vk9fw
— Dominicanita Linda (@lesliepjimenez) June 3, 2020
Black Twitter was not very happy with her comments. Some had to humble her while others were unphased.
A video surfaced on May 26 of Doja Cat in a chatroom with other white men who were using racial slurs and the “n-word”. Twitter quickly created the hashtag, #DojaIsOverParty to “officially” cancel her.
The videos were extremely controversial. Doja responded stating half of her family is Black from South Africa and she is “very proud of where she comes from.”
She issued an apology that many felt was disingenuous. Doja went to IG Live to express her true feelings stating the previous apology was created by her PR team. After her IG Live apology, she turned off her comments on her Instagram page.
We haven’t heard much from Doja Cat since, except for her recent posts about Breonna Taylor and 9-year-old Zianna Oliphant’s speech regarding BLM . This movement exposed a lot of racists so the timing of the video added more fuel to the fire.
Some “cancelations” are necessary, especially those that express hatred for a group of people. The cancel culture still remains toxic because it doesn’t allow space for a comeback. Not only that but it also steers the conversation of the issue from the problematic behavior to the person, stifling any true societal progression.
It’s also important to note that the consequences cancel culture does not apply to many celebs, who seem to come back unscathed by any controversy.
Some celebrities have been under fire for domestic and sexual abuse allegations like Ben Afleck or even verified hate crimes like Mike Wahlberg.
But these celebs somehow seem to find their way back into approval and have no problem finding work in their industry.
It seems like newer internet personalities/artists don’t get the opportunity to “come back” unless the public feels they’ve suffered enough. Veterans may get more leeway, except those like R.Kelly.
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the series, announced Spongebob was asexual in 2002. The term describes someone who does not have sexual feelings towards others.
Some Twitter users were excited about the news and even launched a “#SpongebobIsGay” hashtag. However, the yellow sponge is not gay. Hillenburg told Reuters that Spongebob nor his best friend, Patrick Starr, are gay, despite what others think.
Are we really surprised spogebob is gay?? Dude had a baby clam with a starfish… #spongebob#spongebobisgay
“We never intended them to be gay. I consider them to be almost asexual. We’re just trying to be funny and this has got nothing to do with the show,” said Hillenburg.
People tend to associate characters with being gay if they do not have a love interest, which defines asexuality. Others associate the choice of clothes and mannerisms with being gay.
Others made their own interpretations and stated this does not come as a surprise. Some even went as far as not introducing the show to the next generations.
Now #SpongebobIsGay ???🙄 I have nothing against anyone but this shit is going too far. My grandkids won't be watching him.
Everyone doesn’t have to agree with Spongebob’s involvement in the LGBTQ community. However, it is a step in the right direction when children’s shows speak on such topics.
Gay or not, this representation may make children feel comfortable with their preferences as they grow older.
It wasn’t until I attended “Twitter University” and went to college when I realized: I’m not satisfied with the Black history I’ve been taught.
I’ve learned a lot more on social media (through verification, of course) than I did in over two decades of school. I was born and raised in Washington Heights, NY. The Heights has a large population of Dominicans and it was all I knew.
I remember coming across a few dark-skinned Black students throughout elementary, middle, and high school, but their presence wasn’t very common. I was so engulfed in my Dominican experience that I never considered the rest of the Black history I wasn’t learning.
One thing I blame it on is textbooks.
American history books are like:
Slavery was bad but then Lincoln fixed it 😊
Then, segregation was also bad but Malcolm X didn't need to be so mean about it 😡 but MLK went on a biiig walk and fixed racism! The last racist left killed him 😭 but then he went to jail 🎉 the end
I spent so much time reading them, but I still found myself not really getting what I wanted. This would eventually result in a culture shock by the time I got to college.
I noticed textbooks portrayed Black people as primitive, with the exception of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center gave the book The American Pageant, a text widely used for AP history classes, a score of 60% for how it denotes Black slavery. The book uses the term “mulatto” to describe Blacks, which is actually a racial slur.
CBS conducted a two-month investigation on how Black history is taught in the United States and had an interesting finding: enslaved Africans referred to as “immigrants” in 1775.
Saying that enslaved Black people immigrated implies they traveled by choice. The reality is, they were forced and came to the U.S. in chains.
Before college
My encounters with Black history didn’t really begin until my U.S. History class in 11th grade. Prior to, I learned a lot about ancient global history–you know, Rome and Greece. It wasn’t until my woke ass U.S. History teacher, Mr. Espin, put us on to the real Black history.
As an afro-Dominican himself, the information I was learning felt authentic. Sure, anyone can teach a history class, but those who experience it have a stronger connection to it. Black teachers teach Black students on purpose.
For instance, I remember everything he taught us about segregation in the Jim Crow south which sparked a thought recently: we are still segregated. I went on a bike ride from 59th Street and second avenue in Manhattan to the Willis Avenue Bridge in The Bronx and I journaled some findings.
If we are serious about eradicating racism in our criminal legal system, we have to talk about housing and educational segregation.
I saw corporate buildings, updated apartment complexes, and only white people before I got to about 100th Street. Then, I started seeing more Black and people of color, project buildings, and corner bodegas. The vernacular even changed. I went from hearing wine bottles clink in Trader Joe’s bags to “YERRRR”s.
While this may seem simple and known to others, it took me back to my 11th-grade classroom with Mr.Espin. That goes to shows the impact of learning history I didn’t know I was yearning for and now apply to reality. Mr.Espin has been an educator for over a decade in the NYC Department of Education.
What I learned about Black history in his class for a year taught me more than any other institution ever did.
The culture shock
I call my undergraduate years “The Culture Shock”. When I stepped foot into SUNY Old Westbury in August 2013, I was finally in the minority, as far as nationality. Most of my peers were dark-skinned Black people. I remember thinking to myself that this will finally be the time I learn about my history from others who have been affected by it.
The conversations about unity and police brutality were frequent to avoid racist attacks. I instantly started making connections to what I learned in U.S. History to what my peers undergo in their everyday lives. I also thought about how systems oppression affects all groups of color and I was combatting that by being in college.
I remember being exposed to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in college; my campus had an active chapter. Just the existence of the organization in my school showed me how the Black community upholds its history.
My perspective on the world changed forever after I graduated college–I learned we are not a monolith but we all part of a system that wasn’t designed for us. Unity and knowledge of our history are very important.
As a journalist
Verifying information and sources is paramount to being a fair journalist. In the age of information, we have access to a lot of resources. Sure, I can google “Black history” or “transatlantic slave trade”, but I need to ensure I’m getting true information. One way I verify this is by speaking to experts and utilizing credible sources like books written by Black authors.
We hope you’ve already read LA Banks, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and Gloria Naylor, indisputably luminous Black SFF writers. But we want to recommend another 50 brilliant Black women, nonbinary, and trans folks writing SFF works about Black people and Black communities. 1/ pic.twitter.com/eaHa8QUmTH
One recent method I started employing is speaking to my older family members. Some of them, like my grandmother, experienced Trujillo’s regime as an adult. Therefore, she has first-hand accounts of what that time period was like in the Dominican Republic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement have incentivized me to verify everything I read online. As a journalist, I want to make sure I’m spreading accurate information. Most importantly, I want to tell the stories that will be added to my history.
I have a major duty: to continue educating myself on Black history and to contribute to its truth for future generations.
Kendrick Lamar’s music often speaks to the Black experience in the United States.
His sophomore album, To Pimp A Butterfly, addresses issues surrounding race and oppression in Black communities. His song, “Alright” became an anthem for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement as it focuses on hope and survival as a Black person.
Kendrick Lamar’s work makes him an icon in the hip hop and Black community. His efforts go beyond music and into civic engagement.
While we all know he is one to fight for racial equality, we wonder what he may be creating in the studio. Meanwhile, we take a look at some of his songs/performances that support BLM:
His 2016 Grammy performance
This performance was a pivotal point in Lamar’s career. His bold and powerful performance confronted the issues that plague the Black community in the United States.
Lamar, along with other Black men walked on stage as a chain gang to perform, “The Blacker the Berry” then “Alright”. The performance, dubbed controversial by some furthered the conversation about systemic racism.
“Alright”
Winning a Grammy for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song in 2015 and for Best Music Video in 2016, “Alright” offers hope amid the struggle of being a Black man. Billboard dubbed the song as “centripetal to a new age civil rights movement”.
“The Blacker the Berry”
The politically-charged song calls out the racism and oppression Black people face in the states. Out of the many lines that address his Blackness and how U.S. society views it, one, in particular, goes, “I mean, it’s evident that I’m irrelevant to society/That’s what you’re tellin’ me, penitentiary would only hire me.”
The video also highlights events of police brutality, like the infamous Rodney King beating in 1991.
XXX (featuring U2)
Featured in his fourth studio album, Damn., “XXX” dissects themes related to politics, violence, and racism.
One line goes, “Ain’t no Black Power when your baby killed by a coward/I can’t even keep the peace, don’t you fuck with one of ours” which speaks to Malcolm X’s views of defying racism by “any means necessary“, which includes violence.
“King Kunta”
Kunta Kinte is known as a fictional African slave who was kidnapped from Africa and transported across the Atlantic Ocean.
He became a slave by force in the Southern U.S. Featured in To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick relates his Black experience to that of Kinte’s. He talks about how he is oppressed like a slave but strong like a king.
It’s clear Kendrick approaches his songs with the intention of addressing issues relating to all facets of Blackness.
Speaking out against racism is controversial to some but Kendrick stays true to his Black experience and uses his platform accordingly. Inspired by the late Tupac Shakur, Kendrick follows in the footsteps of being a “voice for man one day.“
The meet up is at 10:00 am EST at the Frederick Douglass statue on 110th Street and Central Park West. The march will step off at 11:00 am EST. The rally will begin at 2:00 pm EST in Washington Square Park.
The Gathering for Justice’s mission is to end child incarceration and abolish the racial disparities that the justice system upholds.
Along with its child organization, Justice League NYC, the nonprofit incorporates Kingian nonviolence as a “social application for systemic change and civic engagement.”
Known as an intersectional social justice organization, Until Freedom roots itself in the leadership of many groups of color. The organization addresses systemic and racial injustices and suggests those closest to pain are closest to change.
Until Freedom dubs itself a clearinghouse for many groups of people like advocates, students, and community organizers.
The Arc of Justice is also a social justice organization that is known for using peaceful methods to combat inequality. They also identify, advocate, and speak for those without a voice.
Some of the issues The Arc of Justice fights for are gender equity, global migration as a human right, and tech justice.
There are many different ways to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Some ways to show solidarity are by signing petitions, attending protests, and donating to bail funds. However, not everyone has the money to donate.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a lot of racial disparities and left many Black and brown people financially insecure. Luckily, there are ways to be a part of the cause without money. We’ve compiled a list of actionable items that can help you support #BLM.
The YouTube Video Project
YouTuber Zoe Amira created the “how to financially help BLM with no Money” YouTube Video. The video is a compilation of ways to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement without spending anything.
In the video’s description, Amira mentioned that 100% of the video’s ad revenue via AdSense will be “donated to the associations that offer protester bail funds, help pay for family funerals, and advocacy listed in the beginning of the video.”
She asks viewers to share the video and leave the ads running. By letting others know about this, we can help those who don’t have the financial means to support BLM at the moment.
Petitions are the “old-school” way of enacting change. Signing one can take very little time. But if you’ve got more than a moment run through these whenever possible. Keep in mind the sooner you sign the better.
We’ve also included international petitions while you’re here. Police brutality against Black bodies is a global issue.
The COVID-19 pandemic heavily and disproportionately impacts Black communities. By signing this petition, you opt to demand racial data on coronavirus and more from the government.
This petition aims to reach Mayor Jacob Frey and DA Mike Freeman’s attention so they can charge all four officers involved in Floyd’s murder. The petition’s goal is 16,500,000 signatures. Over 15,000,000 people have signed.
The George Floyd Act proposes law reform that will confront police training, procedures, evaluations, education, and human rights. By signing, you are in support of this reform. The goal is 25,000 signatures. So far, over 17,000 people have signed.
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) May 14, 2020
Breonna Taylor, an award-winning EMT, worked on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. Police officers showed up at Taylor’s house unannounced, shot her eight times, and killed her.
The police department has not charged her murders. Over 3,100,100 people have signed for Breonna’s justice. The goal is 4,500,000.
An ex-police officer shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery while he was running on February 23, 2020. The encounter was not public until over a month after the murder.
On May 19, 2019, Matthew Kinne killed Dominique Clayton in her home. Kinne is a former policeman who she allegedly had an affair with.
He has pled not guilty to all charges and there is still yet to be a trial. Signing this petition will help the City of Oxford hold Kinne responsible for his crime.
An Arizona DPS trooper fatally shot Dion Johnson after accusing him of “partially blocking traffic” on May 25, 2020. To help hold the DPS trooper accountable and offer closure to Johnson’s family, sign the petition above. The goal is 10,000 signatures. About 9,000 have signed.
David McAtee was killed by the Louisville Metro Police Department and National Guard on June 1, 2020. McAtee’s killers have not been identified. By signing the petition, you help bring justice and peace to his family. The signature goal is 1 million; over 680,000 people have signed.
An off-campus officer killed Danroy “DJ” Henry, Jr. on October 17, 2010. DJ was a student at Pace University. Signing this petition will help honor his legacy on the campus by designating a “DJ Day” on October 21. The petition is close to its goal of 15,000 signatures.
Willie Simmons has been incarcerated for 38 years for stealing nine dollars. This petition’s goal is to hopefully commute Simmons’s sentence. Over 1,300,000 people have signed. The goal is 1,500,000 signatures.
No one has been arrested since Alejandro Vargas Martinez was shot seven times while walking to school in December 2018. By signing, you help raise awareness to find and charge his killers. The creator of this petition set a goal of 500,000 signatures; more than half have signed.
Tete Gulley, a queer black transient, was found hanging from a tree on May 27, 2020. This petition was created to show the Oregon medical examiner that there is indeed public interest in this case.
Police ruled Gulley’s cause of death a suicide. However, they did not give Gulley’s mother any paperwork.
On December 4, 2018, Marshae Jones was shot while she was pregnant. Unfortunately, this caused her to lose her baby. The woman who shot her was arrested but the charges were later dismissed.
Marshae allegedly started the altercation and was charged with manslaughter. Sign this petition to help drop the charges against Jones.
António Domingos was fatally shot by a policeman on May 9, 2020 for allegedly not wearing a mask. The petition requests the resignation, arrest, and trial of the officer.
Petition to drop all charges against incarcerated trafficking survivor Chrystul Kizer
The justice system charged Chrystul Kizer with life in prison for defending herself against her trafficker. To support Chrystul and bring her case to DA Michael Gravely’s attention, sign this petition.
Petition to stop Julius Jones from being executed by the state of Oklahoma
At 19 years old, the state of Oklahoma convicted Julius Jones of a murder he said he did not commit. Jones has been on death row for almost two decades and is held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
Please also sign this petition to help find justice for Julius Jones who is going to be executed for a crime evidence points he did not commit.
A person with COVID-19 assaulted Belly Mujinga in a London train station. She has since passed away. Her family wants answers as to why her job required her to work in direct contact with “general public passenger flow”.
By signing, you push the railway company to give an explanation to Belly’s exposure to the virus.
A group of racists attacked Siyanda and in turn, the justice system sentenced her to 4 1/2 years for defending herself. Her attackers said they did not touch her, but her injuries say otherwise. To free Siyanda and bring her justice, sign this petition.
Uwa’s assailant raped and beat her with a fire extinguisher in her local church. Olakelan Aremo, the creator of this petition stated, “The security personnel in the church is the main suspect because even hoodlums fear to attack a church not to talk of rape and murder.”
An update shows that the Nigerian police have a suspect in custody but the investigation is still ongoing. Sign to show your support.
The case of Kendrick Johnson left many with unanswered questions. Johnson’s body was found inside a school gym mat in 2013 and was initially ruled an accident.
The police department closed the investigation of his death, but we are encouraging citizens to still dig for information.
Police pulled Emerald Black and her husband over on June 7, 2019 for “bad registration tags.” The officers pulled her out of her car, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her stomach which caused her to miscarry. They then arrested her. This petition demands an investigation of the San Leandro Police Department.
The anger and frustration we feel at this moment must be channeled into working towards a better future. For too long we have marched and protested and mourned our lost ones as the world and our allies watched on.
In order to help fight for a fair, and unproblematic judiciary, sign NAACP‘S Take Action petition.
Text petitions
Text petitions are another way to use your voice. Here are some numbers you can text:
– Text “JUSTICE” to 668-366 for MoveOn’s petition for George Floyd
– Text “ENOUGH” to 551-56 for justice for Breonna Taylor
New Yorkers: Text “Sign RISTUS” to 504-09. The state legislature met Tuesday, June 2, 2020, as there has been “a call to repeal 50A which allows the NYPD to hide records of police misconduct.” Follow the instructions via text to ask representatives to repeal this law. More information on the law here.
Protests for George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, in general, are happening throughout the U.S. Graphicsshow that at least 430 cities and towns have participated in demonstrations, some of which have had a National Guard presence.
If you would like to attend a protest, follow @USAProtests on Twitter for information and updates on current protests. Follow members of your community, too. They may be the ones organizing demonstrations on a local level.
A reminder: we are still undergoing a pandemic, so be safe and wear your mask. Read our guide to safely protesting in a pandemic.
Contacting elected officials
Picking up the phone to call your federal, state, and local representatives is more impactful than you may think. The USA.gov website provides contact information for the leaders you seek to call.
When you call, you most likely connect to an office staff member. Do your research beforehand and feel free to share how current events have impacted you.
On June 3, 2020, Campaign Zero launched #8CantWait. According to this project’s data, police violence can be decreased by 72 percent. The website allows users to select their city to see which policies have been enacted. It also provides you with your mayor or sheriff’s contact information so you can let them know that eight can’t wait.
Artist Maasai Godwin created a link that will redirect you to an email template you can send to Minnesota officials in regards to George Floyd’s murder.
All you have to do is fill in your name and city/state and send. To demand justice for Breonna Taylor via email, follow this link. ActivistN’Dea Godwin created it.
Defund12 is also a great online resource with pre-written email templates you can send to your officials. The templates are separated by state, making your call to action more specific. Don’t only limit yourself to contacting representatives in your state, email the other ones throughout the U.S.!
Educate Yourself
It’s okay to not have all the answers. Do your research so you can understand how the Black community is affected daily. Don’t be afraid to pick up a book, speak to an expert, or even have a deep conversation with a friend.
Don’t depend on a Black person to educate you–you have to do the work by yourself!
VOTE!
If you have the right to vote, exercise it! Use your resources to educate yourself on what a candidate (no matter the level) represents. Registered voters can now vote via absentee ballot for the primary elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One common misconception is that non-presidential elections aren’t important, therefore, people don’t participate in them as much. However, voting in smaller elections impacts you more directly.
If you haven’t received an absentee ballot yet, click here to request one. To check your voter registration status, click here. For the 2020 state and presidential primary election dates, click here.
In a time where people are fighting for Black lives, it’s important that we get to choose who will be in office making and passing and executing laws.
Many time periods and movements in the United States and globally have shown us how Black people lead. Some of the most notable are Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks.
Today, we have leaders like Barack Obama and the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement–Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors.
Other Black activists exist, but they are not necessarily labeled as leaders of the protests against racism. So the question becomes, what exactly makes a person a leader or what constitutes leadership?
The Beginning of Black Leadership
The Reconstruction period, which spanned from 1865 to 1877, allowed Black men and women to adopt roles of leadership. They were able to hold public office and seek legislative changes for equality and the privilege to vote.
Some of these roles were Assistant Secretary of State, Speaker of House, and State Commissioner. These officeholders led in their departments but they were likely not recognized as largely as the Black Panthers were.
Let’s take a look at the Civil Rights Movement which took place in the 1950s and 1960s. For starters, the movement was a result of the injustices African Americans were facing in the United States. It was a fight for racial equality.
Black activists like Martin Luther King, Jr., the Little Rock Nine, Malcolm X, and many more were known to be at the forefront of this movement.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is probably the one that most people think of initially. His work during the Civil Rights Movement helped achieve “more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced,” according to The King Center.
He led movements and initiatives including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and many more. His “I Have a Dream” speech was what ultimately sealed the deal for his image. It secured his status as a leader of social change and helped inspire the country to act on racial equality. Though unfortunately, we are still seeing issues of racial inequality today.
Leaders like Malcolm X shared a similar vision to that of MLK’s. Malcolm’s ideology shifted more towards Black people doing anything necessary to protect themselves against the aggression of white people. For most of his life, MLK’s views were on the peaceful protest side, until before his assassination.
His rhetoric began to emphasize and incorporate immediate action similar to Malcolm X’s approach. This draws the same question of the appropriate approach to civil unrest when it comes to the protests and riots that are happening today, in light of #GeorgeFloyd’s death.
The on-camera murder of George Floyd sparked a major outrage over the past week and protestors have taken different routes. Some are peacefully protesting, while others had the same intention but were violently confronted by members of the New York City Police Department and pepper-sprayed.
Looting has been a part of civil unrest for decades in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement saw six days of rioting and looting after the assassination of MLK Jr.
The riots ended on the 6th day with the successful passing of the Civil Rights Act along with many other legislative changes. So it’s not prudent to state that riots, the destruction of property and looting has no place in movements.
Destroying Black-owned or brown-owned property and businesses is the problem. Those businesses’ destruction only hurts our community and has no positive impact on our goals of being heard by the powers that be. So if you end up looting don’t loot that corner bodega or Black barbershop.
The anger is also not the problem–it’s the direction. There comes a time where we have to realize that we are angry and want justice for Black lives, but we are also hurting these local businesses by shamelessly looting them.
This is where the importance of having a leader(s) comes in. A leader(s) will help grieving communities organize and direct them to effective methods of protesting and fighting for racial equality. However, how effective will just one leader be?
The Decentralization of Leadership
The decentralization of leadership here in the U.S. is a task that many will have to take on. Having one leader for the fight for Black racial equality may not work. Forces are stronger when they all come together.
If we go back to the conversation about MLK’s leadership, we see that he was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. People like Rosa Parks and her support towards MLK helped elevate Black voices.
The #BlackLivesMatter movement is one of the ways people can support the lives of Black people in countless ways. Some ways to lead are signing petitions to defund police states and calling your local elected officials.
While we may not have an official leader for this movement, we all eventually become one with proper research and information. The lack of information (or misinformation) is what drives us in a different direction like the looting of small, Black-owned businesses.
Although Barack Obama is no longer in office, he is still a leader for Black and brown communities. I mean, most members of these communities still refer to him as “my president”. This goes to show that he is still a representative figure of African Americans and other groups of color.
It’s obvious that there are communities of people that do not value Black lives. We all need to become leaders in our circles–with the proper research and education, of course.
