Easy BLM Resources

Text Floyd to 551-56 to sign a petition to demand justice for George Floyd’s murder

-Why this matters: George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight--in front of onlookers--by a cop who kneeled on his neck for almost 9 minutes, preventing Floyd from breathing. Several other cops stood by doing nothing. Floyd complied with police officers, yet was murdered, all because of a potential counterfeit 20 dollar bill. This is not an anomaly--this is just one time out of hundreds that Black people have been unjustly killed as a result of police brutality. It needs to end. 

-Text Enough to 551-56 to sign a petition to demand justice for Breonna Taylor’s murder

-Why this matters: Breonna Taylor was murdered in her own home. Police misidentified her residence as that of two men believed to be selling drugs. Police forcefully entered her apartment and shot Breonna multiple times. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home.

-Text Justice to 551-56 to sign a petition to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery

-Why this matters: While on a casual midday jog, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered by armed men in Georgia. These armed men chased Arbery in their pickup trucks because they suspected that he was a burglar. This was pure racial profiling--they had no reasoning or proof for their suspicions. Finally, the men cut off any escape for Arbery, and shot him when they finally cornered him. It took months of public outcry for his killers to be arrested and charged. One of the killers was a former cop. Everyone deserves to go for a run without fearing for their lives. Police corruption should not shield murderers from being punished by the law. 

-Text VBM to 504-09 to see a checklist of reforms your state needs to safely vote by mail in November and contact your officials to enact them and follow the prompts.

-Why this matters: Voting by mail ensures all New Yorkers eligible to vote will be able to vote and make their voices heard in our democracy, even if it is unsafe for them or they are unable to go the polls

-Text RISTUS to 504-09 to sign Repeal 50-a and deliver it to your officials. Follow the prompts

-Why this matters: “50-a is a NYS statute routinely used to shield police misconduct and failed police disciplinary processes from public view” -@brooklynnaacp on instagram

-Text SIGN SEUDKP to 504-09 to sign Ending Qualified Immunity Act and send it to your officials

-Why this matters: the Qualified Immunity Act “shields government officials from being sued for … actions performed within their official capacity, unless their actions violated ‘clearly established’ federal laws or constitutional rights” -@kararoselles on instagram

-Text SIGN UVNASF to 504-09 to sign Immediate Reinstatement of Habeas Corpus in New York

-Why this matters: NYC just suspended Habeas Corpus, which means anyone can be imprisoned indefinitely in NYC without reason right now. This is a Constitutional Violation and Habeas Corpus must be reinstated.

• Ways you can help support the BLM movement https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• Mr. Yusah’s page for online content that helps white and non-black POC educate themselves and speak to others around them about these issues https://worthashare.tumblr.com 

• 5 calls provides numbers for you to call those in government who can make change about issues you care about https://5calls.org/

• https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vSrT26HMWX-_hlLfiyy9s95erjkOZVJdroXYkU-miaHRk58duAnJIUWKxImRkTITsYhwaFkghS8sfIF/pub this document has a list of resources for the BLM movement 

• The White Ally Project https://www.thewhiteallyproject.com/

“Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People” Kelsey Blackwell:

https://arrow-journal.org/why-people-of-color-need-spaces-without-white-people/

“I am drowning in whiteness” Ijeoma Oluo: https://www.kuow.org/stories/ijeoma-oluo-i-am-drowning-in-whiteness?fbclid=IwAR2T4Zn8WHeSvgAKyCa-T99s6V6Fyi8s5HmxkDjVnvPYztyRxY8rDxHcSnI

“Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop” https://medium.com/@OfcrACab/confessions-of-a-former-bastard-cop-bb14d17bc759

Me And White Supremacy Layla F. Saad

White Fragility Robin DiAngelo

Black Feminist Thought Patricia Hill Collins

Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower Dr. Brittney Cooper

Heavy: An American Memoir Kiese Laymon

Good Talk Mira Jacob

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made for Whiteness Austin Channing Brown

Redefining Realness Janet Mock

Sister Outsider Audre Lorde

The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison

The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century

Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

This Bridge Called my Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa

Blindspot Anthony G. Greenwald Mahzarin R. Banaji 

I’m Still Here Austin Channing Brown

The Fire This Time Jesmyn Ward

An African American and Latinx History of the United States Paul Ortiz

Citizen Claudia Rankine

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Tears We Cannot Stop Michael Eric Dyson

Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? Mumia Abu-Jamal

The Color of Law Richard Rothstein

Stamped From the Beginning Ibram X. Kendi (there is also a remixed version of this book)

The Water of Other Suns Isabel Wilkerson

This Book is Anti-Racist Tiffany Jewell

Between the World and Me Ta-Nehisi Coates

Why I’m No Longer Talking Reni Eddo-Lodge

How to Be Anti-Racist Ibram X. Kendi

How Does It Feel to Be A Problem? 

So You Want to Talk About Race Ijeoma Olou

The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander

Eloquent Rage Britteny Cooper

Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson

Mindful of Race Ruth King

Another Brooklyn Jaqueline Woodson

The Hate U Give Angie Thomas

Kindred Octavia Butler

White Teeth Zadie Smith

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou

I Am Not Your Negro James Baldwin

Invisible Man Ralph Ellison

Minor Feelings Cathy Park Hong

America’s Original Sin Wallis

The Fire Next Time James Baldwin

Get Out Jordan Peele

Hidden Figures Theodore Melfi

Moonlight Barry Jenkins

Do The Right Thing Spike Lee

Boyz N The Hood John Singleton

Selma Ava DuVernay

The Color Purple Steven Spielberg

Fences Denzel Washington

The Butler Lee Daniels

If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins

Dope Rick Famuyiwa

Love and Basketball Gina Pryce Bythewood

Ray Taylor Hackford

Just Mercy Destin Daniel Cretton

Precious Lee Daniels

The Last Black Man In San Francisco Joe Talbot

13th Ava DuVernay

Stormy Weather Andrew L. Stone

She’s Gotta Have It Spike Lee

A Raisin in the Sun Daniel Petrie

When They See Us Ava DuVernay

Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap

Time: The Kalief Browder Story Jenner Furst

Who Killed Malcom X?  Rachel Dretzin, Phil Bertelsen

How to respond to common racist statements https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBTQ7kgT1S/?igshid=yurwro6znhw3

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6K84tJdC7/?igshid=1iv7q3pbukil9

To my white friends: guilt, shame, embarassment

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA8zJQWDYWx/?igshid=1jmq12ospazda

9 mistakes white people make when fighting for racial justus

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJlef9Jkr-/?igshid=vp34v0am3wbj

For white and non black POC: Am I part of the problem? https://www.instagram.com/p/CA89VcYDYcV/?igshid=6tn97869eat4

How to be a white ally at a predominantly white institution (PWI) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBPDGOqh3_g/?igshid=125zer8ucyyer

Here are ways non-black people can socially transition into a long-term movement https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-5dLdnaEV/?igshid=pclkggwbiio3

8 ways to keep showing up!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGPnLBjPlT/?igshid=ji1chwk7gbv9

White fragility self-test

https://www.instagram.com/p/BokKvZahZd3/?igshid=1bmp4r7u17fjr

“Systematic” vs “Systemic” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBORTqWhN5p/?igshid=1l3dumvnqj61c

A non-exhaustive list of definitions you should be aware of when educating yourself about racism… 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBI5nwCD-cw/?igshid=19kly9x7iadmq

So you want to talk about Implicit Bias

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBIfWlFnezN/?igshid=13birs82jq6op

PFW Guide to resolving community issues without involving the police https://www.instagram.com/p/CBMpvMbHZ_w/?igshid=1g2xqqvbnsa9u

The Racist History of American Police https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBg2v7hCxQ/?igshid=19h9974pz6101

Building A Police Free Future: FAQ 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B34gHQin67B/?igshid=zmm4enl5gvdf

You can subscribe to these newspapers, or follow their social media accounts for free trustworthy information.

When looking at news sources, it’s important to understand bias. This website helps with that, check out the Media Bias Chart: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/the-chart-version-3-0-what-exactly-are-we-reading/

The New York Times

PBS

CNN

Wall Street Journal

BBC

The Atlantic 

Washington Post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAv6PAyjUKQ/?igshid=1r0gsv65xwr58

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJcXmxAAzI/?igshid=5wty8d132i5b

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBG0JYnDP5N/?igshid=1azro3bgo2dk8

NY voting

https://www.ny.gov/services/register-vote

How your vote connects to the criminal justice system

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYXiZZgus4/