The killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis, as well as the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade, has sparked a wave of protests across the US and the UK. You can sign the Justice for George Floyd petition here. You can also write to your MP to demand the government suspend of the UK sale of riot gear and tear gas to the US, condemn Trump’s actions, and ensure the health and safety of BAME people during and after the pandemic. There are templates here and here so it’s super easy to do. The Black Curriculum is campaigning for black history to be made compulsory in schools and you can help by writing to the education secretary here.
Be an ally to the Black Lives Matter movement by acknowledging your privilege and educating yourself on anti-racism. We’ve compiled a list of resources below to help – it’s by no means exhaustive so if you have any more to add, do share them with us.
DONATE
If you have the financial means to do so, there are lots of organisations that would benefit from donations, like:
The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
The Bail Project
Black Lives Matter
Reclaim The Block
Black Protest Legal UK
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
StopWatch UK
The Runnymede Trust
FOLLOW
Diversify your social feeds. Follow organisations and accounts run by people of colour, like:
@blklivesmatter
@naacp
@galdemzine
@colorofchange
@munroebergdorf
@ajabarber
@theconsciouskid
@rachel.cargle
@nowhitesaviors
@shaunking
@ckyourprivilege
FILMS/TV SERIES
13th, Ava DuVernay
Fruitvale Station, Ryan Coogler
Clemency, Chinonye Chukwu
Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975
I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck
When They See Us, Ava DuVernay
Dear White People, Justin Simien
PODCASTS
Seeing White
1619
Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
Intersectionality Matters!
Raised in Hackney
BOOKS
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge
Me and White Supremacy, Layla F. Saad
Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging, Afua Hirsch
How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi – he’s also shared his own reading list here.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In The Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander
White Fragility, Robin Diangelo
The Good Immigrant: 21 Writers Explore What It Means To Be Black, Asian, And Minority Ethnic In Britain Today, edited by Nikesh Shukla
Between The World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams
Girl, Woman, Other, Bernadine Evaristo
Noname’s Book Club has more reading recommendations here.
George Floyd: How Can I Help From The UK?, by Das Penman here.
75 Things White People Can For Racial Justice, by Corinne Shutack here.
10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship, by Mireille Charper here.
Save the Tears: White Woman’s Guide, by Tatiana Mac here.
Why Being Black Feels So Overwhelming Right Now, by Gabriella Effie Forson here.
Find even more books, podcasts, articles, films and series in this doc by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein here.
Buy from Black businesses – there’s a great list from Emily Ames here.