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| "Love and Protection" by Brandan Bmike Odums |
Imagine a society built on profound human suffering and egregious violations of human rights. Minorities are relentlessly persecuted. They are beat, shot, strangled, murdered in broad daylight -- by cops and self-righteous citizens alike. Physical brutality is just one of the MANY manifestations of oppression rampant in this world. Leaders let these crimes slide (or even outright call for them) because that violent system lets government hoard power and control. What an archaic nightmare! Good thing humanity has evolved since the Middle Ages, right?
Oh. Wait.
A revolution is unfolding against racism and the institutions that enable it to flourish. It doesn't make sense to write about (or think about) anything else. I've decided to publish this post (in case anyone needs more tools to help), mute my regular content for now, and focus on how I can #amplifymelanatedvoices.
(( If you'd rather skip over the next few paragraphs and dive right into action tasks, scroll down to second mural. No hard feelings. ))
Look, I'm not smart enough to broach the subject of systemic racism with the care and critical thinking it deserves. Trying to do so makes me feel self-conscious, and that's something I need to get over. BLACK PEOPLE KEEP GETTING KILLED. Justice is rarely (if ever) served. So, it really does not matter that speaking up makes me uncomfortable. This fight isn't about one individual's personal discomfort. (Especially if that person is white and has benefited from a lifetime of unearned advantages.) Silence means siding with the wrong team.
Taking stock of my complicity has been both enlightening and very, very shameful. I still struggle to grasp the extent to which privilege has shaded my perspective, fooling me into overestimating my role as an ally against racism. (Let's be honest: I fooled myself.) I am committed to outgrowing my ignorance.
But what do you do when you feel ill-equipped to help fight? You start SOMEWHERE and take a step forward. Maybe that's a literal step in a rally, or a figurative one achieved through education. Doing both is the ultimate goal, doing nothing is unacceptable.
So, in addition to the shoes and booze, I plan to start using this platform to share helpful information and resources that point us in the direction of anti-racism, shine light on intolerance (both obvious and insidious), and hopefully spark opportunities for positive change.
It is an immense work in progress.
So much learning lies ahead. Mistakes will be made, the wrong things might be said, and it's practically guaranteed that I will embarrass myself along the way. (Starting with how many times I've already used the words "I" and "my" and "me" in this blog post.) The learning process can get messy. I sincerely apologize now for any future missteps. And, as always, I am open to your feedback, criticism, correction, instruction.
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| "We Were Seeds" by Brandan Bmike Odums |
Awareness isn't enough. People need action, and not just superficial overcompensation for white guilt.
On that note... Here is a collection of groups, projects, ideas that have helped me so far. The list isn't much yet but I am fully invested in its growth!
Handy documents and compilations
I've seen this google doc bouncing around social media and it has loads of useful US-centric information.
And this doc contains important info for Canadians.
I just came across this site. They have a staggering amount of resources, from phone numbers to call, to a massive list of all the open petitions you can sign.
This article from New York Magazine offers another comprehensive list of action tasks, from tips on donating effectively, to how to help clean up after a protest.
Here is an awesome list of Black-owned restaurants in Montreal. (I'll keep looking for, and working on, similar resources for other local Black businesses.)
Lastly (for now), if you want a crash course on anti-Black policing in Montreal, this article gives a historical rundown on the issue.
People and groups to follow on social media
Following new people on social media is an effortless way to broaden your perspective. Pay attention to voices, stories, and experiences that differ from your own. These are some accounts/people I follow whose messages have guided me in different ways. They range from social justice groups, to actively political public figures, to artists and actors and writers and comedians.
Shaun King @shaunking
Grassroots Law Project @grassrootslaw
No White Saviors @nowhitesaviors
A Girl Has No President @agirlhasnopresident
Black Lives Matter (global network) @blklivesmatter
We Buy Black @webuyblack
Tamika D. Mallory @tamikadmallory
Rachel Cargle @rachel.cargle
The Great Unlearn @thegreatunlearn
The Conscious Kid @theconsciouskid
Roxane Gay @roxanegay74
Liz Kleinrock @teachandtransform
Aja Barber @ajabarber
Amanda Seales @amandaseales
Patrice Cullors-Brignac @osopepatrisse
Movement For Black Lives @mvmnt4blklives
Check Your Privilege @ckyourprivilege
Take action
Right now, your money is extremely useful to any group raising funds to post bail for arrested protesters and people of low income.
If you circle back to the Google Docs above, they list plenty of additional groups that accept donations.
Join their mailing lists. Donate $5.00 (if you can).
Montreal
Hoodstock (hoodstock.ca)
Ligue des Noirs du Quebec (liguedesnoirs.org)
La Maison d'Haiti (mhaiti.org)
Les Fourchettes de l'Espoir (fourchettesdelespoir.ca)
Destabyn (destabyn.org)
Afrique au Feminin (afriqueaufeminin.org)
Canada
Black Lives Matter (Toronto headquarters) (blacklivesmatter.ca)
Black Legal Action Center (blacklegalactioncentre.ca)
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (ccla.org)
Federation of Black Canadians (fbcfcn.ca)
Future Ancestors Services (futureancestors.ca)
Black Health Alliance (blackhealthalliance.ca)
Toronto Protester Bail Fund (ca.gofundme.com/f/toronto-protestor-bail-fund)
Justice For Regis (ca.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-regis)
USA
Justice For Big Floyd (justiceforbigfloyd.com)
Run With Maud (runwithmaud.com)
* Minnesota Freedom Fund (minnesotafreedomfund.org)
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (brooklynbailfund.org)
Chicago Community Bond Fund (chicagobond.org)
Los Angeles Action Bail Fun (linktr.ee/ActionBailFundLA)
Black Lives Matter (global network) (blacklivesmatter.com)
NAACP (naacp.org)
Books to read
As a self-proclaimed book nerd, I'm ashamed to admit that my reading list falls pitifully short on non-fiction dealing with race and racism. Full disclosure: I've only read a handful of these, the rest are on my shopping list.
I won't link the titles to any specific bookstore. Maybe you can consider supporting an independent shop (like Librairie Racines, Drawn & Quarterly, Argo Bookshop, or The Word) with your dollars.
Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin
How To Be An Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, by Reni Eddo-Lodge
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, by Phoebe Robinson
I'm happy to lend out my books or coordinate a book swap, if that would be helpful to anyone.
Watch
Movies
TV
And in a similar vein:
There is an incredible, haunting piece of video art entitled Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death (by Arthur Jafa) that is well worth watching, should you ever get the chance. (Bootleg recordings of the piece are available on youtube, but I'm not a thousand percent sure posting a link is the right thing to do.)
Daily life
Check in on your non-white loved ones!!! And even your BIPOC colleagues! People might be rattled beneath an otherwise calm and collected front. Let them know their have your ear, your shoulder, your time, and BE PRESENT when they need you.
Similarly, don't shy away from uncomfortable conversations with your white loved ones. If they hold questionable opinions on the news and/or the subject at large, calmly and respectfully challenge them. Use the moment to share information they might have missed. Point them in the right direction. Avoid getting heated -- in my experience, this only causes people to dig their heels further into the ground. Instead, when you are struggling to get a point across, just take a breath and revisit the discussion later.
Support black businesses -- shops, restaurants, artisans, etc. We live in a time when most desires are just a click (and free next-day shipping) away from your doorstep. It's not always convenient to exclusively seek out smaller, independent businesses. Now is the time to inconvenience yourself.
Before soliciting BIPOC for their advice, bring your questions to Google. Almost all the information you'll ever need on the subject is readily available on the internet. There's no need to further burden your friends -- don't use them as a shortcut to wokeness.
Speak up! Speak out! If you are witnessing injustice, interfere! White people: Use your privilege to lift up (and open doors for) others.
Visual
Memes. Talk about peak armchair activism, right? Well, fuck it. Sharing bite-size information can be an effective way to communicate important ideas. Here are a couple that I recently found particularly insightful. (Click for source.)
(The last one is a series of ten slides, I recommend clicking through to read them.)
In the coming days, I'll do my best to share the messages of Black voices, as well as any pertinent information to support the fight. If nothing else, please use this time to LISTEN and LEARN, because BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Stay safe and be kind to each other.
Image credit (both): Murals by Brandan Bmike Odums
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