Maintaining The Momentum Of #BLM
How to keep showing up now that it’s no longer “trendy.”
by MYKENNA MANIECE ★ JULY 28, 2020
It’s been over 100 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered in her home, and the officers involved in her death — Brett Hankison, Jon Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove — have not been charged. Despite this fact, we’ve all seen our social media feeds slowly return to normal.
Why?
Some of us may feel like the movement has made major gains--for example, Louisville banning the use of no-knock warrants--and think it’s ok to slow down. Others may have become exhausted from the fight. Some people just don’t care. Regardless of where you fall on this social justice spectrum, I think we all can look to this statement from Congresswoman Karen Bass of California to remind anyone who may have forgotten why #BlackLivesMatter is still relevant today, and why it will continue to remain relevant every single day for the rest of our lives.
“More people have been arrested for protesting the murder of Breonna Taylor than for the actual murder of Breonna Taylor.”
Let that sink in a bit. Now read it again.
This is far from over. Here are five ways you can continue your activism even though it’s no longer “trendy.”
Continue to educate yourself:
Education is still extremely important because there is so much history that we never got the chance to uncover in school. If there’s something you don’t understand, or have never heard of, use your resources! It’s ok to not know everything-you’re human! Do your research, ask yourself the difficult questions, and in the end know that this is a learning experience for many across the country. If you’re not sure where to get started, here are some links to articles that may be of interest to you.
The Washington Post’s Fatal Force Database
Vice’s “Dear White People, Please Stop Pretending Reverse Racism is Real”
UniversityGirl’s “What “Defunding The Police” Really Means”, “Filling The Quota,” and “How To Be A Good White Ally” ;)
CNN’s “Portland protests...”
Credit: Instagram (@thecalmclassroom_)
Keep signing petitions:
Yes, signing all those petitions is actually working! Thousands upon thousands of signatures have continued to raise awareness and demand attention for issues like renaming university buildings, helping international students remain in the US, and charging officers for their wrongdoings. There are so many stories still in need of attention, so I encourage you to keep signing petitions whenever you can--it only takes 5 seconds. Change.org is a great resource to use, just remember that if you’re prompted to donate, those donations will be controlled by the company, so there’s no guarantee where the money goes.
Credit: Instagram (@edmee.marie)
Contact government officials:
Just like signing a petition, calling and emailing government officials is an easy way to advocate for change. House of Current is just one of many Instagram accounts providing graphics and resources for contacting officials regarding the murders of Vanessa Guillen, Brayla Stone, Elijah McClain, and Breonna Taylor.
Credit: Instagram (@houseofcurrent)
Hold people accountable:
I remember the first Syracuse party I attended where non-Black people shouted the n-word in the middle of a song. Coming from a predominantly Black area, this was something I knew could happen, but definitely had hoped for better. As only one of the few Black people in attendance, I didn’t feel comfortable confronting anyone, so I just made a mental note of what I had experienced and slowly realized this would be the norm for the next few years. This shouldn’t be the norm. So as we all prepare to come back to campus, let’s commit to calling out all forms of racism, including microaggressions. Repeatedly asking where someone is from is not the move, ok? Neither is touching a person’s hair without asking. Nor is it ok to tell someone you’re surprised they speak English so well. I think you get the point, so let’s do better.
Credit: Instagram (@averyfrancis)
Attend protests:
Even though mainstream news sources have largely stopped focusing on protests nationwide, they’re still happening! Whether you’re from large cities like Portland or DC, or a small town, I encourage you to look on social media for events in your area. If you’re not comfortable marching, consider donating to resource drives like community fridges and other organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. There are still so many key groups in need of funding to continue their advocacy, so continue to pay attention!
Credit: Business Insider (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
The fight for Black lives didn’t end when the cops who killed George Floyd were arrested--three of those four officers are currently out on bail thanks to a combination of personal funds and donations. I know that many of us are craving a sense of normalcy to return in the midst of this pandemic and movement, but it’s time to accept that we can’t go back to the way things used to be. We have to keep advocating for one another, and doing our part to stay safe in order to build a new, and better “normal” that we can be proud of.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/
Cover photo credit: WBCK