Black Lives Matter Resources for Allies

Our social media feeds have gone back to normal and the news cycle is returning to pandemic programming. If you’re like us, you’re wondering what can be done to keep the momentum going in the fight against racial injustice.

Below are eight approaches in which allies can get involved and stay involved.

• Education
  • Read books and articles, watch documentaries and movies, and follow the news. It’s everyone’s responsibility to be informed on current events and history.
  • Movies and TV Series
    • 13th (Netflix), Just Mercy, Selma, I Am Not Your Negro (Netflix), Dear White People (Netflix), Black-ish (Hulu)
  • Literature
    • How to Be an AntiRacist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
    • White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
    • When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
    • The Case for Reparations (online article) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    • Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
      
• Listen
  • Listen to members of the black community and take in their perspective. Widen your personal network and also follow Black activists, creators and non-profits on social media, such as the NAACP, Black Lives Matter, The Conscious Kid, Angela Rye, Ibram X Kendi, Martin Luther King III.
    
• Speak out & educate others
  • Influence your circle around you. Change starts at home and at work.
  • Incorporate activism into your social media content. Share news articles. If you are worried about what others may think, you may want to step back and reflect on why you may feel that way.
    
• Protest & sign petitions
  • Follow the Black Lives Matter chapter in your city on Facebook and IG (@BLMPhilly) to stay informed of upcoming events
  • Sign petitions on change.org and contact local officials involved
  • There are lots of events going on during the summer. Studies from local health organizations show that COVID infection rates are not increasing from protests since protesters are consistently wearing masks.
    
• Donate
  • There are plenty of charities and non-profits fighting against inequality and structural racism. Philly Gents doesn’t endorse a particular charity in particular but below are a number of local and national organizations you can support.
  • If you work for a large company, your employer may have their own donation processes that include paycheck deduction donations and matching employer contributions.
    • American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
    • Black Lives Matter
    • Black Lives Matter Philly
    • Philadelphia Bail Fund – pays bail for those who cannot afford it
    • Fair Fight – fights voter suppression
    • Reclaim Philadelphia – supports and endorses progressive candidates and policies that fight for a vision of putting working people before profit.
    • Youth Art and Self-Empowerment Project (YASP) – youth-led movement to avoid prosecuting youth as adults. Led by incarcerated youth who have experienced the adult court system.
• Shop Black
  • Black businesses do not have the same access to advertising, marketing, loans/venture capital as white brands. That can change if we make a conscious effort to support these businesses.
  • Resources:
    • EatOkra app – this app provides you with a directory of Black-owned restaurants based on your location. If you want to order food online, it will redirect you to other apps like Grubhub and DoorDash.
    • Support Black Owned (SBO) – this website locates Black-owned businesses near you. It’s also available as an app.
      
• VOTE!
  • Vote for candidates who are fighting for change needed to root out racism from the criminal justice system.
  • This especially includes voting in primaries, where you have a wider range of candidates to choose from.
  • I will be writing another article on voting as the general election approaches.
  • VotePA.gov – Voting resource in PA that literally contains everything you need.
  • Seriously…. VOTE!
    
• Be consistent – build a routine!
  • Don’t stop now – the fight for equality has been going on for hundreds of years and there is still a long road ahead.
  • Find tasks that you can build into your routine, no matter how big or small the tasks are, even if it’s once a week or a few times a month.

Additional resources and guides:

There are a lot of guides out there and the amount of content available to consume can be overwhelming. Below are a few additional guides that offer high level guidance on being a better ally as well as an in-depth collection of literature, films, non-profits and charities.

• CNN – How to be an ally
  • We sourced a few of our bulleted points at the top from this article. It covers helpful things to consider when learning and many ways to get involved and support the Black community.

• GLAAD’s guide on being an LGBTQ+ ally
  • Equality continues to be out of reach for many communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) lists out a number of ways allies can show their support.

• Justice In June
  • Great for: plannin/scheduling time for allyship. Also offers a wide range of educational and activist resources.
  • If you are looking for a guide that not only provides charities and resources but also planning and scheduling, Justice In June has you covered.
  • This is super helpful for those overwhelmed by the large number of resources.They have timetables based on how much time you have available to support as an ally.