The White Person’s Guide to Supporting the Fight for Racial Justice During a Pandemic (5 Steps)
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Number One — Educate Yourself.
First, Google key terms necessary for understanding what the fight for racial justice requires. This sounds trivial, but until you explicitly understand what each term means, you cannot begin to use it. Research the following terms: white privilege, white supremacy, systematic racism, racial disparity, police brutality, demilitarization, prison-industrial complex, prison abolition, intergenerational trauma, #BlackLivesMatter, and allyship.
Next, research the history of police brutality that has profoundly impacted Black people in America. This step is crucial to understanding why Black people are so frustrated right now; they stopping us in cars, on the street, or in our homes for petty reasons and then using excessive force and/or killing us. Educate yourself in order to see the pattern and also so that your Black peers don’t have to relive the trauma by uncovering every single name and story. Specifically, Google the following names, and 1) read about who each person was, 2) why they were apprehended by police, 3) and how justice was (never) served. Through the unjust deaths (of the following people) at the hands of the law, you will very quickly see the injustices that we have been talking about.
In no particular order and missing many from this short list — George Floyd (2020), Breonna Taylor (2020), Ahmaud Arbery (2020), Tony McDade (2020), Michael Brown (2014), Freddie Gray (2015), Tamir Rice (2014), Sandra Bland (2015), Eric Garner (2017), Philando Castile (2016), Alton Sterling (2016), Akai Gurley (2014), Walter Scott (2015), Terence Crutcher (2016) Jeremy McDole (2015), Jamar Clark (2015), Samuel DuBose (2015), Amadou Diallo (1999), and Emmett Till (1955).
Number Two — Donate.
Donate to community, local, and national funds. First, donate to the causes that are directly working to support racial injustice victims like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as the protesters are bringing light to these specific injustices on their behalf. Donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund and the George Floyd Memorial Fund (as well as the fund for his daughter, Gianna Floyd), and the Black Youth Project. Participate in or donate to the #MilesForChange movement which donates a dollar to each organization for each mile that you run. Donate to Ahmaud Arbery’s mother to assist her financially while she is grieving. Donate to the Communities United Against Police Brutality, an organization based in the Twin-Cities accepting donations through mail or PayPal.
Next, support national organizations that directly fight for prison reform and abolition, helping to keep Black people out of the hands of the law. Many organizations are also helping post bail for non-violent protesters who have been arrested around the country. Organizations include, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Woman and Girls, Dream Defenders, and Black Lives Matter (BLM). You can donate to a specific Black Lives Matter chapter in Boston, Chicago, DC, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Lansing, Long Beach, Memphis, Nashville, NYC, Philly, South Bend, as well as the Canadian cities of Toronto, Vancouver, and Waterloo. Take time to read about BLM’s missions and objectives and note any support being solicited from your specific chapter. Follow your chapter (as well as the national chapter) on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in order to keep up to date with their current situation and needs and to be able to share media for the cause. You can become official members of these organizations through your continued interest and donations.
Lastly, support museums and cultural centers that work to uplift the Black community and paint us in a positive light. Many are currently closed due to coronavirus but they still need financial support and recognition. Donate to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
Number Three — Protest.
March or participate in peaceful protests, if you are healthy and able, and have a suitable mask to wear. If you can’t directly attend then support those who are going to protest. Host a virtual sign-making party where you make signs over Zoom or together at least six-feet apart. Prepare bags with water, snacks, and masks, along with first-aid supplies to donate to protesters if you cannot make it yourself. Help drop-off and pick-up protesters from safe spots or offer to call them an Uber. Offer to watch the children, elderly family members, or pets of protesters (while practicing social distancing) while they are at the rally. Protesting can be a large time commitment and drain a person physically and emotionally so any support that makes it easier for the protester is needed.
If you cannot attend yourself or for some reason you do not know anyone who is participating in a protest or there is not one happening near you, be sure to protest by signing petitions and calling law enforcement agencies to demand justice. You can text “FLOYD” to 55156 to “JUSTICE” to 668366 or click here to sign the Justice for George Floyd petition. Click here to sign the Justice for Breonna Taylor petition and click here to sign the Justice for Ahmaud Arbery petition and to make calls urging law enforcement agencies to seek justice for Ahmaud and his family. If you are apart of a wealthy family or work for an important company, be sure to use this added privilege to leverage your demands for justice when speaking with law enforcement agencies or political leaders. Spend an hour each day making calls to the agencies as well as calling other White people to encourage them to sign the petitions.
Number Four — Buy Black-Owned Quarantine Supplies.
Black-owned businesses face enough challenges trying to run their small business while Black and also while in a pandemic that disproportionately affects them. Many of them may be physically and emotionally tired and genuinely could use the financial support to feed their families.
Need a mask? Buy Black-owned.
Need hand sanitizer? Buy Black-owned.
Need cleaning supplies? Buy Black-owned.
Need wine? Buy Black-owned.
Need an online tutor for your child? Buy Black-owned.
Need a book to read to your child? Buy Black-owned.
Need STEM-themed games for your child to play with? Buy Black-owned.
Need something to protect your hair when it rains? Buy Black-owned.
Want to order food for take-out or delivery? Look up Black-owned restaurants near you and order from there. Baltimore. DC. NYC. Boston. Los Angeles. San Francisco Bay Area. Dallas. Atlanta. Twin-Cities.
Learn about other Black-owned businesses and services here.
Number Five — Reach Out.
This means two particular things. First, check on your Black friends, colleagues, and peers. Trying to navigate loss, grief, unemployment, stress from working on the front-line, due to Coronavirus, we are already tired. Now, having to beg for our rights, yet again, makes everything worse and adds to our stress for the future. Text us to let us know that you 1) acknowledge what is going on and 2) you are available to help in any way possible. Do not ask us to explain to them what it going on or even how we feel, and do not tell us that you understand what we’re going through. And remember, the verbal support, only in addition to action for the cause(outlined above) really goes a long way and is what being a good ally looks like.
Second, refer this knowledge out to your White network (by sharing this article or others like it). Especially the ones that refuse to accept calls to action. Have the tough conversation with them — do not leave this up to your Black friends to do. Call them out for not knowing what is currently going on. Call them out for posting selfies on Instagram instead of #BlackLivesMatter posts. Call them out for ordering new clothes instead of donating that money to the funds above. Call them out for ignoring or casting judgment on the protesters. Call them out for voting for Donald Trump in 2016. Call them out for sitting in their white privilege instead of acting. Remind them that no one benefits from a racist society. And last but not least — talk to your kids. Remember, Black history is American history, and with more time at home the best time to learn this information is now. So watch the news with them and educate them about oppression, systematic racism, and police brutality and let them know what allyship means and looks like through your leadership. This is the only way we can prevent ignorance in the future.
