#BlackLivesMatter - Some Resources

This blog has been created to store links to useful information that I've come across and want to share. Since Instagram is a POS at allowing links, this feels necessary in order to get anyone who is interested more information about things I post. Since this is a very pivotal time in history, the first links I'm going to share are related to the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that are happening around the world.

Comprehensive Resources about supporting Black Lives Matter and attending the recent protests:

An exceptionally comprehensive resource for how to support the BLM movement, this doc contains links to relevant Twitter threads, petitions, tips for protesting, gov contacts for letter-writing/calling, donation links, Black content creators, designers, shop owners, etc. What I'm doing with this post is just a tiny portion of what @highluronicacid has created.

This google document has been compiled by two black women (@Autumn_Bry) that provides down resources for people to become an active ally to the Black community. They have created three tracks for spending the month of June learning all that you can in just 10, 25, or 45 minutes per day. I highly recommend reviewing this excellent resource. The contents of the tracks include items to read, watch, listen to, and ways you can take action.

Here's a breakdown of the events that lead to our current situation:

A Timeline of Events That Led to the 2020 'Fed Up'-rising by Michael Harriot (2020)

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For the rest of this post I'd like to mention a few huge topics that most people can stand to learn more about. I will be providing links to various articles that I recommend, as well as videos and podcasts.

If you like to learn by way of a comedian, I have compiled some video resources for you. Last Week Tonight, a show with comedian John Oliver, reports on social issues in great detail. Bear in mind that these links are often quite old and may contain outdated or incorrect information. This resource also does not come from strictly Black voices.

Protests

A good source for following what's happening on the ground in protests in various cities is Unicorn Riot. They are a non-profit and rely on donations.

The Conspiracy Theories Are True by Michael Harriot (2020)

The Shocking Photo of 'Whipped Peter' That Made Slavery's Brutality Impossible to Deny by Erin Blakemore (2019)

Why Damaging Property Isn't The Same as "Violence" by Nathan J. Robinson (2020)

The Double Standard of the American Riot by Kellie Carter Jackson (2020)

Don't Fall for the 'Chaos' Theory of the Protests by Megan Garber (2020)

There isn't a simple story about looting by Terry Nguyen (2020)

Support Protestors in Every City by Jael Goldfine and Taylor Champlin (2020)

How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct by Palika Makam (2020)

George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper video, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2020)

Bail Funds

Here’s Where You Can Donate to Help Protests Against Police Brutality by Claire Shaffer

The Minnesota Freedom Fund is all over Twitter. Here’s what it does. by Sara Morrison (2020)

* as of this writing, the Minnesota Freedom Fund is requesting that further donations go towards related organizations and causes. Here is their tweet about it.

Now, if you're not familiar with why donating to bail funds is important, here are some good links to read:

Ending Mass Incarceration Could Be As Simple As Ending Cash Bail by Khalid El Khatib (2018)

Money Bail Might Be the Most Racist, Immoral Part of America’s Criminal Injustice System by Michael Harriot (2018)

Selling off our Freedom PDF from the ACLU (2017)

Last Week Tonight:

Bail (2015)

Prison Reform

An excellent google document has been created (by @literElly on Twitter), that recommends Twitter accounts to follow, lists online reading about capitalism and policing, as well as the unique situation presented by Covid-19 in prisons.

The Drug War is the New Jim Crow by Graham Boyd (2001)

Top Nixon adviser reveals the racist reason he started the 'War on Drugs' decades ago by Alex Lockie (2019)

Last Week Tonight:

Prison (2014)

Prisoner Reentery (2015)

Prison Labor (2019)

Adam Ruins Everything:

The Shocking Way Private Prisons Make Money (2016)

Why Solitary Confinement Needs to Be Banned (2016)

Why Prison Education is Largely A Myth (2016)

Why the Public Defender System is So Screwed Up (2016)

Police