The murder of George Floyd has made us all aware of the systemic racism that exists in our society and communities. This cannot continue. UNiDAYS supports the #BlackLivesMatters movement and we wanted to share ways you can make a difference.
Racism is everyone’s problem and as Angela Y. Davis states: “it’s not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist”. This is an extremely powerful statement, particularly to those who have the drive, means and opportunity to speak up and speak out about the injustice not only to George Floyd, but to all those who have been the victim of racism.
Learn
There are plenty of online resources, books and social media accounts that are there educating people on matters surrounding race and discrimination.
If you want to learn more about this movement, racism and inequality through the years, and why it’s important to be anti-racist rather than non-racist, here are a number of books you can read:
- Why I’m No Longer Speaking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
- White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Here are some people you can follow on instagram:
- @blklivesmatter
- @colorofchange
- @theconsciouskid
- @munroebergdorf
- @ibramxk
- @shiftingtheculture
- @werepjustice
- @blackvisionscollective
- @galdemzine
- @mattmcgorry
Sign Petitions
By doing this you can literally put your name to this cause. There are plenty of petitions each with different aims but here are some of the ones gaining the most traction, that you can easily sign in a matter of minutes.
Have conversations, even if it’s difficult
One way to help the cause is to educate the people around you like family members or friends who are not on social media or do not have access to the information you do. This can be done by sending them resources you have found helpful or just opening up discussions around this cause.
It is also important to speak out against racism. Calling out racist behaviour, even amongst those closest to you, can feel daunting but these small steps are what make the biggest difference.
Try
You may be worried about speaking out to express your views - knowing what to say and the best forum for it. However, it’s important that you can support something that you feel strongly about. There are many outlets available for you to support the Black Lives Matter movement and other movements aimed at tackling racism and injustice based on race.
If you feel worried about saying the wrong thing, just know it is better to have tried than to have done nothing at all.
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