Art by: @zaynscandycane
It is our duty to fight for freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.
Repeat but with your chest this time.
It is our duty to fight for freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.
Black folks have resistance in our DNA. I can say that I'm feeling so damn proud to be Black. I am proud to see us feeling all the feels and wanting to get involved and invest in our people and the work being done to keep us going. We see you. I am happy to see us showing up. I am proud to see us standing firm. And I am nerding out at the outpour of resources, knowledge, mental health convos + Black Therapists and coalition building. We also must remember that over 100,000 people have lost their lives to COVID-19 and that many Black and Brown folks are affected by this, and if not them personally someone they know has been affected by this.
As you're able and comfortable, join the fight with us. Activating in our communities and building sustainable people power takes some true organizing and strategy, but we know that it works and we know it is possible. Here are a few resources, guides, and ways to get activated and build Black power (many from the comfort of your homes).
The great news is, there are many organizations that are already doing the work in your communities or nearby neighboring communities. Not sure where to find them? Start with social media, watch stories and tune into different accounts that post around topics of organizing, social justice work, etc. Look for zoom calls, call to actions, and other forms of digital organizing, education, and empowerment. I also share many links on both Facebook and Twitter. Here are a few organizations I follow and have supported:
@Byp100
@Blackwomenradicals
@wokevote
@decrimdc (Twitter)
@charlenecarruthers
@chasinggarza
@ihartericka
@prisonculture
The Movement for Black Lives
M4BL, or The Movement for Black Lives, and organizers mobilizing from across the country, invite you to join us in the fight for Black Lives. There will be a week of action from June 1st to 5th in Defense of Black Lives. Everyone is welcomed to get involved as they feel comfortable. Change your social media profile picture to the photo above to show that you are committed to being in defense of Black Lives.
Uprisings happen when we can no longer tolerate a system or practice that is in place. From public leadership to policies and state violence (both direct and indirect), there is no better time to educate, inform, and activate in your communities. The truth is, it takes us all. As the Black Panther party so eloquently said it, all power to all the people. Black Lives Matter means that all Black lives matter. The women, the girls, the trans women, men, and gender non-conforming people too. Our stories won't be silenced, and the revolution just really might be live-streamed.
#Nina Pop
Rest
As Audre Lorde put it, "Caring for myself is not self- indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
We must be very intentional about choosing to rest. To unplug. To spend some time outside. To watch something grow and produce fruit. Connect with friends and family. Read. Write. Eat good foods. Radical Self-Love looks like knowing when you need to take some time to pause, unplug, breathe, and reset.
Girl Trek's #DaughterOf Campaign has featured Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Bernice King, and the Leaders of the NPHC Sororities. They will be kicking off Black History Bootcamp and Resistance Trainings, through a 21-day Walking Meditation series. They have led the way in sharing stories of Black women as the Daughters Of those who have come before us, without them we wouldn't be who or where we are, so we must honor them. This is to you. Asé.
Supporting Funds 101
Fundraising is a great example of what people power looks like. It plays a huge role in how organizations are able to do what they do, whether its mutual aid, whether it's advocating and demanding for the abolition of the police, for testing sites, representing us, or for a working wage, these organizers and freedom fighters are making space for policy change, and for the abolition of these white supremacists structures. We are demanding that elected officials, leaders, and each other be held accountable. We are demanding that our lives are worth more than property. We are demanding that our lives matter and not just when it's trending.
Be sure to double and triple-check links, match the organization's websites that you support + the goals and missions of the cause and/or organizations. Be aware and do research on folks and make sure to use multiple forms of media for news, updates, and to get a more full picture view. These are a few resources, but the reality is each city has organizations doing the work, because it's happening in our cities, to our people. Invest in us.
Media +Politics
A lot of how we understand politics, government, media, and even how we engage with it has to do with how we've been educated around it. Think of how many times you've seen yourself represented in these spaces and how many you didn't. Think of how many Black news reporters there are (especially on these larger/mainstream networks) versus the money, support, and following of Black News, Media, and Black Journalists receive. I'm proud to know many Black journalists who are about to shake up the game. Are laws disproportionately affecting me or simply am I being treated differently because of my race or my gender or my sexuality or how I present myself to the world? Maybe it's a combination of these things.
@thisisformypeople
@thingsblackbodiesdo
@BlackFuturesLab
@Tiffanydcross
@Rolandmartin
@Joyannreid
@Donlemon
@TheCrisisMagazine
We must do our own research. Access to the internet has changed the game. Within seconds, we are able to look at archives, share resources, readings, tips, and stories. Most excitingly, we are able to share and create our own stories, experiences, and shape culture as we know it.
Where to start: grab a notebook.
Do some reflecting: What are some things you enjoy doing and some things that are everyday needs in your life? (think parks, local restaurants, online shopping (Amazon, FedEx, UPS, Instacart, therapy, travel, schools, hospitals).
Radical Readz
Check out these Black Girl book clubs and read more on our post.
Things on my personal bookshelf + resources.
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Wrap It Up Tho-- Resources, Links, and More!
All power to all the people,
