As we officially celebrate the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time since protests errupted across the country in response to the racially charged murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and countless others, even now people may continue to feel helpless about how they can get involved. Here are nine Instagram accounts you should follow, all of which share actionable items – like petitions to signs and organizations to donate to, pertinent updates, ways to take care of yourselves as activists and more – as well as the motivation you need to jump to action.
- The Unapologetically Brown Series
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Created by visual artist @johannareign, The Unapologetically Brown Series shares impactful, changemaking storytelling by queer people of color, featuring links to worthy organizations to donate to and other actionable steps to take.
- The Hysterical Womxn’s Society
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Created to help answer the ever present question of “What can I do?” following devestating societal events (starting after the Alabama abortion bans), The Hysterical Womxn’s Society fosters conversation through fundraising and activism events and raises their voices in support of those who need it most.
- Black Lives Matter
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Perhaps the more forefront movement fighting for freedom and justice of and for black lives, Black Lives Matter shares moments in history pertinent to the fight against racial injustice, draws attention to recent examples of anti-Black racism, and shares petitions that everybody can sign to fight for change.
- Therapy for Black Girls
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Resident Psychologist at Oprah Magazine @hellodrjoy founded the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, sharing mental health resources for Black women. Hosting virtual discussions, responding to community questions, crowdsourcing advice from people who’ve done it before, and more.
- The Loveland Foundation
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Established in 2018, The Loveland Foundation provides therapy sessions for Black women and girls to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color. Offering fellowships, residencey programs, listening tours and more, their Instagram account shares resources and advice for activists.
- Equal Justice Initiative
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The EJI is working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality, sharing facts about current injustices and calls to action and other forms of media to check out.
- Black Visions Collective
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Black Visions Collective is fighting for a future where all Black people have autonomy, where safety is community-led, and even where we can live peacefully alongside our ecosystems. BlackVisions is building the resources needed to carry us and generations to come towards freedom for all.
- Campaign Zero
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Campaign Zero calls for the end of police violence and the use of unnecessary excessive force. With their new capaign, #8CANTWAIT, they’re calling for community outreach to initiate new use of force policies nationwide.
- The ACLU
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The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization fighting again civic injustice in the United States, shares breaking news announcements about the cases they’ve spoken on and fact checking other social media posts.