tri-studies

One of our Vulture readers noted that they love how Suits doesn’t hide your height: You’re always wearing high heels and beautiful column dresses. Have you had the experience of shows or movies trying to downsize you?

But first, be aware that the protests aren’t over. It’s June 29th and there are still events and actions being planned regularly across the nation, and they still need your participation and support. If you’re able, please keep your focus there; this list is for what can be done long-term outside of the protests

Know your rights. Giving the police any more information than you absolutely have to will never and can never benefit you or anyone else - positive evidence given to the police is regularly thrown out in court, whereas negative evidence will be used against you. Know what to say and what you have the right to refuse. You don’t have to answer any questions without a lawyer present, you don’t have to give the police access to your house or car unless they have a current warrant signed by a judge. They will try to intimidate you - learn your rights and don’t let up, don’t ever cooperate with the police

Don’t snitch. If you see someone breaking the law in a way that doesn’t hurt anybody, keep your mouth shut. If cops knock on your door asking you questions about your neighbors or anyone you know, don’t answer

Don’t call the cops. If you can solve the problem in a different way, do it. Cops have on multiple occasions murdered the people they were called to help (or bystanders) without provocation. Don’t be complicit in that. Learn how to handle situations as a community or with the help of qualified experts

When you see an interaction with the police happening, stop and observe. If necessary, film the interaction. Organize and work with groups such as Copwatch to observe the police and hold them accountable

Use proper opsec, especially if you’re involved with anything that might make you a target for the cops. Downloading Signal is a great simple place to start

Learn about jury nullification, and spread the word. When serving in a jury, you have the right to vote not guilty on a defendant that you believe did commit the crime but doesn’t deserve punishment for it. Don’t be complicit in unjust punishment

Refuse to do work for the police or prison system. Workers keep the world running and the state relies on our compliance to keep our neighbors under their thumb. We can shut it down

Continue to support bail funds, even for non-protesters. Cash bail is unjust, and people shouldn’t be in jail just because they can’t pay

Continue to support legal defense funds as well, such as that of the National Lawyers Guild

Write to prisoners, either by yourself or with groups such as the Anarchist Black Cross or Black And Pink, and organize/support books to prisons programs, commissary funds, reentry programs, and other forms of prisoner support

Organize and support community-run crisis response organizations like the CAHOOTS program in Eugene, Oregon or the Birmingham Peacemakers in my hometown

Here are some other organizations to join that are doing good work in this area:

Black Lives Matter is obviously a huge voice in racial justice right now. The list of “official” chapters on their website is very incomplete, though, so you may have better luck doing a web search for “[your area] black lives matter” (beware of fakes though)

Showing Up for Racial Justice is another very active and widespread racial justice network

Critical Resistance is a grassroots prison abolitionist organization founded by Angela Davis

The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement is another active prison abolitionist organization

The IWW’s Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee works with prisoners to organize strikes, phone zaps, and other actions combating injustice in prisons

Again, the Anarchist Black Cross does great work supporting political prisoners through letter-writing and more. The link I’ve been including is to an unofficial federation of ABC groups, though - there may be a group in your area that’s not part of that federation, so a web search for “[your area] black cross” may be better

Black And Pink is a prison abolitionist organization focused on queer people and people living with HIV/AIDS

Antifascism is of course an important aspect of racial justice and community safety. See @antifainternational‘s guide to getting connected to your local antifascists - though, again, beware of fakes (the “antifa checker” accounts on fedbook and twitter can help)

The police state and prison industrial complex rely on the complicity and cooperation of all of us to function and be effective. By building a culture of noncompliance and active resistance, we can drastically reduce the state’s ability to oppress communities of color. Don’t let the struggle be forgotten with the changing of the news cycle - keep up the struggle until all are free!

Fight for an end to the War On Drugs and the stigmatization of addiction, and for adoption of much more humane and effective harm reduction strategies instead. Support and organize community-run harm reduction organizations like the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance in the PNW, as well as larger NGOs like the Harm Reduction Coalition and the North American Syringe Exchange Network

I’m just going to be blunt here: the dark academia aesthetic is extremely white-centered, euro-centric, and romanticized. as students, it is essential that we are showing up for our BIPOC siblings (specifically our Black friends) in every single aspect of our lives including our online spaces. as a part of the studyblr community, our tendency to be consumers is pretty inevitable- whether we’re shopping for cute stickers to decorate our planners or looking for the next novel to read, it is time that we acknowledge the importance of where that money is going towards. I URGE YOU TO STOP BUYING ON AMAZON! here is a non-comprehensive list I’ve put together of BIPOC small and/or independent businesses!

please feel free to reblog this and add onto this list (obviously keeping in mind the criteria I’ve previously mentioned) to spread the support for our BIPOC creatives and business owners. (the ones in *starred italics* are my personal favorites, but you should really check every business out!)

Art (mostly prints but some also include stickers and other products)

*Illi Ferandez 

Depeapa

*Emma Make Studio

Fanesha Fabre

*Jimoko

Yumiin Color

Yuki Illustrates 

Meenal Patel

KrishnameetsBrinda

*Discover Black Artists on Society6

*The Everyday Print Co

Stationary

Copper And Brass Paper

*Conni Creates

*Dani Creatives Co

Blinks of Life

Page Eleven Paper Goods

*Cloth And Paper

Yoseka Stationary

Graphic Anthology

The House of Roushey

Leather Imagined

Millenial Loteria 

*Every Sort of Mischief

Little Woman Goods

Dos Estrellas 

*Artelexia 

Bookstores

Back Pearl Books 

Books And Crannies

Philippine Expressions Bookshop

Cafe Con Libros

Brave And Kind Books

Fulton Street

Mahogany Books

Arkipelago Books 

Palabras Bilingual Bookstore

Epilogue Book Cafe

Hello guys! How are you? How’s June treating you so far? Hope you’re doing ok and I hope you take care of yourself more often! I know it’s difficult because of everything going on in the world right now but we need to take care of ourselves. Turn off the tv, turn off your cellphone... Digital detox it’s so important nowadays, specially for your mental health. Just try to relax 💛

I still haven’t found out how to properly manage my time between studying, assignments, thesis writing, and keeping on top of new content each week. I have no idea how everyone else does this???

it is crucial that as historically racist and colorist asians, we educate ourselves and one another on anti-Black racism and Black Lives Matter so that Black people don’t have to. note that this is not a “how to” post; rather, this is a “how I’m learning to” post. 

*DISCLAIMER:  I am not Black. I am a filipino american. I am sharing my own personal experiences with talking to my non-Black filipino parents, in response to my non-Black friends and followers asking me for advice. there is no guaranteed right way to do this. I understand that being able to talk to your parents is privilege. I am not challenging you to risk your own mental health or safety to have these conversations if you are not in the place to- I do not know everyone’s situation, so please know your own capacity. although my intentions are good, I am still teachable. please feel free to call me out (send me a message/ask) if you see something I’ve said that strikes you as inappropriate, problematic, or out-of-place. this is non-comprehensive.

things to keep in mind:

they will not stop loving you for asking questions.

where (location/time) your parents came from. whether they immigrated from another country, or you currently live where your parents grew up, you grew up in a different time than they did. they likely did not have the same education or access to resources.

they may not have the emotional or cognitive tools to understand what is going on, which is making them unaware of their ignorance. asians are not taught to prioritize mental health or talking problems out.

the history of your ethnic background. for ex: my parents grew up in the philippines, which has a history of spanish and american colonization/imperialism that is still alive today. in school, my parents read history books about their own country written by americans, not filipinos. this ingrained in us a colonial mentality we must unlearn.

the model minority myth. 

racism is a worldwide issue; not just an american one.

anti-racist and non-racist are different things. 

don’t expect immediate change. allyship is not a one-time performative act; it is an ongoing process of learning and unlearning together. this means one conversation isn’t enough. this is a life-long commitment to change.

during the actual conversation:

start with something simple, ex: “I know you’ve seen the news. what do you think about it?”

give them equal time to voice their thoughts and opinions.

do not yell. idk about your family, but the backbone of the filipino family is to respect your elders. this is extremely hard to train yourself to do, but I’ve found that parents/relatives will literally refuse to listen to you if they feel disrespected. I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be angry. but for the purposes of respecting our cultural beliefs, try to keep calm and have an actual conversation.

be clear about what privilege and prejudice mean. this is the basic foundation of conversations about racism, and I find that my parents really didn’t know anything about these words until I brought it up. hours after my convo with my dad, he actually texted me to ask me what prejudice was.

connect your ethnic history to present day. ex: my parents were both reluctant to support protesting and resistance, so I asked them where we would be as a culture if josé rizal (deemed a war criminal and executed by spaniards) did not resist those who told him to be “peaceful”. he was a very hated and controversial figure, and is now our national hero. however, do not equate these experiences to the Black experience. 

remind them that “Black lives matter” does not undermine their struggles as an asian immigrant and doesn’t mean that other lives don’t matter.

other resources to reference:

explaining Black lives matter to asian parents: a difficult conversation (instagram, via @/mtamdoesart)

challenge the “model minority” myth (instagram, via @/mtamdoesart)

letters for Black lives- a compilation of letters to elders that explain black lives matter, accessible for those who have language barriers with loved ones.

“asian americans & black lives matter movement” (youtube, via @/hiyeonni) 

30+ ways asians perpetuate anti-Black racism everyday by michelle kim

a quick guide to supporting Black lives as a non-Black asian/pacific american (instagram, via @/hannahlucyqin)

10 habits of someone who doesn’t know they’re anti-black / part 2 (instagram, via @/cicelyblainconsulting) 

students for Black lives and dear asian youth are collaborating over the next few days to take action and hold asian youth accountable, so stay tuned for news.

Black Lives Matter resourced card- an abundance of places you can donate and sign petitions

by saying, “all lives matter” you are ignoring the fact that there are so many people in the world who think black lives don’t matter.  black lives matter, and we have to specially point this out, because society forgot to include black lives when they generalized and said “all”. those who say “all lives matter” are afraid they will be pushed out of importance, uncared for, stepped all over, and even killed the way black have been for centuries. 

i love seeing the boosting of bail funds for protesters that are going around right now. i wanted to share a list of (US) community bail funds that are always in need of donations and support. please consider making small, regular donations to a bail fund local to you in order to support your community fight an unjust, corrupt legal system. and please share!

(full directory is here and i’ve specified whether the fund is for pre-trial or immigration services, if the name of the fund doesn’t already do that!)

National

Haitian Immigrant Bond Assistance Project (immigration)

LGBTQ Freedom Fund (immigration)

Alabama

Mongomery Bail Out Fund (pre-trial)

Etowah Freedom Fund (immigration)

Arizona

Tucson Second Chance Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Pima Monthly Meeting Immigration Bond Fund (immigration)

California (all immigration)

Al Otro Lado Vida Libre Bond Fund - Southern California 

Bay Area Immigration Bond Fund - State-wide

Familias Reunidas Immigration Bond Fund - San Diego area

Freedom for Immigrants Bond Fund - Adelanto Only

ICIJ Bond Fund - Inland Empire

Immigrant Families Defense Fund- Alameda County

Orange County Justice Fund - Orange County 

NorCal Resist Sacramento Region Bond Fund

San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium Borderlands Get Free Fund - Southern California

Colorado

Colorado Freedom Fund (pre-trial)

Immigration Freedom Fund of Colorado  

Connecticut

Connecticut Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Immigrant Bail Fund

Florida

LGBTQ Freedom Fund (pre-trial)

Georgia

Georgia Immigration Bond Fund

Hawaii

Hawaii Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Illinois

Champaign County Bailout Coalition (pre-trial)

Chicago Community Bond Fund (pre-trial)

Iowa

Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project (immigration)

Kentucky

Louisville Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

3R Fund for Immigrants

Louisiana

New Orleans Safety & Freedom Fund (pre-trial)

YWCA Greater Baton Rouge Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Freedom for Immigrants Bond Fund

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Beyond Bail & Legal Defense Fund (immigration)

Michigan

Kent County Immigration Bond for Our Neighbor’s Defense Fund 

Minnesota

Minnesota Freedom Fund (pre-trial & immigration)

Missouri

Kansas City Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Race Matters Friends Community Bail Fund - Columbia, MO (pre-trial)

Reale Justice Community Bail Fund - Kansas City, MO (pre-trial)

Nevada

Vegas Freedom Fund (pre-trial)

Las Vegas Family Unity Bond Fund - Arriba Las Vegas Workers Center (immigration)

New Hampshire

NH Conference UCC Immigrant and Refugee Support Group Immigrant Bond & Support Fund 

New Jersey

First Friends of NJ & NY Bond Fund (immigration)

New Mexico

Fronterizo Fianza Fund (immigration)

New York

Emergency Release Fund - New York City (pre-trial)

OAR of Tompkins County Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Syracuse Jail Ministry (pre-trial)

LIFE Bond Fund (New Sanctuary Coalition) (immigration)

New York Immigrant Freedom Fund (Brooklyn Community Bail Fund)

North Carolina

Alamance County Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham (pre-trial) 

Ohio

3R Fund for Immigrants

Oregon

Portland Freedom Fund (pre-trial)

Pennsylvania

Bukit Bail Fund of Pittsburgh (pre-trial)

Dauphin County Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Philadelphia Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Philadelphia Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Community Fund for Bond and Legal Support (immigration)

Rhode Island

AMOR Bond Fund (immigration)

Tennessee

Hamilton County Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Memphis Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Nashville Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Texas

Luke 4:18 Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Fronterizo Fianza Fund - El Paso area (immigration)

Hutto Community Deportation Defense & Bond Fund - Austin area (Hutto)

RAICES Texas Bond Fund - state-wide TX (immigration)

Vermont

Vermont Freedom Bail Fund (immigration)

Virginia

Richmond Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Roanoke Community Bail Fund  (pre-trial)

Cville Immigrant Freedom Fund 

Washington

Northwest Community Bail Fund (pre-trial)

Fair Fight Immigrant Bond Fund

Wisconsin

if you’re white and are protesting, please, please listen to this. if you’re white and have white friends protesting, let them know