Here are a range of resources to guide and coordinate action, to align understandings and work in solidarity with humility and accountability. We mourn the stealing of the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Tony McDade at the hands of the police and white vigilantes. In mourning, sorrow and anger, we recommit to the lifelong work of ending the 400 year old nightmare of white supremacy.
From SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) national director Erin Heaney:
“White folks – you’re probably waking up this morning, turning on the news, full of rage. The urge to call other white people out today is going to be overwhelming. Please do not spend your precious energy doing that. Our enemies are not other individual white people. Yes, white people are racist. AND our enemy is racialized capitalism and white supremacy. We have been asked to build a base that can actually flex enough power to defund the police, to stop the fascist in the White House from getting re-elected, and to transform our economic system to one that doesn’t exploit and kill poor and working people. Today, let us turn our rage upward to those in power and let us take action today that moves us closer to the visionary demands declared by those on the frontlines. Let us move resources to people supporting uprisings. Let us spend one of our most precious resources, time, bringing in the thousands of people who are coming into consciousness in this moment, messy are they are. Let us be strategic and rigorous. There’s too much at stake to spend our time performing and not organizing.”
- 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence
- Livestream of SURJ’s Call to Action for White Folks webinar
- “Stop Drop and Roll method” for non-Black people and white allies by Devika Ghai
- #endwhitesilence Action Toolkit
- Fight for Breonna
- Justice for Tony McDade
- I’m White and I’m Outraged by Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder. Now What?
- Virtual Altar for Those Impacted by State-Sanctioned Violence
- Anti-Police Terror Project
Statement from Cat Brooks and Rebecca Ruiz of Anti-Police Terror Project:
“What is the risk of catching a virus when you are told continuously that your life doesn’t matter and can be stolen from you at any time? The risk in the minds of many Black and Brown people is worth it. Rightly so, we feel enough is enough and post this pandemic, we want a world worth fighting for. One where there is a semblance of justice. One where our lives actually do matter. It’s a conundrum because we want to live but, also, we want to live.”
Political Analysis
- The Unmattering of Black Lives by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Cornel West on the lynching of George Floyd
Police accountability
From Catalyst Project’s call to defund the police:
- Tell Minneapolis city council to defund the police
- Support bail funds in MN and in Louisville (make a note that it is going to Louisville)
- Sign up to participate in #EndWhiteSilence actions with SURJ
- Resources on Police Abolition, Critical Resistance
From Critical Resistance: Charts that break down reformist reforms vs. abolitionist steps in policing
Understandings of Looting
The same debates on tactics, ethics, and media narratives arise as they often do around looting and property destruction during an uprising. Who are you talking to? What are you hearing? Here are some valuable perspectives, re-frames and deeper understandings of “looting”.
“If you felt unease watching that Target being looted, try to imagine how it must feel for black Americans when they watch themselves being looted every single day. Police in America are looting black bodies.”
“America has looted black people. America looted the Native Americans when they first came here, looting is what you do. We learned it from you. We learned violence from you. If you want us to do better, then damnit, you do better.” —Tamika Mallory, Nat. Co-Chair of Women’s March
Places to Donate
Migizi Communications is an Indigenous youth organization whose building burned down in the fires last night. https://www.migizi.org/
Reclaim The Block (organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.) https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2
Black Visions Collective (Transformative justice org dedicated to black liberation) https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDAR0oUiUagTu0EG-Ig2
Unicorn Riot (the incredible journalists bringing us the live feeds) https://unicornriot.ninja/donate/
North Star Health Collective (Street medics who are on the ground) https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/donate
CLUES Minnesota is helping workers who can’t file for unemployment due to immigration status on Lake: http://www.clues.org/wp_english/donate/
George Floyd Memorial Fund. https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
We Love Lake Street is helping Lake Street business rebuild after the fires. https://www.welovelakestreet.com