#BLM: How to be an ally with information you should already know.
This blog post is not an outline of my life as a Black Woman in America. This blog post is not going to be a list of links and brands that you should be following for their activism or support of #BlackLivesMatter. This blog post is not going to be my rebuttal to the news coverage deeming the protesters’ calling for justice for the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey, Tony McDade, David McAtee, and James Scurlock, violent.
This is a blog post of common sense tactics that I believe you are overlooking on your journey to being an ally. Please be aware, I do not have all of the answers, but I want to lend my knowledge, as Black Woman, to you in an effort to make a difference in the world.
So here we go.
How to be an ally with information you should already know.
PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS BY ASHA MONÉ
CHECK YOUR CIRCLE. CHECK YOURSELF. The problem starts at home. Racism is a learned trait. You cannot call yourself an “ally” if you continue to sit next to your loved ones as they are being discriminatory towards others because of their skin color, ethnicity, sexuality or gender. These unchecked prejudices have shaped our world and they need to be stopped now. We can’t change the system if we don’t work from the inside. Please be aware that we all need to work on how we view each other.
Here is some information on micro-aggressions and racism. For anyone trying to start the conversation with loved ones who speak a different language or come from an asian or latinx background, check this link.
GET EDUCATED ON YOUR OWN. The internet is at our fingertips. While you might not know what to look at, googling keywords and researching information has always been our friend. If you can find a coupon to get a free Starbucks drink, you can find out how much money your city is allocating to the police force instead of the homeless. If you can learn a TikTok dance, you can sign online petitions to prosecute police officers for the killing of unarmed black men and women. If you can retweet you favorite musicians music video, you can continue to use your platform to #SAYHISNAME, #SAYHERNAME and share injustices happening. There is so much you can do that does not include opening your wallet or posting a black square on Instagram. Donating is great, but action works better.
Here is a google doc of resources to support Black Lives Matter and George Floyd.
GET UP AND GO OUT. There is no right way to protest. Put your comfortable shoes on. Cover your face. Be active. This is the time to ask people in your community and those on social media where they are gathering and go. Please be aware, you are not obliged to go. Protest’s are not for everyone and that is ok. Beware that this is not a social media photo op. This is a moment for everyone to come together, be supportive and figure out how we can change the system.
Here are some great tips for protesting safety, what others have learned and what to wear/bring with you.
GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. If you are a white person at a protest, please do us a favor, be a part of the protest and get in front of the line. Your presence standing on top of police cars and buses helps us with nothing. You vandalizing businesses and looting does nothing more than give the media a new reason to blame black people for your actions. Stop it. If you see your peers doing the same, speak out. Hold them accountable. You shouldn’t need videos to feel like this is an accurate statement, but I have included some. This is crucial. Your presence as an active protestor can save someones life.
this teenage girl did not hesitate one bit. look at how she’s standing in between and did not budge to keep him protected. THIS IS HOW YOU USE YOUR WHITE PRIVILEGE. if you’re white and you’re protesting, protect black people and fight for them pic.twitter.com/97nrCZ4Fud
— 𝐣𝐨𝐣𝐨 (@goIdnangeI) June 1, 2020
The police start hitting the black man and that little white girl pushes her way up and gets in between the officer and the man and the officer immediately stopped !!!! #JusticeForGeorge #LosAngelesProtest #UseYourPrivilege pic.twitter.com/p0HuZRk8Vm
— Teck Blu 🏞🗻🌋🏜🏝 (@Teck_Blu) May 30, 2020
this right here is how you use your privilege pic.twitter.com/Iext1TujLw
— millie🕊 BLM (@rickysnecklace) May 31, 2020
JOURNALIST BE JOURNALIST. You need to do your job. Journalism is about honesty and balance. You are getting paid to take photos and write about current events and yet some of you refuse to go to the front of the line where the action is happening. Some of you are not showing the whole picture or being mindful of the black bodies that you are photographing.
If you can not be respectful of us, let black writers and photographers tell our own story. If you want to be fair, let us use your platform to tell the world what is going on from our perspective. It does not make any sense to be at a Black Lives Matter protest and the major of news outlets are paying middle aged white men, who are only there with one goal in mined; a pulitzer prize. Do your job and document these protest’s accurately and truthfully. If you are going to make money off of us, be real about what happens.
