For the past couple of weeks the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 have been trending topics all over the world. With Juneteenth here, it’s even more important to remember why we should speak up and support the movement in whatever ways we can.
But with Coronavirus cases on the rise, how can we help make progressive social changes while still following social distancing guidelines?
You will see how easy it is to make a positive change from home when you read about:
- Understanding Racism with Educational Resources
- Finding Reputable Causes to Donate to
- Supporting the Movement Without Money
- Helping the Black Lives Matter Movement at Colibri Content
Understanding Racism with Educational Resources
Want to learn more about understanding racism?
Educating yourself on racism and its effects creates a strong foundation for you to better understand and support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Luckily, in this technological age, there are tons of resources you can use to further your understanding of this topic aside from books. They include:
- Podcasts
- TV shows
- Documentaries
- Movies
- Studies
- Journals
It all comes down to this: to understand racism and its consequences, we all need to make a collective effort.
This starts with researching this difficult topic. In order to do this, we’ve provided a few examples of resources that everyone can use to better comprehend racism.
Examples of Resources to Better Understand Racism
The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison’s first novel excellently illustrates the effects of racism. The novel explains the story of a young black girl in Lorain, Ohio with deep insecurities. She prays every day for her eyes to become blue in order to be accepted by her community.
13th
Ava DuVernay’s eye-opening documentary explores history from the Civil War to the present day. It presents evidence of how African Americans have not truly been freed due to disenfranchisement, segregation, and racial legislatures, and more.
The documentary is free to view on Netflix!
Do the Right Thing
Spike Lee’s 1989 film revolves around the growing racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood. By exploring police brutality and bigotry, the film became a classic because of its daring visuals and message.
Code Switch
NPR’s podcast Code Switch examines race and identity around the world. Hosted by journalists of color, Code Switch tackles these conversations head-on. It explores how race impacts different parts of society, from politics to sports, and more!
EdBuild Study
EdBuild, a New Jersey-based research and advocacy group, found in 2019 that nonwhite school districts receive $23 billion less than white districts despite serving the same number of students.
Among other shocking statistics, EdBuild also found that the average non-white school district receives about $2,000 less than a white school district.
Finding Reputable Causes to Donate To
One of the most powerful and effective ways to support the various efforts in the Black Lives Matter Movement is donating to a specific cause or initiative.
There are so many organizations that are dedicated to creating change and need monetary support to maintain traction, including those that
- support businesses
- generate resources for community projects
- support victims of injustice
- back large organizations pushing for change in different areas
With so many subtopics and issues to tackle within the BLM movement, finding reputable organizations out of thousands of possible options can be overwhelming.
In an effort to narrow that search, we have done research on our end and found a few causes that we back as verifiable and impactful to the movement.
Down below are a few sources that you can donate to and do your part to help!
Victim Relief Funds
A common way to show support through donations is via a relief fund of the victim of an injustice.
From covering funeral costs to generating aid for the families who have lost loved ones to such tragedies, relief funds provide a great opportunity for any person who feels inclined to help a way to.
Under the Black Lives Matter Card link, there are several funds that are up that you can support.
From the family members of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and more, you can directly support these causes with a few simple clicks.
BLM Initiatives
There are several organizations that are committed to creating change on multiple fronts, from the local to the national level.
From offering free services to citizens to providing information for the masses, financially supporting them helps keep up the momentum they need to maintain and expand their methods of support.
Here are just a few of them!
- Black Lives Matter continually tackles a wide range of issues, including state-sanctioned violence and police brutality, and provides relief/educational services for millions across their network of BLM Chapters.
- The Loveland Therapy Fund focuses on providing free therapy consultation services for Black Women and Girls across the United States.
- The NAACP Legal Defense Fund steps in to promote equality in the legal sense, providing their services in litigation, advocacy and education to create structural change and eliminate disparities in the justice system.
- The ACLU is a long-standing organization that answers the call to protect the civil liberties of American citizens everywhere. With a vast network of volunteers and legal experts, they are currently the U.S.A’s largest public interest firm that works to protect the rights of American citizens.
How to Support Black Lives Matter Without Money
As stated above, there are numerous ways to help show your support for Black Lives Matter monetarily. However, we understand that not everyone has the means to support financially.
If this is the case for you, don’t worry! There are still numerous ways you can help the movement!
Watch Monetized YouTube Videos
This is a simple and easy way you can help raise money for BLM organizations like the ACLU, Black Visions Collective, and more.
Zoe Amira, a YouTuber, came up with the idea to create an hour-long video, highlighting Black artists and musicians, that was filled with ads. One-hundred percent of the ad revenues raised went to the BLM organizations.
Make sure your ad-blocker is off and avoid skipping the ads! You can watch the video as many times as you would like in order to generate ad revenue.
Just make sure to watch 2-3 videos in between before rewatching the monetized videos to allow YouTube analytics to count you as a new view.
There are several monetized videos for you to watch. For example, there is one monetized video that plays calming study music so you can let it play in the background while you go about your day’s work.
Another option is the following guided ab-workout monetized video. This way you can get your daily workout in while also supporting BLM!
Sign Petitions
This is another easy and helpful way you can show your support for BLM non-monetarily. It takes less than 2 minutes and once you sign a petition, you can share the message on social media – encouraging others to also sign and donate.
There have been several petitions going around for the past several weeks. Including ones for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others. Look out for these petitions on change.org and sign petitions with a cause that speaks out to you!
Donate Your Travel Points or Cashback
If you have travel points or cashback from your credit cards, many companies are now giving you the option to dedicate these points or credits to relevant causes! These include:
- AmEx JustGiving: American Express is allowing you to choose to donate points via eligible cards to causes such as BLM, ACLU, the Innocence Project, and several others. Go to their website to find out more!
- Hilton & PointWorthy: Hilton hotels have partnered with PointWorthy, a nonprofit dedicated to helping consumers use rewards to make donations. Through this partnership, you can donate your points to causes such as the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund.
Another option is if you are part of a rewards program that gives cashback, you can take that money to donate to a Black-led organization of your choosing.
How We Will Help
We’ve given you a few ways to support the Black Lives Matter movement from home, but the team here at Colibri Content wants to use our services to help out in our own way.
If you are a black-owned business or a business that has been impacted by recent events, we will be offering free digital marketing and business consultation services to help.
Reach out to one of our business strategists at hola@colibricontent.com for help with your business today!
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