What you can do to support the Black Lives Matter Movement

If you cannot donate or attend the protests happening across the country, there are still many ways to support the current movement against inequality without leaving your home.

SIGN

If you have not been able to get off social media these past few days, you’ve more than likely come across the Instagram bio links and Twitter threads asking for your signature to bring awareness to cases of violence that were dismissed unfairly. Signing a petition is very simple and literally take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes to complete. Regardless of how long it takes you to fill them out, it is an effective way to actually support causes for equality. I suggest you do some research on the web or socials to find petitions to sign. Twitter is filled with threads containing links to petitions that need support.

PETITIONS

USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Over the last couple of days, I’ve heard a lot of white people say they are too scared to speak out about everything happening in the U.S. Their fear probably comes from a place of not wanting to say the wrong things and hurting others. Those fears are 100 percent understandable, but they don’t mean you can’t eventually learn and speak out. In my humble opinion, one of the best ways to combat fear is to be as informed and educated as possible. Not knowing what to say at times is okay, but remaining that way is not. There is always room for growth, and now more than ever there are so many resources available on the web and socials you can utilize to educate yourself.

If you really don’t know what to say then you can use your platform to amplify voices in black communities that have a lot to say. If you have a big platform on socials, consider opening it up to people from the black community who want to educate and share their thoughts. Follow black influencers and organizations on social media, they often share very valuable resources and stories.

I want to open up my Instagram to any influencer from the black community who wants to say a few words or share their thoughts— I will do an Instagram live with them and they can have my platform to speak about this issue. Any requests? Who should I reach out to?

— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) June 3, 2020

Having the conversations regardless of your fears is important. Think about all of the people living in this country actually fearing for their lives. Your voice, when educated and informed, is highly valued. Even if you have made mistakes in the past; moving forward, learning and being supportive is the goal. People are not out to get you, they are out to change the system keeping them voiceless. Spreading awareness and resources is a perfect way to use your privilege.

SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS YOU CAN FOLLOW

@colorofchange
@yourrightscamp
@blklivesmatter
@aclu_nationwide
@ncaap
@ava
@ethelsclub
@civilrightsorg
Black influencers to Follow –– list created by @roohiamber

HOW TO GET EDUCATED

There is nothing wrong with admitting that you don’t know something. We are living in revolutionary times and a lot of us are experiencing everything happening now for the first time. The beauty of today is the amount of resources available to us instantly. Black people have been voicing their struggles and and experiences in books, documentaries, films, music, etc in hopes of educating others.

Check out the list below of digital media resources you can utilize to educate yourself. Right now is not the time to ask the black community to help you digest what’s going on and guide you through what they’ve endured. The responsibility is on you. Right now, your job is to learn as much as possible, engage in supportive conversations and educate anyone you know that’s not well informed.

BOOKS

A list of black-owned, independent book stores in the US
Black History Month Library
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age Of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper

FILMS, SERIES & DOCUMENTARIES

When They See Us (four-part series/ Netflix)
13th (documentary/ Netflix)
Becoming (documentary/ Netflix)
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (documentary)
Just Mercy (Amazon Prime)
What Happened, Miss Simone? (documentary/ Netflix)
Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap (documentary/ Netflix)
The Hate U Give (Hulu film and book by Angie Thomas)
The Skin We’re In (CBC)
Selma (film/ Amazon Prime)

https://twitter.com/ava/status/1268935546849472512

LISTEN AND SHARE

Sharing quality resources on your social media regardless of your following is important, because you never know who might take those resources and learn from them.

Lastly, listening and sharing is also crucial. Don’t try to take the lead from those in black communities already leading with knowledge and experience, instead listen. Right now we all just need to listen to their stories, their struggles, what they hope change brings and how we can all contribute to creating that change.

OTHER RESOURCES

#BlackLivesMatter master list of petitions, donations, protests, educational materials, resources and more
Mental Health Resources Supporting Black People
A list of resources for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement
Resources For BLM
Black Mental Health Resources
Guidelines For Safe Protesting During COVID-19
National Queer And Trans Therapists Of Color Network (NQTTCN)
Music Worker’s Alliance resource list

One last note, please keep in mind this article highlights just a few of the many resources available online and in print to get educated. Please do your own research and find what best works for you to be as informed as possible.