For George. For Breonna. For Ahmaud. For Tony. For David. For all of Black America. We fight.
Many of us were already feeling exhausted and hopeless as we weathered the storm of COVID-19. Then, the stories behind names like David McAtee, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others whose lives have been affected by police brutality and white supremacy started flooding the news and our feeds — and we know there are many more whose stories we haven’t heard.
We might feel tired. We might feel too angry to cry, or we might feel like tears are all we have left. But one thing’s certain: we’re desperate for change, and there’s a lot of work to be done.
We need to create the space to grieve for our Black communities, and we also need to create the space to fight. It took weeks of action for charges to be brought against the police officers involved in George Floyd’s senseless and brutal murder. At the same time, the protesters demanding justice and accountability are being jailed, attacked, and vilified — even by the president of the United States.
White supremacy is more than lynching and white hoods — it’s in the biases people hold when they see Black people and how violently those biases can play out. It’s in the over-policing of Black people, upheld through racist institutions that inflict violence without punishment under the law.
It’s that same white supremacy that shows up in policies that attack our bodily autonomy, which makes the promise of reproductive freedom unattainable for Black people in this country. Every governing system — education, policing, transportation, housing, health care, and more — needs accountability. And we can’t stop fighting until Black Americans can go for a walk, bird watch, protest against violence, or live their everyday lives without the fear of violence. We can’t stop fighting until the systems of racialized oppression and dehumanization are transformed.
That’s why we must speak out to bring injustice to light. The passion and power coming from people around the world who are organizing for justice is inspiring. If you’re unsure where to put your passion and your power, here are some ways to get involved:
Join the Movement for Black Lives Week of Action: Visit their site to get resources, messaging, and tactics for each day of the Week of Action in defense of Black lives.
Urge Congress to take action: Urge your members of Congress to support Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Barbara Lee, and Karen Bass’s resolution to condemn police brutality, racial profiling, and use of excessive force.
Support local bail funds: Support protesters in your city by finding local bail funds, or donate here to have your donation divided between cities across the country.
Increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities: Support BVM Capacity Building Institute and help provide training and support for community-based organizations.
Educate yourself and the people around you: We encourage non-black allies to deepen their understanding of how racism affects us all by reading these anti-racism resources and having conversations with family and friends.
We must demand accountability. We must demand justice. We must demand an end to the inequity that continues to define every moment of life for Black America. There’s hard work ahead, especially for white people and people in power. This is a battle we all need to fight.
Here with you until justice is won,
