Wikiversity

Resources for Antiracism and Racial Justice Activism in 2020

Getting Started

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This page is meant to provide a succinct list of resources to engage in activism and racial justice for the black community. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but may serve as a place to start to further educate white and non-black POC on racial injustice, and how they can effectively support and elevate the black community in terms of knowledge, mental health resources for the black community, donations, petitions, and more.

General Resources for Activism

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Voting

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In order to make structural change, it is important to vote well-meaning nominees who will fight for justice into local, state and federal positions. Listed below are resources related to voting, and how to make sure your voice is heard:

Writing to your Legislators

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Letters to your legislators can be an effective way of making your voice heard. Below are tips from the American Civil Liberties Union on writing to your legislators, stating that legislators commonly believe that a letter represents not only the position of the writer, but also many other constituents who did not take the time to write in.[1]

  1. Keep it brief: limit your letter to ~one page and one issue at a time.
  2. State who you are and what you want up front; if your letter pertains to a certain piece of legislation, it helps to identify it by its bill number
  3. Choose 3 of your strongest points and hone in on them one paragraph at a time
  4. Personalize your letter: tell your legislator why this issue matters within your specific community/state
  5. Personalize your relationship: if you have ever voted for, interacted with, donated to, or are familiar with the representative in any way, don't be afraid to let that known
  6. You are the expert: remember that your legislator's job is to represent you. They are meant to be voting for legislation on your behalf, and may know no more about a given issue than you do.

Great - you want to write a letter to your legislator! Below is information on how to locate who and where to send your letter to.

  • Find your legislator via your address
    • After entering your address, you may click on each legislator to find their mailing address, email, phone and fax. It is recommended to send letters via mail or fax.
  • To easily generate a letter that you can send your legislators/representatives, you may also text "Start" to 50409 - this can even automatically email the letter to a representative for you!

Other ways to demand justice via email:

  • If you are interested in sending an email to the Minneapolis Police Department demanding accountability for George Floyd's death, this link will redirect you to an email template where all you have to do is fill in your name and city/state: tinyurl.com/emailforfloyd
  • If you are interested in sending an email to the Assistant Chief of Police in Louisville, Kentucky demanding accountability for Breonna Taylor's death, this link will redirect you to an email template where all you have to do is fill in your name and city/state: tinyurl.com/ycha6nuu

Where to Donate

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This is not an exhaustive list, though these are four official memorial funds for some of those who have died to due police brutality and/or racism in 2020. When looking at GoFundMe fundraisers, it is important to make sure it is an official fundraiser so that your funds will go to the right place.

Bail Funds

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Approximately 450,000 people in America are sitting in jail, yet have not been convicted of a crime, due to not being able to afford bail. Bail funds are organizations that will help to pay bail of those who have been arrested while they await trial[2]. Bail funds are especially important in 2020 as protesters are being arrested.

State Bail Fund(s)
National
Alabama
California
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
  • The Bail Project (this is a national organization, but specifically focuses on people in Indianapolis)
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
  • Minnesota Freedom Fund (Due to an influx in donations, MFF is not currently accepting any new donations. Instead MFF recommends you donate to other Minneapolis grassroots groups such as We Love Lake Street)
New York
Pennsylvania
Texas
Washington

** A more comprehensive list of bail funds, organized by state, are listed here **

Mutual Aid Funds

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Mutual aid funds create a symbiotic relationship, meaning that they support community members in caring for one another. Each mutual aid fund is uniquely different as they focus on the issues specific to their community.[3] As bail funds have received an influx in monetary donations following the murder of George Floyd, consider donating to a mutual aid fund.

State Mutual Aid Fund
Georgia
Minnesota
Missouri
New York

** This is not a comprehensive list. If the community you wish to support is not listed here, consider engaging in outside research. **

Black Owned Businesses

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Listed below are resources to help search for black-owned businesses you can support both on the national and community level. It is important to support black-owned businesses and do your part to fight for economic equality and justice.

Other Important Organizations

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  • Black Lives Matter
    • Dedicated to taking action in responding to state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism[4]
  • Campaign Zero
    • Funds donated will help support analyzing police practices across America and finding solutions for police violence[5]
  • Black Visions Collective
    • Dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression and violence while simultaneously investing in the overall health of black people and the black community [6]

Mental Health Resources for the Black Community

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In times where the physical safety of members of the black community is at stake, it is important to raise awareness and share resources for mental health care geared towards the black community.

Petitions

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While it has been found hard to track if petitions indeed enact political change, signing is still an important act for a few reasons, namely[7]:

  • Signing a petition gives organizes your name and contact information: when a newcomer comes across a petition and sees a long list of names, they may feel more motivated to engage in the cause. Furthermore, signing petitions lets social justice movement organizers know that they have a backing behind their causes.
  • Petitions have historically been successful in recruiting tools for new movements
  • Signing a petition makes an individual feel socially tied to a cause, motivating them to remain continuously engaged through other acts

Listed here are current petitions related to the Black Lives Matter movement:

Antiracist and Educational Resources

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As a white or non-black POC, it is important to take time to educate yourself on the black experience and what it means to be an antiracist ally. Below are materials and resources to get started:

Articles/websites

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Books

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Podcasts

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References

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  1. ↑ "Writing your Elected Representatives". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
  2. ↑ Adamczyk, Alicia (2020-06-02). "Twitter users raise millions for bail funds for George Floyd protestors". CNBC. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  3. ↑ McMenamin, Lexi (2020-03-20). "What Is Mutual Aid, and How Can It Help With Coronavirus?". Vice. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  4. ↑ "What We Believe". Black Lives Matter. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  5. ↑ "Campaign Zero". Campaign Zero. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  6. ↑ "Black Visions Collective". Black Visions Collective. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  7. ↑ Carpenter, Daniel. "Analysis | Yes, signing those petitions makes a difference — even if they don't change Trump's mind". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
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