Want to get involved with the Anti-Racism Movement? If #blackouttuesday taught us anything, it’s that now more than ever, we need to amplify Black voices.
Everything on this list is a form of protest. Everything that serves to equalize privilege, dismantle white supremacy, and allow for POC to flourish is, in itself, protest. Some actions are “big,” – like physically going to a protest – but it’s ALSO going to be the seemingly small acts like diversifying your social media feed, consciously supporting local Black-owned businesses, staying up-to-date on political reporting from reliable news sources, reading works by minority authors, catching people on their racism (be it casual or overt – it takes many forms, and all of them are deadly).
Yes, this is a “fashion blog.” But the whole point of fashion, at least here, is that it’s art, it’s politics, it is, intimately so, innately human. We’ve seen, over and over, our Black and Brown family, friends, neighbors, artists, businesspeople, etc denied acknowledgement of their basic humanity.
I know that if you read this blog, this will resonate with you – and if it doesn’t, please hit command Q and come back when it does.
Now: on to how to get involved.
1. Protest
Find events near you. You’ll notice that this is often easier said than done – if you Google “protest near me,” you’ll get news reports of prior protests, which isn’t helpful.
You’ll have to do some digging – this article from Mashable has some great tips, including using the “Events” tab on Facebook. At least for me here in the Bay Area, that method has produced fruit. Let me know how it works for you!
Please do your due diligence before deciding to attend a protest – research, come prepared, and understand your role as an ally if you’re a non-Black person.
2. Donate
Resources make all the difference! If you can, make your donation a recurring one. It can be as little or as much as you are able – recurring donations help nonprofits plan for the future AND apply for more grants. Food for thought – and there’s nothing wrong with a one-time donation, either. Just do what you can.
There are many, many worthy causes out there. Here are a few of them:
Gianna Floyd Fund (George Floyd’s daughter)
If you can’t decide, there’s an option through ActBlue that will automatically split your donation between 70 (yes, that’s seventy) community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizers around the country – you can donate here.
3. VOTE
(Note: I studied a lot of political science in college – so I rant a little, but it does come from an informed – albeit always evolving – place. Bear with me. It’s worth it).
One of the most dangerous ideologies a lot of us Americans hold is that humanitarianism mustn’t mix with politics; we often feel comfortable voting for fiscally-conservative, “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” policy (that is not proven by any reliable metric to work), and say that we’ll just donate to charity to check our “but I’m a good person” box.
NO.
That line of thinking has led to decades of gerrymandering, red-lining, income inequality, lack of police oversight, and voter suppression. It actively upholds systemic racism, period.
There are ways to hold on to American ideals of a competitive market, individualism, and personal liberties AND level the playing field. In fact, leveling the playing field is necessary for a true meritocracy – in the American, idealized fashion – to exist.
There are many candidates who represent their own version of these sentiments, as “leftist” as Bernie, or as “centrist” as Biden (yes, I know we already have our Democratic candidate; this is just an example).
Local Elections Are Where the Action Happens
Local elections are also KEY! (!!!!!!!!! literally cannot add enough exclamation points here)!!! Without getting too technical, the party divide at local levels creates the foundation for the national political scene: so vote for your city council members, your district attorneys, your judges, etc. Seek out minority candidates and get to know their platforms – chances are that they have a LOT to give, if we’d only support them.
The best resource I have for politics is Crooked Media, built by former Obama executives. They have an incredible breadth of information, in podcast and written form, on progressive politics. They also have TONS OF RESOURCES for how to get involved, both nationally and locally. Check out their project, Vote Save America, for more details.
Is Crooked biased? Yes. They come from a progressive platform. Am I biased? Yes. I too, have a very progressive platform (fashion is, at it’s core, progressive). Learning? Always.
Join me.
How to Vote
If you truly want change, vote for candidates and policies which reinforce a true, representative, accountable democracy where each person and community has equal opportunity for safety, health, prosperity, and self-actualization. This involves actively dismantling old (but very much alive) systems of oppression, many of which are invisible to those who reap the benefits. Point #6 on education will help you identify those systems!
Lastly, keep tabs on the careers of minority politicians, especially minority women. There’s a lot of up-and-coming talent, so support them! Check out people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Stacey Abrams.
4. Follow
Ask yourself: how diverse is your social media feed? Do you follow people of different ethnicities, ages, nationalities, and abilities? If the answer is “no,” then you have starved yourself from some incredible talent and perspective. Exposing yourself to other people’s experiences and world-views aclimatizes your brain to empathy, which is sorely needed in our world.
Make sure, once you follow new accounts, that you’re engaging with them. Not only will you be supporting their content, but you’ll also be enriching your feed. This is true with any type of diversity, not just racial diversity – it benefits everyone.
Influencers
Harper’s Bazaar came out with a list of over 90 Black influencers to follow Take a look and find some new accounts and support Black talent – and integrate it into your Instagram diet. Don’t be the jerk that follows an account to be cool and then ditches it once the wave has passed; these influencers work hard and have meaningful content to share.
Groups
From Crooked Media
Campaign Zero: @campaignzero
Color of Change @ColorOfChange
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People @NAACP
Black Lives Matter @Blklivesmatter
National Bail Fund Network @bailfundnetwork
Know Your Rights Camp @yourrightscamp
Black Voters Matter @BlackVotersMtr
African American Policy Forum @AAPolicyForum
Colorlines @Colorlines
Advancement Project @adv_project
National Urban League @NatUrbanLeague
MediaJustice @mediajustice
Ella Baker Center @ellabakercenter
Race Forward @RaceForward
Policy Link @policylink
Activists
Also from Crooked Media, with some additions
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle @rachel.cargle
Brittany Packnett Cunningham @MsPackyetti
DeRay Mckesson @deray
Clint Smith @ClintSmithIII
Sam Sinyangwe @samswey
Alicia Garza @aliciagarza
Patrisse Cullors @OsopePatrisse
Opal Tometi @opalayo
Johnetta Elzie @Nettaaaaaaaa
Treva Lindsey @divafeminist
Ibram Kendi @DrIbram
Derecka Purnell @dereckapurnell
Heather McGhee @hmcghee
Bernice King @BerniceKing
William Barber @RevDrBarber
Bree Newsome Bass @BreeNewsome
Nikole Hannah Jones @nhannahjones
5. Be a Conscious Consumer
A million little choices we make daily can change the economy of historically marginalized communities. Choosing to spend your dollars with Black entrepreneurs is truly putting your money where your mouth is. You’re showing your faith in the community, in its entrepreneurship, its talent, and its place at the table.
Black-Owned Fashion Brands
From high-fashion brands like Cushnie and Christopher John Rogers (see my in-depth post on Rogers here), to contemporary brands like TLZ L-Femme and affordable lingerie companies like Love, Vera – there are so many amazing brands to support.
Check out Essence’s 10 Eco-Friendly Brands By Women Of Color, Cosmopolitan’s 25 Black-Owned Clothing Brands You Should Definitely Know About, Buzzfeed’s 22 Incredibly Fashionable Black-Owned Brands You Need To Know, and Elle’s 36 Black-Owned Brands To Support Today, Tomorrow, And Forever.
Beauty
Oh yes – I have lists for you for Black-owned beauty businesses as well. Check out Bazaar’s 15 Black-Owned Beauty Brands We Love, Essence’s 10 Black-Owned Nail Polish Brands To Put On Your Radar, and Cosmopolitan’s incredible 125 Best Black-Owned Beauty Brands to Support Right Freakin’ Now.
6. Educate Yourself
For allies: learn as much as you can, but please do not assume that your Black friends are the ones to educate you. This is an exhausting, scary, potentially isolating time for them, and they need to prioritize their mental and physical health. It’s not their job to educate allies on their experience, no matter how pure or earnest your intentions! Even when we’re not in a national crisis, there is SO much information out there that you can explore on your own. Let the professional educators do their work and educate you. Keep your relationships sacred – places of listening, support, and honesty. Yes?
Read up! Add some podcasts to your rotation – there is so much information out there from Black voices. Ignorance, while the persistent, never-dying cockroach that worships at the altar of racism (that’s an image), is not an excuse. There’s so much literature! So many podcasts! There’s art, there’s non-fiction, there’s political commentary – so get at it and learn.
For books, I highly suggest checking out Rachel Cargle’s Elizabeth’s Bookshop and Writing Centre. You’ll find a wealth of recommended reading from Black authors of every genre. Also, Rachel’s an incredible activist and I highly recommend following her IG (she’s also listed above).
For podcasts, take a look at Elle’s Anti-Rascist Podcast List. I’d also add Pod Save the People for current events, and although these aren’t from Black reporters, The Queen, White Lies, and Undisclosed: The Killing of Freddie Gray are very much worth a listen. I’m also particularly interested in listening to 1619, Lynching in America, and Groundings.
Films – start with Oprah Magazine’s 18 Movies and Documentaries That Confront Race in America. You’ll see Ava Duvernay titles on the list, as well as less familiar films and some compelling documentaries.
Where to Go From Here
Stay plugged in – continue to amplify Black voices! Make education, conscious consumerism, and support a part of your ongoing routine. Talk to your communities about what you learn. Share stories and knowledge – especially with people who show apathy or willful ignorance.
You’ll probably make mistakes – and that’s ok. Own it, apologize, and learn!
Have anything to add? A perspective I should hear? Let me know!
love,
Stig
