The Black Lives Matter movement has been surging amid recent events and I thought I'd weigh in on the matter. I understand that the black community has been through lots of grief lately, and my heart goes out to all those who are mourning. Although I know I do not have the largest platform nor political power, I wish to do whatever I can to fight racism and end the longheld oppression against the black community, as well as provide my sympathy and compassion towards those in pain.
I think a large issue in fighting inequality and "spreading awareness" is simply the term itself. While it is in no doubt that many influencers with a large following have used their privilege to speak out and educate others on the BLM movement, others have fallen into the case of performative activism. It is easy for them to simply repost stories without any other thought, merely in a continuation of chainmail to convince the public that they are advocating for the greater good.
However, while spreading awareness is essential. It is simply not enough.
Taking action is when change starts to come.
Below, I've listed several ways that you can help contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. I understand that everyone has different financial situations, so many of these ways consist of contributions without any direct monetary donations, as a reminder that ----- whoever you are, wherever you are, it is possible for any one of us to make an impact.
Donate to BLM Organizations
Here are some organizations to donate to that are working towards ending racism and fueling the Black Lives Matter movement.
"Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."
"Your gift will fund our critical work to protect voting rights, demand that vulnerable people in prisons, jails and immigration detention centers be released, and fight to ensure reproductive health care remains open and accessible to all who need it. Now more than ever, we the people means all of us."
"This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund."
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Legal Defense and Education Fund "While we are living in a moment unlike any we have seen before, LDF will continue to work to protect the most vulnerable in our society. During this time, the fight to defend our civil and human rights has never been more critical. Donate today to help us win landmark legal battles, protect voters across the nation, and advance the cause of racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society."
"The Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative has identified and teamed up with top defense lawyers and civil rights lawyers nationwide to provide legal resources for those in need.
When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary."
"The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is on a mission to combat mass incarceration and reshape the pretrial system in the United States. 100% of online donations are used to bring people home. Since bail money comes back to us when cases close, we're able to recycle every dollar donated at least twice per year."
"Since 2017, Black Visions Collective, has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. Black Visions Collective (BLVC) believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems."
Sign Petitions
Signing petitions is simple way to spread change and get involved in activism for only a few moments of your time and at virtually no cost.
Here are a few that I've personally signed and I'd encourage you to read the description of each petition and sign them as well.
"George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. George was handcuffed and restrained and being completely cooperative when this all went down. The officer put his knee on George’s neck choking him for minutes on minutes while George screamed that he could not breathe. Bystanders beg for the police officer to take his knee off George’s neck, but the officer didn’t listen and continued to choke him."
"Jennifer Jeffley was 15 years old when she was arrested for the murder of Maria Palomina. A murder that she did not commit. Innocent of the crime that she was convicted of, Jennifer has been behind bars more than 20 years serving a life sentence. We are pleading with Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, to free Jennifer."
"Dion pulled over on the side of the highway to get some rest, when a DPS trooper stopped behind the parked vehicle where he saw a man In the car sleeping. DPS trooper stated there was a “struggle” where he was shot and killed him. Dion was only 28yrs old and UNARMED. This happened in Phoenix Arizona May 25 @ 5:30am "
"Cameron Green was shot and killed April 21st by correctional officer, Carlton Fidler after being invited to his home by two teenage girls. Fidler covered up the incident after shooting Cameron multiple times claiming Cameron broke into his home. Fidler killed Cameron and he tampered with evidence while portraying Cameron as a home invader. Fidler planted his home items in the pockets of Cameron to make the allegations of a home invasion true. Cameron was a loving father, son, brother, and friend. He had a two year old daughter and a family to care for. He deserves justice. The police department covered up the murder of Cameron Green. Please sign this petition to help get justice for Cameron. His family deserves peace. "
"This petition exists to help find and prosecute the individual who assaulted Belly Mujinga at London Victoria whilst knowingly being infected with COVID-19. This cruel and senseless act of unprovoked violence ultimately likely lead to her death at the hands of this relentless virus and the hospitalisation of her colleague."
"Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community. She worked at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic.
One month ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 8 times, killing her. "
"On June 7th, 2019, Emerald Black a pregnant, black woman, and her fiance were pulled over by police officers after coming from a doctors appointment. The reason for being pulled over was for bad registration tags. The officers spoke to Ms. Black's fiance while she stayed in the car. The officers began to order her out of the car. Ms. Black was clearly pregnant and she had let them know that she had just gotten back from a doctors appointment where she was also informed that she was at a high risk for a miscarriage. Despite this, the officers yanked Ms. Black, still in her hospital clothes, and threw her to the ground. They taunted her, piled on top of her, and stomped on her stomach causing her to miscarry. The stomp had also left a shoe mark. They then arrested her and her fiance and made them spend the whole night in jail while Emerald was miscarrying. "
"Ahmuad was taking his morning jog in his neighborhood in Georgia and came a cross a white father and son who shot and killed him for taking a jog. There is video footage of this cold blooded murder."
Let's be clear, rubber bullets can be severely damaging if not aimed at the ground first (even then they can still cause great injury).Yet, police officers at BLM protests have been directly rubber bullets directly towards protestors as a method of crowd control.
""Rubber bullets can cause traumatic brain injuries and “serious abdominal injury, including injuries to the spleen and bowel along with major blood vessels,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician in New York City and a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians."
"By excluding the evils of British Imperialism, along with how members of the African Diaspora contributed to the British nation-state, British children are robbed of understanding how colonialist ideology was implemented. This stunts the growth of racial equality in the UK and hinders the racial esteem of Black British children."
Stream Playlists
This is by far the easiest way to contribute, and if you are unable to participate in any of the above contributions, then please at least take part in this. Below are some videos that are specifically made to donate their AdSense to the BLM movement. All you have to do is keep the videos running and don't skip any ads as a way to maximize ad revenue.
TIPS TO WATCH MORE EFFECTIVELY (found in the comments section)
1. DONT watch it on repeat (the ads wont show the second time watching -- manually search the video again instead of clicking the replay button)
2. DONT watch it in a playlist (repeatedly watching may cause youtube to mark you as a bot)
3. DONT fast forward or skip (speeding up the video may lessen the ad revenue/cause less ads)
4. DONT skip the advertisements (the longer you watch each ad=the more ad revenue earned (clicking the ad creates more revenue!!))
5. Watch with atleast 480p and HALF the volume (i dont know about the video quality, but watching on a low volume while on another tab/not interacting could mark you as a b0t/sp@m)
6. After watching this, watch 3 to 5 any other videos then search this video (don't click it from your watch history) and watch it again (again, repeatedly watching these videos may cause youtube to mark you as a b0t/sp@m)
7. DONT clear watch history and search history (youtube may not count your view for ad revenue)
8. Comment and like this video.! (allows the @lgorithim to spread the video more on youtube)
9. Share this in your social media platforms
"100% of the advertisement revenue this video makes through AdSense will be donated to the associations that offer protester bail funds, help pay for family funerals, and advocacy listed in the beginning of the video. PLEASE share this video, make sure to leave the ads running, repeat the video, and let people know about this easy way to help."
"My name is Connor Krystyn and I am a small youtuber. I wanted to do what I can to help those in need. The best way I thought I could help is by making a video and donating all of the money made within 31 days. For 31 days this video will have ads playing throughout the video. At the end of the 31 days, all money will be donated to small black owned businesses."
"all of the adsense money made from this video will be donated to support organizations that fight against racism."
"Stream To Donate! 100% of advertising revenue generated by this Hip Hop Music stream will be donated to Black Lives Matter (https://blacklivesmatter.com/) Donate with no money just by listening to some great hip hop music! The longer you stream this, the more money that we are able to donate to Black Lives Matter!"
"I created this video, so that if you can't donate directly with money you can watch this video and 100% of the money from your views on this video will go to the NAACP, to help continue to fight for equality. Make sure to leave the ads running."
I'm ending this blog on this note.
To the black community,
I know I will never understand. Although I am not white, I recognize that privilege is linked to everyone who is not black, even if in varying amounts. I know I will never be able to fully experience the horrors and pain that you have to deal with everyday.
But know that I see you. I stand by your side. I am your ally. Know that I will fight for you, with you, till the end.
Essentially,
Olivia.
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