On May 25th, George Floyd, a black African American man was killed in Minneapolis, Minn. after being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. After videos of a police officer kneeling on his neck for nearly eight minutes flooded the internet, the Black Lives Matter movement regained momentum like never before.
Since then, people around the globe have donated, signed petitions, protested and shared resources and artwork on their social media accounts to keep the momentum going. However, since it’s been almost two months, you may be wondering what else you can do. Keep reading to find ways you can help sustain a long-term movement!
1. Diversify Your Narrative!
It is super important to read, learn and understand the stories and struggles of black people. Think to yourself, how many authors of color have you read from? How many books have you read where the protagonist is a POC? Here are several books by black authors to diversify your bookshelf:
– A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine Hansberry
– Beloved – Toni Morrison
– The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas
– Black Boy – Richard Wright
– Clap When You Land – Elizabeth Acevedo
– Love Poems – Nikki Giovanni
– The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
Try to purchase these texts through black owned bookstores such as Hariett’s Bookshop and Black Stone Bookstore, which offer shipping!
2. Need Netflix Suggestions?
Here are movies and TV shows you can watch to educate yourself on racism, police brutality and the BLM movement!
– Moonlight (movie)
– Mudbound (movie)
– When They See Us (tv show)
– Dear White People (tv show)
– The Help (movie)
– 13th (documentary)
3. BUY BLACK!
During quarantine, many of us have purchased new clothes, makeup, etc., but you may have purchased these items from brands who haven’t shown support for Black Lives Matter. It’s time to support black people and businesses. Open up your purse!
– Sammar Solstice (jewelry and accessories)
– Fine Girl (trendy y2k apparel)
– Baby J Lashes (lashes)
– Alia on Depop (stickers and artwork)
– Ravenna Body Products (vegan skin, bath and hair products)
– Glamd by Jazz (vegan and cruelty-free lip products)
4. Bay Area Organizations!
Let’s support our community by donating to some Bay Area (specifically Oakland) organizations. Here are some ways to put your money towards the black community in our area.
– Bay Area Anti-Repression Bail Fund (locally organized community bail fund based in Oakland)
– Black Earth Farms (delivering free meals to black people affected during the Oakland uprisings) VENMO: @blackearthfarms CA$HAPP: $blackearth
– The Black Bay Area (building relationships and community with the black population residing and visiting the San Francisco Bay Area) VENMO: theblack-bayarea
5. Educate Your Friends and Family
It’s important to have these hard conversations with those around us who are against Black Lives Matter or can’t see how the black community is suffering. A lot of times, we are quick to dismiss those who don’t agree with us, even urging them to un-follow our social media or never talk to us about politics again. The information that we learn and the resources that we share should reach them, not people who already agree with us.
Pro-tip: remember that people can always change their beliefs and learn to be an ally! Hearing from someone they love about what’s happening in the world might be more meaningful than you think.