Let's Listen, Learn + Support
This past week has really proved the power of social media. It’s incredible to see that millions of people are proactively educating themselves and being as loud as possible to create a much needed change for ALL black people. Let’s keep it going. Black Lives Matter is not a moment, but a movement.
As a white-passing Mexican American, believe me when I say I recognize my privilege and all of the power it holds. I’ve spent the last week trying to figure out what more I could do to make an impact. So, I’ve compiled a variety of different resources for anyone who is feeling the same way. I hope you find this helpful.
To everyone hurting right now, I’m with you. I see you. I will do everything I can to be a part of the solution. Sending so much love and light.
Some friendly reminders:
Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. Can’t donate? Go to a protest. Can’t protest? Sign petitions, make phone calls and share info. Find a way.
You can speak up for other communities without comparing their oppression to your own.
It’s okay to change your opinion on something after learning new information.
Let’s get to work. Some resources that I’ve found really useful —
For my SJ friends:
Contact local officials + demand change.
Info on San Jose’s 2020 budget here.
Find your district council member + budget management contacts.
Email template here.
List of black owned restaurants in the bay.
Support black initiatives.
Community Housing Development Corporation
Cypress Mandela Training Center
Hidden Genius Project
The Hunters Point Family
Roots Community Center
Solar Richmond
Help small businesses that were caught in the looting crossfire - a thread.
Worried about COVID after attending a protest? Get tested for free.
Great link to share: San Jose Strong.
Resources for all:
LISTEN
Great perspective from Trevor Noah here.
How to refocus the conversation on what’s important here.
A quick guide: what to say when people deny the reality of what’s happening right now.
FAQ’s for those who don’t understand BLM here.
How to be an ally here.
What else can I do, Soph?
LEARN
COVID-19 prevention tips for protestors - a thread.
In defense of looting.
Free PDFs of books about race, prison abolition, class, etc. - a thread.
A timeline of events that led to the 2020 ‘fed up’-rising.
Extensive list of educational resources here.
SUPPORT
Petitions to sign.
Donate to bail funds/front-line organizations in participating cities - a thread.
Donate to mutual aid funds - a thread.
Can’t afford to donate? Stream this video, run all of the ads in full. All proceeds are being donated.
BLM non-monetary support guide.
Demand change from government officials over the phone, through text or via email.
I used Resistbot to send letters to officials of various ranks. Text RESIST to 50409 to get started.
Text “JUSTICE” To 668366
Text “FLOYD” To 55156
Support black owned businesses nationwide - a thread.
More black businesses to support here.
Black businesses that we can replace some of our everyday brands with - a thread.
Find 100 black life, style and fashion content creators here.
If you have unused Sephora points, you can donate them to the National Black Justice Coalition.
More carrds, google docs, and google drives with compiled petitions to sign, orgs to donate, twitter threads, infos to read, contacts, etc. - a thread.
We can’t stop now. If you're speaking up, I hope you continue to do so in the future. Let’s stay on the right side of history.
☾☼ Cosette
