CLEAR Stands With Protesters Nationwide
Dear Friend,
Black Lives Matter. Not just today, not just yesterday, but every day.
The murder of George Floyd is not an isolated incident. It is a consequence of decisions by law enforcement, criminal justice, and policy leaders that persecute Black communities and kill black people, in order to maintain and enforce a centuries-old system of white supremacy.
I, and my colleagues at the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research, are outraged against the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony Mcdade, and too many more Black and Brown victims of police violence. CLEAR stands in solidarity with the protesters nationwide in their fight to end police violence, white nationalism, and mass incarceration.
Moreover, we demand accountability from the officers, police departments, and political leaders who have allowed police killings to persist, and for swift justice for the families who have been victimized by them.
The revolutionary actions of our Black and Brown brethren, especially our trans siblings, have tirelessly resisted these injustices. We must stand alongside them and join the fight their fight for equality. Now is the time to actively work in our own communities to root out hatred and racism, wherever we see it.
Now is the time to act! I hope you will take time to help in whatever way you can: by participating in organized protests, donating to memorial or bail funds, signing petitions, or educating yourself about how to get involved.
Below you will find a list of resources that Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research has assembled that you can use to take action now.
Sincerely,
Spencer Watson
Executive Director
Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research
Petitions:
Petitions allow increased visibility of cases and put pressure on lawmakers and attorneys general to make an immediate change, such as charging the officers involved and calling for the resignation of officials.
- George Floyd: http://chng.it/DyKdLxKhRV
- Breonna Taylor: https://action.justiceforbreonna.org/sign/BreonnaWasEssential/
- Ahmaud Arbery: https://www.change.org/p/district-attorney-tom-durden-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery-i-run-with-maud
- Tony McDade: https://www.change.org/p/black-lives-matter-activists-justice-for-tony-mcdade
- More petitions: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#petitions
Support Black Owned Businesses:
Black-owned businesses are vital to their communities. Their financial strength gives them a voice and creates opportunities to financially impact those communities and their families. And they offer some really great things too! Take a look.
- 13 Black-Owned Therapy and Wellness Resources https://travelnoire.com/13-black-owned-therapy-wellness-resources
- 200 Black Owned Etsy Stores: https://themadmommy.com/black-owned-etsy-shops/?fbclid=IwAR0niWR0e0yWodxW9prG3KNTbtnHDGVbqUgjvk1Ueg2cATJjUOUvByT-kRw
- Black Owned Bay Area Restaurants: https://projects.sfchronicle.com/2020/black-owned-restaurants/?fbclid=IwAR3vN5NGcHF0yDyzqMrYAiLx47jCAmur98QAonsi7_aYgWGIOOjbRr_Rkww
Donations:
Donations are needed immediately in multiple areas including but not limited to: bail funds (to aid in the release of protesters from police custody), memorial funds (to aid the families of the deceased), mutual aid funds (to increase access to healthcare and treatment for protesters), and community member funds.
Bail Funds:
- National Bail Out Fund: https://bit.ly/localbailfunds
- People’s Breakfast (Oakland Bail Out Fund): https://linktr.ee/PBO
- Bailout Funds by State: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#state
- LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund: https://www.lgbtqfund.org/
Memorial Funds:
- George Floyd: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
- Breonna Taylor: https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor
- Ahmaud Arbery: https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud
- Tony McDade: https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-tony-mcdade
- More Memorial Funds: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#victims
Mutual Aid Funds:
- Mutual Aid Fund by State: https://mutualaid.carrd.co/#networks
- Bay Area Mutual Aid Funds and Resources by Region: https://kpfa.org/bay-area-mutual-aid-and-covid-19-resources/
Free therapy:
- Sessions provided to Black Transgender Folks: https://www.theokraproject.com/
Community Members:
- Homeless Black Trans Women (Atlanta): https://www.gofundme.com/f/homeless-black-trans-women-fund?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet
- Trans Justice Funding Project: https://www.transjusticefundingproject.org/
- Trans Cultural District: https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/
- LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund: https://www.lgbtqfund.org/
The full list of funds is ever-evolving, and the most up-to-date list can be found here: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#donate
Education:
Education, whether it be through literature, media, or podcasts, is a vital component of moving forward.
Online Resources:
- Scaffold Anti-Racist Resources
- Anti-racism resources for white people – https://bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES
- Black Lives Matter Syllabus – http://www.blacklivesmattersyllabus.com/
Books: (buy locally when possible)
- Tim Wise, White Like Me: https://www.vialogues.com/vialogues/play/23718
- Robin Diangelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism:
- Patrisse Khan-Cullors , asha bandele, et al., When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
- Ijeoma Oluo, So, You Want To Talk About Race
- Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States
Articles:
- Adam Serwer America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us”, The Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
- Jose Antonio Vargas, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”, NYT Magazine (June 22, 2011)
- The Combahee River Collective Statement
- Jane Coaston, “The Intersectionality Wars” Vox (May 28, 2019)
- Craig Elliot PhD Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups
- Peggy McIntosh “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
- Dr. Ibram X Kendi, “Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?”, The Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
Podcasts:
- 1619 (New York Times)
- About Race
- Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
- Seeing White
Visual Media:
- American Son (Kenny Leon), available on Netflix
- If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins), available on Hulu
- Selma (Ana DuVernay), available to rent on digital platforms
- When They See Us (Ana DuVernay), available on Netflix
- 13th (Ana DuVernay), available on Netflix
An extensive list of movies, podcasts, articles, and books can be found here: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#educate
For Protesters:
- National Lawyers Guild (KYR in dealing w/ Police, Request Legal Observers, Obtain Legal Defense) – https://www.nlg.org/massdefenseprogram/
- NLG Referral Directory: https://www.nlg.org/referral-directory
- ACLU, Protesters’ Rights:
- Amnesty International, Safety During Protests: https://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/SafeyDuringProtest_F.pdf
- YR Media Going to a Demonstration? Here’s What You Need in Your Protest Protest Toolkit: https://yr.media/news/going-to-a-demonstration-heres-what-you-need-in-your-protest-toolkit/
- Vice, How to prepare for a protest in the US: https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/dyzvn7/prepare-for-protest-in-the-united-states-justice-george-floyd
- Wired, How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-surveillance-digital-privacy
A full list of protesting tips, covering both physical and digital bases, lists of lawyers, and advise on how to handle police interaction can be found here: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#protesters
For Health:
- Mental Health Resources for BIPOC: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dWShg0TZ7nJz5YJsCa1DyGCGTJMrUEd8du5vC6boVhs/mobilebasic
For Voting:
- Online Voter Registration: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#vote
- Voter Suppression:
- ACLU, Fighting Voter Suppression: https://www.aclu.org/issues/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression
- Community Voters Project: http://communityvotersproject.org/about