If you know me and have been following my blog for a while, you know I like to keep things happy and lighthearted. However, due to unfortunate current events, I wanted to share what I have been learning about the black lives matter movement. Soon social media attention will have less of a focus on this human rights issue, so I wanted to have a place on my blog where I can continue to update and share information over the long term.
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There are many injustices faced by the Black community every single day. But this is not the first we are hearing of it. This has been happening under a system that has kept them oppressed for hundreds of years. That system ends now – starting with us.
Please be kind… If anything I am sharing could be phrased differently or include additional detail, please let me know.
Where to Start – Black Lives Matter
Between the protests, #BlackOutTuesday, and everything that the media is throwing out to us, it can be a lot and you may not know where to start. The best starting point is within yourself and doing your part to not just announce that you are not racist, but live an anti-racist life. You can start researching and learning about Black history. Please speak up when you hear family members or friends make racist remarks or jokes. You can reach out to those who are speaking out against these injustices and ask questions. No one is going to condemn you for attempting to educate yourself.
Looking at all the vast problems in society, it is easy to feel inconsequential in the bigger picture.
When you are working on yourself and start to live an actively anti-racist life, you will inspire others to do the same. Teach your children, teach your parents, teach those who want to spread the hate. There is no use in arguing with some, but keep the peace and speak with love.
It can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to standing up, amplifying Black voices and truly being an ally.
How to Help
If you want to help your city during these times and cannot peacefully protest, consider volunteering to help clean up the city after protests. Make donations. Make sure you are shopping with local, Black-owned businesses and restaurants.
The best way to show your solidarity is to share your willingness to learn more.
What is White Privilege?
I have a quick statement I want to say – white privilege is not being said as an insult. Some tend to take it that way due to the word “privilege” and not wanting to sound entitled. All this means is that white people have been given the subconscious (and sometimes conscious) privilege based on their skin color. As white people, we have not faced oppression solely based on being white, unlike the Black community. It is a privilege to educate yourself about racism instead of experiencing it. When people are saying “Use your white privilege to help!” this means use your platform to stand up in unity in support of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as standing up for these injustices every day.
Yes, ‘Black’ is capitalized when we’re talking about race.
#BlackLivesMatter
I Understand that I will Never be able to Understand
I am sad, sick, and angry for these families and people who have to experience racism nearly every day of their lives. Those who have to teach their children how to talk to authorities and who have to watch people stand uncomfortably around them. Those who have their existence questioned by others and those who have lost loved ones who were targeted based solely off their skin color. But I know I am not nearly as sad, sick, and angry as Black people are.
I understand that I will never be able to understand, but I will always stand with you.
Black Lives Matter vs. Every Life Matters
Before we can go around saying that “every life matters” we first have to make sure that Black lives matter and are equal – because they are the ones in danger. I have resources below for you to educate yourself and loved ones.
Where to Learn More About the Black Lives Matter Movement
Listen on Spotify
Watch on Netflix
- Becoming (2020)
- What Happened, Miss Simone ( 2015)
- Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap
- When they See us
- American Son
- 13th
- The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
- Homecoming
- Who Killed Malcom X?
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story
Watch on Amazon Prime
Watch on Hulu
Ted Talks to Watch
- The Urgency of Intersectionality – Kimberle Crenshaw TEDWomen 2016
- How we can Make Racism a Solvable Problem and Improve Policing – Phillip Atiba Goff Ted 2019
- Racism has a Cost for Everyone – Heather C. McGhee TEDWomen 2019
Books & Audiobooks for Adults
- White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
- How to Be an Antiracist
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
- The Hate U Give
- Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream
- We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy
- The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel
- Tyler Johnson Was Here
- Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel
- The Bluest Eye
Books & Audiobooks for Kids
- Sulwe
- Whoever You Are
- The Colors of Us
- Harriet Tubman
- Suki’s Kimono
- Everyone Matters: A First Look at Respect for Others
- Happy in Our Skin
- The Story of Rap
- Boy Who Grew Flowers
- This is how we do it
Podcasts Worth Listening To
- Talking race with Young Children
- Momentum :A race Forward Podcast
- Pod for The Cause -The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Where to Donate
What to do Besides Donating
- Stream to Donate: Black Lives Matter on YouTube
- Watch How to Financially Help BLM with NO MONEY or Leaving your House
Articles to Read
- The American Nightmare – Ibram X. Kendi for The Atlantic
- For our White Friends Desiring to be Allies – Courtney Ariel
- White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack – Peggy McIntosh
- Who Gets to Be Afraid in America? – Ibram X. Kendi for The Atlantic
Follow on Instagram
- Arielle Estonia
- Layla F. Saad
- Blair Amadeus Imani
- Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
- Whembley Sewell
- Adwoa Aboah
- Tamika D. Mallory
- Brittany Packnett Cunningham
- Monique Melton
- Ijeoma Oluo
Artwork
Click each image for a link to the artist.
This is a non-exhaustive list – if you know of other resources you believe will be of good use to others, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at bella@xoxobella.com or in the comments below! Use your platform and/or privilege for good. And please please please, remember to be kind to one another.
ADORE this informational posts. I hope people learn from it, like I did!
Thank you!!!
This post is SO important! I hope everyone reads it. Thank you #BLM
I was not aware of this issues till I visited your webpage. Very informative & great post. Loved reading it!
Thanks for posting a blog like this. I agree. Issues like this will fade eventually. So we should still support movements like this.And I hope that the system would be changed eventually.
What happened in USA extremely saddens us. In year 2020 we still have to deal with issues that are based on race and skin color. Haven’t we learnt anything from this global pandemic. It doesn’t discriminate. We are all same. All lives are precious. We would say ALL LIVES MATTER!
What a great post. I really wish racial issues didn’t exist. It is amazing though how far we have come in such a short period of time, but there is still so much more work to be done. I heard a great quote recently. “There is only one race, the HUMAN race.” Love it!
I am so incredibly sad by what is happening in the world right now. I do hope things get better incredibly fast. Thank you for a great look at it.
I am always stay that every one have the right to live and everyone are equal. So much worried about our society. Everyone are highly educated, but acts like old thoughts
Racism has become very common nowadays..and the news are just frightening..This blog is indeed very deep and heart touching..Great work…
Such valuable information. Thank you for sharing it with everyone.
I don’t know what else to say except THANK YOU! There is a lot that we dont know that we NEED to know.
Very informative article and I really learned a lot from it. Racism is not really good and being a racist not only in the life status of other people and the color of their skin makes you become an evil. Spread love not hate. Thank you!
Very detailed, and I so admire you for doing this post. I’m so sad that racism has become rampant and worse these days. I totally oppose racism, we should all give love whatever the color, race, status or gender. Stay loving and compassionate.
What a detailed post on what to do. It is sad what is going on. Thanks for speaking up.
I appreciate your effort and hope that with the current gatherings of people on all sides we can have meaningful and long lasting conversations about the issues.
Elizabeth O
Thank you for sharing more information about the black lives matter movement to us, your post is very clear and well-written, so I guarantee it’d be helpful for those having a a hard time understanding the movement 🙂