Resources for Antiracism and Racial Justice Activism in 2020

Getting Started

This page is meant to provide a succinct list of resources to engage in activism and racial justice for the black community. This is by no means an extensive list, but may serve as a place to start to further educate white and non-black people POC on racial injustice, and how they can effectively support and elevate the black community in terms of knowledge, mental health resources for the black community, donations, petitions, and more.

General Resources for Activism

Voting

In order to make structural change, it is important to vote well-meaning nominees who will fight for justice into local, state and federal positions. Listed below are resources related to voting, and how to make sure your voice is heard:

• How to Register to Vote
• Primary Election Dates by State: If you are mailing in an absentee ballot, it's important to note that you must mail out your ballot by your state's election date for your vote to be viable
• Get your absentee ballot
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission: Resources for Voters

Writing to your Legislators

Letters to your legislators can be an effective way of making your voice heard. Below are tips from the American Civil Liberties Union on writing to your legislators, stating that legislators commonly believe that a letter represents not only the position of the writer, but also many other constituents who did not take the time to write in.

1. Keep it brief: limit your letter to ~one page and one issue at a time.
2. State who you are and what you want up front; if your letter pertains to a certain piece of legislation, it helps to identify it by its bill number
3. Choose 3 of your strongest points and hone in on them one paragraph at a time
4. Personalize your letter: tell your legislator why this issue matters within your specific community/state
5. Personalize your relationship: if you have ever voted for, interacted with, donated to, or are familiar with the representative in any way, don't be afraid to let that known
6. You are the expert: remember that your legislator's job is to represent you. They are meant to be voting for legislation on your behalf, and may know no more about a given issue than you do.

Great - you want to write a letter to your legislator! Below is information on how to locate who and where to send your letter to.

• Find your legislator via your address
  • After entering your address, you may click on each legislator to find their mailing address, email, phone and fax. It is recommended to send letters via mail or fax.
• If you are interested in sending an email to the Minneapolis Police Department demanding accountability for George Floyd's death, this link will redirect you to an email template where all you have to do is fill in your name and city/state: tinyurl.com/emailforfloyd

Mental Health Resources for the Black Community

In times where the physical safety of members of the black community is at stake, it is important to raise awareness and share resources for mental health care geared towards the black community.

• Therapy for Black Girls
• Inclusive Therapists
• Ethel's Club
• Sista Afya
• The Love Land Foundation
• Dive In Well

Petitions

While it has been found hard to track if petitions indeed enact political change, signing is still an important act for a few reasons, namely:

• Signing a petition gives organizes your name and contact information: when a newcomer comes across a petition and sees a long list of names, they may feel more motivated to engage in the cause. Furthermore, signing petitions lets social justice movement organizers know that they have a backing behind their causes.
• Petitions have historically been successful in recruiting tools for new movements
• Signing a petition makes an individual feel socially tied to a cause, motivating them to remain continuously engaged through other acts

Listed here are current petitions related to the Black Lives Matter movement:

• Demand Racial Data on Coronavirus
• Coronavirus: Demand More from the Government
• Justice for George Floyd
• Justice for Breonna Taylor (includes option to donate)
• Justice for Ahmuah Arbery
• Justice for Tony McDade
• Hands Up Act Petition