If you're American, esp a minority, listen to me:
I know you're terrified. I know you feel like this is a hopeless situation but I need you not to give up here babes. Don't get scared, organize. Let yourself see what good your community is doing, build a community if you feel you have none to turn to. We all have something to offer. If you feel like giving up or you have already and you're no longer with us, you did the best you could and we'll keep you in our memories when life gets ok again. We have to believe we can win and that things can be ok. We have to, or nothing will change.
Scratch that, allow yourself to be scared but please do it scared anyways. We need you. You're not some insignificant number, you are a person and therefore you have value. But where do we start? What does building community even look like? What do I do as just one person? You dont try to tackle it on your own, community starts when you realize you're not just one person.
First, get a library card, get kanopy, libby and jstor with said card. Educate yourself on socialism, why communism failed in other countries, why the Black Panthers and the movements that came after failed. Educate yourself on the actual history of your country, sit through the uncomfortable. If you're white, you get to learn this way but most of us don't.
Second, get to know the community in your area. The family run pharmacies, restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores. Learn who's land your on, get to know them, amplify their voices. There's an Indigenous shelter by my house, on occasion I go in to see what specific donations they need and to get to know the staff and people living there. If possible, throw amazon and Walmart and all these out the window. If you wanna keep disney or prime, lower your subscription and install and ad blocker. But there are other free things you can use for entertainment and music. Don't shame yourself if you live in an area where that's all their is. Shame will keep you down, there are other things yoy can do. Search for the people in your community who grow food, help the homeless, the small thrift stores that no one knows about. Get to know these people, get to know their struggles and their strenghts and do what you can to help. In turn they'll get to know you to.
Whether you're queer or not, spend some time with the queer people in your area. Get to know the regulars, how they live their lives and how they live with each other. Go to shelters and drop off food, toiletries and clothes you dont use. I lived in a shelter for almost a year and the food we got from restaurants was usually expired. Get to know the homeless people in your area. They know a lot more about life than people think. Exchange skills for free: teach people to sew, bake, play an instrument, read to the elder or to children. Volunteer at a place where you can show your skills. When you show your community you care and have they're back, they'll show you the same.
There are little things we can do to build each other up, try not to overwhelm yourself. You don't need to spend every second watching the news. When you need to fight, you also need to experience joy.
Black people in america:
African history/culture reading list:
Academic reading resources:
Reading list (constantly updated):
Guin’s Book List COMICS After The Rain - Nnedi Okorafor (Black lead) Bitter Root Blackbird Buffy the Vampire Slayer Coming Back - Jessie Zab
Sewing resources:
Accounts on instagram:
@womenhelpingwomen_beadwork
Buy beading from Indigenous women that are currently in jail
@landbackbaby
@dugoutpodcast
Black american history education
@stinkylilfriend
More indept on organizing
Accounts on tumblr:
@guerrillatech
@luba-lukasa (my other account)
@depsidase
