I know you’re tired. I know you’re hurt. I know you’re *at capacity* from the injustices that you’ve seen, experienced, could easily be you, or someone you know.
I know there’s a lot of information pouring from everywhere and you’re not sure why you keep seeing the same situation. Different face.
I know you’re processing and still have everyday responsibilities and how difficult it is to see straight right now.
Overwhelm is how power is given/abdicated, versus asserted. Your power is your magic.
One thing is extremely clear. Black people are being murdered. Transgender women and gender non-conforming Black people are being murdered.
The system will continue to stand unless challenged.
“Now, freedom is always coming in the hereafter, but you know what, though, the hereafter is a hustle. We want it now.”
“It’s kind of basic mathematics — the more we learn about who we are and how we got here, the more we will mobilize.”
“Now, what we’ve been doing is looking at the data and we know that police somehow manage to deescalate, disarm and not kill white people everyday. So what’s going to happen is we are going to have equal rights and justice in our own country or we will restructure their function and ours.” –Excerpt from Jesse Williams’ acceptance speech for the Humanitarian Award at the 2016 BET Awards.
You’ve found the strength to persist before, and you have it in you to call on that strength again. Creating change isn’t the responsibility of the next man. You can do something today. You challenge the system through actions. Maybe you’re not sure what to do, or how to safely be apart of shifting culture. Here are a few options:
- Affiliate yourself with (an) organization(s)
- Start a movement in your own community to do whatever you’re able with your time and other resources. You have a unique opportunity to bring healing, focus, clarity, and change locally.
- Make a contribution to the family of the victims. There’s usually a crowdfunding campaign to support the unexpected loss of their loved one.
There are many ways to be involved. Don’t continue to endlessly scroll your social media timelines. Choose a way to be involved. Your help can be used in some way to improve the condition of Black people.
I have organized a list of organizations just for you. Do your due diligence and research to see which organization(s) resonates most with who you are and the change you’d like to see take place. Know the skills you have to offer and reach out to any of them to see how you can help. It can be as simple as “Hello, I’m interested in helping *enter organization* further its’ mission. I live in San Francisco and am available some nights and most weekends. I’m great at photography, social media, and graphic design. How can I help?” Also, for those of you abroad, a lot of times there’s a local chapter or sister movement you can connect with who could use your skills.
Check your ALIVE privilege. The dead can’t fight for themselves or the future generations anymore. But you, my friend, can.
Resistance and change takes all of us and the role each one plays contributes to the whole.
Here are the organizations in no particular order and with different focuses on the Black community:
1. Advancement Project
Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.
Our National programs focus on tackling inequity with innovative strategies and strong community alliance. We combine law, communications, policy, and technology to create workable solutions and achieve systemic change on issues of democracy, voting rights, and access to justice.
2. Campaign Zero
We can live in a world where the police don’t kill people by limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability.
Campaign ZERO was developed with contributions from activists, protesters and researchers across the nation. This data-informed platform presents comprehensive solutions to end police violence in America. It integrates community demands and policy recommendations from research organizations and the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Together, we will win.
3. Hands up United
Hands Up United is a collective of politically engaged minds building towards the liberation of oppressed Black, Brown and poor people through education, art, civil disobedience, advocacy and agriculture.
4. The Organization for Black Struggle
To build a movement that fights for political empowerment, economic justice and the cultural dignity of the African-American community, especially the Black working class.
5. Mapping Police Violence
Mapping Police Violence is a research collaborative collecting comprehensive data on police killings nationwide to quantify the impact of police violence in communities.
6. Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
Founded in 2012, Million Hoodies Movement for Justice is a racial justice membership organization confronting anti-black racism and systemic violence. Our mission is to build next generation human rights leaders to end mass criminalization and gun violence through grassroots organizing, advocacy, and education. We are building a racial justice movement committed to creating a democracy where all Black and Brown people have social, political, cultural, and economic freedom and the right to be safe.
7. Black Youth Project
The Black Youth Project will examine the attitudes, resources, and culture of the young, urban black millennial, exploring how these factors and others influence their decision-making, norms, and behavior in critical domains such as sex, health, and politics. Arguably more than any other subgroup of Americans, African American youth reflect the challenges of inclusion and empowerment in the post–civil rights period. At the core of this project will be an exploration of what young black Americans think about the political, cultural, and sexual choices and challenges confronting them and their peer group. We are especially interested in understanding what new factors help to shape or contribute to the social and political attitudes and behaviors of African American youth.
8. Black Lives Matter
Official #BlackLivesMatter Organization founded by Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza. #BlackLivesMatter is an online forum intended to build connections between Black people and our allies to fight anti-Black racism, to spark dialogue among Black people, and to facilitate the types of connections necessary to encourage social action and engagement.
9. Life Camp Inc.
Endeavors to promote the value of LIFE. Develop teens and adults into peer leaders, to avoid becoming perpetrators or victims of violence. Provide young people with the tools and resources that promote critical thinking, self-empowerment and personal accountability. Build partnerships between public and private sectors to respond collectively, collaboratively and holistically to the issue of youth violence. Create a model for reducing violence that will provide stakeholders with the necessary skills and resources to effectively implement positive change within their own communities.
10. Trans Women of Color Collective
To uplift the narratives, lived experiences and leadership of trans and gender non-conforming people of color, our families and comrades as we build towards collective liberation for all oppressed people.
11. Opportunity Agenda
The Opportunity Agenda is a social justice communication lab. We collaborate with social justice leaders to move hearts and minds, driving lasting policy and culture change. We bring the inspirational voices of opportunity and possibility to social justice issues through communication expertise, and creative engagement.
12. Trans People of Color Coalition
Trans People of Color Coalition exists to advance justice for all trans people of color. We amplify our stories, support our leadership, and challenge issues of racism, transphobia, and trans misogyny.
13. We the Protesters
We, The Protesters exists as a space for protestors nationwide to access the tools and resources to mobilize and organize It is a hub and a source of information. This will never replace the pace and power of Twitter, the flow of Tumblr, or the grace of Instagram — social media has sustained the movement.
The purpose of this space is to empower and equip activists and organizers nationwide with the tools and resources to continue creating and sustaining communities engaged in a radical new politics.
14. Black Trans Advocacy
Black Trans Advocacy Mission: to Advance Social Equality for All Disenfranchised People With Specific Focus On Inequities Faced In The Black And Transgender Human Experience.
15. Color of Change
ColorOfChange.org is comprised of Black folks from every economic class, as well as those of every color who seek to help our voices be heard. Our members are united behind a simple, powerful pledge: we will do all we can to make sure all Americans are represented, served, and protected — regardless of race or class.
16. National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people.
By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation’s capital and around the country.
17. Anti-Violence Project
AVP empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy.
18. Get Equal
Our mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way.
19. Dream Defenders
Dream Defenders is an uprising of communities in struggle, shifting culture through transformational organizing.
To advance the impact of the social justice community, we shape compelling narratives and messages; build the communication capacity of social justice leaders through training and resources; and engage with artists, creatives, and culture makers as powerful storytellers to shift the public discourse.
20. Freedom Side
We’re a collective of young leaders of color, standing together at the front lines of the fight for racial justice.
We are grassroots organizers, students and volunteers who work to dismantle unjust policies and build power and create change in our communities.
Bonus organization:
Without obligation, if you have the space to, you can share this with your white ally friends.
Showing Up for Racial Justice
SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals organizing White people for racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves White people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability. We work to connect people across the country while supporting and collaborating with local and national racial justice organizing efforts. SURJ provides a space to build relationships, skills and political analysis to act for change.
BINGEING ON THE BLOG IS COOL AND ALL,
but marinating and taking action are the cat’s pajamas. Join this curated collective today for special inbox goodness. You’re worth it.