The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have gained the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement a lot of traction and publicity. Students can have a major role in getting the justice that Floyd, Arbery, Taylor, as well as many other black Americans, deserve. OSV stands in solidarity with those who experience injustice across America and will continue to fight for their justice.
To help with the fight towards justice, we’ve compiled some ways that students can help with the Black Lives Matter movement. We will be updating this list and if you have any other resources, please share it with us through Instagram or by emailing info@oregonstudentvoice.org. However, this is not a comprehensive list, there are so many other ways to support the black community.
In addition, it is important to note that Google and the internet will be your best resource to research this difficult subject. Although asking your black friends for ways to support the movement may seem helpful, it can overwhelm them. It is not the black community's responsibility to teach non-blacks how to be anti racist, how to check white privilege, or how to support the BLM movement. Please respect their mental health and use this list, online resources, and search engines to do your own research.
1. CONTACT LOCAL AND STATE LEADERS TO DEMAND JUSTICE
This is one of the most tangible ways to make change, both locally and for those who have been directly impacted by injustices. This is a great way to support the movement if you can't donate or protest.
Call Them
Oregon State Representatives
Rep. Earl Blumenauer 503-231-2300
Rep. Kurt Schrader 503-588-9100
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici 503-469-6010
Rep. Greg Walden 541-389-4408
Rep. Peter DeFazio 541-465-6732
Oregon Senators
Ron Wyden 503-326-7525
Jeff Merkley 503-326-3386
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
Mayor’s Office: 503-823-4120
Email Them
Portland Commissioners/Mayor
Demand Justice for George Floyd
Text JUSTICE to 668-366
Text FLOYD to 551-56
Contact the District Attorney and Minneapolis Mayor
Minneapolis Mayor’s Office, Jacob Frey: 612-673-2100
Minneapolis District Attorney, Mike Freeman: 612-348-5550 and/or email citizeninfo@hennepin.us
Minneapolis PD E-Mails:
Internal Affairs Number: 612-673-3074
Leave/send a message demanding that the 4 officers, including Derek Chauvin (Badge #1087) and Tou Thao (Badge #7162), be arrested and charged for the murder of George Floyd.
Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor
Text ENOUGH to 551-56
Contact the Louisville Mayor’s office
502-574-2003
2. AMPLIFY BLACK VOICES
This is a movement created by Black people to fight for justice for Black people. If you are not black, take a step back before speaking out and make sure you do not speak out over Black Americans. Instead, amplify their voices by sharing their art, reading their books/poems, and listening to what they’re saying. This movement is not a time for you to prove your “wokeness”, it is a time to unite and fight against the injustices in America. If you are not black, this movement is not a time for you to lead on fighting for them. Take a step back and ensure that you are amplifying, supporting, and uplifting Black voices.
Check out Action Item #4: Show Solidarity On Social Media for some accounts to follow on instagram.
3. SHOW UP TO A PROTEST
If you are going out to protest, please stay safe. Please read the information below to maintain your safety and your fellow protesters’ safety.
4. SHOW SOLIDARITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a huge catalyst to the Black Lives Matter movement. Regardless of how many followers you have, your platform on social media matters. Some of your followers may only be exposed to this conversation through your account. Post and repost content that informs your followers, provides them with resources, and educates them on matters of white privilege, systemic racism, and police brutality. However, be careful with this one. Make sure your activism is more than just performative. Remember that posting on social media is only the first step to supporting this movement. If you choose to show your solidarity on social media, make sure you truly believe the content you are sharing.
Here are some accounts to follow on Instagram:
@blklivesmatter
@colorofchange
@naacp
@showingupforracialjustice
@civilrightsorg
@reclaimtheblock
@ethelsclub
@unitedwedream
@100daysofactivism
You can also direct message Oregon Representatives on Instagram
@ronwyden
@senjeffmerkley
@repgregwalden
@repblumenauer
@repbonamici
@defazio4oregon
5. SUPPORT BLACK CREATORS AND BUSINESSES
Supporting black-owned businesses and black creators, you’re directly and sustainably supporting the black community and those who have been disproportionately affected by police brutality and systemic racism. In addition, many of these businesses have been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic.
6. SIGN PETITIONS
Justice for those who were killed
There are thousands of Black Americans that have lost their lives due to police violence. This is only the beginning of the long, long list. However, it is a start.
George Floyd
Justice for George Floyd (change.org)
Justice for George Floyd (change.org 2)
#JusticeforFloyd: Demand the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with murder. (colorofchange.org)
Demand Justice for George Floyd (Amnesty International)
Breonna Taylor
#JusticeforBre: Police officers who killed Breonna Taylor must be FIRED (moveon.org)
#JusticeforBre: Police officers who killed Breonna Taylor must be FIRED (Color of Change)
#JusticeforBre (Justice for Breonna)
Justice for Breonna Taylor (change.org)
Justice for Breonna Taylor, Another Innocent Black Woman Murdered by Police in Her Own Home (The Petition Site)
Ahmaud Arbery
Disbarment of George E. Barnhill [the prosecutor of Ahmaud Arbery's case] (change.org)
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery (change.org)
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery! I Run with Maud! (change.org)
National Action Against Police Brutality (change.org)
A petition (that you can also donate to) started by the official Black Lives Matter Global Network that calls for a national defunding of police.
Tell Minneapolis City Council to Defund the Police - Reclaim the Block
7. DONATE
If you have no money to donate, you can stream these youtube videos to donate. 100% of the AdSense from the videos go directly supporting the BLM movement. When watching/streaming these videos, make sure your ad blocker is off and you do not skip any ads.
Zoe Amira’s video features Black artists and creators
A playlist consisting of videos from creators who have promised that the AdSense revenue will be donated to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Organizations that advocate for the defunding of police, racial justice, and power to black communities.
“The official #BlackLivesMatter Global Network builds power to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe.”
A petition (that you can also donate to) started by the official Black Lives Matter Global Network that calls for a national defunding of police.
Reclaim the Block organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.
A non profit legal organization fighting for racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and public education.
An organization based in Minnesota that is committed to a long term vision in which ALL Black lives not only matter, but are able to thrive.
The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system.
The comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.
Advancement Project reinforces and grows the capacity of today's grassroots activists and the local organizers fighting to build power for communities of color
Justice for those who were killed
There are thousands of Black Americans that have lost their lives due to police violence. This is only the beginning of the long, long list. However, it is a start.
Ahmaud Arbery
I Run With Maud (go fund me)
George Floyd
Memorial Fund (go fund me)
Breonna Taylor
Justice for Breonna Taylor (go fund me)
Protest Bail Funds
Don’t know which cause to donate to?
8. EDUCATE YOURSELF
Activism does not just entail petitions, donations, and protests. In order to truly combat the injustices in America, we must educate ourselves to fight against ignorance. Especially as students, we should always strive to listen and learn to make the world a better place. These lists are not even close to comprehensive, there are so many great resources on the internet. Do your own research and find articles, Netflix series, documentaries, podcasts, books, etc. that interest you!
Websites & articles
This is the easiest type of knowledge to access! Do some googling and educate yourself on current events and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Youtube Videos
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Podcasts
The Daily
A news podcast by The New York Times. They have multiple episodes dedicated to the recent protests, the BLM movement, and police brutality.
1619 - NY Times
“1619” is a New York Times audio series, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, that examines the long shadow of American slavery.
About Race
From the author behind the bestselling Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, comes a podcast that takes the conversation a step further. About Race looks at the recent history that lead to the politics of today.
Seeing White
Hosted by John Biewan, Seeing White looks into where the notion of “whiteness” comes from, what it means, what “whiteness” is for, and more.
Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast features movement voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice.
Code Switch
Hosted by journalists of color, this podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. They explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between.
The Diversity Gap
Bethaney Wilkinson explores the gap between good intentions and good impact as it relates to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Intersectionality Matters!
A podcast hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory.
Pod for the Cause
“Pod for the Cause” expands the conversation on critical civil and human rights challenges of our day: census, justice reform, policing, education, fighting hate & bias, judicial nominations, fair courts, voting rights, media & tech, economic security, immigration, and human rights.
Pod Save the People
On Pod Save the People, organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson explores news, culture, social justice, and politics with fellow activists Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Sam Sinyangwe, and writer Dr. Clint Smith.
Books
Black Feminist Thought - Patricia Hill Collins
In Black Feminist Thought, Patricia Hill Collins explores the words and ideas of Black feminist intellectuals as well as those African-American women outside academe.
So You Want to Talk about Race - Ijeoma Oulo
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to "model minorities" in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
The Color of Law - Richard Rothstein
In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation - that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies.
The New Jim Crow - Michelle Alexander
The New Jim Crow is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.
Women, Race, & Class - Angela Y. Davis
A powerful study of the women's liberation movement in the U.S., from abolitionist days to the present, that demonstrates how it has always been hampered by the racist and classist biases of its leaders.
Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor leads readers through a journey of understanding their white privilege and participation in white supremacy, so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on black, indigenous and people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.
Heavy: An American Memoir - Kiese Laymon
In this powerful and provocative memoir, genre-bending essayist and novelist Kiese Laymon explores what the weight of a lifetime of secrets, lies, and deception does to a black body, a black family, and a nation teetering on the brink of moral collapse.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right.
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism - Robin Dianglo, PhD
The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis.
Beloved - Toni Morrison
Beloved is a 1987 novel by the American writer Toni Morrison. Set after the American Civil War, it is inspired by the life of Margaret Garner, an African American who escaped slavery in Kentucky in late January 1856 by crossing the Ohio River to Ohio, a free state.
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
Examining everything from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, from whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race, Eddo-Lodge offers a timely and essential new framework for how to see, acknowledge, and counter racism.
How to be an Antiracist - Ibran X. Kendi
In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilities—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their poisonous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
Netflix Series/ Films
Explained: The Racial Wealth Gap
Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
This series traces the tragic case of Kalief Browder, a Bronx teen who spent three horrific years in jail, despite never being convicted of a crime.
When They See Us
It is based on events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and explores the lives and families of the five male suspects who were falsely accused then prosecuted on charges related to the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park, New York City.
13th
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Historian, activist and investigative journalist Abdur-Rahman Muhammad helms this deep dive into Malcolm X's murder.
Dear White People
Based on the acclaimed film of the same name, this Netflix-original series follows a group of students of color at Winchester University, a predominantly white Ivy League college. The students are faced with a landscape of cultural bias, social injustice, misguided activism and slippery politics.
Movies/ Documentaries
The Hate U Give
In this powerful drama based on the best-selling novel, when a teenager witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, she must find her voice and stand up for what's right.
If Beale Street Could Talk (rated R)
From acclaimed director Barry Jenkins comes this timeless love story set in 1970s Harlem, where a young couple and their families fight for justice - and the promise of the American dream
The Black Power Mixtape
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 mobilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the US drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement. The filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews.
American Son (rated R)
On leave for Thanksgiving, a young Marine is forced to deal with a complicated home life.
See You Yesterday
Teen prodigies build make-shift time machines to save one's brother from being wrongly killed by a police officer in this short.
Clemency (rated R)
As she prepares to execute another inmate, prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodward) must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates.
Fruitvale Station (rated R)
This Sundance award-winner follows the true events of a 22 year old loving father and beloved son on the last day of his life before being fatally shot by police on New Year's Day 2009.
I Am Not Your Negro
Director Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. It is a journey into black history that connects the Civil Rights movement to #BlackLivesMatter. It questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond.
Just Mercy
A powerful true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his battle for justice as he defends a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence.
Selma
From the Oscar-winning producers of 12 Years a Slave and acclaimed director DuVernay comes the true story of courage and hope that changed the world forever.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Revisit the turbulent 1960s, when a new revolutionary culture emerged with the Black Panther Power at the vanguard. Stanley Nelson tells the vibrant story of a pivotal movement that feels timely all over again.
Green Book
Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali star in Green Book, a film inspired by a true friendship that transcended race, class, and the 1962 Mason-Dixon line.
Hidden Figures
An incredible & inspiring untold true story about three women at NASA who were instrumental in one of history's greatest operations - the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.