Silence is not an option!
In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more unarmed black individuals at the hands of police, people from around the world are fighting racial injustice. While their fighting mechanisms may be different, they have one common goal: to end racism.
Here are seven ways you can join the fight:
Sign Petitions
Signing a petition is one of the first action steps when it comes to seeking justice. While it may seem like a small feat, signing petitions allow for a collective of voices to be heard and help for the messages their sharing to go unignored. Here are a few you can sign for justice for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and more:
Grassroots Law Project's Justice for Floyd
Life Sentence for Police Brutality
Amnesty International: Justice for George Floyd
Charge the Minneapolis Police Officers
Make A Donation
There are a number of ways to put your money where your mouth is; from helping to pay bail for protesters by donating to bail funds to helping fund the entire Black Lives Matter movement, the ways to monetarily support those fighting racial injustices are endless. Here are a few:
GoFundMe for Ahmaud Arbery: I Run With Maud
Peoples City Council Freedom Fund
Black Lives Matter Los Angeles
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment
Local Bail Funds (From Atlanta to New York to Los Angeles to Seattle and more)
Reclaim the Block
Free Them All for Public Health
Reach Out
A check-in can go a long way!
Your black friends, coworkers, peers need to hear from you during this time. They need to know that they have your support and that you're putting in the work to make a change.
Educate Yourself
Conversations about race and racial injustice do not have to uncomfortable and you do not have to be uninformed. The number of tools to understand and dismantle racism are out there, in fact, they're just a click away. Here are few:
Anti-Racism Resource: https://www.untilfreedom.com/
An Essential Reading Guide For Fighting Racism
Protest
There is power in hitting the streets to bring awareness to racial injustice. Across the world, millions have gathered to fight for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless number of black people killed due to police brutality. Their efforts have brought international coverage to racial injustice and put pressure on those in power to bring about change.
Vote
Former President Barack Obama recently spoke of the importance of both protesting and participating in electoral politics, especially at the local level, writing in an essay on Medium: "The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout American history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands."
To encourage a change, you have to vote for the lawmakers who can make it happen. Learn how to register to vote HERE.
Call & Demand Police Accountability From Lawmakers
Picking up the phone to put pressure on lawmakers to not only stand up for what is right, but also, help to make a change is key in the fight of racial injustice.
Learn how to contact your federal, state and local elected officials HERE.
Photos: Getty Images