Here’s How You Can Continue to Show Up For the BLack Lives Matter Movement
By: Christine Obiamalu
Although the Black Lives Matter movement has been loud and at the fore front of everyone’s mind, there is a fear in regard to what happens weeks from now when things die down. When social media posts aren’t centered around it, when the news channel goes back to Covid-19 and elections. Will our allies still be there around?
I’ve taken it upon myself to make a quick guide on how we can continue to show up for the black lives matter movement.
Stay educated
Education is a big part of showing up for black people. Watching movies, reading books, listening to podcasts and in general, continuing to grow and learn and find out more about the history of African Americans and the social, political and economic impact. When you educate yourselves with this history, you start to see the bigger picture of the movement and understand that this isn’t only about police violence, it runs deeper than that.
Make sure you’re doing the work offline, too.
I appreciate all the reposting and sharing information on social media, but I want to highlight, how important it is it to the do the work offline. Doing the work offline means going to and amplifying protests, donating, signing and circulating petitions, educating the youth and helping teachers, joining local activist groups, helping with jail support.
Confront your privilege and figure out how you can use it for good
For non-BIPOC it’s important to reflect on your privilege and think about how you can redistribute it. Acknowledge that there are certain things you can contribute that ranges from your income, being an emergency contact, having a large online platform, having a physical safe space, protecting and monitoring black people during protests, etc. The BIPOC community heavily benefits from this.
Don’t be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations
An important offline work is having the ‘uncomfortable ’conversations with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, whoever you come in contact with. That means calling out racist jokes or comments, advocating for paid opportunities for black people and putting them on your team, contacting your representatives about funding, holding politicians accountable,etc. It also means being an active listener and not being afraid to be wrong.
Open your purse to Black businesses
Start your long-term strategy by incorporating black owned business into your life. About 40% of black business have closed down due to Covid-19 as of April 2020. Buying black puts money back into our communities and gives us the opportunity to better our lives. To be frank, you can’t really be for the movement if you’re not anti-capitalism.
Stay informed
Keep up and stay up to date on current events. This means knowing what is happening in your community/state/country what bills are being passed, what companies are anti-social change. You can’t be ignorant to current events if you want to make social change.
Vote
I cannot stress enough how important it is to vote and use our voices right not to make a change in America. Find your district and do extensive research on your candidates. Look into progressive candidates that benefit, uplift, empower and aid people of color and the working-class Americans. Progressive politics like Abolishing ICE, rent control, Medicare for all, Tuition free public universities and colleges, closing private prisons, LGBTQ+ equality, Women’s rights and son on. Proactively search and vote in people that you think will make the change that you want to see in America.
Take care of yourself!
Taking care of yourself is so important. Rest is radical and self-care is a revolutionary act. The history of black people can be traumatizing and it’s important not to consume so much trauma porn to the point where you feel too depressed or numb to carry on. Step away from the screen every now and then and remember what you are fighting for. Black joy, black love, black art, black people.
