A Guide to Allyship
office has compiled a guide on how to use your privilege to challenge the systems that oppress the Black community.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
- When sharing graphic images and/or videos of Black death, think about what your sharing first.
Videos of George Floyd’s corpse attracted virality and spread across the internet. In both life and death, physical and virtual, George Floyd has no claim over his body as a Black American, like so many others. As important as this video is, Black death shouldn’t be commodified for likes and retweets. Black lives are already devalued, and sharing videos of Black death normalizes these actions and desensitizes us from the brutality. So many videos are already out there for viewing, and your Black peers’ mental health will not sustain at the visual of their peers dying due to the color of their skin.
- Be aware of everything you post and see on social media.
When black squares flooded IG timelines on #blackouttuesday, the initiative was criticized by many voices in the Black community. From countless people misusing the #blm hashtag to promoting silence at a critical time for information, a lot of damage could have been prevented if people had properly done their research on the subject and made informed decisions on whether or not to participate. So please, please do your research first, and continue using your presence on the Internet to share postiive resources that actually help the cause.
ON DONATING
We encourage you to donate if you are in a position to do so, because every dollar counts. We'll update this list, but here are some places that you can contribute to:
- George Floyd’s memorial fund is set up to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging, and travel for all court proceedings. All proceeds will go directly to George Floyd’s family.
- Ahmaud Arbery’s fund was designed to assist Ahmaud's mother, Ms. Wanda Cooper-Jones, and her immediate family with financial support during this extremely difficult time in their struggle for justice for the murder of Ahmaud Marquez Arbery.
- Justice for Regis supports the Regis Korchinski Paquet's family in their quest for justice against the officers responsible for her death. Regis fell 24 floors to her death after police were called to her home in Toronto.
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund aims to "protect voting rights, reform our criminal justice system, achieve education equity, and ensure economic justice for all."
- Brooklyn Community Bail Fund secures the freedom of New Yorkers who would otherwise be detained pre-trial due to their poverty alone and their inability to pay bail.
- Tony Mcdade Fund was founded to treat funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, and to support Tony's family in the days to come as they continue to seek justice. On May 27th, 2020, Tony McDade, a Black trans man was shot and killed by a Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) officer.
For other funds or more information on donating, please visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#donate.
ON EDUCATING YOURSELF AND OTHERS
The act of understanding or acknowledging your privilege will not be easy, but it is necessary. It’s not enough to not be racist; it’s taking the steps on educating yourself, challenging oppressive systems with your privilege, and correcting your family members and peers when they are being oppressive. Learn about George Floyd’s case and the officers involved, pay attention to the numerous amount of Black lives being affected daily, and prepare for the hard and uncomfortable conversations that need to happen in order to take a step toward solidarity and unity.
Good places to start:
- Three activists—Tatum Dorrell, Matthew Herndo, and Jourdan Dorrell—have compiled a list of resources called the “Anti Racist Allyship Starter Pack,” which consists of a multitude of books, articles, and films that provide the education of Black history, allyship, protests, and white privilege.
- The Black Lives Matter Movement has a podcast series called What Matters, which combines documentary narratives with interviews to illustrate particular, appropriate subjects, aiming to create a conversation about the promotions of freedom, justice, and democratic liberation.
- The “Anti-Racism Resources For White People” is a guide that serves to provide resources for white people. This document is intended to provide methods that help white people and parents unlearn internalized racist ideologies to deepen their anti-racist work.
- Patia Borja, founder of @patiasfantasyworld on IG, compiled an extremely comprehensive database designed to help people dismantle systemic racism.
ON USING YOUR VOICE
When using your voice, it is important to avoid making this issue about yourself. As important it is to empathize and relate with those who are struggling, do not make the narrative about your personal experiences. This is harmful and takes away from the severity of the situation and from those who are hurting.
Vote
The first step to enact change is using the power that can really influence the system—by becoming a registered voter and playing your part in electing officials who stand for a stronger, diverse and unified future through radical reform.
Petition
You can use your voice as a weapon by signing petitions, correcting and confronting racism in active conversation with your family, sending emails to administrations, posting links to donations, and physically speaking out with messages on social media. Sustain the legacy of the victims’ names and hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to show your allegiance to the cause.
Some petitions even allow you text and sign. The following text messages help sign petitions, demanding that all the police officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd are arrested:
- Text “JUSTICE” To 668366
- Text “FLOYD” To 55156
- Text “ENOUGH” To 55156
Contact Government Representatives
Get in contact with the District Attorney and Minneapolis Mayor. Leave a message for them DEMANDING that the four officers, including Derek Chauvin (Badge #1087) and Tou Thao (Badge #7162), be arrested for the Murder of George Floyd.
Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey...... (612) 673-2100
Minneapolis District Attorney, Mike Freeman..... (612) 348-5550 or citizeninfo@hennepin.us
Minneapolis PD E-mails:
police@minneapolismn.gov
minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov
policereview@minneapolismn.gov
Internal Affairs Number...... (612) 673-3074
Breonna Taylor was murdered in her house by police who raided the wrong house and was shot eight times while she was sleeping. Call or e-mail the Louisville Mayor’s office and demand that the chief of police be fired.
Louisville Mayor, Greg Fischer..... (502) 574-2003
ON PROTESTING
A great way to display your alliance for your Black peers is by showing up physically. Go to local protests in your area and let your voice be heard in the streets when marching. If it comes to it, use your white privilege as an ally. Exercise your privilege as an active barrier in front of those most targeted and try to diverge violent situations with the police and other people of color. Do not make the protest about yourself by looting and causing obstruction, as this only does more harm to the Black community. Pay attention to your surroundings, notice and become familiar with undercover cops and transfer helpful messages to your peers. Show up, support, and listen.
When protesting, it is important to record and photograph active brutality that is happening as this can be applied as a political influence on the media. But ensure that you are not exposing the faces of the protestors as this can be used to identify and harm them. If you have photos or videos, blur out the faces of protestors and anyone within the scene. If you are using Photoshop, the clone stamp tool is much more effective than using the blur tool for this purpose.
As an alternative, if you are not considering protesting, aid those protestors in supplies and care. Buy masks, water, milk, goggles, a first aid kit, etc to ensure the wellbeing and safety of those putting their life on the line to make a change. Write down the number to your local national Lawyers guide or bail fund on your arm or in your phone to help those arrested.
More tips and helpful research surrounding protests can be found here.
ON SUPPORTING BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
During the riots, numerous amount of Black businesses have faced damage among big corporations. With showing your allegiance, it is important to give back to these businesses that have been affected through donations.
ON CHECKING UP ON YOUR BLACK FRIENDS
With the multitude of events taking place surrounding the ongoing pandemic and injustice to their community, your Black companions may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and helpless. They are fighting their own battles on top of this issue and are still being asked to show up and perform like an active and functional citizen in America. In reality, your Black friends want your alliance. Shoot your friends a call or a text and check up on their mental well-being. Be there for them in their time of need, recommend them mental health resources, and sympathize and listen to them in this difficult time.
_________________
Using your voice and doing your part is absolutely essential in order to combat the countless injustices you see taking place. Silence and inaction are deafening to your Black peers and speaks volumes about your lack of consideration for their Black lives. If you choose to remain silent, not only are you picking the side of the oppressor, but you are using this silence as a representation for your anti-Blackness.
