Just because your Instagram feed is no longer filled with an on-going list of black squares does not mean the Black Lives Matter movement is over. People still need to be educated, arrests still need to be made, statues still need to be taken down, and justice still needs to be served. Below are five ways to actively sustain your support and time in the movement.
1. Take advantage of your superpowers
Use your personal skills when exhibiting your support to the movement whether that is educating vocally, structuring emails, organizing events, or promoting. Do what you are good at and the work will be easy and fun for you.
2. Use Your Platforms
Some say posting about the movement on social media is pointless; however, it is one of the most effective ways of spreading resources and information. Your platforms can be used in a variety of ways, such as sharing petition links, email templates, and current event news articles or communicating with people in hopes of educating. For example, I repost petitions and resources on my Instagram story, and if even if one person learns something from them, then it is a mission accomplished in my book!
3. Sign Petitions
Petitions are a method used to express the importance of something. It often acts as a request for an action to happen and they work best when a large group of people participates in them. Be apart of those large groups and visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#petitions to sign relevant petitions. It is such a simple act that results in a large impact and signing one petition takes less than 10 seconds of your time.
4. Understand the term “White Privilege”
White privilege is a term that refers to the daily functions white people benefit from under social, political, and economic circumstances. White privilege does not mean white people do not experience hardship in life, it means their skin-color is not one of the things causing those hardships. White privilege is being able to have the choice to remain silent in a movement where they are not affected; on the contrary, acknowledging privilege can be a beneficial source in the movement. If you are someone who experiences any degree of white privilege, take advantage of it, and connect with others who deny their privilege. Teach them about their benefits and how people of color have barriers when it comes to simple successes that white people have. Listen to people of color about their experiences in order to gain more information about the topic; most importantly, use your voice when you see a situation that should not be happening and be confident when doing so.
5. Support Black Owned Business
Black-owned businesses tend to get pushed to the side, but purchasing from black-owned businesses allows you to support the movement while allowing versatility in your everyday product use. Visit http://www.acteevism.com/2020/06/18/black-owned-sustainable-businesses/ for a thread of sustainable black-owned businesses that offer fashion, wellness, beauty, and marketplace products.
For more reliable resources and information visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
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