May 25th 2020, marked the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, at the hands of a law enforcement officer. A video of the incident was posted online and showed a white Minneapolis police officer with his knee on the back of George Floyd’s neck, as he laid face-down on the ground for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, pleading to the officer, “I can’t breathe.” The horrific content in the video went viral and led to worldwide outrage. This prompted protestors to take to the streets in order to voice their grief, anger, and frustrations at the atrocities that have been committed for years at the expense of the Black community.
Through all of this chaos and unrest, many of you may be feeling powerless at the moment. But if you really want to make a difference, then remember that you have a voice, and you can use it to declare your support for the cause. If you wish to become a better ally and contribute to the #blacklivesmatter movement, there are many organizations accepting donations (which will be detailed below, in their own words). We are in the middle of a pivotal moment in world history. Please, let your voice be heard and support in any way you can.
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
“This fund is established to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and to assist our family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.”
Black Lives Matter
“#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”
Reclaim the Block
“Our grassroots group is up against the deep pockets of the Minneapolis police union, and we need your support. The crises facing our city, like housing shortages, addiction, and violence in our communities, need real investment. Reclaim the Block is calling on our city to invest in violence prevention, housing, resources for youth, emergency mental health response teams, and solutions to the opioid crisis — not more police. We have no option but to start now.”
Black Visions Collective
“BLVC is a Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence. We do this through building strategic campaigns, investing in Black leadership, and engaging in cultural and narrative organizing.”
Know Your Rights Camp
“Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
National Bail Out
“The National Bail Out collective is a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration. We are people who have been impacted by cages — either by being in them ourselves or witnessing our families and loved ones be encaged. We are queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant.”
Campaign Zero
“Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.”
Communities United Against Police Brutality
“Communities United Against Police Brutality is a Twin-Cities based organization that was created to deal with police brutality on an ongoing basis. We work on the day-to-day abuses as well as taking on the more extreme cases. Our overriding goal is to create a climate of resistance to abuse of authority by police organizations and to empower local people with a structure that can take on police brutality and actually bring it to an end. We provide support for survivors of police brutality and families of victims so they can reclaim their dignity and join the struggle to end police brutality.”
Centro de Trabajores Unidos en la Lucha
“CTUL is a worker-led organization where workers organize, educate and empower each other to fight for a voice in their workplaces and in their communities. We partner with other organizations and leaders to build a movement to win racial, gender and economic justice. We identify the root causes of injustice and work to shift the balance of power between those who have it and those who don’t to improve the lives of our communities for present and future generations.”
Color of Change
“Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 1.7 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.”
BEAM (Black Emotional Mental Health)
“BEAM is a national nonprofit that focuses on training non mental health professionals and providers with skills to offer healing justice informed peer support services and first responder support, funding healing and mental health efforts led by Black wellness professionals and developing leaders for the purpose of helping Black people nationwide heal.”
Movement 4 Black Lives
“We believe that prisons, police and all other institutions that inflict violence on Black people must be abolished and replaced by institutions that value and affirm the flourishing of Black lives. We believe in centering the experiences and leadership of the most marginalized Black people, including but not limited to those who are trans and queer, women and femmes, currently and formerly incarcerated, immigrants, disabled, working class, and poor.”
Communities United for Police Reform
“Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, bringing together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those most unfairly targeted by the NYPD.”
VOCAL-NY
“Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) is a statewide grassroots membership organization that builds power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, the drug war, homelessness, and mass incarceration in order to create healthy and just communities. We accomplish this through community organizing, leadership development, public education, direct services, participatory research and direct action.”
Isuroon
“Isuroon is a grassroots organization working for the health and connectedness of Somali women and girls so they and their families can thrive in Minnesota and globally. With us, women and girls build their own health and wellness, economic self-sufficiency, community engagement and leadership.”
MIGIZI
“MIGIZI acts as a circle of support that nurtures the development of Native American youth in order to unleash their creativity and dreams — to benefit themselves, their families and community. MIGIZI puts youth first, supporting youth-driven activities that fully engage youth in a self-directed path to holistic wellness and to success in education and employment.”
Minnesota Healing Justice Network
“We provide a supportive professional community and mutual aid network for wellness and healing justice practitioners who also identify as IBPOC (indigenous, black, or people of color). In order to reduce racial health disparities, we recognize the call for community care and collectivist cultural practices, for ourselves, our patients and students, and all Minnesotans.”
Women for Political Change
“Women for Political Change (WFPC) holistically invests in the leadership and political power of young women and trans & nonbinary individuals throughout Minnesota. We are living in a society in which our dominant institutions actively benefit from and perpetuate oppressive systems. By investing in young people and creating alternative spaces for community education & healing, we are challenging these systems of oppression and shifting the face of power within public and political leadership.”
Words by Kai-Ming Chow