Become an ally by donating to organisations supporting people of colour at home and abroad, educating yourself and sharing the Black Lives Matter message
We all feel overwhelmed by the distressing events taking place in America. Protestors in the US have been showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, following the murder of George Floyd as a result of police brutality, only to experience violence themselves.
If you feel helpless right now, there are things you can do to make a difference. Support the BLM movement however you can, and educate yourself and those around you. We all need to listen and learn, particularly from those who have been silenced and oppressed for far too long. Below, we share some resources to help you learn and links to organisations to donate to if you can.
Support George Floyd’s family
You may have watched the video that showed how George Floyd was killed, and no doubt have read the news articles that followed. To show support for his family, to cover funeral expenses, his children’s care and education, and expenses associated with future court proceedings as his family seek justice, you can donate towards the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund here.
Support protestors in the US
Our timelines have been filled with videos showing shocking violence against peaceful protestors in cities across America. It is overwhelming, but one way you can show your support is to donate towards community bail funds. These funds help cover bail for people who cannot afford bail costs, due to the racial and economic disparities in the bail system. These funds are used for bail and in the campaign to end discriminatory, pretrial detention.
- You can still donate to Minnesota Freedom Fund here, however they organisation has said that due to the overwhelming support received so far, they encourage people to donate money to George Floyd’s family, or to other organisations working to end police brutality instead if they wish.
- This link will allow you to split a donation between 39 community bail funds in the US.
- Alternatively support The Bail Project here, which is used to combat mass incarceration and reshape the pretrial system in the US. 100% of donations are used to bring people home, and as bail money is returned to them when cases close, the organisation can recycle every dollar donated at least twice per year. Learn more here.
- Donate to the Black Lives Matter Global Network here.
Educate yourself
There are lots of resources available for free as well as books and films that will inform you about the Black Lives Matter movement.
- The Minnesota protests are part of the same cycle as those of Baltimore and Ferguson. Read more in “The Shooting of Black Americans Started Long Before the Looting” and “Why Minneapolis and Ferguson Are More Similar Than You Think.”
- This article sums up how attitudes towards looting drown out the pain of the loss of life we should be mourning.
- Read books such as Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, Freedom is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis, or They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement by Wesley Lowery, or Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri.
- Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th analyses the criminalistion of African Americans and the US prison boom.
- Fruitvale Station recounts the final hours of Oscar Grant, a man shot by San Francisco transit police on New Year’s Day 2009.
In Ireland
The Irish Network Against Racism is a national network of anti-racism organisations which work collectively to highlight and address the issue of racism in Ireland. At inar.ie you will find resources to help you learn about racism in Ireland, learn how to address racism, and where to help those affected by it.
If you see racism, report it at ireport.ie. It enables those that experience or witness racism to do something about it and break the silence. It’s confidential, but provides valuable data for reports of racism in Ireland, to help lobby for better protection against racism in Ireland. Read the report on the first quarter of 2020 here, which shows that racist incidence figures double the average reporting rates per quarter for 2019.
Other organisations to support include the following as shared in a comprehensive list by British Vogue’s Niamh O’Donoghue:
- Irish Refugee Council, who support people seeking protection in Ireland
- Doras, an independent NGO working to protect the rights of migrants in Ireland
- Immigrant Council of Ireland, an independent law centre working to provide assistance to people from a migrant background and protect their rights
- Migrants and Ethnic-minorities for Reproductive Justice (MERJ Ireland), an organisation of migrant women of colour actively campaigning for reproductive justice and for all and contributing to feminist discourse in Ireland
- Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, a platform for asylum seekers to seek justice, freedom and dignity for all asylum seekers
End Direct Provision
While we watch what is happening in America, it’s important to open our eyes to what is happening closer to home too. Direct Provision is Ireland’s response to housing asylum seekers, and supporting the campaign to end Direct Provision is a move against structural racism that persists in Ireland.
Main illustration by @adriatorraaas
