#whatwillyoudo

Greetings, Tumblr!

We are Mars (@marsincharge) and nukirk (@nukirk  or @thoughtremixer), two of the co-founders behind #Blackout on Tumblr. We, and our other co-founder T’von (@luka-brasi, hey T’von!), started this almost three years ago.

In honor of Black History Month, we’ve teamed up with Tumblr. They’ve asked us:  So when they write the headlines and history books what do you want them to say? And #WhatWillYouDo to make it happen?

OUR ANSWER: We want to highlight and honor Black organizations that are doing really amazing work in spaces that Black people are often left out of and that are having really important conversations about bettering Black communities. We’ll be linking to them all day long.

We are also entering 2018 with a new mission statement: to create sustainable online spaces of positivity for Black people…all around the world. With that in mind, we’re making our official return to themes.

Mar. 6th - Anniversary/Classic #BlackoutDay Jun. 6th - PRIDE Blackout Sept. 6th - Education Dec. 6th - Rewind/Throwback

Happy Black History Month! As part of Tumblr’s #WhatWillYouDo campaign, we are committed to using our platform to celebrate and honor the achievements, the courage, and the lives of Black voices from all over the country. There will be Days of Action you can join, Answer Times to participate in, and stickers to enjoy. We want to make sure you don’t miss anything you wouldn’t want to miss. So let’s go:

#TheBlackout

Today the incredible team behind #TheBlackout movement are curating and boosting Black voices and stories, and the organizations doing important work in spaces where Black voices tend to be ignored.

Stickers are back

Slap them on your selfies, throw them on your GIFs. They’re in the Tumblr app right now.

Don’t miss these Answer Times, Issue Times, and Day of Action

From activists in transgender education to data scientists, we have a varied line-up of people who want to answer your questions and start some pretty important conversations. Be on the lookout for them all month long over on our official @action​ Tumblr.

Black Girls Vote (Answer Time) If you’re in college and have wanted to get more involved in politics, you should pay attention to BGV. Their Collegiate Ambassador Program provides peer-to-peer education on the electoral process and provides opportunities to refine public speaking skills. Want to know more? Great! That’s what the Answer Time is for. Black Contemporary Art (art curation) Kimberly Drew, who runs @blackcontemporaryart, will curate a collection of art that honors Black voices by shining a light on the diverse cultural conversations important to the community. The Cost of Criminalization: Race & The Drug War (Issue Time) People of color are far more likely to be stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for drug violations than white people, despite having a comparable rate of drug use and selling. Here to address this injustice in an Issue Time, in the midst of marijuana becoming legal at the state level all over the US, are members of the Minority Cannabis Association, Cannabis Cultural Association, and other advocacy leaders working to address issues related to mass incarceration.

Campaign Zero (Day of Action and Answer Time) Campaign Zero is a police reform campaign led by activists associated with Black Lives Matter. Tumblr will be partnering Campaign Zero for a Day of Action, giving you the opportunity to identify your state and local elected officials and demand them to enact legislation to end police violence. Ahead of the Day of Action will be an Answer Time with Sam Singyanwe, from Campaign Zero’s planning team.

Do Not Resist (Answer Time) Do Not Resist is a PBS documentary on police brutality, delving into their tactics, their training, and acquisition of equipment.

Transgender Freedom Project (Answer Time) The Transgender Freedom Project's Answer Time will be with some of the first Black transgender elected officials in the US. 

This Saturday we March for Our Lives

Join one of the 828 sibling marches planned in conjunction with the main march in Washington DC. Find one near you.

And make sure you’re registered to VOTE.  Find out how here.

Art Action Day!

To celebrate art action day, I’ll be donating all proceeds from my print store through 1/31/2018.

The money will go to The Sylvia Rivera Law Project. The work they do is so incredibly important, and I hope that by raising some money we can contribute to their mission:

“The Sylvia Rivera Law Project works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. SRLP is a collective organization founded on the understanding that gender self-determination is inextricably intertwined with racial, social and economic justice. Therefore, we seek to increase the political voice and visibility of low-income people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming. SRLP works to improve access to respectful and affirming social, health, and legal services for our communities. We believe that in order to create meaningful political participation and leadership, we must have access to basic means of survival and safety from violence.”