Where to Support and How You Can Help

9 Steps to Stay Safe While Supporting Black Lives Matter

  • Read the article by Tom Read who is a Cybersecurity Researcher and a strong advocate for digital rights and online privacy
  • These nine steps will help reduce the risk of harassment, bullying, doxing, and cybercrime not only for those that support the BLM movement, but also for anyone that actively fights against social injustice and chooses to participate in public protests.

How you can donate to the Black Lives Matter Movement if you don’t financially have the means to do so:

Watch these linked videos where 100% of the revenue made from ads is donated to the Black Lives Matter Movement  

Finimpact put together a page on their website sharing ways and tips on how people can support and help black-owned small businesses.  Check out their link here to learn more!

Writer Sophia Conti has written an article with links and websites to 150 Black-owned businesses!  Check out the article HERE if you are interested and shopping for any of the following:

MyMove has an article with a great list of unique Black-owned home decor brands.  In the article "25 Black-Owned Home Decor Brands to Shop For Your Next Home Refresh", writer Taylor Gadsden also highlights the importance of promoting representation and Black culture and supporting job creation in disenfranchised communities. 

Gadsden writes, "Besides the obvious aesthetic lift to your home, supporting Black-owned businesses and creators, in general, goes towards a much bigger cause that goes back generations. Here’s why you should shop Black-owned before you head to IKEA for a decor quick fix.

  • Job Creation: Many of the brands on our list showcase artists and designers on a larger platform than may typically be available. By supporting these businesses, you’re not only keeping them in business, but you’re also helping to create jobs for local creators in disenfranchised communities.
  • Celebrate Black Culture: Most Black-owned home decor brands are inspired by African American culture as well as traditional African culture and design. Purchasing pieces that celebrate the Black community are a unique way to bring your personality and values to an otherwise empty wall or space.
  • Promote Representation: You may not often think of it as such, but every dollar you spend is a vote towards the products and services you value compared to others. When you purchase your home decor, think of it as a signal to designers and companies that these are the types of products that you want to see going forward. More Black-owned buys mean more Black-owned goods.
  • Eliminate the Racial Wealth Gap: The roots of the racial wealth gap go all the way back to the Jim Crow era; however, the outlawed, harmful practices like redlining and job discrimination are still affecting Black families in the U.S. Supporting small Black-owned businesses and Black entrepreneurs, we’re investing in our community’s wealth-builders and promoting others to do the same."

Petitions you can sign!

  • Justice for George Floyd – “George was handcuffed and restrained and being completely cooperative when this all went down. The officer put his knee on George’s neck choking him for minutes on minutes while George screamed that he could not breathe. Bystanders beg for the police officer to take his knee off George’s neck, but the officer didn’t listen and continued to choke him.”
  • Justice for Breonna Taylor – “Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT and model citizen. She loved her family and community. She worked at two hospitals as an essential worker during the pandemic. One month ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department performed an illegal, unannounced drug raid on her home. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 8 times, killing her. ”
  • Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! I Run with Maud! – “On February 23, 2020, 25 year-old Ahmaud Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, son of retired Brunswick investigator Greg McMichael, under the father’s and son’s pretenses of witnessing a burglary in Satilla Shores of Glynn County."
  • Justice for Elijah McClain - "August 24th, 2019, 23-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home after buying some tea at a local convenience store. According to Elijah's family, Elijah, who was anemic, preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking. The Aurora Police Department received a call of a "suspicious man". This call resulted in Elijah's death."
  • Hands Up Act – “We know how so many people of cultural minorities are in constant fear of leaving their household. This fear in our lives far too often comes from individuals working in public safety who harm people. Every single week we hear about another unarmed innocent vulnerable human being shot by the police. This has increased the trauma and fear that has made people of color scared to leave their homes. We need legislation now that prohibits police officers from shooting unarmed citizens.”
  • Change KKK statur into Terrorist Organization - "Ever since the inception of the Ku Klux Klan in December 24,1865 they have terrorized American citizens for the color of their skin and opposing views. This group has a long history of murder & intimidation of people based on color and religion. The KKK has lynched 3446 blacks and 1297 whites based of the research of The Tuskeegee Institute. The KKK has raped,murdered people for registering to vote, and destroyed towns built by African Americans. Clear documented evidence is available through picture and video of their murderous acts. Black Americans have suffered the most under this terror group. Terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims. We ask if ISIS or ISIL is labeled a terrorist group for their acts, then surely the KKK fit the clear description of a terrorist."

Where you can donate to directly! 

  • Atlanta Action Network – “Protesters in Atlanta are demanding justice for George Floyd and an end to the system which killed him. Contribute to this bail fund to help ensure that if folks are targeted for arrest, we will be able to get them out of jail quickly.”
  • The Bail Project Inc – “The Bail Project, Inc. is an unprecedented effort to combat mass incarceration at the front end of the system. We pay bail for people in need, reuniting families, and restoring the presumption of innocence.” 
  • Black Lives Matter – “#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”
  • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – “The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees."
  • Black Trans Travel Fund – “The Black Trans Travel Fund is a mutual-aid fund developed for the purpose of providing Black transgender women with the financial resources necessary for them to be able to access their self-determined safest alternatives to travel.”
  • Committee to Protect Journalists – “The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.”
  • Know Your Rights Camp – “Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
  • COVID Bail Out NYC – “COVID Bailout NYC stands in fierce solidarity with protestors fighting for Black lives and against police murder and state violence. We bail out our Black & brown siblings in NYC jails, prioritizing those who are medically vulnerable. We cannot bail out protestors. But the same racist system that murders black and brown folks in the streets locks them up in Rikers and leaves them to die from COVID-19. Together, we can free them now!”
  • Innocence Project – “We exonerate the innocent through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

Mental Health Awareness Resources

Suicide Prevention Resources for Military and Veterans: (The following information was taken from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.)