Stay Informed, Vocal, and Safe With These Organizations To Help And Follow
Right now, the world is going through one of its most impactful and important protests in years, focusing on ending the oppression of black people across the United States – as well as throughout the world. It is not enough to mourn past injustices with the benefit of hindsight. The continued presence of systemic racism is unjust, inhumane and must end.
The benefits of privilege start the day you are born and only accumulate over time. The more privilege we have, the more opportunity we have. The more opportunity we have, the more responsibility we have. As a non black person I am privileged because I can do things every day without fear. When you’re silent on such matters (whether it be out of guilt or lack of empathy), you are being intentionally ignorant, which is what our nation’s racism has been built on. Our responsibility is knowing that it’s not enough to be “not racist” or “colorblind.” Responsibility is, “I see your color and I honor you. I hear you, and I value your input. Please tell me how to be better.” Responsibility is owning up to the fact that as a person of privilege, I won’t ever completely “get” and understand the same experience as someone that was born without my privilege, and that I will make sure to listen to any expression of this frustration with the intention of deepening my understanding. Responsibility is fighting back against those who say something racist because those people think they are in safe company. Responsibility looks like being attuned to subtle racial bias in everyday interactions. It’s unlearning racism, supporting POC businesses, and doing your research into who and what you support. It’s having informed debates and writing letters and protesting (both digitally or physically) against those who still choose to ignore what is happening.
Support POC every day, not just in times of duress. These are all everyday individual actions that are critically important no matter how big or small. These are the actions that build up the basis for a movement and for lasting change.
I encourage you to share any accounts or websites you are finding helpful in the comments below, or through my social media channels. While by no means a comprehensive list, information on how to support local initiatives making positive impacts can be found via the following links:
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
This fund aims to raise awareness of the murder of the unarmed 46-year-old African American Minnesota resident, and to help cover the family’s funeral and legal expenses as they seek justice for George Floyd.
The petition currently stands as the largest U.S. petition of all time according to Change.org. It aims to raise awareness of police violence and killings of unarmed African Americans. The end goal is to reach the attention of Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey and DA Mike Freeman to prosecute all four of the officers involved.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund is a local nonprofit group that pays for criminal bails and immigration bonds. The organization has vowed to help free protesters incarcerated by police.
Amnesty International has been fighting global human abuses since 1961. The operation has over 8 million supporters worldwide and has brought torturers to justice, stood up for the oppressed and championed individual and collective freedoms including gun control, climate change and discrimination.
Stores like Walgreens, Target, Costco, and Jewel have been closed on the south and west sides of Chicago. OnTheGroundChi is looking to pair families on the Northside of the city with families in areas of distress that have no access to groceries and deliver them. Even if you do not have a car there are a multitude of ways to participate.
The Bail Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to mitigating incarceration rates by providing free bail assistance to people in need.
The Black Alliance for Just Immigration
This racial and migrant rights organization works to engage African American and black immigrant communities to organize and advocate for racial, social and economic justice.
A Minneapolis-based organization committed to a long term vision in which “all black lives not only matter, but are able to thrive.”
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund
The New York State-chartered charitable bail fund helps pay bail for those who cannot afford it.
Campaign Zero takes a data-driven approach in the search to end police violence in America. The organization aims to limit police interventions through improving community interactions and ensuring accountability.
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization promoting press freedoms throughout the world. The organization defends journalistic rights to “report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.”
Communities United Against Police Brutality
The Twin-Cities based organization was established to resist the abuse of authority by the police, and to offer support for survivors of police brutality and families of victims.
Fair Fight aims to end systemic voter suppression from illegal voting roll purges and gerrymandering efforts to the closing of poll centers that directly affects minority citizens.
Food Bank for New York City
Many citizens are currently going hungry. The Food Bank of New York City does more than just aim to eliminate hunger throughout the five boroughs. It champions programs for children (currently one out of every six kids goes hungry in the city) and is undertaking elevated programs to expand its reach during the COVID-19 crisis.
Know Your Rights is a campaign founded by former NFL quarterback and current activist Colin Kaepernick. The goal is to raise awareness on higher education, give people of color the tools for self-empowerment and teach valuable instructions on how to properly interact with law enforcement in any scenario.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The NAACP is a civil rights organization that aims to secure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination.
The legal organization fights for racial justice through advocacy, litigation and education.
National Black Women’s Justice Institute
The National Black Women’s Justice Institute aims to reduce racial and gender disparities across the justice continuum affecting black women, girls and their families.
National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality helps to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. They advocate changes in policies to prevent discrimination, violence and injustice so that the transgender community can not only survive in the present but thrive through acceptance with recently implemented projects like their Racial and Economic Justice Initiative.
Northstar Health Collective
This St. Paul-based organization provides support as street medics during protests.
Pride Fund to End Gun Violence
The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence was created as a Political Action Committee after the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history targeted the LGBTQ+ community at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. They support government candidates who approach firearm reform in a sensible way, mobilizing the community and raising awareness in an effort to stop senseless gun tragedies.
This community-led initiative organizes Minneapolis and its city council members to “move money from the police department” into other areas of the city’s budget that need it.
Founded in 1998, the Trevor Project has been providing suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to the LGBTQ+ community with a focus on those who are under 25 years old. The organization also hosts workshops, ally training, and TrevorSpace — a social networking community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth to connect with friends and allies.
Venture House is a New York City non-profit community-based mental health agency and a member of Clubhouse International. The organization helps empower adults who are living with mental illness achieve recovery through access to employment, education, affordable housing and an environment driven by meaningful and engaged relationships.
