The death of George Floyd sparked an uprising of protests and riots against police brutality, which eventually turned into protests and riots to fight for an anti-racist society. The Black Lives Matter Movement became most prevalent, and the fight became worldwide. It was encouraging to see so many people advocating for equality and justice. Aside from attending protests, there are plenty of other ways that we can show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and advocate for racial equality in general, too.
- Speak up and speak out!
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Speaking up can be challenging. Arguments, confrontation, and debates are all ways in which we try to be heard, but they’re not easy. In our worldwide fight against racism, the ultimate goal is to use our voices to create complete human equality. Speaking out can be hearing a friend, family member, or classmate saying something with racist implications, and explaining to them why what they have said is disrespectful. It could be replying to a tweet that makes fun of a certain race, and telling them why what they’ve typed out is unacceptable. Confrontation likely frightens a lot of people, myself included. However, the difficult conversations are the ones that are the most necessary. Even if indirectly, speaking up against racism benefits every single person that has been at the receiving end of a racially unjust sentence or action.
- Donate!
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Making a donation is one of the easiest ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement if you are able. The amount you donate does not have to be a big, impressive number. Though it may seem that donating a small amount isn’t even worth it, every little bit really does count. Even just $1 is $1 closer to making a difference. There are numerous organizations that you can donate to in order to support the members of the Black community. There are memorial funds, bail funds, organizations that aid lower-income Black communities, and so many more that you can find with just one Google search.
- Support Black-owned businesses!
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Need new hair products? Or some new foundation? Maybe a smoothing facial serum? The good news is you can find all of these things from companies created by Black women and men! Purchasing products from Black-owned businesses directly supports those who run the company. Plus, you can get some amazing products, no matter what you’re looking for. Buying jeans from a Black-owned clothing company or a new necklace from a Black-owned jewelry brand are ways to increase the income for Black people and hopefully move towards decreasing the racial wage gap. To help get you started, here’s the answer to those questions in the first sentence: for new hair care products, check out Jane Carter Solution, a brand with a majority of vegan products, all of which are cruelty-free. If you need a new foundation, try Iman Cosmetics, a brand that “works to meet the skincare needs in African American and multicultural makeup that other companies were lacking” (imancosmetics.com). Lastly, for that facial serum, Hyper Skin is a great choice. Hyper Skin sells one product: the Hyper Clear Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum, which was made “to brighten skin, smooth fine lines and rough texture, and dramatically clear dark spots from hyperpigmentation” (gethyperskin.com).
- Vote!
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By voting for politicians who have goals that align with yours, you can feel confident that you will see a positive change if that person is elected. It is important to research the candidates in the given position that you are voting for, and decide which one you think could make the most effective difference. It may seem that one person’s vote won’t have much significance, but if you think about it, each vote actually does count because your vote will add one to the total. If everyone assumed that their vote wouldn’t do much, then the number of votes for each candidate would stay at zero. And if there’s one sure way to live without any change, it’s by skipping out on adding your vote to the list!
- Share/repost informative posts on social media!
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Practically everyone is a part of at least one social media platform. For those of us who wish to educate ourselves on the world’s current events, social media is a relatively good place to do so. Of course, not everything you see on social media is accurate or even true, but facts can be double-checked on trustworthy news sites or channels to be sure. Regardless, there are plenty of men and women who dedicate their social media platforms to educational posts that describe various topics in a way that is clear and comprehensible. And when you see these posts, you can re-share them on your Instagram story or retweet them on Twitter so that others can have the same information. Although social media can be a toxic place at times, it is also a place where you can find useful information about all sorts of situations.
