Compilation of links for you to learn more, be an ally, sign petitions, donate & read
TW: Mentions of Police brutality against Black people
On May 25, George Floyd, a Black unarmed man, was killed by a White racist cop, Derek Chauvin, as he pinned him to the ground by his knee for more than 8 minutes as Floyd cried “I can’t breathe” before losing consciousness in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
While the officer who knelt on George’s neck was White, an Asian cop, Tou Thoud, stood, watched and did nothing even as the crowd around them told them to stop multiple times.
The encounter began after an employee at the Cup Foods convenience store called police to say that a customer later identified as Floyd had tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
The excessive use of force by a White officer as an Asian cop stood there, essentially being complicit in the violence, has started a rather important conversation on how Non-Black people are Anti-Black too.
As South Asians, it is crucial to actually work towards dismantling Anti-Blackness and acknowledging that just hash tagging Black Lives Matter is not enough.
We compile some links for you to learn, unlearn and be an ally.
- Talk about Anti-Blackness. Some tips:
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Show up! Join the Protests!
Organisations you can support:
Reclaim the Block: A coalition to demand that Minneapolis divest from policing and invest in long-term alternatives.
MPD 150: MPD150 is a community-based initiative challenging the narrative that police exist to protect and serve. Minneapolis, MN.
Black Visions Collective: A Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence.
Petitions you can sign (and should):
Justice for George Floyd via change.org
#JusticeforFloyds via act.colorofchange.org
Contact state and local leaders:
Send a letter to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey or Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz demanding justice, accountability and/or policing changes.
Make A Call
Call County Attorney Mike Freeman at 612-348-5550 to demand justice, accountability and/or policing changes. Call Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison at 651-296-3353. Call Gov. Walz at 651-201-3400.
Donations you can make, if you are in a position to, and must:
Minnesota Freedom Fund: MFF pays criminal bails and immigration bond for those who can’t afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing.
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund: George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, is organising this fundraiser
GEORGE FLOYD (BIGFLOYD): George Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, is organising this fundraiser
#DefundThePolice: This petition, started by Black Lives Matter, demands divestment in the police force
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Donations to this fund go towards helping "win landmark legal battles, protect voters across the nation, and advance the cause of racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society."
Read, Educate Yourself, Know Better:
- Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (2017)
- Chokehold: Policing Black Men, Paul Butler (2017)
- What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays, Damon Young (2019)
- This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell (2020)
- Conversations in Black: On Politics, Power and Leadership, Ed Gordon (2020)
Acknowledge your privilege as a Brown person:
Understand that just because you're Brown, doesn't mean you get to speak for Black people. We as South Asians need to be allies - but not with the intention of taking over the mic. This is not our place. This is our duty to stand in solidarity with the Black community and actively unlearn our own Anti-Blackness. To understand how we are Anti-Black, it is crucial to look at our caste and class systems, and the deeply embedded colorism which in itself is an Anti-Black tool.
Show up at protests if you can, sign petitions, donate, have conscious conversations, read and try to know better. Do not ask a Black person to educate you, this is not their job. The internet is your friend.