This conversation starts with an understanding that Black Lives Matter. It starts with an understanding that it is no longer enough to just be non-racist, we must all be anti-racist.
Anti-racism is the new norm.
If you’re not quite there yet or you don’t quite ‘get it’, it’s time to level-up. If you’re not willing to do that: lose my number.
If you are willing to do the work of leveling-up and understanding why anti-racism is the new norm: here’s your homework.
Now that we’re all starting from the same place, let’s talk about what we do.
Two of the videos referenced in the link above (from Hasan Minhaj and John Oliver) give specific and actionable examples of the steps w need to be taking next. Here are 75 more: 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
In addition, I also want to make sure we are listening to Black and Brown voices in making decisions on how to best help them. It is literally their lives on the line, after all.
So here are some perspectives, direct requests, pleas, and downright commandments from brilliant women of color on how to support the Black and Brown community and take action against racial injustice:
Ashley Watkins – How Racial Injustice Affects Your Black Colleagues and What You Can Do to Rally Behind Them
Kandise LeBlanc – Dear White People: This is What We Want You to Do
Tatiana Mac – Save the Tears: White Woman’s Guide
https://tatianamac.com/posts/save-the-tears/
Jennifer Loubriel – 4 Ways White People Can Process Their Emotions Without Hijacking the Conversation on Racial Justice
Elisabeth Jackson – How to Be an Ally as a Business Owner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEB3nWDcmA&fbclid=IwAR15N4zSBgTw27n4BGrTX4D8SVoJ-oBb28Vnnp2wxnwOWabWybjslwaO1RY
And because I want to make this as easy as possible for any and all of us to stand up and take action, I’ve pulled together some of what I think are the most approachable ways to take actions now that will lead to major change in the near and distant future.
First and foremost, if you can DONATE, please do. Money talks in America – help those with smaller voices be heard. Here are some excellent causes to help the situation right now, today.
(You can also join some of these email lists and take action as their emails dictate.)
https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls,
Families against Mandatory Minimums
My Next Actionable Steps
Below are the actionable points I pulled from a combination of all the articles and videos referenced in the homework link.
I’ve spent the last 2 weeks combing all facets of media for these resources and being involved in workshops to learn as much as I can.
I want to reiterate – none of these ideas are originally mine. They all come from one of the resources listed in this blog or in the Part 1 blog.
My purpose behind including the ones I have included together here is to try to make some of the first steps toward anti-racism as approachable as possible for anyone who’s looking. I’m trying hard to elevate the smart, actionable ideas of those who have way more knowledge and experience than I do.
With that said, my next steps will be to take the actions listed here.
- Speak Out to End Qualified Immunity
This protects cops from lawsuits and holds them to a different set of standards than other citizens. That is grossly unacceptable.
- There is a bill in congress right now – we need to make sure it gets traction. Harass your member of congress (https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative),
- Call the landline. I know nobody makes calls anymore. Trust me, I know. Do it anyway!
2 & 3. Speak Out to Demilitarize & Defund the Police
Demilitarize: It is absolutely unacceptable that our Nation’s healthcare workers were treating patients of a deadly virus while wearing garbage bags instead of actual personal protective equipment, meanwhile police departments across the country are decked-out in top-of-the-line riot gear and using military tactics and weapons against our citizens.
Defund: Hear me out. I know this one sounds scary, but stick with me and I’ll explain how it’s NOTHING like what it sounds.
What it really means is to redirect some funds for police departments to other areas such as education and healthcare and social services.
This Forbes article explains it way better than I could: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/06/09/the-defund-the-police-movement-is-sweeping-the-country-heres-what-it-really-means/#72d6a624d9be
Tell Congress to defund and demilitarize the police: https://nextgenamerica.org/act/demilitarize/
- Vote out Corrupt Local Officials
The ‘buddy-buddy’ relationship between prosecutors, District Attorneys, and police is the exact reason the police officers never serve time.
Find your State or Local Election Office Website: https://www.usa.gov/election-office
- This will tell you when the next elections are
State Elected Officials
- Get in touch with your state governor.
- Find the names and current activities of your state legislators.
Local Elected Officials
- Locate your mayor by name, city, or population size.
- Find your county executive (the head of the executive branch of government in your county) by map search or your ZIP Code. The county executive may be an elected or an appointed position.
- Get contact information for your city, county, and town officials.
- Learn about and speak out against mandatory minimum sentences
Watch videos about this on Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM’s) website. FAMM’s website includes work being done at the federal level and state level. Call or write to your state legislators and governor about reducing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes.
To reduce mandatory minimum sentences on a federal level, call or write to your federal legislators in support of:
- the bipartisan (sponsored by Sen Lee (R-UT)) Smarter Sentencing Act (S. 2850) which reduces the length of federal mandatory minimum drug sentences by half, makes the Fair Sentencing Act’s crack sentencing reforms retroactive, and expands the “safety valve” exception to mandatory drug sentences.
- the bipartisan (sponsored by Sen Rand (R-KY)) Justice Safety Valve Act (S. 399, H.R. 1097), which would allow judges to give sentences other than the mandatory minimum sentence for any federal crime.
- the Second Look Act, another great criminal justice reform bill which would make reduced sentences for crack convictions from the previously passed Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, reduce mandatory minimums for people convicted more than three times for drug crimes from life without parole after the third offense to 25 years, reduce mandatory sentences for drug crimes from 15 to 10 years, limit the use of solitary confinement on juvenile prisoners, etc.
- Support state-wide criminal justice reform by calling or writing to your state legislators and governor.
Criminal justice reform should include
- reducing mandatory minimum sentences
- reducing sentences for non-violent drug crimes
- passing “safety valve” law to allow judges to depart below a mandatory minimum sentence under certain conditions
- passing alternatives to incarceration
Study after study shows that racism fuels racial disparities in imprisonment, and most of the US prison population are at the state and local level.
- Google whether your local police department currently outfits all on-duty police officers with a body-worn camera and requires that the body-worn camera be turned on immediately when officers respond to a police call.
If they don’t, write to your city or town government representative and police chief to advocate for it.
The racial make-up of your town doesn’t matter — This needs to be standard everywhere. Multiply your voice by soliciting others to advocate as well, writing on social media about it, writing op-eds, etc.
- Google whether your city or town currently employs evidence-based police de-escalation trainings. The racial make-up of your town doesn’t matter. This needs to be standard everywhere.
Write to your city or town government representative and police chief and advocate for it.
Multiply your voice by soliciting others to advocate as well, writing on social media about it, writing op-eds, etc.
- Support black businesses.
Find them on WeBuyBlack, The Black Wallet, and Official Black Wall Street. Another great list is here.
- Don’t buy from companies that use prison labor.
Find a good list here.
(Seriously, Watch the 13th to learn more about how prison labor is just government-sanctioned slavery, and has always targeted communities of color)
Stand outside of these stores with a sign that reads “[Company] uses prison labor” even if for 30 mins a few times a month. Others will take a shift.
—
And finally, I’m working on sharing letter templates to make these communications easier for everyone. Below are the first 2.
The first one isn’t mine, but I’m also not sure who first created the message and the corresponding link, otherwise I would give full credit. The second one I created based on the first one and based on some of what Hasan Minhaj shared in his video on George Floyd.
On the death of BREONNA TAYLOR
(Demanding arrests and charges for the murder of Breonna Taylor.
If you’re not familiar with her story, Louisville PD forcefully entered the wrong house – looking for a suspect who, as it turns out, was already in their custody – and shot indiscriminately throughout the house, striking Breonna 8 times and killing her while she slept.
As of this posting, no arrests have been made.)
Click this link to open your email directly, with the below message already prepopulated.
To: Thomas B. Wine, Commonwealth Attorney for the 30th judicial circuit of Kentucky (tbwine@louisvilleprosecutor.com)
–and-
Robert Schroeder, Louisville Assistant Chief of Police (robert.schroeder@louisvilleky.gov)
Subject: Justice for the murder of Breonna Taylor
Hello,
My name is [insert name]. I am a resident of [State/City] and I am emailing today to demand accountability for the racist murder of Breonna Taylor.
I demand that charges be pressed against all officers involved in this heinous killing, including Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and officers Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove. They should all be fired, and should be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for murder.
Breonna Taylor was an ER technician, working tirelessly to help others during this global pandemic. She should be alive today. She would be alive today if it were not for the gross abuse of power and white supremacy exhibited by the Louisville Police Department. All officers involved must face consequences for this murder in order to provide her family with justice and to deter law enforcement from committing racist and brutal acts of violence against communities of color.
In addition, I demand that we provide more support for community efforts and organizations that work to prevent police brutality and violence.
Sincerely,
[your name]
On the death of GEORGE FLOYD
To: Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General (trying the George Floyd case)
[can’t seem to find an actual email address – we may be mailing this one old-school style]
Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400
St. Paul, MN 55101-2131
Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
75 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Suite 102, State Capital
Saint Paul, MN 55155
Tel: (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area)
(800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities)
(800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay)
Hello,
My name is [insert name]. I am a resident of [State/City] and I am emailing today to encourage maximum accountability and penalty for all four officers for the racist murder of George Floyd.
I demand that you charge and prosecute all four officers involved in this heinous killing, including the murderer Derek Chauvin to the maximum extent of the law for murder and each of the 3 accomplices, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane to the maximum extent of the law for aiding and abetting murder.
These murderers must go to prison. We cannot let this moment in history slip away. Millions of people around the world have taken to the street to afford us this moment. Set the precedent.
George Floyd should be alive today. He would be alive today if it were not for the gross abuse of power and white supremacy exhibited by the officers above. All officers involved must face consequences for this murder in order to provide his family with justice and to deter law enforcement from committing racist and brutal acts of violence against communities of color.
Thank you for your work and efforts. The country is watching, and we’re rooting for you to do the right thing.
Sincerely,
[your name]