No Justice, No Peace: How We Can Support Black Lives Matter And The Fight Against Racism

No Justice, No Peace: How We Can Support Black Lives Matter And The Fight Against Racism

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Thousands of protestors took to the streets of London, Cardiff and Manchester this weekend, marching in solidarity with demonstrations across the United States, and demanding justice for African Americans murdered by police brutality.

These protests come in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man murdered by white police officers in Minnesota last week. Floyd’s death, captured on film by stunned onlookers, was only the first last week, in a seemingly endless onslaught of racist abuse and killings by police officers; Tony McDade, a black transgender man was fatally shot by police in Florida on Wednesday, May 27th.

This weekend’s London protests saw gatherings at Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and outside the US Embassy in Battersea. Black Lives Matter protestors all over America and the globe were met with strong resistance from police officers, who brought riot shields, tear gas and rubber bullets to the crowds.

As these anti-racism protests continue, we all must all acknowledge that these killings and injustices are the result of generations of systematic racism within not only the police department, but our education systems, our workplaces and every inch of our societies.

It is essential to recognise the harms and aggressions that black people are subjected to on a daily basis and work to fight these injustices. As we continue to put pressure on our leaders and communities, it is more important than ever for white and non-black people of colour to educate ourselves on the struggles and oppressions that black people are forced to endure, we must do the work to educate ourselves and do better.

Allyship and activism must remain, we must continue the conversation online and off, long after the last rock is thrown, the last headline is written and the last police officer charged.

We have compiled a list of great resources for you to follow, read and recommend to those around you. It is not the responsibility or job of BAME individuals to educate about racial injustice, the work is out there for us to read and learn. A lot of the activists on this list put their work on social platforms for free, check their profiles for CashApp or PayPal links to donate and support their work!

*Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race* by *@renieddolodge*

*Me And White Supremacy* by *@laylafsaad*

*Brit(Ish)* by *@afuahirsch*

*White Women Fear* by *@marjon_carlos*

*Natives* by *@akalamusic*

*White Fragility* by *Robin DiAngelo*

*The Good Immigrant *by *Nikesh Shukla*

*Between The World And Me* by *Ta-Nehisi Coates*

*Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millennials and The Meaning of Grime* by *Jeffrey Boakye*

*@rachel.cargle*

*@nowhitesaviours*

It is not enough to stand in solidarity and vocalise support, we all need to put our money behind some great causes that help black and brown people, fighting police brutality and racism on the ground.

Here are some U.K. based organisations you can support:

1. The United Families And Friends Campaign (UFFC) A coalition of campaigns by those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody *https://uffcampaign.org/*

2. The Ubele Initiative: The Majonzi COVID-19 Bereavement Fund @ubeleinitiative Supporting members of the BAME community who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. *https://www.gofundme.com/f/majonzi-fund-covid19-bereavement- fund?utm_campaign=p_email%2B4803-donation-alert- v5&utm_medium=email&utm_source=product*

Check out other ways Ubele is supporting BAME communities through the pandemic. *https://www.ubele.org/covid19-supporting-bame-communities*

Stateside organisations you can support:

1. Know Your Rights Camp *@yourrightscamp*

Colin Kaepernick’s campaign raises awareness for BAME youth interactions with law enforcement. Kaepernick has expanded to launch a Legal Defence Initiative to support people and protestors on the ground. Visit *http://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/legal* to donate or if you need legal assistance.

2. Minnesota Freedom Fund @mnfreedomfund A community based non-profit offering support and financial aid to incarcerated individuals who cannot afford bail. *https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/*

3. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) *@aclu*

Non-profit legal advocacy group, working to “defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” *https://www.aclu.org/*

4. Fair Fight @fairfightaction Georgia based organisation fighting for free and fair elections. *https://www.fairfight.com/*

5. Committee To Protect Journalists *@cpj*

An American non-profit defending journalists and freedom of the press, worldwide. *https://www.cpj.org/*

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Words: *Sabrina Sourmally*

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