Hi

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old ER technician and former EMT, was lying in her own bed when police broke in and shot her eight times without so much as announcing their presence. Say her name. Do the work. Text. Call. Sign. Donate.

After learning what Black Out Tuesday was originally intended to be, I too would like to use this opportunity to boast about some black creators and their work that needs more attention.

These are the three books, two graphic novels and one poetry book, that I will be reading this week.

✊🏾 I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina and illustrated by Stacey Robinson & John Jennings with a foreword by Bryan Stevenson:

When an off-duty officer mistakes a clothes hanger for a gun, Alfonso Jones wakes up in the afterlife guided by fellow victims of police shootings. Meanwhile, Alfonso’s family and friends struggle with their grief and seek justice for Alfonso’s murder.

✊🏾Your Black Friend and Other Strangers by Ben Passmore:

Described as required reading for those seeking to be useful allies in the fight for justice, this collection of culturally charged comics tackles race, gentrification, the prison system, racial micro-aggressions, and more with both humor and relatability.

✊🏾Say Her Name by Zetta Elliot and illustrated Loveis Wise:

In this collection of haikus and poems, Elliot creates a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls while also paying tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists championing for the Black Lives Matter cause.

I encourage everyone to check out these books, support a independent bookstore (especially Black-owned ones!!!) and your local libraries. And as always, BLACK LIVES MATTER! And please don’t forget to let your Black joy shine!

- Veronika ✊🏾

A lot of the lists on tumblr have been circulating all week and some of the organizations have taken in as much as they can use with the size/scope of their mission. I signed up to the excellent Reclaim the Block and they just posted this list on their facebook.

Black Table Arts -  Gathering Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures.

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha - CTUL is a worker-led organization where workers organize, educate and empower each other to fight for a voice in their workplaces and in their communities.

Du Nord Riot Recovery Fund - Du Nord Craft Spirits is a Black-owned distillery with a building that was damaged. They’ve “received a tidal wave of love and support from across the nation and many have asked how they can help… Therefore, Du Nord is establishing this fund to support black and brown companies affected by the riots.”

Little Earth Residents Association - Food and safety needs for residents of Little Earth of United Tribes.

Migizi Communications - MIGIZI Communications advances a message of success, well-being and justice for the American Indian community. Support them rebuilding after fire.

Minnesota Healing Justice Network - We provide a supportive professional community and mutual aid network for wellness and healing justice practitioners who also identify as IBPOC (indigenous, black, or people of color).

Northside business support - support businesses on Minneapolis’s Northside that have been impacted by recent demonstrations.

Pimento Relief Fund - We’re partnering with Pimento to provide black business without insurance relief after white supremacists set them on fire during the protests. 

Powwow Grounds - send via paypal to [email protected] - Native-run cafe, currently providing meals to elders, protectors and community, purchasing medical supplies, fire supplies, cooking supplies. 

Southside Harm Reduction- Southside Harm Reduction Services works within a harm reduction framework to promote the human rights to health, safety, autonomy, and agency among people who use substances. 

Spiral Collective - A volunteer full-spectrum reproductive options and support group comprised of doulas, birth-workers, and passionate reproductive justice advocates. based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, occupied Dakhóta territories.

Women for Political Change - Holistically investing in the leadership and political power of young women and trans & non-binary individuals throughout Minnesota.

a black woman named zoe amira posted a video on youtube. this video is an hour long and filled with art and music from black creators. it has a ton of ads, and in result will rack up a ton of revenue. 100% of the ad revenue from the video will be dispersed between various blm organizations, including bail-out funds for protesters. it will be split between the following, dependent on necessity

brooklyn bail fund

minnesota freedom fund

atlanta action network

columbus freedom fund

louisville community bail fund

chicago bond

black visions collective

richmond community bail fund

the bail project inc

nw com bail fund

philadelphia bail fund

the korchhinski-parquet family gofundme

george floyd’s family gofundme

blacklivesmatter.com

reclaim the block

aclu

turn off your adblocker and put the video on repeat. do not skip ads. let it play on loop whether you’re listening or not. mute the tab if you need to focus elsewhere. but let. it. play.

youtube will donate to blm for you.

I have no experience with this strategy, but as I’ve seen more than one comment there with the same advice I’d assume this is true about YouTube’s algorithm

Here is a compilation of places to donate (IF you can, simply reblogging and sharing this can help) and petition to sign. I found these websites and organizations on twitter.

DONATIONS

THE MINNESOTA  FREEDOM FUND: Donate to this to collect funds to pay jail bonds for the protesters who get arrested.

BLACK LIVES MATTER: An organization fighting for the BLM movement. Donate if you can. 

BLACK VISIONS MN: an organization that is led by Black, Queer and Trans people. Donate if you can.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Fights for the overall equality fight. Donate if you can.

PETITIONS

Willie Simmons has spent 38 years in prison for a $9 robbery. He had two prior convictions similar to robbery that he served time for. He was prosecuted under the Alabama Habitual Offender law and was given a life sentence for his third strike - stealing 9 (NINE) dollars. Sign his petition. 

Breonna Taylor was killed by police who were conducting an UNANNOUNCED drug raid, where they gave no request to enter. They bashed her door and entered, shooting her EIGHT times. They were in the WRONG HOUSE. 

George Floyd was killed by a police officer who knelt on his neck and suffocated him to death, after George pleaded with the officer and told him he couldn’t breathe. The officer had pulled him from where he sat in his car on an alleged FORGERY. You can also text “FLOYD” to 55156

ARREST THE OFFICERS WHO KILLED GEORGE FLOYD: The main police officer who murdered George is being kept in PROTECTIVE CUSTODY. You probably have heard he was arrested, but this is NOT TRUE. He was placed under PROTECTIVE custody because of the riots and “threats” on his life. 

northstar health collective, organized healthcare professionals working with anti-authoritarian groups

reclaim the block, a collective that aims to redistribute funding away from police and towards more community-oriented projects in minneapolis

these are the links i send to my facebook friends who keep running their mouths about “the protests hurting the community”

minnehaha food shelf & calvary church food shelf are both centered in the south minneapolis area where the riots started. the grocery stores in the area have been decimated, so food shelves and food insecurity charities need a lot of love right now.

northside funders group is a philanthropic group in the twin cities that’s using all its funds right now for helping local businesses

migizi is a native american media/history nonprofit whose office was destroyed in the riots

we love lake street is devoting funds specifically towards rebuilding the lake street area in south minneapolis

some more groups that could use your help

the healing justice foundation is a national nonprofit that’s specifically focusing on mental health resources for bipoc right now

ctul is a nonprofit focused on low-wage workers and workers rights in minnesota

mpd 150 is focused on policing and specifically trying to reroute the conversation from “we need to change police procedures” to “the police need structural reform”

the spiral collective is providing funds for supplies, medic kits, and other things that protesters will need on the ground

unicorn riot is a media collective that has had people on the ground filming every night in minneapolis

last but not least some more bail funds

atlanta

baltimore

brooklyn

columbus

connecticut

dallas

denver

detroit

houston

las vegas

los angeles

louisville

massachusetts

philadelphia

pittsburgh