This post is going to be hard.
The amount of violence and bigotry I have seen on social media in the last couple of days is…to say “unbelievable” is a lie. I do believe it. We see racism everyday in microagressions and white privilege. It’s entirely believable. It isn’t fair. It isn’t right. But it is believable.
As a white cis-het woman, I personally hold a lot of privilege. Do I recognize it? Yes. Do I still benefit from it? Yes. It’s impossible to be white, straight, or cis-gendered and not have privilege. Let me repeat that for all the white people who “don’t see color.” IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE WHITE AND NOT BENEFIT FROM RACISM.
In times like this, not being racist isn’t enough. It is essential that we are ant-racist. Anti-racist means calling out the people around you for their racism. It means understanding that the “blue lives matter” movement was in response to #BLM as a means of silencing Black voices. It means knowing your privilege and using it to echo Black voices. It means using your platform, no matter how big or small, to protect the Black community. It means fighting to eliminate your privilege.
Now, I know that reading a blog post about #BlackLivesMatter from a white girl, isn’t the point. Support is.
If you can, donate.
Sign petitions.
Support Black creators.
Click here to donate and support these 37 bail funds
Click here to donate to George Floyd’s memorial fund
Click here to donate to Black Visions
Click here to donate to The Bail Project
Click here to donate to the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund
Click here to donate to the ACLU
Click here to donate to help homeless Black Trans women
Click here to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund
Click here to donate to Sybrina Fulton’s campaign (mother of Trayvon Martin) Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012 at 17 years old while unarmed. His murderer was charged and later acquitted.
Click here to sign the petition demanding George Floyd’s murderers are charged
Click here to sign the petition for Justice for Floyd
Click here to sign the BLM petition to #DefundThePolice
Click here to sign the petition to Stand with Breonna Taylor
Click here to sign the petition demanding Breonna Taylor’s murderers are fired
Click here to sign the petition to free Julius Jones from facing death row for a murder he didn’t commit.
Click here to sign the petition for the Hands Up Act The Hands Up Act is meant to punish police for shooting unarmed citizens.
Click here to sign the petition for Justice for Tony McDade Tony was a transgender Black man who was killed by the police in Tallahassee.
Click here to sign the petition demanding justice for Belly Mujinga. Belly was spit on by an assailant who knew they were infected with COVID19. This led to Belly’s death.
Click here to sign the petition to free Willie Simmons. Simmons has served 38 years in prison for a $9 robbery. Each time he filed an appeal, no action was taken.
Check out these amazing Black creators on Booktube!
Myonna at myonnareads on YouTube
Nori at ReadingwithNori on YouTube
Jessie at Bowties and Books on YouTube
Chanelle at chanelletime on YouTube
Jasmine at lamourdebooks on YouTube
Love always,
ej
ejreads 