Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement
Image sourced from @mongequentin on Instagram
What a heavy and absolutely devastating time. While most of us know that America has an ongoing issue with racism (and Australia too), the world was truly shocked and stunned when footage of George Floyd (an African American man) surfaced where a police officer forcefully held his knee on his neck until he could no longer breathe and passed away. Most shocking of all, this isn’t a new occurrence, it just happened to be caught on (trigger warning) film.
Protests broke out all around America and then all around the globe, not only calling for justice for George Floyd but also for the country and the world to finally make some changes. Enough was enough, too many people had been murdered, racially profiled, unfairly thrown in jail, and just so much more. America had finally reached it’s tipping point. (Things are so crazy that even Anonymous made a comeback.)
Even more shocking was the brutal force used by police officers not only on those who turned violent and who were looting but also on peaceful protesters and innocent bystanders. Curfews were put in place and the president used inflammatory language in his statements further putting fuel on the fire. What a disaster and what an emotional roller coaster…and I’m not even American…and I’m not even black.
As someone with light skin, I feel completely ashamed in many ways and one reason is because I just had no idea how huge the problem was. I had seen some documentaries and had heard some interviews but I didn’t know the extent of what it must be like to live day in and day out with dark skin. I also feel completely ashamed because I know that I have not always used the correct language in my lifetime, and I am sure I have taken many things for granted.
I also felt and feel helpless. Sitting on my couch and scrolling the internet and not knowing what to do was soul crushing. And the thing is, while sitting and thinking about all of the feelings I am feeling, I also feel guilty because this does not even come close to how someone with dark skin must be feeling. And it is important to remember, that while all humans contribute to this issue, this particular issue is not about me and it is time for other voices to be heard, especially when black voices have been drowned for so long.
This isn’t to say that I shouldn’t be using my own voice to point people in the right direction and to open up conversations, but right now I just need to listen and to take action when I am asked to and to do what I can that feels right. And right now, it feels right to put together this post and to hopefully offer some insight and education to anyone reading.
Understanding white privilege
This is something I find that many people struggle with (and sometimes even I struggle with myself). For instance, I have had many hardships in my life and as a woman, it can be hard to hear that I am privileged when I see my male partner treated very differently to me in most situations. But once again, this is not about me and my experiences. So for those who may be struggling to wrap their mind’s around this, here are a couple of videos to get you started.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA6Tivolf_A/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ey4jgoxeU
What we can do at home and resources for talking to your kids
One of the most important things that we can do is change the things we are doing at home. There is no point in telling our children to act in one way when we use certain language behind closed doors. The topic of race was never brought up in my household growing up and is something I wish I was able to discuss, especially when attending such multicultural schools. So for those wanting to start these conversations with their children (or other family members) here are some resources.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_aG6_AJF6/
How to share on social media
This can be a tricky one because some people will want you to use your voice and platform and then other people will not. From what I have seen, the majority of black people want everyone talking about this and so if you do feel drawn to share on social media, it is important to put thought into it first.
For example, a movement was started where everyone was posting a black square on their timeline (even myself) but this then drowned out the activists who were trying to put information out there (you can read more on this HERE). And for those who already feel like people are trying to erase them, this was not a good thing. This plays into my final point of that we will inevitably make mistakes working through this.
Overall I would suggest speaking from the heart but not making it all about you. Perhaps sharing from accounts who do know what they are talking about and making sure that you are leaving your comments on as the last thing you want to do is make people feel like their voices are muted.
You can find some social media graphics HERE
Petitions you can sign
Another thing you can do to help is to put your name on important petitions and share them with others around you to also sign.
https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd
https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/#petition
https://www.wecantbreathenational.org/
https://www.change.org/p/prevent-another-aboriginal-death-in-custody
Places you can donate
If you do have money to contribute, there are lots of great places to send it.
https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/06/how-to-donate-support-black-lives-matter-movement-australia/
This is also a great time to support black creatives and business owners
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_KN2cnCtT/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-hf57HSHx/
Educate yourself
One of the biggest mistakes in the wellness world is that we should only focus on the positive. While it is important to remember that there is always indeed positives, it is also important to educate ourselves. While a lot of the footage is quite traumatic to watch, I would highly recommend consuming a lot of the content on this Twitter account to get a better understanding of what is going on.
As I already mentioned there are lots of great positive things you can consume too like HERE
It is also important that you not only educate yourself on what is going on right now but also on black history. Thankfully there are plenty of great movies (such as BlacKkKlansmann on Netflix), TV shows, books, podcasts, and YouTube channels to get you started.
Movies:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/natashajokic1/racial-injustice-documentaries-and-movies
TV Shows:
Books:
https://time.com/5846732/books-to-read-about-anti-racism/
Podcasts:
https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/podcasts-about-race-and-racism
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCud6qp6HqpAJU4STFw8Uk7Q/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhC5tGFZSrI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4AkicVKPJk
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/redtabletalk/
https://www.instagram.com/blackandembodied/
https://www.instagram.com/jessicawilson.msrd/
How to protect your mental health
Whenever there is worldwide trauma like this, it is so important to take care of yourself.
https://www.capitalxtra.com/news/black-lives-matter/12-self-care-tips-advice-protect-mental-health/
https://www.instagram.com/lovingmeafterwe/
How to take care while protesting
If you are planning on protesting, remember to do what you can to protect yourself from COVID
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-gear-tips/
And if you are unable to get out and protest, consider a different kind of protesting at home
Know that it will take time and you will make mistakes
And finally, I encourage you to keep learning and to keep using your voice even after these protests are over. And if you have light skin, the reality is that you will never quite understand and you will make mistakes along the way but don’t let that stop you.
Lots of love to you all,
Shalee xo
