DEMAND JUSTICE FOR BLACK LIVES NOW

Last edited: 12:58 PM ET, August 24, 2020

This document is edited by members of the Action for Black Lives initiative at the Columbia University School of Social Work and grew out of the efforts of several New York-based social work students and friends. Most of the information in this document comes from information drawn from the hard work of Black grassroots organizers leading the movement. This is just a compilation. If you have a suggested edit or addition, please submit it here. Let’s work together to spread information that is accurate and helpful.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Last edited: 12:58 PM ET, August 24, 2020

SAY THEIR NAMES

Breonna Taylor - Louisville, KY

David Mcattee - Louisville, KY

Tony McDade - Tallahassee, FL

George Floyd - Minneapolis, MN

Ahmaud Arbery - Brunswick, GA

Layleen Polanco - New York, NY

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells - Philadelphia, PA

Riah Milton - Liberty Township, OH

Robert Fuller - Palmdale, CA

Malcolm Harsch - Victorville, CA

Oluwatoyin Salau - Tallahassee, FL

Rayshard Brooks - Atlanta, GA

Tete Gulley - Portland, OR

Elijah McClain - Aurora, CO

Jonathan Price - Wolfe City, TX

PETITION

Sign University-Led Petitions

DONATE

DEMAND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

All states

defund12.org

End Qualified Immunity

"Qualified immunity" is one of the reasons it is so hard to successfully sue police officers for abuse of power or misconduct, even in cases where they clearly acted in bad faith & unquestionably violated a person's civil rights. Created by the U.S. Supreme Court as a loophole to federal civil rights laws, the doctrine of "qualified immunity" says police cannot be held liable for conduct done in their line of work—if they believe at the time that their action was permissible.

Justice in Policing Act of 2020

On the Road With Abolition: Assessing Our Steps Along the Way

Minnesota

SELF-EDUCATE

PROTEST SAFELY

Particulars

Emergency Contact Numbers

Hold Prisons Accountable for Abuse and Neglect of TGNC People

BE AN ALLY

SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES

STAY INFORMED

USE SOCIAL MEDIA CONSCIOUSLY

General guidelines

Beware your hashtags

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Columbia University Resources

Directories, networks, and funds for finding a Black (or allied) therapist

In-Person Healing Spaces

Podcasts

Online Resources

SAY THEIR NAMES

 

Breonna Taylor - Louisville, KY

It has been more than 100 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered in her home by Louisville police officers and the responsible officers are still walking free.

On March 13th, Breonna was murdered in her home in the middle of the night by Louisville police officers Myles Cosgrove, Jonathan Mattingly and Brett Hankison. The officers raided her home without identifying themselves in an attempt to investigate two men suspected for drug distribution. These men did not live in Breonna’s home. They were already in custody before the raid began. Breonna’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, a registered gun owner, fired at police, thinking he and Breonna were being robbed. The police fired back over 20 times. Breonna was shot at least 8 times and subsequently killed. Kenneth was initially charged with attempted murder, but has been released from custody and the charges have been dismissed.

Detective Brett Hankison was terminated from the Louisville Police Department on June 23. On June 11, the Louisville City Council voted unanimously in favor of a ban on no-knock warrants like the one used to barge into Taylor’s home. However, none of the officers have been arrested or charged with a crime.

Breonna was an EMT with dreams to become a nurse and start a family. She should have still been alive today, celebrating her life. Grieving her daughter, Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer remembered her: “Breonna just loved life, and people gravitated towards her. She lit up a room and had this aura about herself.”

View a video of Breonna’s  mother, speaking on her story, here

To demand justice:

  1. Text “ENOUGH” to 55156 to demand that the officers who murdered Taylor are arrested and charged.
  2. Sign the petitions
  1. MAKE CALLS  & SEND EMAILS for Breonna to the investigative agencies, institutions and individuals in charge and make the demands known.
  • Speak and/or write clearly that you make the following demands on behalf of Breonna Taylor & her family:
  1. The Mayor and City Council address the use of force by LMPD.
  2. Fire and revoke the pensions of the officers that murdered Breonna. Arrest, charge, and convict them for this crime.
  3. Provide all necessary information to a local, independent civilian community police accountability council #CPAC.
  4. Create policy for transparent investigation process due to law enforcement misconduct.
  • Officials to contact:
  1. Special Prosecutor State AG Daniel Cameron - 502-696-5300, email contact form: https://ag.ky.gov/Contact-Us/Pages/default.aspx
  2. Mayor Greg Fischer - (502) 574-2003, Greg.Fischer@louisvilleky.go
  3. Governor Beshear  - (502) 564-2611 // Email
  4. District Attorney Tom Wine - (502) 595-2003
  5. Senator Rand Paul - (202) 224-4343 // (270) 782-8303
  6. Representative John Yarmuth - (202) 225-5401
  7. Kentucky Senators General Hotline - (800) 372-7181
  8. Police Public Integrity Unit, (502) 574-2136
  9. Louisville Metro Council, (502) 574-3902
  1. Use Social Media:
  • POST about Breonna, using the hashtags #BreonnaTaylor and #JusticeForBre. Share her story, images of her smiling face, and tag the responsible parties. On Twitter, use @LMPD, @LouisvilleMayor, and @GovAndyBeshear. On Instagram, use @LMPD.ky, @MayorGregFischer, and @GovAndyBeshear.
  1. Donate:

Sources:

No-Knock Warrants Banned In Louisville In Law Named For Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor Shot by Police in Her Own Home

JusticeforBreonna.org

David Mcattee - Louisville, KY

On Monday, June 1, David McAtee, a chef and business owner lovingly known by his community as “the BBQ man” was shot by the Louisville Metro Police Department and Kentucky National Guard outside of his own business amidst demonstrations. Surveillance video shows McAtee fired a weapon before he was killed, but there is no clarity on why or how close he was to officers at the time. LMPD officers who responded to the scene all failed to activate their body cameras. Mayor Fischerand fired police chief Steve Conrad for this institutional failure. This is not enough.

To demand justice:

  1. Sign this petition
  2. Contact Governor Beshear, Mayor Fischerand, County Attorney, and Attorney General to demand accountability:
  • Governor Beshear  - (502) 564-2611 // Email
  • Mayor Greg Fischerand - (502) 574-2003 // Email 
  • County Attorney Mike O’Connell - (502) 574-6336 // Email 
  • Contact Attorney General Louisville office - (502) 429-7134 // Webpage
  1. Demand the following: (Demands taken from Kentucky US Senate nominee Charles Booker)
  • Appoint citizen review panel with subpoena power to investigate
  • Louisville Mayor must immediately appoint interim police chief to replace fired chief
  • Mayor must immediately also fire the officers involved responsible for Breonna Taylor’s murder

Tony McDade - Tallahassee, FL

On Wednesday, May 27, Tony McDade, a 38 year-old Black trans man was fatally shot by Tallahassee police while they were responding to a deadly stabbing incident in the area. Many details of this case are unknown. An eye witness reported to local media that police never tried to deescalate the situation. LGTBQ advocates are calling for a full investigation and accountability for the officers. Tony McDade’s death is the third fatal officer-involved shooting in Tallahassee in 2 months and at least the 12th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person so far this year in the U.S.

To demand justice:

  1. Sign and share this petition. Signing this petition sends a letter to the State Attorney, Chief of Police, Mayor, City Commissioners, and City Manager to:
  • Remove Police Chief Lawrence Revell
  • Open an unbiased investigation into Tony’s murder
  • Arrest all the police officers involved
  • Release all body camera footage
  • Demand the TPD Citizens Advisory Committee be dissolved and replaced with a freely elected Citizens Police Accountability Council
  • Demand response from the Mayor, City Commission, and the Mayor’s “LGBTQ Advisory Board”
  1. Contact Mayor John E. Dailey and demand response and acknowledgment of Tony’s murder and establishment of Citizens Police Accountability Council

Sources: https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/05/tony-mcdade-tallahassee-florida-police-shooting-death/

George Floyd - Minneapolis, MN

On May 25, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. George was arrested after a deli employee accused him of using a counterfeit 20 dollar bill to purchase cigarettes. Officer Derek Chauvin, a white man, pinned George down, with his knee on George’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. This heinous act resulted in George’s death, a mere 17 minutes after police arrived at the deli. George Floyd’s memorial service can be viewed here.

On June 3, Derek Chauvin was charged with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder, (he was previously charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter) and the three other officers on scene (J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao) were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. (Via CNN)

In high school, Floyd was a star football and basketball player growing up in Houston’s Third Ward. Floyd is survived by two daughters and son, as well as a three-year-old granddaughter and six siblings. Floyd was known in his community as a protector and a provider who didn't have a hateful bone in his body, according to his friend and former NBA player Stephen Jackson.

To demand justice:

  1. Sign the petitions here and here 
  • To show continued support for George Floyd’s case
  • Demand that the officers are convicted
  • Demand that the Minneapolis mayor block the pensions of the fired officers and ban them from ever becoming police officers again.
  1. Contact:
  • Hennepin County Attorney, Michael O. Freeman - (612)348-5550 // citizeninfo@hennepin.us
  • Minneapolis Police Department - (612)673-2345
  • Minneapolis Mayor’s Office, Jacob Frey - (612) 673-2100

Ahmaud Arbery - Brunswick, GA

On February 23, Ahmaud Arbery was jogging outside Brunswick, Georgia. He was chased down, bombarded with racial slurs, shot, and murdered by Gregory and Travis McMichael. Ahmaud’s murder was recorded by William Bryan, who used his vehicle as a means of detainment. George, Travis and Bryan are all white men.

The McMichaels were taken into custody on May 7 and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault for their role in Arbery's death after a video of the fatal shooting was released. Bryan was arrested two weeks later on charges of felony murder and attempted false imprisonment. The US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting death as a hate crime.

Mr. Arbery, 25, was a former high school football standout who was living with his mother outside the small city of Brunswick. He was shot dead in a suburban neighborhood called Satilla Shores. Friends and family said he liked to stay in good shape, and he was often seen jogging in and around his neighborhood. (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-shooting-georgia.html)

To demand justice:

  1. View first public hearing of the case, 6/4 HERE
  2. Demand the immediate resignation of District Attorneys Jackie Johnson and George Barnhill. Sign the petitions here and here.
  3. Demand complete repeal of Georgia’s Citizens Arrest Statue (OCGA 17-4-60). Contact your representative and demand it.
  4. Demand establishment of Hate Crime Bill in Georgia. HB 426 must be passed. Contact your representatives and demand it.
  5. Contact:

Layleen Polanco - New York, NY

On June 7, 2019, Layleen Polanco, an AfroLatinx trans woman, was found dead in solitary confinement at Rikers’ Island. Layleen was a daughter, sister, aunt, as well as a daughter and a mother in the ballroom House of Xtravaganza. For more on her case, go here. New video shows prison guards laughing and trying to wake her for approximately 90 minutes before calling for help. Just last week, the NYC DOI concluded that staff members at Rikers’ were not criminally responsible for her death.

To demand justice:

  1. View the Anti-Violence Project’s list of demands for #JusticeForLayleen. They are all here.
  2. Contact or tweet at Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) and or contact, call (718-546-1500), tweet at Department of Corrections (@CorrectionNYC) to release publicly the names of and immediately fire correction officers involved in Layleen Polanco’s death in solitary confinement at Rikers Island  #Justice4Layleen
  3. Contact or tweet at Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor), contact your New York City Council Member, and/or contact or call the Board of Corrections (212-669-7900) to demand that they end solitary confinement in City jails immediately.
  4. Contact, call or tweet at your state senator (@NYSenDems) and assembly member (@NYSA_Majority) to 1) pass #HALTSolitary Act to restrict solitary confinement’s use in New York State, 2) stop implementation of 2020 bail reform rollbacks, and 3) end Stop and Frisk of trans and gender non-conforming people #WalkingWhileTrans
  5. Tweet (@BronxDAClark) or call (718-590-2000) the Bronx DA Darcel Clark to demand she issue an apology for dead-naming Layleen Polanco in a press release announcing her decision not to pursue criminal charges of officers in connection with Layleen’s death.

Sources:

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells - Philadelphia, PA

On June 8, 2020, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, a 27-year-old transgender woman, was found murdered in Philadelphia. Her death was ruled a homicide. A warrant for the arrest of a suspect in her case was issued on June 17, 2020. A delay in a reporting her death was due to the media misgendering her.

The brutal loss of Dominique is mourned by her community and her three surviving sisters.

To demand justice:

  1. Donate to her family’s Go Fund Me for funeral costs: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dominiquefells
  2. Share her image on social media. #justicefordominiquefells #sayhername #blacktranslivesmatter: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBejQB3oYqo/
  3. If you’re in Philadelphia, join the march in memory of Dominique
    organized by human rights nonprofit group New Voices at 1 PM on Saturday, June 20 in West Philadelphia. More details here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBj4XPyDTyp/

Sources:

Riah Milton - Liberty Township, OH

On June 9, 2020, Riah Milton, a 25-year-old transgender woman, was murdered in Liberty Township, Ohio. Investigation into her death is ongoing.

Milton’s sister Mary Ann remembers Riah: “She was a joyful person.” Her mother Tracy Milton said, “She loved traveling and being outside.” She was also survived by three sisters --including Mary Ann -- and two brothers.

To demand justice:

  1. Donate to her family’s Go Fund Me for funeral costs here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sending-riah-home?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1
  2. Share her image on social media. #justiceforriahmilton #sayhername #blacktranslivesmatter: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBjCY3aBUHO/

Sources:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/13/riah-joyful-person-family-remembers-woman-killed-liberty-township-robbery/3181889001/

Robert Fuller - Palmdale, CA

On June 10, 2020, Robert Fuller’s body was found hanging from a tree in a courtyard outside Palmdale, CA’s City Hall. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s officer initially pointed to suicide. Fuller’s family and friends cried foul and thousands of community members protested in Palmdale over the weekend following his death. In response, Los Angeles County supervisor Kathryn Barger formerly requested that California attorney general Xavier Becerra open an independent investigation into Fuller’s death. The City of Palmdale also released a statement saying it also supported an independent investigation.

On June 15, 2020, Los Angeles County coroner Jonathan Lucas changed course on the suicide theory and plegded to look deeper. AG Becerra said that he would dispatch independent investigators to monitor the Palmdale sheriff’s approach and to potentially launch a separate inquiry.

Also on June 15, The Department of Justice announced that the FBI would be looking into Both Fuller’s and Malcolm Harsch’s death, which happened in a similar fashion in the neighboring town of Victorville.

 

To demand justice:

  1. Call LA County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau Lt. Brandon Dean and request a full investigation into Robert Fuller’s death: 323-890-5500
  2. Say his name on social media #justiceforrobertfuller: https://www.instagram.com/p/CByRofogUSr/

Sources:

Malcolm Harsch - Victorville, CA

On May 31, 2020, Malcolm Harsch was found hanging from a tree outside the Victorville, CA Public Library. Authorities indicate there was no foul play, but his family is demanding a full investigation into his death. 200 community members protested in Victorville on Tuesday, June 16, demanding a full and objective investigation. The Department of Justice announced that the FBI would be looking into Both Harsch’s and Robert Fuller’s death, which happened in a similar fashion in the neighboring town of Palmdale.

Malcolm’s family reports that he had recent conversations with his children about seeing them and was not depressed nor having suicidal ideations.

To demand justice:

  1. Call/email/dm/tweet San Bernardino County Sheriff/Coroner John McMahon and demand a full and objective investigation into Malcolm Harsch’s death. #justiceformalcolm Email: paffairs@sbcsd.org Phone: (760) 956-5001. Instagram: @sanbernardinocountysheriff Twitter: @sbcountysheriff
  2. Call/dm/tweet Los Angeles Attorney General Xavier Becerra and demand the same independent investigation he called for in the death of Robert Fuller for Malcolm Harsch. Phone: (800) 952-5225. Instagram: @agbecerra Twitter: @agbecerra

Sources:

Oluwatoyin Salau - Tallahassee, FL

On Monday, June 15, 2020, 19-year-old Black Lives Matter activist Oluwatoyin Salau was one of two women whose bodies were found dead in Tallahassee, FL. Salau went missing after she sent a series of tweets describing her sexual assault.  A 49-year-old man has been charged with murder and kidnapping in connection with their deaths. He was taken into custody in Orlando.

"Toyin was very passionate," her friend Danya Hemphill said. "She was very vocal. She was very loving, very spiritual, very caring. Toyin, she was like a light in a dark room. That was Toyin." Salau was Nigerian born and an activist for Black Lives Matter in Tallahassee.

Sources:

  • https://www.complex.com/life/2020/06/19-year-old-protester-oluwatoyin-salau-found-dead-tallahassee

Check back here for updates and calls to action for justice.

Rayshard Brooks - Atlanta, GA

On Friday, June 12, a 27-year-old black man named Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by Atlanta police in what Mayor Keisha Bottoms called an unjustified use of deadly force. Brooks’s death quickly led to protests — as well as the resignation of Atlanta police chief Erika Shields. Garrett Rolfe, the officer who killed Brooks, has been fired and now faces 11 charges, including felony murder. The other officer on the scene, Devin Brosnan, is facing three charges, including aggravated assault.

Brooks leaves behind his widow, Tomika Miller, three young daughters and a 13-year-old stepson.

Check back here for updates and calls to action for justice.

Sources:

Tete Gulley - Portland, OR

On May 27, 2019, Tete Gulley, a Black transgender woman who was experiencing homelessness, was found hanged from a tree on Rocky Butte Park in Portland, OR. Her death was ruled a suicide by the Oregon Medical Examiner’s Office. A year later, however, the verdict is still being challenged by family and friends of Gulley, who believe she was killed “due to homophobic and transphobic violence”. Gulley’s mother was told the autopsy concluded her death was by suicide, but she was not given any paperwork. The Oregon medical examiner has also denied both the Oregon Police Bureau and local newspaper Portland Mercury for a records request, saying there isn’t sufficient public interest.

Gulley is survived by her mother Kenya Robinson and her sister Crystal Gulley.

Check back here for updates and calls to action for justice.

Sources:

Elijah McClain - Aurora, CO

Jonathan Price - Wolfe City, TX

Jonathan Price was a 31-year old former college football player, a trainer, and an employee at Wolfe City public works department. He was an empathetic, vibrant young man, and was beloved in his community. Jonathan was raised by a single mother and enjoyed spending time with her and his grandmother. His mother shared, “he helped everybody in his community and had a big heart and spirit. Whatever he wants to strive for, he tried to get out there and do it.”

On October 3rd 2020, Jonathan Price was fatally shot by police officer Shaun Lucas, while outside of a convenience store in Wolfe City, Texas. Lucas was responding to a domestic dispute, not involving Price, but which Price had already diffused. After a series of actions taken by Lucas that the arrest affidavit deemed “not objectionably reasonable,” Lucas “intentionally and knowingly caused the death of Price.”

Protests rippled out from Wolfe City, demanding justice for Price’s murder. Lucas was arrested on October 5 and subsequently fired from the Texas Rangers. He has been charged with murder and is being held on a one million dollar bond. Wolfe City residents describe Lucas as problematic from day one and recount incidents of racial profiling.

To demand justice:

Use the following hashtags to spread awareness: #justiceforjonathan #justiceforjonathanprice

Link to Articles Regarding Criminal Justice Reform and Defunding the Police

https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-the-phrase-explained.html

Go Fund Me (Organized by one of Jonathan’s childhood friends, Will Middlebrooks): https://www.gofundme.com/f/25o7kmjy5c

Petition for Jonathan Price: Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/people-who-want-to-make-a-change-justice-for-jonathan-price

Sources:

PETITION                            

Additional petitions to sign. There may be overlap with the ones listed above.

White House Petition

*If this gets at least 100,000 signatures in 30 days, it must be brought up to the federal government. It now has over 321,000! Be sure to check your email after to verify your signature so that it counts.

Color of Change Petitions

Move On Petitions

The Action Pac Petitions

Change.org Petitions

Note: No need to donate. Donations on change.org help to promote the petition more widely, but your donation does not go directly to the cause. Read more here.  

Note:

If you live internationally and cannot sign petitions without a US postal code, use one of these:

90015 - Los Angeles, California

10001 - New York City, New York

75001 - Dallas, Texas

Sign University-Led Petitions

Action for Black Lives stands in solidarity with the students of these schools and their efforts to create equitable and just communities, where Black people can live and thrive, without fear, harm, or violence. Share your support by signing their petitions:

Columbia University

  • Petition for Columbia University to diverge from the NYPD
  • School of Social Work
  • Panel discussion on  "Black Lives Matter, Protest and Creating Change" hosted by the Office of University Life
  • Mailman School of Public Health
  • Open Letter via its Black and Latinx Student Caucus - sign to show support!
  • Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • Statement via the Columbia White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL), Student  National Medical Association (SNMA), and Black and Latino Student Organization (BALSO)
  • SIPA

Harvard University

DONATE                             

Note: Do not donate to any fundraisers hosted by Shaun King. More on this here.

For help on deciding where and how to donate, read this guide.

George Floyd

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund

https://t.co/mUNLnEoOEc

Sister of George Floyd  

https://www.gofundme.com/f/george-floyd-bigfloyd

Daughter of George Floyd

https://www.gofundme.com/f/gianna-floyd-daughter-of-george-floyd-fund

Tye Anders

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-tye-anders?fbclid=IwAR3blEOj9VeYdlzVJ4xzQfr_cfrI1k95i2eRn6tU1PPBC7gIWOJp4d1TMr0

Robert Fuller

Community Support for Robert Fuller

https://www.gofundme.com/f/community-support-for-robert-fuller

Rayshard Brooks

Official GoFundMe for Rayshard Brooks

https://www.gofundme.com/f/official-gofundme-for-rayshard-brooks

Minneapolis Organizations

CTUL

*CTUL is a group of labor organizers focusing on BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) and immigrant workers. Their office is half a block from the site of George Floyd’s murder and they have been a core site of supplies and relief efforts to protestors https://ctul.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1

Twin Cities DSA, Food Justice for Frontlines

*Originally an effort to get fresh food to healthcare workers during the Covid crises, this has been expanded to help feed the ongoing street resistance that has started in Minneapolis and is spreading throughout the metro area

https://tcdsa.org/meals

Unicorn Riot

*Most of the best coverage you've seen online of events in Minneapolis have been due to their stalwart efforts.

https://unicornriot.ninja/five-years-of-unicorn-riot/

Black Visions Collective

https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/

Minnesota ACLU

https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/donate

Minnesota Freedom Fund Bail Operation

https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate

** Minnesota Freedom Fund has raised $20 million. They’ve requested that their donations go elsewhere, especially to Black and BIPOC-lead local organizations **

Migizi

https://www.givemn.org/organization/Migizi-Communications

North Star Health Collective Medical Supply Fund

https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/

** North Star has requested that donations go elsewhere **

Reclaim the Block

https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home

** Reclaim the Block has requested that donations go elsewhere Their suggested list of alternative organizations to support are here **

Bail Funds

Comprehensive list of bail funds by state and city  ** Look out for funds that have requested donations to go elsewhere **

Learn more at the National Bail Fund Network

https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory 

Learn more at The Bail Project

https://bailproject.org/

Black Lives Matter

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Support Black Transgender People

Black Trans Women Fund https://www.gofundme.com/f/homeless-black-trans-women-fund?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Black and Pink

https://www.blackandpink.org

Sylvia Rivera Project (NY)

https://srlp.org

TGI Justice Project

http://www.tgijp.org

Nina Pop/Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Fund

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDk1ZaSv_nCqc1wI0KH0ZsOS28FT9tH-BRviA-VUB_Cf-tZg/viewform

Breakout (New Orleans)

http://www.youthbreakout.org

Strategic Transgender Alliance for Radical Reform (STARR)

https://translives.wixsite.com/website-1/donate

Snap4Freedom (Atlanta)

https://www.snap4freedom.org/home

Kween Culture Initiative

https://kweenculture.com

The Transgender District (SF)

https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com

The Okra Project

https://www.theokraproject.com

The R.O.A.D. Project

https://theroadproject.org/privacy-policy-4

G.L.I.T.S.

https://www.glitsinc.org

House of GG

https://houseofgg.org

Homeless Black Trans Women Fund

https://www.gofundme.com/f/homeless-black-trans-women-fund

Make a bulk donation to several Black-led LGBTQ+ organizations

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/black_led_lgbtq

Campaign Zero

https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision

A note from critics of Campaign Zero’s “8 Can’t Wait” Campaign:

"While communities across the country mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Jamel Floyd, and so many more Black victims of police murder, Campaign Zero released its 8 Can’t Wait campaign, offering a set of eight reforms they claim would reduce police killings by 72%. As police and prison abolitionists, we believe that this campaign is dangerous and irresponsible, offering a slate of reforms that have already been tried and failed, that mislead a public newly invigorated to the possibilities of police and prison abolition, and that do not reflect the needs of criminalized communities.

We honor the work of abolitionists who have come before us, and those who organize now. A better world is possible. We refuse to allow the blatant co-optation of decades of abolitionist organizing toward reformist ends that erases the work of Black feminist theorists. As the abolitionist organization Critical Resistance recently noted, 8 Can’t Wait will merely ‘improve policing’s war on us.’ Additionally, many abolitionists have already debunked the 8 Can’t Wait campaign’s claims, assumptions, and faulty science.

Abolition can’t wait."

More at 8 to Abolition: https://www.8toabolition.com/ 

Critical Resistance

http://criticalresistance.org/

Critical Resistance seeks to build an international movement to end the Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes us safe.

Free Creature Friend

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR9ODS29XjvHjZLcrvjKwSivTsltyMQUK7evGBaJgQWaQu2pF81dCQiSHY4X6eNqcXycRBQ0f2MO_jl/pubhtml 

Decolonize this Place

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBA9BzNAjQb/?igshid=19o7im6k6ward 

Justice for Ahmaud Arbery Fund

https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud 

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

https://t.co/mAQd5xdfDv

NAACP list of demands: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3sZirBGkQ/

National Policy Accountability Project

https://www.nlg-npap.org/

The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB)

A national and international collective of anti-racist, multicultural community organizers dedicated to building an effective movement for social transformation: http://www.pisab.org/about-us/

DEMAND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

All states

defund12.org

This is an excellent crowd-sourced tool! Use defund12.org to send automated emails to your local government officials and council members demanding that egregious police budgets be re-allocated towards education, social services, and dismantling racial inequality.

End Qualified Immunity

"Qualified immunity" is one of the reasons it is so hard to successfully sue police officers for abuse of power or misconduct, even in cases where they clearly acted in bad faith & unquestionably violated a person's civil rights. Created by the U.S. Supreme Court as a loophole to federal civil rights laws, the doctrine of "qualified immunity" says police cannot be held liable for conduct done in their line of work—if they believe at the time that their action was permissible.

Justice in Policing Act of 2020

On June 8, 2020, US House and Senate Democrats introduced the Justice in Policing Act 2020, their proposal to overhaul policing in the United States.

 

On the Road With Abolition: Assessing Our Steps Along the Way 

Youtube video addressing abolition, and hosted by Dean Spade, Woods Ervin & Kamau Walton from Critical Resistance, K Agbebiyi from Survived and Punished NY and Mariame Kaba from Project NIA and Survived & Punished

Minnesota

Minneapolis City Council majority calls for the dismantling of the Minneapolis Police Department:

https://www.startribune.com/mpls-council-majority-backs-dismantling-police-department/571088302/?refresh=true

SELF-EDUCATE 

For additional readings and a statement on the importance of rewiring racial consciousness,

see Facebook post by Ben Glover and his reading list. Below we have tried to categorize books by genre and topic for ease of browsing, but consider these categorizations to be fluid.

Note: Try to buy from independent (IndieBound) or Black owned bookstores rather than Amazon. Many public libraries also have e-books that can be rented/checked out online.  

The Columbia University Black Students’ Organization presents: A Brief History of Anti-Black Violence and Policing at Columbia University

Columbia University Office of University Life: Resources for promoting racial justice and eliminating anti-Black violence 

Racial equity tools

Autobiographies / Memoirs / Epistolaries

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

James Baldwin - The Fire Next Time

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Between the World and Me

Angela Davis - Freedom is a Constant Struggle  

Bryan Stevenson - Just Mercy

Malcom X - Autobiography of Malcom X

Black Feminism and Intersectionality

Brittney Cooper - Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower

Audre Lorde - Sister Outsider

Uplifting Black Transgender People

Raquel Willis - Trans Obituary Project

Black Trans Media

Monica Roberts - TransGriot 

Foundational Texts on Colonization / Decolonization

Frantz Fanon - Black Skin, White Masks

Frantz Fanon - The Wretched of the Earth

C.L.R. James - The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution

Literature / Lyric Poetry

Daniel Black - The Coming: A Novel

Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man

Toni Morrison - The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison - Beloved

Claudia Rankine - Citizen: An American Lyric

Jacqueline Woodson - Brown Girl Dreaming

Non-fiction / Historical Non-fiction / Sociology

Mehrsa Baradaran - The Color of Money

Bakari Kitwana - Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop

Ian F. Haney Lopez - White By Law

Safiya Noble - Algorithms of Oppression

Dorothy Roberts - Killing the Black Body

Richard Rothstein - The Color of Law

Isabel Wilkerson - The Warmth of Other Suns

Practicing Anti-Racism in the Here and Now

Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Case for Reparations

Ibram X Kendi - How To Be an Antiracist

Ibram X Kendi - Stamped from the Beginning (YA version: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You)

Ijeoma Oluo - So You Want to Talk About Race

Prison and Police Abolition

Michelle Alexander - The New Jim Crow

Angela Davis - Are Prisons Obsolete?

Alex S. Vitale - The End of Policing - Free E-book at Verso Books

Multiple Editors - Who Do You Serve Who Do You Protect? - Free E-book at Haymarket Books

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights - New Era of Public Safety 

Readings on Healing in the Black Community

Jawanza Kunjufu - Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys

Jawanza Kunjufu - Developing Positive Self-Images & Discipline in Black Children

Alain Locke - The New Negro

Wade W. Nobles - Seeking the Sakhu: Foundational Writings for an African Psychology

Sobonfu Some - The Spirit of Intimacy: Ancient African Teachings in the Ways of Relationships

Maldoma Patrice Some - Ritual: Power, Healing, and Community

Kamau Makesi-Tehuti - Make a Negro Christian: A Reprinting of the Religious Instruction of the Negroes and other Works by Dr. Reverend Charles Colcock Jones

Mfundishi Jhutyms Ka n Heru Hassn K Sali - Spiritual Warriors are Healers

Readings on Reconciliation in the Black Community

Shahrazad Ali - The Blackman’s Guide to Understanding the Blackwoman

Maysa Akbar  - Urban Trauma: A Legacy of Racism

George Sirrakos Jr. & Christopher Emdin - Between The World and the Urban Classroom

Samuel F. Yette - The Choice: The Issue of Black Survival in America

Uprooting Anti-Blackness in Non-Black Communities of Color

Lauren Araiza - To March for Others: The Black Freedom Struggle and the United Farm Workers

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

Jeff Chang - Who We Be: The Colorization of America

Fred Ho & Ed Mullen - Afro Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections Between African Americans and Asian Americans

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

Ellen D. Wu - The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Myth of the Model Minority

Uprooting Whiteness

Courtney Ahn - Illustrated Guide on White Privilege

Robin DiAngelo - White Fragility

Paul Kivel - Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice

Layla Saad - Me and White Supremacy

Peggy McIntosh - White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Andrea Smith - Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy

Beverly Tatum - Of Smog and Moving Walkways 

UU College of Social Justice - On White Supremacy

Additional Reading Lists

Anti-racism resources for white people by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein

Black Women Radicals and AAFC Solidarity Reading List by Black Women Radicals and the Asian American Feminist Collective

Educational Resources on Prison and Police Abolition by Mary Blair

Google Drive of Black revolutionary texts owned by Alijah Webb

Reading Towards Abolition: A Reading List on Policing, Rebellion, and the Criminalization of Blackness - by Radical History Review

Policy/ Commission Reports

Black Futures Lab - Black Census Project 

South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Below is a link to an international effort to enact systemic and institutional change. “While we have much work to do here, let us avail ourselves of work already done, learn and do better.” Statement and resource from Michael Alter, Master of Public Affairs

https://www.usip.org/publications/1995/12/truth-commission-south-africa

Movies / Videos

13th - Ava Duvernay

Netflix, https://youtu.be/krfcq5pF8u8 [Warning: depiction of rape from 33:42-34:01]

James Baldwin and America’s “racial problem”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnIjXmfTSYg

James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni, a conversation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZmBy7C9gHQ

The Black Lives Matter Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIoYtKOqxeU&feature=youtu.be

Time: The Kalief Browder Story - Jenner Furst - Netflix

Trevor Noah’s thoughts on recent events (including George Floyd, MN Protests…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c 

When They See Us - Ava Duvernay - Netflix

A link to films on Netflix: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3aXaDlnmk/

PROTEST SAFELY

Adapted from Facebook post by Xavier Ramey, Chicago activist & CEO of Justice Informed, Instagram post by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Street Medic Guide adapted from Paper Revolution 

Get Tested for COVID

https://www.cvs.com/content/coronavirus?cid=redir-coronavirus

Perspectives

Read/Listen to “This Moment Has Been Co-opted” - an interview with Chicago activist Xavier Ramey. He urges us to stay home if we are not part of a planned effort and reminds us that the protestors are not the looters or the rioters. You may also be interested to read: Why Damaging Property Isn’t the Same as “Violence” by Nathan J Robinson.

Watch: Perspective from Kimberly Latrice Jones, 2020 NAACP Image Award Nominee: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBGUPgBApio/?igshid=gid5wstrfzd7 

To Support Protestors in New York

Call the District Attorneys of each borough to demand they stop prosecuting protestors and stop prosecuting people in general - especially in the middle of a pandemic. Call/ email/ tweet/ comment on social:

Brooklyn County District: Eric Gonzalez

Gonzaleze@brooklynda.org

(718) 250-2202 // (718)-250-2340

Social: @BrooklynDA

Bronx County District: Darcel D. Clark

Clarkda@bronxda.nyc.gov

(718) 590-2000

Social: @BronxDAClark

Manhattan County District: Cy Vance

Vancec@dany.nyc.gov

(212) 335-9000

Social: @ManhattanDA

Nitin Savur (Executive ADA for Strategic Initiatives and Deputy Chief of Trial Division in the Manhattan DA’s office )

SavurN@dany.nyc.gov

(212) 335-4314

Queens County District: Melinda Katz

katz@queensda.org

(718) 286-6300 // (718)286-6000

Social: @MelindaKatz

Staten Island District: Michael McMahon

MichaelMcMahon@rcda.nyc.gov

(718) 556-7050

Social: @StatenIslandDA

General Tips for Protestors

0. Not all are physically able to attend protests, and there are many other ways to support the BLM movement, advocate, and practice anti-racism at this time. All types of support are important and necessary.

1. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF GRASSROOTS BLACK ORGANIZERS. They have been at this a long time and are disciplined in the ropes of community organizing and demonstration. It is a discipline. Follow trusted leaders whose goal has been the focused pursuit of justice. *Do not just show up unprepared. And do not follow someone who just showed up.*

2. LOOK OUT FOR THINGS THAT DON’T SEEM RIGHT. There are increasing reports and investigations that white supremacists may be infiltrating protests, breaking windows, and destroying property. If anything seems off to you, document it. Always check who is organizing.

3. HAVE A BUDDY. Always march with a partner and check in on each other.

4. BE SAFE. More on this below. Wear a mask and gloves. Be prepared for tear gas. Have emergency contact numbers ready. Walk, don’t run.

5. TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.

Particulars

  1. Use the bathroom before you go
  2. Let a loved one know before you march and what area you will be in
  3. Wear a mask to protect yourself and your community. Covid-19 is still a problem throughout  the United States and Black Americans have been disproportionately affected.
  4. Walk, don’t run
  5. Turn off face/touch ID on phones and use a passcode to protect your identity in case your phone is taken. More on how to prepare your phone for a protest by The Mark Up 
  6. Dealing with Pepper Spray/Tear gas:
  1. Carry saline solutions or Liquid Antacids +  Water mixed together (LAW)
  2. Straight milk is not a good substitute
  3. Flavored antacids are not a good substitute
  4. For skin: Use LAW mixtures where the gas or spray hits
  5. For eyes: DON’T pour LAW in. Use saline solution or water. Contact lens solution could work
  6. For respiration/ face protection: Prevent injury w/ gas mask (expensive) or bandana soaked in water and wrapped around your mouth and nose like a surgical mask
  1. DO bring: ID, cash/change, water, first aid, washcloth, snacks, ear plugs, protest signs
  2. DON’T bring: anything you don’t want to be arrested with, e.g. substances, Rx drugs without original container  
  3. DO wear: nondescript solid colors, layered clothing, goggles, mask, hair tied up, emergency contacts written on arms in Sharpie
  4. DON’T wear: jewelry, contact lenses
  5. Learn phone tips in preparation for surveillance tactics by law enforcement. Additional tips can be found in this surveillance self-defense guide.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Use these if arrested and don’t have other contacts. Call with legal name and time and place of arrest.

Growing national list of emergency legal aid here

Chicago: First Defense Legal Aid: 1-800-529-7374 (1-800-LAW-REP4)

New Jersey: National Lawyers Guild: 908-818-0002

New York City: National Lawyers Guild: 212-679-6018

Seattle: National Lawyers Guild: 206-658-7963

Hold Prisons Accountable for Abuse and Neglect of TGNC People

Transgender Law Center has collected policies related to the treatment of incarcerated transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) people from every state prison system in the U.S. These policies address everything from placement, to access to transition-related healthcare and gender-affirming clothing and property, to sexual violence prevention and response, to grievance procedures. Access to these policies can be critical in holding prisons accountable for the ways in which they regularly abuse and neglect the TGNC people in their custody.

This spreadsheet is organized so that each state is a row and each type of policy is a column. To find a particular policy, simply locate the cell for the state and type of policy you are interested in and click the link to view and download the policy. Most of the policies are listed by their policy number, but in some cases, we have multiple policies from a state that fall under one policy type: in these cases, click “Folder” and you will be able to access all the relevant policies in one folder.

Please note that these policies are accurate to the best of our knowledge as of October 2019. If you have access to additional resources you think would be helpful to add to this spreadsheet, please email Ian Anderson, TLC’s Legal Services Project Manager, at ian@transgenderlawcenter.org

BE AN ALLY

Below are notes on allyship, adapted from call to action by Columbia School of Social Work student Miah Khan. Please also read BLM’s A Guide to Allyship 

 

Our modern day police departments started as slave patrols.

Our system has not “failed” to protect Black people because it was never designed to.

Racism and slavery did not end with the Emancipation of 1863 or the election of President Obama. It is very much alive and well. What action are you taking today?

Do not share videos or pictures of Black people being brutally murdered. It should not take brutality for us to act on empathy.

When sharing protest images/videos, block out protestor faces.

Black people have tried protesting peacefully, but there have been significant limits and challenges to success with this approach.

If you are a non-Black POC, be mindful to not compare or lump yourself in with the Black community/experience. It is not the same and never will be.

Optical allyship is “allyship that only serves at the surface level to platform the ‘ally,’ it makes a statement but doesn’t go beneath the surface and is not aimed at breaking away from the systems of power that oppress”  --Latham Thomas

We are all racist or biased to some extent, but we can be anti-racist. This takes listening, learning, taking action, and speaking up (including to loved ones)

How to check-in on your Black friends: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2bjN8JWPf/

SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES

STAY INFORMED

The information in this document predominantly originated from Black grassroots organizations, Black activists, and activists on the ground in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, and several other cities. Please visit the links below to see the original sources of this document, take further action, and stay abreast of the unfolding dialogue and events.

10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship by Mireille C Harper

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Instagram

Anguish and Action - The Obama Foundation

Black Futures Lab

Black Lives Matter

BLM’s A Guide to Allyship ** Quite Comprehensive. Highly Recommend **

BLM Carrd

Black Women Radicals

Ericka Hart Instagram

Lizzie Campbell’s Call to Action

Minneapolis Solidarity Donations

Movement for Black Lives

National Bail Fund Project

National Lawyers Guild

National Resource List ** Includes information about city-specific orgs to donate to **

NYC COVID Mutual Aid Instagram ** Visit for info and resources on protests in NYC **

Resources for Accountability and Actions for Black Lives

Tips for Protestors by Xavier Ramey, CEO of Justice Informed ** Practical tips for protestors **

The Bail Project

Street Medic Guide adapted from Paper Revolution ** Medical tips for protestors **

Note: *Multiple Black femmes have cautioned against supporting Shaun King, due to him stealing work and presenting it as his own as well as fundraising without transparency*

Below are recommended social media accounts to follow for staying informed. This list is not exhaustive, as new accounts are constantly being made as individuals and organizations continue their work in this movement. We hope this serves as a helpful starting point:

Instagram Handles

Movements/Organizations

Political Education

@mvmnt4blklives

@sonyareneetaylor

@blklivesmatter

@mspackyetti

@byp100

@kimberlylatricejones

@freethemall2020

@jmaseiii

@criticalresistance

@andrearanaej

@nationalbailout

@ihartericka

@blackfeministfuture

@rachel.cargle

@audrelordeproject

@laylafsaad

@colorofchange

@officialmillennialblack

@BAJItweet

@for.harriet

@freedom2thrive

@ckyourprivilege

@decrimny

@nowhitesaviors

@maketheroadny

@privtoprog

@surjnyc

@decolonizemyself

@youthjusticela

@zinneducationproject

@blackvisionscollective

@theslacktivists

@reclaimtheblock

@radicalroadmaps

@defund12

@theconsciouskid

@mia.mingus - transformative justice, disability justice

Mental Health

Updates on NYC Protests

@thelovelandfoundation

@justiceforgeorgenyc

@browngirltherapy

@nyjusticeleague

@therapyforblackgirls

@decolonizethisplace

@nqttcn

@blmgreaterny

@liberatemeditation

@pt4justice

@prentis.h - healing justice/somatic practitioner

Twitter Handles

Movements/Organizations

Political Education

@mvmnt4blklives

@CharleneCac

@blklivesmatter

@OsopePatrisse

@byp100

@aliciagarza

@nonewjails_nyc

@ProfessorCrunk

@adv_project

@marclamonthill

@BlackWomxnFor

@janetmock

@fairfightaction

@michaelharriot

@colorofchange

@PrestonMitchum

@audrelordeproject

@KeeangaYamahtta

@decrimny

@MunroeBergdorf

@maketheroadny

@AntiracismCtr

@surjnyc

@prisonculture (Mariame Kaba)

@youthjusticela

@JessicaLBYRD

@BlackVisionsMN

@ijeomaoluo

@reclaimtheblock

@TransGriot

Mental Health

Updates on NYC Protests

@therapy4bgirls

@nyjusticeleague

@BlkMentalHealth

@decolonize_this

@nqttcn

@BLMGreaterNY

@_beamorg

        

USE SOCIAL MEDIA CONSCIOUSLY

General guidelines

  1. Center Black voices
  2. Share information, donation links, petitions, resources, and educational materials
  3. When reposting, find and cite the source of the original post
  4. Before participating in a social media campaign, look into its source and purpose
  5. Do not share images with faces of protesters
  6. Do not share videos of Black people being murdered or harmed - there are many other ways to bring awareness to anti-Black racism that don’t include exploiting Black trauma

Beware your hashtags

#BlackoutTuesday was created as a result of The Show Must Be Paused campaign, formed by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang. Their goal was to get the music industry to pause promotions for 24 hours, on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, and instead discuss actions needed to support the Black Community. Learn more at  https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com/ 

**Update June 3, 2:00 pm, ET: If you posted a black square please consider deleting it. Even if you removed the BLM hashtag, your post will remain under the tag. Fully deleting the post will make it easier for Black activists to access the valuable information that’s usually included in posts with the BLM hashtag. As of now they have to wade through millions of black squares to get the info they need. If you want to show solidarity, please delete ** -Statement adapted from Ben Glover

** Update June 3, 11:00 am, ET: Many Black leaders found this social media campaign to be counterproductive, as it transformed into something it was not intended to be. This ultimately had the effect of stifling rather than amplifying Black voices. For more on this, please watch Brittany Packnett’s IG video. This is a helpful reminder to non-Black folks to use social media with intention and purpose and to center and amplify Black voices **

#8CantWait is a campaign spearheaded by CampaignZero but has faced criticism from Black abolitionists.  It proposed that police departments adopt 8 use of force policies. These policies include:

  • Ban chokeholds and strangleholds
  • Require deescalation
  • Require warning before shooting
  • Require the exhaustion of all alternatives before shooting
  • Duty to intervene
  • Ban shooting at moving vehicles
  • Require use of force continuum
  • Require comprehensive reporting

Black abolitionists have criticized this campaign because

  • Many cities have already adopted one or more of these policies (i.e. The ban of chokeholds in New York City in 1993) without much decrease to police violence
  •  The policies do not necessarily prevent police officers from continuing to engage in the destructive behaviors
  • The campaign takes away attention from movements to defund and/or abolish the police

CampaignZero has responded to criticism by releasing the following statement: “Campaign Zero acknowledge that, even with the best of intentions, the #8CANTWAIT campaign unintentionally detracted from efforts of fellow organizers invested in paradigmatic shifts that are newly possible in this moment. For this we apologize wholeheartedly, and without reservation.”

#8toAbolition is a response to and important reframing of the 8 Can’t Wait campaign that draws upon the work of abolitionists. They have proposed that communities:

  • Defund the police
  • Demilitarize communities
  • Remove police
  • Free people from prisons and jails
  • Repeal laws that criminalize survival
  • Invest in community self-governance
  • Provide safe housing for everyone
  • Invest in care, not cops

 

“We honor the work of abolitionists who have come before us, and those who organize now. A better world is possible. We refuse to allow the blatant co-optation of decades of abolitionist organizing toward reformist ends that erases the work of Black feminist theorists. As the abolitionist organization Critical Resistance recently noted, 8 Can’t Wait will merely “improve policing’s war on us.” Additionally, many abolitionists have already debunked the 8 Can’t Wait campaign’s claims, assumptions, and faulty science. Abolition can’t wait” - #8toAbolition Learn more here

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

This list was created in collaboration with members of the Black & Latinx Student Caucus at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Information was also gathered from 44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive in This Country an article written by Zahra Barnes.

Columbia University Resources

  • For CSSW students, check emails from the office for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for community processing spaces organized by Dean Karma Lowe and DEI Program Coordinator Christopher Won

Free virtual therapy and counseling for right now

Directories, networks, and funds for finding a Black (or allied) therapist

*Indicates that services are also offered virtually

In-Person Healing Spaces  

Many of these healing spaces are currently offering online services such as yoga and meditation videos.  

  • Brave Space Alliance - Chicago based space offering support groups, job resources, and more for LGBTQ BIPOC on the South Side of Chicago
  • Ethel's Club - Brooklyn based social and wellness clubhouse for POC
  • Heal Haus - Brooklyn based inclusive wellness space with a cafe and meditation/yoga classes.
  • MINKA - Brooklyn based community wellness space offering a wide range of healing therapies such as massages, meditation, acupuncture, and herbal remedies

Podcasts

Online Resources

  • American Psychological Association - List of resources for individuals experiencing racism
  • Balanced Black Girl - Blog about wellness, self-care, and self-love for Black women
  • Black Emotional and Mental Health - Educational toolkits, online events, and more hosted by a collective of advocates, yoga teachers, artists, therapists, lawyers, religious leaders, teachers, psychologists and activists committed to the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities
  • Black Mental Health Alliance  - Educational tools, workshops, programs, and professional networks for clinicians
  • Black Mental Wellness - Informational sheets and suggested podcasts for coping and wellness strategies
  • Black Women's Health Imperative - Articles and FAQs for health and wellness
  • Brown Girl Self Care - Self-care resources for Black women
  • Holistic Black Healing Collective - Offers a membership plan to commune with other Black and Brown peers towards the aim of collective liberation
  • Ourselves Black - Stories, blogs, an online magazine, and more
  • Sad Girls Club - Articles and stories about mental health, motherhood, love, and spirituality
  • Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness - Resources on finding support and healing services for Black women across the African Diaspora
  • The Breathing Space - Follow their instagram for information about upcoming events
  • The Steve Fund - Toolkit for practitioners working with young students of color
  • Annodright - Dr. Donna seeks to assist Black women and couples in finding their sexual freedom. Her site offers a blog and a couple of free webinars
  • Dr. Jennifer Mullan - Dr. Jennifer Mullan provides decolonized therapeutic coaching to groups and helping professionals, workshops, and annual retreats