The world has a terrible habit of engaging in a trending topic until it isn’t trending anymore. Black lives matter today, tomorrow, and forever, so we cannot dare to lose the momentum this movement has created. Black Lives Matter (BLM) is not a trend, and we have failed as a society if we treat it like one.
If you have chosen to ignore this topic and not engage in educating yourself and supporting the cause, you have no excuse – this is not a new movement. If you are still saying “All lives matter”, or focusing on the small percentage of looting cases rather than the actual murders, you have not educated yourself enough on the subject. The world has become so desensitized to the deaths of Black people, that it seems that many are only now ready to say Black lives matter, because they would feel “left out” if they didn’t. Whereas only a couple years ago, people were afraid to speak out against racial inequality, as if to claim the importance and value of people’s lives and their safety, is in any way controversial.
While this movement is a revolutionary one, we cannot ignore that some are allowing Black Lives Matter to be commodified. Companies and brands are scrambling to make and release statements, feeling obligated to, knowing that they can lose money now for not doing so. Multiple brands and people with large platforms are saying Black Lives Matter because it’s “trendy” and they fear getting “canceled”. The world started posting black squares, demonstrating how you can mobilize millions of people just through the fear of missing out. Instead of arguing about why it took this long for companies, celebrities, and people, in general, to unitedly speak out and expose such a prevalent issue, it is more important to make sure we keep talking about it with the right intentions, keep demanding justice, and keep making change.
Just because this may not affect you directly, does not mean such a heavy injustice to a large community of people should not matter to you or that you have no influence on the matter. Even if you do not live in the United States or feel as though you cannot create change in legislation, there is an extensive list of the things you can do – from taking responsibility in educating yourself, being informed and signing petitions, amplifying Black voices, attending protests and marches, having meaningful conversations about racism, and donating with money, time, or by streaming videos. The truth is, racism still exists everywhere. If you truly care, you should take it upon yourself to explore the role you can play in dismantling it – even if that begins in your friend group, home, or your local community.
The BLM movement was so quickly dismissed by the media, time and time again – but we need to make this time around different. It is imperative to ensure this resurgence of BLM advocacy will result in a different outcome – systemic change. We cannot stop once BLM is not trending anymore and stay trapped in the same conversations and pattern of showing our support until it does not get social media recognition anymore, and then start caring about it once it blows up again in a few years. Because while the protests and riots will eventually die out, and many will convince themselves that “we are back to normal”, Black people are still going to be Black. They are always going to be at risk if we do not truly create and deliver big changes from this.
Here are some very helpful sites that tell you how and what you can do to support the movement:
1. Compiled list of petitions you can sign, reliable sites you can donate on, and educational materials: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
2. Links of donation sites, petitions, ways to educate yourself on BLM movement, and other resources: https://msha.ke/megmccarthy28/
3. How to support BLM without spending money: https://www.allure.com/story/how-to-support-black-lives-matter-without-money
4. How to support Black Lives Matter, wherever you are: https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/how-to-support-black-lives-matter
5. 135 ways to donate in support of Black lives and communities of color: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html