Fundamental and lasting change requires awareness, commitment and decisive actions.

As a Black American woman, I am sad, horrified, grief-stricken and outraged at the unjust murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, and Tony McDade — just to name a few. But there have been so many other victims. Not only do Black Americans bear the brunt of institutional racism and police brutality, we are also the most exposed to the viral pandemic because we are, and always have been, among America’s essential workers.

The recent wave of protests against systemic racial injustice and police violence that followed the public killing of George Floyd, has mobilized a broad coalition of protesters to take action toward dismantling both overt and subtle racist ideologies and policies entrenched in American life. I am heartened by the passionate and diverse protesters — both nationwide and across the globe. Their advocacy is being channeled into a level of civic engagement — unseen in quite some time  — demanding justice, police reform, legislation, and equal rights for blacks and other people of color.

We can succeed in driving substantive change by educating ourselves and others, listening, protesting, donating and supporting the work of Black Lives Matter and other vital organizations. We can also help by donating to bail and memorial funds, and by actively supporting black-owned businesses. You’ll find more detailed ways to support below.

Here is a compilation of key recommendations and resources for those of us who want to better understand how to support the fight against racial injustice and police violence, get involved in protests, or learn more about other meaningful ways to support the movement for change, including:

*A non-official Black Lives Matter “Ways You Can Help” page

*#BlackLivesMatter Google Doc: Please Sign Petitions, Donate, Call and Email to Demand Justice, and Share

*A Resource Guide on Protest Signage

*135 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color

*75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

*Twitter thread reading list for people being radicalized by the protests taking place

*Thread of documentaries to watch to understand US policing

*Access links to Bail Funds, Memorial Funds, Organizations & Mutual Aid

and much more.

The primary source for much of the critical information included in this post is the Google Doc prepared by @babyindifera on Twitter and Instagram

The author has made these resources available for the movement, so they can to be shared responsibly and used by those who need them.

I have updated this post with the #BlackLivesMatter Google Doc: shared by Betsy @ambivaIcnt on Twitter.

This invaluable Google spreadsheet includes the following vital local and national resources below:

Link to the Google Sheet which includes the following lists of actionable resources:

Tab 1: General Info (You Are Here!)
Tab 2: Legal Services and Bail Support
Tab 3: Advice for Protesting and Social Media
Tab 4: Bail Funds, Memorial Funds, Organizations & Mutual Aid
Tab 5: International Solidarity and Resources
Tab 6: Misc Mutual Aid and Community Projects

I: For People Seeking Legal Counsel

A Spreadsheet of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers (Attorneys: Fill This Out)

National Lawyers Guild NYC: What to do if Someone You Know is Arrested (Tweet)

II: For People Who Can’t Donate or Protest

• On Twitter, someone created a twitter thread of alternative actions people without the means to donate can take. Here is that thread.

• A non-official Black Lives Matter “Ways you can help” page
• An ongoing anti-racist watch list for non-Black allies – Educate yourself about systemic racism and police brutality in America, starting with these 12 films and documentaries.
• A Twitter thread that has compiled petitions to sign.
• Amplify Movement for Black Lives and their mutual aid work.
• 135 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color  
• 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
• What to read, listen to and watch to learn about institutional racism
• A Master List of Companies’ Support for BLM

The effort to combat racial inequality will take continued work from all of us.

Here are some additional ways that you can take action to end police violence against Black Americans and promote a more equitable world for all people:

• Learn about policies and proposed changes through resources like these from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Center for Policing Equity.https://civilrights.org/resource/new-era-of-public-safety-a-guide-to-fair-safe-and-effective-community-policing/
• Learn about the history and struggle for Racial Justice through resources like the Equal Justice Initiative. https://eji.org/racial-justice/
• Learn about actions you can take in your community now at Imagine Justice https://www.imaginejusticenow.com/take_action
• For those who seek to be better allies, learn more about anti-racism using resources like those available at Racial Equity Tools. https://www.racialequitytools.org/home

• Learn more about black owned businesses and various ways to support small black-owned businesses. 

Videos:

Bear Witness, Take Action – Hosted by Keke Palmer and Common

https://youtu.be/_CV4DOdeFxU

Check out these YouTube Spotlight playlists for videos on these topics:

Continuing the Conversation – Academics, athletes, and more engage in discussions about fighting systemic racism

Understanding Racial Justice

Voices From The Past

How to Talk to Kids About Race

Check out these feature films and series that have been made available free to watch and rent on YouTube:

13th 

JustMercy

Selma

TheHateYouGive

Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

III: For People Protesting or Using Social Media

*Tips for Protesters

*Medical  & Safety Advice (Including Sanitation + PPE)

• This Google Doc contains the best practices for before, during, and after protests.
• This Twitter thread contains reminders and new information about maintaining your respiratory health while protesting.

• Avoid posting and resharing photos that could help police, white supremacist groups, and employers identify the people protesting. Blur other people’s faces, tattoos, or other identifiable attributes if you’re going to post!
  
• Sew or use safety pins to close up pockets and don’t carry easy to open bags. Police put illegal things in them and use what they say they’ve found to bring cases against people.
  
• Write out ICE (in case of emergency contact) and notes about any required medication or medical problems. Phone numbers of doctors are not a bad idea either.

• It is best not to bring prescription medications to the protests. If you do, you’re encouraged to bring the bottle containing your prescription. Police are likely to give you a hard time, but it’s safer to have the bottle your meds came in.
• Avoid wearing your contacts! Tear gas is particularly harmful for you!

• If you are protesting while seated and someone begins to attack you, cover the back of your neck and your lower back with your arms.

Social Media and Communication

• For people doing the heavy lifting on the ground: A resource on deleting your digital footprint. It’s best policy not to post excessively about what you’re wearing, who you’re going with, etc. to avoid drawing additional attention to yourself.
• Many people have recommended using ‘Signal’ to communicate! It is more secure than your DMs on Twitter or IG. More on Signal here. More tips on making your phone more secure (Thread)

• The best policy is to watch what you text and to make sure you’re not including your location on your social media posts. Turn off your location!

• Tool for quickly scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring faces and identifiable features. Phone or Desktop. Credit

For Police Interactions:

This tweet teaches you how to set a Shortcut to film your encounters with police and to contact your emergency contact.

On Signage & In-Person Conduct

• A Resource Guide on Protest Signage

General  Social Media Tips

• Avoid posting and resharing photos that could help police, organized and unorganized white supremacist groups, and employers identify the people protesting.

• Click here if you’re not sure how to blur people’s faces, tattoos, and other identifying attributes.

• Reading Material: “There’s No Such Thing as a Pretty Protest” by Tirhakah Love

• Do not share videos and photos of the murder of George Floyd or any other Black person who has been murdered police – or anyone for that matter! These videos are the lynching postcards of our time.

• Reading Material: “White Witness and the Contemporary Lynching” by Zoé Samudzi

• Do the work to unlearn and to fight all of your racist conditioning re: innocence and criminality.

• Reading Material: “Black is Crime: Notes on Blaqillegalism” by Dubian Ade
• Thread of documentaries to watch to understand US policing
• Reading Material: A reading list for people being radicalized by the protests taking place. Political education accompanies the work being done in the street!
• (For Vietamese Communities) Reading Material: AntiBlackness in Vietnamese Communities
• (For Allies) Black Lives Matter Reading Material: A Guide to Allyship

For Parents & Teachers Who Want to Talk About Race

• Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup

• Schomburg Center Black Liberation Reading List

The effort to combat racial inequality will take continued work from all of us. Use your platform to call out racial injustice, and share the message of equality to educate those around you. Maybe your platform is the dinner table…maybe it’s bedtime stories, maybe it’s your social media channels, maybe it’s the streets. 

Source Credit:

The prinary source for the critical information included in this post is Google Doc prepared by: @babyindifera on Twitter and Instagram

The author has made these resources available to be shared responsibly and used by those who need it.

Link to Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fpdRY5fwoyt04Il6y9bToWjv4wUaIoMAQERoE2A140U/edit?usp=sharing

The author of the Google Doc has started transferring this document into Google Sheets! This Google doc will not be deleted. Instead, whatever cannot reasonably be transferred there, will remain here.

This invaluable Google spreadsheet includes the following vital local and national resources:

Tab 1: General Info (You Are Here!)
Tab 2: Legal Services and Bail Support
Tab 3: Advice for Protesting and Social Media
Tab 4: Bail Funds, Memorial Funds, Organizations & Mutual Aid
Tab 5: International Solidarity and Resources
Tab 6: Misc Mutual Aid and Community Projects

I have updated this post with the #BlackLivesMatter Google Doc: shared by Betsy @ambivaIcnt on Twitter.

I have also added some links to additional relevant resources.

How are you helping to support the fight against racial injustice?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

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