Black Lives Matter
In an effort not to center myself, or to profit off the topic, my intention this month has been to listen more than I speak. I know that as white woman, I can only imagine, I can never fully understand. I find some of the tactics on social media to be more harmful than good, and the best way I think I can help right now is to educate myself, to listen, to use my privilege speak out against racial injustice, and to donate as much as I can. What happened to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others is brutal, profoundly unjust and so mind bogglingly backwards I struggle to find words to talk about it. The need for reform is now. The time to donate is now. Many issues come down to budgets and funding, so in my mind, one of the biggest ways to help is to donate.
While I'm not looking for extra credit in any way, I would like to share some of the organizations I've donated to, in an effort to help others who are looking into where to donate. If you'd like more in depth answers and accountability from me, I urge you to reach out to discuss. Supporting communities of color and specifically the black community has always been and will always be a part of my platform. I want to loudly share my support, while also trying to avoid virtue signaling and taking any of the spotlight:
I've donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Thurgood Marshall Fund. There is a huge need for reform right now. Our country feels like it's in shambles, largely due to vested interests and corrupt, antiquated and racist policies. Please donate and continue to educate yourself by absorbing media on the subject as well. Here are some good places to start:
Books:
How To Be Anti-Racist by Ibrahim X Kendi
So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittany Cooper (Dr. Cooper doesn't currently have a website I could find so please purchase the book from a Black Owned online bookstore linked here. The other links are from the authors personal websites, if possible, please purchase books from other sources rather than from huge corporations like Amazon).
Watch:
The Black Power Mix Tape
The Life and Death Of Marsha P Johnson
Paris is Burning
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Listen:
Sending love to all. What a year, man.
