It’s promising to see my Instagram feed light up with posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which is amplifying awareness around the injustices faced by people of color in the U.S.—but I also know that real change can only come from real action.
If you’re overwhelmed with the amount of information being shared online, or confused about what you can to do help, here is a list of resources and different ways you can support the movement.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s a good place to start. (I also highly encourage you to watch this IGTV video to learn how white people can continue showing support beyond donations and petitions.)
- REGISTER TO VOTE
- SIGN PETITIONS
- DONATE
- EMAIL/CALL LOCAL OFFICIALS
- EDUCATE YOURSELF
- HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
- PROTEST
- SUPPORT BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
- AMPLIFY BLACK VOICES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Where to donate:
If you have the means, here are several bail funds and fundraisers for victims accepting donations.
Why donate to a bail fund? As the Bail Project explains it, “on any given night in America, there are nearly half a million people sitting in jail before trial simply because they can’t afford bail.” If a peaceful protestor is arrested for defying curfew and he/she doesn’t have the means to post bail, they’ll sit in jail.
How to make sure your donating to a legit cause? Instead of swiping up on social media, do a little bit of quick, easy research—which can be as simple as visiting the organization’s page—to ensure your donating to a legit cause. Unfortunately there are people who take advantage of situations like this to set up fake donations pages and con others.
| *Some organizations like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, the Brooklyn Bail Fund, and Reclaim The Block are asking donors to redirect their funds to other nonprofits after an influx of support: Visit bit.ly/fundthecommunity for more info. |
- George Floyd Memorial Fund: A fundraiser set up by George Floyd’s brother to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to overall assist his family as they seek justice.
- Learn more about the murder of George Floyd here.
- I Run With Maud: A fund set up by Ahmaud Arbery’s best friend to assist his mom and her immediate family with financial support in their struggle for justice for the murder of her son.
- Learn more about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery here.
- The Bail Project: An organization that posts bail for people who can’t afford it, and 100 percent of online donations are used to bring people home. The bail money actually goes back to the organization once a case closes, so it’s able to recycle every dollar donated at least twice a year
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: The goals behind this fund is to fight racial injustice by helping to protect voting rights, pushing for criminal justice system reform and economic justice for all.
- You can view the exact cases & issues the organization works on here.
- Communities United Against Police Brutality: Assists individuals dealing with the effects of police brutality, including a 24-hour crisis line (612-874-STOP) that people can call to report abuse.
- The ACLU: Donating to the ACLU means helping protect voting rights, demanding the release of vulnerable people in prisons, jails and immigration detention centers, and fighting to ensure reproductive health care remains open and accessible to all who need it.
For NYC Residents Specifically:
The NAACP Brooklyn works to advance the cause of social justice and civil rights through advocacy, public policy and direct action in NYC.
Communities United For Police Reform is pushing for legislative change to help increase police transparency and the reallocation of NYPD’s budget.
View this post on Instagram
Petitions to sign:
Many of these petitions share significant updates if you scroll down, as well as additional actions you can take. For example, here you’ll find directions on how to call officials demanding justice for Breonna Taylor’s death with a script to follow.
- #JusticeForFloyd: Demanding the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with murder.
- Justice for George Floyd: Calling for the Minneapolis mayor and district attorney to ensure the officers involved in his murder are fired and charged.
- Justice for Breonna Taylor: Calling for charges to be filed against the officers who killed Breonna, damages to be paid to her family, an investigation of the Louisville Police Department and legislation to ban the “no knock” warrant—which allows police to forcefully break into a home.
- #JusticeForBre: Demanding that city officials address the police’s use of force, charge the officers involved and create policy for transparent investigations into police misconduct.
- Justice For Ahmuad Arbery: Raising awareness for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
- Fifteen Percent Change: Calling on major retailers to pledge 15 percent of their shelf space to black-owned businesses.
How to contact local officials:
Email the Minneapolis Police Department demanding that all officers involved in George Floyd’s murder are charged—click this link for a simple email template where you can fill out your name and send.
Click this link to do the same for Breonna Taylor.
For New Yorkers, here is an email template to send to the city’s Comptroller’s Office (action@comptroller.nyc.gov), which assists New Yorkers with complaints or inquiries about government services.
Hello,
My name is [FIRST & LAST] and I am a resident of [NEIGHBORHOOD]. Last April, NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio proposed major budget cuts for the Fiscal Year 2021, especially to education and youth programs, while refusing to slash the NYPD budget by any significant margin.
I urge you to consider pressuring the office of the mayor toward an ethical and equal reallocation of the NYC expense budget, away from the NYPD and toward social services and education programs, effective at the beginning of FY 21, July 1st.
I am emailing to ask for an emergency council meeting among city officials regarding this matter. Governor Cuomo doubled NYPD presence last night. I am asking that city officials lobby the same amount of attention and effort toward finding sustainable, long term and effective change.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Name,
Date
Why voting locally is so important:
Former president Barack Obama shared an article that breaks down why it’s so important for people to participate in local elections. Read the article here.
“So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.” — Barack Obama
Where & how to protest in NYC:
Follow this Instagram account (@justiceforgeorgenyc) for updates on NYC protests.
& here are some safety tips for those participating. Remember we’re in the midst of a pandemic, so wearing a mask is necessary.
View this post on Instagram
Support black-owned businesses:
Check out the above Instagram post for a list of fashion, skincare and other black-owned small businesses. Plus, you can also:
- Download the app EatOkra to find local black-owned restaurants in your area.
- Review this great list of black-owned restaurants in NYC from the New Yorker.
To learn more:
Important shows, movies and documentaries to watch on Netflix:
- 13th
- Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story
- When They See Us
- Who Killed Malcolm X?
Podcasts to listen to:
- 1619
- About Race
- Code Switch
Books to read:
- Just Mercy
- Me and White Supremacy
- Eloquent Rage
- So You Want to Talk About Race
- How to Be an Anti-Racist
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Find more books here.
For tons & tons more resources, check out this list.