Black Lives Matter

Hey, everyone. Sorry if you had been worried about me. May was a rough month that resulted in two missed blog updates, but I'm fine. I promise you. I'm actually back to work, which has kind of contributed to my absence here.

Two weeks ago, my last week of shutdown, I honestly just forgot what day of the week it was, and by the time I realized I had missed my weekly update and figured out what to talk about, it was already something like Saturday, and so I just waved the white flag. I assumed it wasn't that important that I update, especially since it was just going to be me talking about Animal Crossing more.

Last week I actually did write most of a blog post. Kept me my normal 4hrs or so to write it up, however, I was again focused on sharing more about my AC:NH progress, so I wanted to include screen grabs. Between the actual writing of the post, going through my hundreds of screen grabs for the ones I wanted to share, editing them together into little comics instead of sharing dozens of individual pictures, and realizing I needed to go back into the game to screencap a few more things I wanted to show off, all took HOURS. I then was interrupted by the errands and chores I had to get done because I was back to my regular work schedule of Tuesdays off; work most of the rest of the week. By the time I got back to the game for those last screencaps it was about 8pm. I thought I'd finish up my blog post Wednesday, but that clearly didn't happen, mostly because I am now in charge of the company's social media presence, along with being the contact between the company and the marketing company now in charge of out website. So I have to make sure our website is up-and-running properly, and I have to relay any issues I might find with it. The website is brand new, so obviously there's still some issues to work out. Which meant no real free time. Which also meant no time to finish up that blog post.

I debated just finishing that post for this week, but, in light of things, it didn't seem right. I mean, sure, having something light-hearted might be exactly what you need right now with the state of the US being as terrifying and enraging as it has been.

Still, I've seen posts asking for any White Americans to utilize whatever platform they have, however small, so that's what I'm planning on doing today.

Okay, so, a few caveats before I start:

1. While my parents tried their hardest to raise me as an empathetic ally, due to the neighborhood I grew up in, and the neighborhood I moved to, I am still a very sheltered white woman who has maybe interacted with 5 or so people of color - all inclusive; not just black - near-daily at any given time throughout my life. The things I say may reflect this sheltered life and come across as ignorant. PLEASE correct me if this indeed shows up.
   1b. Further disclaimer, it literally kept me until my senior year of high school to figure out that a classmate I'd grown up with was mixed-race because I just thought he was of Mediterranean-decent with naturally-tanned skin. So it is entirely possible that I've interacted with a lot more non-whites who can pass as white, and just never realized it. Still, the fact that I default to "they're white" probably also showcases how sheltered I am.
2. As I stated, I understand that I am still ignorant in a lot of things, and so there may be things I say or advice I give or sites I share that aren't as helpful as I was lead to believe. For instance, I participated in the Instagram #BlackoutTuesday movement today, only to then see this Twitter post condemning it with some very valid points. The long-and-short is that IG used to have a lot of valuable information for people, but all of that is now gone because everyone instead posted a solid black square. There were good intentions in showing solidarity, but is was misplaced and has now potentially hurt the people we are trying to stand beside. Sadly, I still don't quite understand Instagram, so I have no clue if there is a way to delete my story. So, if you see me pass on misinformation or well-intentioned sentiments that are actually harmful, PLEASE alert me. 
3. Basically, I'm still learning. I'm trying, but I'm embarrassingly new to this, mostly due to the aforementioned sheltering. I'm absorbing as much as I can, and being cautious that what I am taking in and sharing comes from the black community in the first place, but I can still trip-up. Once more, PLEASE alert me if I'm misrepresenting anything or sharing bad-faith information or sentiments. Clearly I know nothing of the oppression because I don't experience it and I don't even see it (hard to see it when the majority of the people around me are also white). I'm trying to be a microphone for the black community's message to pass through, instead of adding to the conversation myself, but, again, I can still trip up. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know where I am stumbling so I can become better.

That all being said, let's first address that banner I shared: Black Lives Matter.

It's been a cry for years, and for just as about as long, the echoed reply has been "All Lives Matter."

No! Stop!

There is absolutely NO ONE in the BLM movement claiming that ALL lives do not matter. They are addressing the issue that, to society, black lives do NOT matter, and they SHOULD. The movement might as well be Black Lives Matter Too, You Know!

Here is a quote from one of my college friends that she's been trying to post on All Lives Matter comments to help educate:

It would be ideal if all lives really did matter, and that’s what I hope our future looks like. However, at present, it’s pretty clear that black lives aren’t being valued by society at large. That’s why saying “all lives matter” isn’t exactly correct — they SHOULD matter, but they don’t. Our black friends use “black lives matter” to help point out this disconnect. Anyway, I hope this helps to explain why you see so many people get upset when white people say “all lives matter." By saying that, it’s like you’re saying there’s nothing wrong with the way black people are treated right now.

To further emphasize this point, I've seen two different hypotheticals circling social media:

Everyone sits down to a full table of food. Plates are in front of everyone, they are filled, and everyone starts eating. Everyone but you...
You reply appropriately, “I need food.”
Members at the table turn while chewing and say, “Everyone needs food.”

Black lives matter, and saying ‘all lives matter’ right now makes as much sense as yelling ‘everyone needs food’ at someone holding an empty plate.

A house is burning, so volunteer firefighters hose it down to try to save it.
"What about saving our homes?" the neighbors yell, "All homes are important!"
Well, yeah. Of course every house is important, but yours isn't the one burning down right now.

So, I hope that you now have a better understanding as to why the BLM movement is so important, and how counterproductive, and even passive-aggressive, the All Lives Matter counter-movement is.

Okay, so you agree that black lives matter, but you are still fighting against the notion of having White Privilege. I get it. This kept me a minute too. The thing to really focus on here is not that White Privilege means opportunities are given to you, or that you are without hardship. By no means does White Privilege detract from the struggles you had and still have to endure.

White Privilege simply means that you don't have ADDED struggles based on the color of your skin.

Here are some examples that I've seen:

• As a white person, I don't have to worry about being assumed I'm a criminal, lazy, a "thug", or "illegal"/undocumented simply because of the color of my skin. (on the "positive racism" spectrum, I also don't have to worry about people assuming I'm good at math or finances simply because of my ethnicity)
• As a white person, I don't have to fear about getting "justifiably" shot while out exercising, or shopping, or visiting a friend. Nor do I have to fear about my place of worship being attacked.
• As a white person, I don't have to worry that people will automatically assume I don't have money, simply because of the color of my skin. Nor do I have to worry that showcasing my wealth will make people automatically assume I either stole it, got it via illegal means, or have it because of some "white benefactor."
• As a white person, I don't have to question if my rejection for a school or job or award was based on the color of my skin. I can trust that it's largely based on my qualification.
• As a white person with a European name, I can trust that people will recognize my name and know how to properly pronounce and/or spell it. 
• As a white person, I can trust that I'll be shown as many homes as are available in my area, even if they are out of my perceived budget, as long as I ask to see it. I can also trust that any rejection for renting or purchasing a home isn't based on the color of my skin.
• As a white person, I can turn on virtually any TV show or movie or news report and see other people of my color, and even if I don't, all I need to do is change the channel or wait a few minutes.
• As a white person, I can see actors of my race in all types of roles: superheroes, Everyman, heroes, villains, oppressed people, the oppressors, LGBTQ+, disabled, able-bodied, strong, weak, etc.
• As a white person, I can almost always find classmates and coworkers that share my skin color.
• As a white person, I don't have to worry about getting pulled over or otherwise harassed by cops or fellow citizens simply because I'm in a nice/expensive car or walking in a nice/expensive neighborhood.
• As a white person, I don't have to fear that my loved ones might not come home simply because of the color of their skin. I don't have to wonder if their name will be the next hashtag in a nation-wide movement.
• As a white person, I don't have to worry that cops will bust into my house while I'm sleeping, shoot me - possibly kill me - and then excuse it by stating something akin to "I didn't realize, at the time, that I was in the wrong house."
• As a white person, I don't have to worry about interacting with the police. I can have faith in their protection and faith that I will be considered "innocent until proven guilty." Hell, I can even trust that if it's the first time I've interacted with that area's police force that I'll most likely be let off with a warning if it's a minor enough offence! Most importantly, I can trust that the police will believe me when I call them, and will properly prioritize my call based on urgency in relation to other (white people's) calls.
• As a white person, I can always opt-out of this entire conversation.

There are far more points to add to this list, but it was getting long enough, and I think you all get the point. None of the above points actively help me have a better live. None of them stop me from suffering. None of them stop me from fighting through hardships and struggling to get to a better life. But that's not the point. The point is that because of all of those privileges I have SO MUCH LESS TO WORRY ABOUT OR FEAR. I have MUUUUUUUCH less to try to compete and fight back against in order to take the same steps to improve my life. 

THIS is what is meant by White Privilege, and I thought about it a LOT this past week.

Okay, so we acknowledge our privilege, but how does that help?

Well, for people who feel comfortable going out in the protests, or who live near the protests, using that privilege has meant standing between the police and the black protesters to help protect the protesters from aggression, or housing the blocked in protesters when things go sideways, trusting that the police won't automatically send a SWAT team to break in to arrest everyone.

Most importantly, though, it's using that privilege to force society to have the conversation black people have been screaming for. It's standing beside them to show them, and others, that they are not alone, that they are not insane, this oppression IS REAL and others do see it. It's admitting that you do have privileges because their rights are NOT equal to yours, and shouting that it is not right! Fighting to correct this imbalance, even if it doesn't benefit you.

What if you are afraid to protest? There's still a pandemic to contend against, or you fear for your safety after seeing how violent the protests devolve into, or you fear of losing your job or custody of your children if you get arrested, or you are physically incapable of attending, or your mental health is too unstable to join a protest, or you have anxiety about being in such large groups, or you are working and cannot afford to take the time off to protest, or dozens of other very valid reasons for not protesting. What then?

Well, there have been a LOT of fundraisers popping up. Here's just a few that I've seen most frequently:

Obviously, we'll cycle back to Black Lives Matter.

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.

There is also, of course, the NAACP.

The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

The biggest one right now is Minnesota Freedom Fund. This organization helps pay bail for those jailed - both protesters, so they don't have to be deterred from protesting due to lack of bail funds, and normal citizens jailed daily - as well as bonds to help release undocumented immigrants.

WE VALUE A SOCIETY THAT VALUES ITS PEOPLE, THEIR FREEDOM AND RECOGNIZES THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE GREATER GOOD. A SOCIETY THAT DOES NOT CONDITION PRETRIAL FREEDOM ON CLASS OR IDENTITY, THAT HAS ENDED MASS INCARCERATION, AND THAT INVESTS IN RESTORATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE.

Another big one is the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund. This GoFundMe page was created by George Floyd's brother:

"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."

The final major one that focuses on Minnesota is Reclaim the Block. This organization raises funds to ensure it goes to black communities who are otherwise impoverished and struggling to survive.

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.

Another suggested organization for criminal bail funds is The Bail Project.

Join our 8,000+ donors who are helping us post bail for people who can't afford it, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence – one person at a time.
The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is on a mission to combat mass incarceration and reshape the pretrial system in the United States. 100% of online donations are used to bring people home. Since bail money comes back to us when cases close, we're able to recycle every dollar donated at least twice per year.
Money keeps people in. But your donation can break them out.

The health care organization North Star Health that helps with first aid assistance at rallies and protests have on their main page that they have actually received all the donations they would need at this time, and instead has a list of about a dozen other organizations you can donate to, some of which are listed above.

Unfortunately, with so much focus on George Floyd there have been other black murders that have been overshadowed. Namely that of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Sadly, I fear they are most certainly not alone, but they are the only two I know of.

The I Run With Maud GoFundMe was established to help Ahmaud Marquez Arbery's mother Wanda Cooper-Jones with the financial burden of burying her son and finding justice for his murder.

On February 23, 2020, 25 year-old Ahmaud Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, son of retired Brunswick investigator Greg McMichael, under the father’s and son’s pretenses of witnessing a burglary in Satilla Shores of Glynn County.
There is no evidence of the alleged burglary. Furthermore, McMichael’s account of the deadly encounter with Arbery was not released until nearly 6 weeks following the shooting. Today and every day since Arbery’s death, both Travis and Greg McMichael walk freely.
McMichael’s questionable account of events and the police department’s poor communication efforts following Arbery’s death lead us to believe that Arbery was a victim of racial profiling. Furthermore, due to Greg McMichael’s previous involvement in county law enforcement, Arbery’s death is not being addressed as a homicide nor taken as seriously as it should be.

The Justice for Kenneth Walker GoFundMe is an effort to raise funds for both bail and legal aid as Breonna Taylor's boyfriend struggles to prove his own innocence during the invasion that resulted in Breonna's death.

In the early hours of March 13, 2020, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) used force-ably entered the apartment of Breonna Taylor, where Kenneth Walker and Breonna lay asleep. The police were there to serve a warrant on a person that did not live at the address and who was already in police custody.
The 3 officers of the LMPD claim to have announced themselves, however neither Kenneth, Breonna, nor any of the neighbors heard them do so. Kenneth, in self-defense, fired shots believing the police to be intruders, with the intention of protecting himself and Breonna. The police fired over 20 shots into the small apartment, killing Breonna. She was unarmed and died from 8 gunshot wounds. Kenneth's life was also endangered, but fortunately he survived.
Rather than admitting their wrongdoing, the police arrested and charged Kenneth with the attempted murder of a police officer. Kenneth was being held on a $250,000 cash bond until his judge released him on home incarceration.

This one in particular is tricky because it only managed to raise $219,000 compared to the above fundraisers listed. However, the May 22, 2020 update on the fundraiser did state that Kenneth was released and the charges dropped, but if evidence warrants it, he'll still be brought back to face a grand jury. Also, Breonna's loved ones still need help in making sure those responsible for her death are held accountable. To help, the GoFundMe suggests also going to standwithbre.com to sign the petition and find additional steps to help justice be served.

Alright, those funds are great, and even a few dollars can help, but what if you aren't capable of donating for whatever reason? What else could you do?

Well, one way is to have YouTube be the one to donate. As this Tumblr post points out, "A black woman named Zoe Amira posted a video on YouTube [that is] an hour long and filled with art and music from black creators. It has a ton of ads, and in result will rack up a ton of revenue. 100% of the ad revenue from the video will be dispersed between various BLM organizations, including bail-out funds for protesters...dependent on necessity."

So, if you are on your computer anyway, and have the bandwidth to have the video streaming at the same time as everything else you are doing online, why not at least have it playing in the background. You can mute the video and keep doing what you need to if the video is distracting, but DO NOT skip the ads. Heck, if you are still bored after "watching everything on Netflix", this is a great showcase of black creators, so why not actually watch it?

Still not quite your thing, or wish you could do more?

Elle Osili-Wood on Twitter has a great thread of other options to help. The highlights include donating - as listed above - posting to social media, sign or start petitions, learn how to safely and properly document police interactions, confront racism wherever you find it, "remember that black people are traumatised," ALWAYS hold police accountable for mistreatment done to you or that you have witnessed, fight facial recognition, educate yourself, think about your privilege, teach the next generation about racism and how they can also fight against it, and, finally, if you are white, think about this call-to-action posed by American former third-grade schoolteacher, anti-racism activist, and educator Jane Elliott: "If you, as a White person, would like to be treated the way Black people are in this society, stand."

Obviously, you can check out Osili-Wood's thread for more details and helpful links, but let's still quickly touch base on those points.

There are some that are fairly self-explanatory: protesting, donating, signing petitions, and even the reflection of privilege - at least, I hope I properly explained that last bit above. The others, however...

Social Media: Sometimes you are angry and you want to go off, but then, as I feared as I started this blog, or the person who started the BlackoutTuesday movement, sometimes vocalizing, especially as a white person, ends up becoming counterproductive, harmful, and comes across as ignorant. How do you handle that, while still trying to show support? Don't add to the conversation. Maybe this conversation isn't yours to add to. This is a conversation Blacks need to have and need people to hear. Truly hear. So, if you aren't sure what to say, how about tracking down posts made by black people, and sharing those? Take a step back. Hand the mic to someone else so they can be heard. Help them be heard by adding your platform to theirs. That's what I'm trying to do with this blog post, honestly.

Document Police Interactions: It's getting to be second nature for black people to do this in an attempt to hold the cops accountable. It's the reason body cams became so popular, and why more and more stations are having them be mandatory gear. However, and ESPECIALLY if you are white, if you see any interaction between a cop and a person of color, in particular, any that seem to be leaning towards hostile interactions, record it. This Tumblr post demonstrates how one woman does this to help try to defuse situations around her between cops and black community members.

This brings me to the privilege one again briefly, because, frankly, being a white WOMAN comes with it the extra privilege that we are the demographic probably most protected and trusted by the cops. For evidence of this privilege weaponized, just see the Amy Cooper incident. Instead, we can use this privilege for the benefit of our black friends. This has been demonstrated a few times in this past week's protests, including photos of white women linked arm-in-arm as a human barrier between the police and black protesters. I'm not saying you have to go to that extreme if you feel unsafe doing so, but know that there are ways to use your privilege to help protect others. Osili-Wood also provides a checklist of things in your life that might support or benefit from racist societal structures. It's difficult to look though, but we have to in order to change any of it.

With regards to facial recognition, there was no true direction on HOW to do that, but Osili-Wood did explain WHY:

A NIST study showed it's up to 100 times more likely to incorrectly target ethnic minorities than white men, and a police-organised independent review found it's wrong 81% of the time - but they're using it anyway.

*NOTE: I was the one who included the link in her quote. It was one of many hits I got when I googled the study she referenced.

Osili-Wood also explained the need to remember black people are traumatized better than I could, so I'll again defer to her:

Remember that black people are traumatised. We have to see a constant stream of black people being killed in horrific ways, and watch as our families, friends, and communities are dehumanised. Label distressing material, be careful in conversation, & check in with black friends.

This one in particular I need to really focus on. I have always had an issue of remembering to mark triggering material. Mainly because I don't really trigger, so I don't think to warn others initially. I'm still trying to improve, but I know I fail quite frequently. So, even if you yourself are not triggered by anything I post - either here or in one of my stories - PLEASE kindly remind me that tags need to be used, as well as the best wording for the warning so people who have it blacklisted don't accidentally stumble upon it.

A point with regards to confronting everyday racism: remember to stay calm and in control of yourself. While you are in the middle of that confrontation, remember that is not the time to also be angry. Your anger might escalate things, and if you escalate things the anger and violence won't be directed at you, but at the person you were intending to defend. Also, if you do not feel safe or confident in personally stepping in, please try to document via your phone, and try to help afterward. Also, don't default to calling the police when you see something. As Osili-Wood put it: "Calling the police to a situation that involves black people is so dangerous we’ve literally seen it weaponised."

Alternatively, you can contact your local police chief and commissioner independently in order to ensure the needs of the community are being properly met. Express concern about the treatment of black communities.

This thread by lex. on Twitter also has some great ideas to help without protesting. Most ideas are similar to Osili-Wood's thread, but there's also this important suggestion: support black owned businesses and creators.

This BLM link also gives you suggestions on how to help on different levels.

Now let's cover that last suggestion of Osili-Wood: educate yourself. This is something I've been trying to do all week. One of the first things I actually did was take the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT). There's a list of them on that page, and I should go back and take more of them. For this week, though, I took the Race IAT and got a moderate implicit preference towards European Americans. It's something I need to adjust, but now I know.

I also read this article helping me understand what my black friends truly need from me:
For Our White Friends Desiring to be Allies.

The article itself is from 2017, but, sadly, it was still stuff I needed to read, and I'm sure other people need to read it as well.

Find other articles, and books, and interviews written by or featuring black people. Learn their story. Learn their experiences. Learn to empathize with their suffering and the culture they are forced to pick up as "normal", such as "how to interact with police" classes for their children's protection.

This blog is long, and yet I feel like it is so short. There's probably so much more that should be said and shared, but it's getting late.

Also, reminder that if all of this is just too much for you right now, and you need to take a mental break from it all, that's fine. There's a difference between taking a step back for your own mental health and just ignoring this problem exists. You need to remember to put your own safety first.

In my first-aid training through the Red Cross, one of the first things we were taught was to make sure the situation is safe for us before assisting someone else. When flying on an airplane, you are instructed to make sure you are safe - fastening your belt first, securing your oxygen mask first, fitting your inflatable vest first, etc - before helping your neighbors. This is because you won't be any help to anyone, and may even hinder efforts to help the original victim, if you get injured in your attempt to help. Mental health is the same way. You need to make sure you are safe and strong enough to handle the cause you are fighting for, or you may make the situation worse.

So, absorb this information best you can. Step away for as long as you need to in order to be in a good head space. Ask your black loved ones how you can best support them, and listen to their suggestions.

I hope all of this does help. I hope this post does some good.

Once more, if you see anything I need to correct, please contact me. If you don't feel comfortable stating anything in the below comments, you can also DM me on Twitter or Tumblr.

Stay safe, friends, and stay well.