MURK-ury Crystal Power

For the last few weeks, I’ve been going through it. First there was the constant stream of news about the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black communities, then came the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of police and the wrongful death of Ahmaud Arbery. Meanwhile I’m navigating this pandemic along with everyone else, and trying to figure out how to make a positive impact along the way. It’s been dizzying. And I know I’m not alone.

According to Naj Austin, founder of the social community for people of color Ethel’s Club, all of those complex feelings and mixed emotions are normal in times of crisis and collective trauma. Ethel’s Club, which previously offered free mental health counseling for members in its Brooklyn location, has now transitioned to a digital model. “The great thing about a healing space like Ethel’s Club is that it takes our identity, and everything that comes with that, into account. You can’t talk about these complex feelings without talking about Blackness.” The club’s online community is hosting free, hour-long grieving sessions twice monthly.

For many Black people practicing social distancing, the need for virtual resources has never been more clear. So, I’ve compiled a list of six more mental health resources, in addition to Ethel’s Club, that are providing virtual support to the Black community right now. However you choose to grieve, process, and/or stand in solidarity, remember that you’re not alone, and that your personhood and wellness still matter.

Dive in Well

Maryam Ajayi founded Dive in Well, an organization offering digital classes on various wellness practices, to create a more inclusive wellness industry. Dive in Well hosts donation-based digital events like breathwork classes and therapy sessions aimed at centering self care.

Sista Afya

This Chicago-based, community-driven organization provides women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions, workshops, and free online conversations known as Online Sista Support Groups, which cover topics like managing the stress sparked by consuming news.

Healhaus

Founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle created this space in Brooklyn to provide accessible and inclusive wellness to their community. HealHaus is currently closed, but their ethos has continued virtually through live streamed classes, including a healing cypher for men of color.

Therapy for Black Girls

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford founded this organization to combat the stigma around therapy that might otherwise prevent Black women from seeking care. Now, TBG has become a successful podcast, a directory that aims to connect women with culturally competent therapists, as well as a private community Facebook support group. The organization holds free group support sessions weekly on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. EST.

The Nap Ministry

Performance artist and poet Tricia Hersey founded The Nap Ministry to champion Black rest as a form of reparations and resistance against burnout culture and capitalism. While she normally hosts free pop-ups where visitors can take brief naps and workshops in the Atlanta area, Hersey has been using Instagram to provide mini sermons about the importance of slowing down and getting more sleep when you’re a Black person fighting oppression day-in and day-out.

Inclusive Therapists

Italy

Germany

Australia

United Kingdom

Canada

Japan

New Zealand

Sweden

Netherlands

Denmark

Ireland

Syria

Brazil

Someone put red paint on the "Serve and Protect" sculpture at the Salt Lake City police building and it is such a powerful statement.

Black lives matter every fucking day and always will. This was not an isolated incident. Something has to change.

Some good links for my black followers:

Mental Health Resource Thread by @mayarichardsun on Twitter

7 Virtual Mental Health Resources Supporting Black People by Jesse Sparks

Black Mental Health Resources by Everyone Counts Campaign

BrownGirlSelfCare on Instagram

TherapyForBlackGirls on Instagram

TherapyIsLight on Instagram

Please take care of yourself during this difficult time. You are so loved and valued. ♡

Fellow white people who are reading; don’t just post about this. Do something about this. We need to use whatever platform we have to speak up. We need to know the facts. We need to listen to and amplify black voices. We need to act. We need to be real allies.

Justice For George Floyd Petition (Change.org)

Justice For George Floyd Petition (WhiteHouse.gov)

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund (GoFundMe)

Justice for Regis Korchinski Paquet (GoFundMe)

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Justice For Big Floyd

Black Lives Matter Donation page

Black Visions Collective Donation page / Main page

Bail fund thread on Twitter

More petitions, educational sources and who to contact

Mapping Police Violence educational website

If you have the opportunity to protest, do so peacefully. Check online for upcoming protests near you. Ask how you can help.

(Do not donate money to change.org, none of their funds go to their petitions or organizations)

I Run With Maud - a fundraiser for the family of Maud to support them financially and seek justice. Ahmaud Arbery is black man who was chased and gunned down by two white men. (donation)

Minnesota freedom fund - raise money to bail out minnesota protesters (donation)

Official George Floyd donation fund (donation

The heart of a chef - Help pay for a black chef’s medical expenses

Justice for Sheku Bayoh - A black male who was taken into police custody and never returned home (petition)

Justice for Jennifer Jeffley - A black woman who was arrested at the age of 15 for a crime she did not commit (petition)

Abolish prison labor in the US (petition)

Free Willie Simmons - A black man serving 38 years for stealing $9 (petition)

Free Siyanda Mngaza - A young black woman sentenced to 4 1/2 years for self defence (petition)

Drop all charges against trafficking survivor Chrystul Kizer - A black woman incarcerated for using self defence against a trafficker (petition)

Justice for Zinedine - A black woman who was r*ped and he walks free. (petition)

Justice for Joāo Pedro - A 14 year old black boy who was shot in his home by the Rio de Janeiro police and died. 72 bullet holes were found in his home. (petition)

Justice for Sean Reed - A young black man who’s life ended after excessive violence by the cops against him while he was unarmed. (petition)

Justice for Breonna Taylor - A black woman, an award winning EMT who was killed by police in her home after an illegal unnanounced drug raid. They went to the WRONG HOUSE. (petition)

Exonerate Eric Riddick - A black man who was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit in 1992. There was no physical evidence. (petition)

Justice for Elijah Nichols - A black man who was attacked by a predominantly white fraternity party, stabbed his attackers in self defence, and is now incarcerated for it. (petition)

Justice for Emerald Black - A black pregnant woman who was attacked by the police for having bad registration tags. She was stomped in the stomach causing her to miscarry. (petition)

Justice for Amiya Braxton - A black child who was hit by a car. No one took her case serious and the driver was not charged. (petition)

Justice for Belly Mujinga - A black woman who was attacked while she had COVID-19 which likely lead to her death.(petition)

Justice for Tamir Rice - A 12 year old black boy who was shot and killed by officers for playing with a toy gun. The officers were not charged. (petition)

Justice for Andile Mchunu - A missing black man who was last seen beaten by a group of men. (petition)

Disbarment of George E. Barnhill - The man who decided to sit on the case of Ahmaud Arbery. (petition)

Criminal charges against Travis and Greg McMichael in the murder of black jogger Ahmaud Arbery. (petition)

Correcting a wrongful conviction against Kyjuanzi Harris - A black man who was arrested without cause. He has been in prison for 9 years now. (petition)

Justice for Darrius Stewart - A black man who was killed by a cop for a mistaken identity. (petition)

Reopen Kendrick Johnsons case - A black man who was killed by a man through a jealous fight over a girl. The autopsy revealed that his death was not accidental, the man admits to murder, yet the case is closed. (petition)

Raise the degree - remove bail for Derek Chauvin, the man who killed George Floyd (petition)

Exoneration of Albert Wilson - A black male wjo was sentenced by an all white jury 12 years for making out with a white woman in a bar. (petition)

Julius Jones - An innocent man set to be excecuted in oklahoma (petition)

Junk the anti-terrorism bill- a bill is trying to get passed calling protests, mass mobilizations, and political activities “terrorism” and trying to make them illegal (petition)

Justice for Darrius Stewart - a 19 year old who was gunned down by a white police officer (petition)

Free Wis. teen facing life in prison for killing her rapist (petition)

Justice for Alejandro Vargas Martinez - A black 15 year old who was shot 7 times while walking to school (petition)

I need to share this right now so I can eat but i will add more later! I DON’T care if its not ACNH. If this bothers you, unfollow me. I couldn’t care less. It bothers me how little I see donation and petition links on here, i have a good amount of followers on here, so see this. sign them.

Reclaim the Block - an organization to help the Minneapolis community to access housing, youth services, harm reduction, and protection for low wage workers. (donation)

Help coach Steve Parker get back in the game - Black tennis player Steve Parker was diagnosed with COVID-19 and recovered and then later suffered a serious stroke. Help pay for his medical and rehabilitation bills. (donation)

Columbus freedom fund - bail out columbus protesters and people in need (donation)

Detroit Justice - bail out protesters and people in need (donation)

Humanity behind bars - an organization dedicated to building inside and outside alliances and re-entry networks of care. (donation)

Atlanda solidarity fund- bail out atlanta protesters (donation)

Brooklyn community bail fund (donation)

Philly bail fund (donation)

National revolving bail fund (donation)

NYC Free Them All bail fund (donation)

Chicago bail fund (donation)

Boston Mass bail fund (donation)

Kansas community bail fund (donation)

Hawaii community bail fund (donation)

Vegas freedom fund (donation)

Memphas bail fund (donation)

Nebraska left coalition (donation)

NC community bail fund (donation)

Milwaukee freedom fund (donation)

Portland freedom fund

Alachua COVID-19 Bond Fund - Release those from jail to protect them from COVID (donation)

Detroit bail fund (donation)

People’s city counsil freedom fund - Increase the safety and bail of protesters protesting the lack of funds LA provides for it’s people during COVID-19 (donation)

Richmund community bail fund - bail out richmund protesters (donation)

BYP100 - A registered cheritable organization to support social welfare giving. (donation)

North Star Health Collective - Help support a stronger healthier community (donate)

Lousville community bail fund - bail out lousville protesters (donation)

Black visions donation (donate)

Nadarrius Lundy memorial fund - Nadarrius lost his life at 15 years old drowning in Jacob’s Creek, help pay for his memorial funds (donate)

BLACK LIVES MATTER - fund their movement (donation)

Greene Family fire relief - The Greene family of 11 lost their house due to an electrical fire, help pay for their expenses (donation)

Marcus Jackson medical fund - Marcus Jackson needs help fighting bone cancer (donation)

COVID-19 survivor, Ron’s Road to recovery - help pay his hospital bills (donation)

Jessica Mahone - Her and her 9 year old son were hit by a drunk driver, help pay her medical bills (donation)

Comfort and support for the Moncrease family - In the midst of Maria being 9 months pregnant it was found that Justice had a terminal and mutated form of Multiple Myeloma. (donation)

Help a front line nurse and baby get proper care - Sylvia Leroy, a pregnant nurse, positive with COVID-19 suffered from cardiac arrest leaving her with brain injury from lack of oxygen (donation)

Support Rod Stoddart’s family - Help Rod’s family after his passing of COVID-19 (donation)

Justice for Greg Hill - Greg Hill, a black man, was killed in his garage by a sheriff’s deputy for a loud music complaint. The jury gave Hill’s estate $4 ($1 for each child’s pain and suffering and $1 for funeral expenses) Help repare his home and care for his children’s needs (donation)

Alton Sterling Family Scholarship - Sterling was shot and killed by police for selling CDs outside a food mart. Help pay for his children’s school and needs. (donation)