Organizing Against Anti-Blackness and White Supremacy
Organizing Against Anti-Blackness and White Supremacy
Image courtesy of Care Not Cops PDX. [Image 1: an orange square with the acronym “ACAB” in the middle. next to the “C” are the words “cops, cages, courts, capitalists.” inside each letter is an image: in the “A” there is a police car on fire, in the “C” there is an image of cops wearing face shields, in the 2nd “A” there is an image of cops in riot gear standing on a police truck, and on the “B” there is an image of the back of a jacket with the words “gang enforcement” on it. each of the letters has a green shadow]
First and foremost, here are some mental health resources specifically for Black people, compiled by Gladys. Although most of these resources are not Portland specific, a lot of these providers offer teletherapy options remotely. Stay tuned for a list of Portland based free and sliding scale options organized by BLM PDX. If you are a provider and would like to be on this list of resources add your name here- https://www.facebook.com/blacklivesmatterpdx/posts/3038382469591800.
Directory- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN)- https://www.nqttcn.com/
Directory https://therapyforblackmen.org/
Directory, prompts for journaling, podcast- https://therapyforblackgirls.com/
Directory- COVID-19 Response Therapist Resource- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dPyqvjrZKv5zerXqyPlNPZXgp0D2_GMB-IS312bzJF0/edit#gid=0
Black Virtual Therapist Network- https://www.beam.community/bvtn
Reach out to Black Mental Health Oregon for help navigating Oregon specific resources- https://www.facebook.com/Blackmentalhealthoregon/
7 Virtual Resources- https://www.bonappetit.com/story/virtual-mental-health-resources?fbclid=IwAR2kfqZnMvEPZvksZQMh-PrvYGVKR0hA-YwSh1qADyTGlhCly_mBSd5Ub0o
List of resources compiled by Basic Rights Oregon- http://www.basicrights.org/news/we-see-you-we-love-you-and-you-matter/?fbclid=IwAR1-0_GA5p2VrUIKWwECIih_yqYn-nHyGjPhJrgEPY5QpFfH7cV5KforBeg
There are so many different ways to show up for racial justice and organize against white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Show up how you can, fit in where you can.
In the words of Nnenna, “If you’re an organizer, please don’t feel guilty about not throwing down in the streets. We need you in the long run. We need your skills, knowledge, and your humanity. Organizing is hard, long-term work and we need more people in it for the long run. We need deep political education. We need trainings. We need leadership development. We need coalition building. We need to struggle. We need community infrastructure. We need each other and if you are committed to this in the long run you know and understand your role.We need strategy. We need organizers. We really need y’all. I need y’all truly. I want and need to build something new. I need y’all to be here for the long run and I believe together we can transform the world.”
Get plugged into local efforts.
Abolitionist organizers have been working with Care Not Cops and Critical Resistance for three years. Build community and build a just future by joining their campaigns to defund the Portland Police Bureau.
CNC 2020 Demands- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQe_PVWZrGmpSz1qiWUlQ2BNkBfGuFQr/view
CNC 2020 Campaign Platform/Principles- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cM1SCGpNURqmZWznDIwZvA-XWTVj8ckAHiEkze75jQ8/edit
CNC Contact:
Email- carenotcopspdx@gmail.com
Website- https://www.carenotcops.org/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/carenotcops/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/carenotcops?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/carenotcopspdx/
Critical Resistance PDX Contact:
Email- crpdx@criticalresistance.org
Website- http://criticalresistance.org/chapters/cr-portland/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CriticalResistancePortland/
Donate
Locally
Portland Bail Fund- https://www.gofundme.com/f/pdx-protest-bail-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1 Organized by the PDX General Defense Committee
Rosehip Medic Collective/PDX Action Medics
Materials- email rosehipmedics@gmail.com Top 5 needed items are: (1) Powder-free nitrile gloves, unopened boxes in all sizes (no latex, please!) (2) Liquid antacid (e.g. Maalox), alcohol-free (3) Photocopying resources (4) Semi-enclosed tents/canopy setups for outdoor clinic space (5) CPR pocket face masks, with 1-way valve
Nationally
You can donate directly to the official George Floyd Memorial Fund here https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
Donate to the Louisville Community Bail Fund for Breonna Taylor- https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/louisville-community-bail-fund?source=twitter&
National bail fund network- https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory
The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a bail fund committed to supporting any protestors who are arrested, has received an outpouring of support so they recommend donating to other MN based orgs:
Black Visions: movement- and community-building for transformative justice and liberation, by and for black minnesotans (donate here- https://secure.everyaction.com/4omQDAR0oUiUagTu0EG-Ig2)
Reclaim The Block - community-led org working to reduce police presence and invest in alternative forms of community safety- (donate here- https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2_
CTUL: powerful low-wage worker organizing committed to changing unjust capitalist power relations and following the leadership of workers
Unicorn Riot - they have been tirelessly covering the protests on the ground. truly a media of the people.
North Star Health Collective, a collective of street medics, radical health organizers, and community health trainers, have also stated they don’t need more support, but they recommend a list of other orgs to donate to here: https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/
If you cannot protest or donate
Write incarcerated folks- Email Critical Resistance PDX about getting involved with their ongoing letter writing- crpdx@criticalresistance.org
Write to Joshua Williams, who was arrested when he was 18 during the Ferguson Uprising. He's up for parole in June. Details here.
Read this document with 26 alternative ways to contribute beyond physical protests, “26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets” https://issuu.com/nlc.sf.2014/docs/beyondthestreets_final
Learn more
Join Noname’s bookclub- https://www.nonamebooks.com/
List of books- https://www.nonamebooks.com/books
BLM reading list- https://www.blmla.org/resources#readinglist
Thread of free books- https://twitter.com/HalfAtlanta/status/1267095951572897792
Write an email demanding justice for Tony McDade
Write an email to State Attorney Jack Campbell, TPD Chief Lawrence Revell, & the City Commission with our demands. Templates provided. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-justice-for-tony-mcdade?source=direct_link&
Protesting
Have a plan and a back up plan. Turn off your data/turn off your phone/leave your phone behind. Write the PDX General Defense Committe’s number on your body (503-442-0866) to call if arrested. DON’T TALK TO POLICE. Wear a mask. Wear nondescript clothing, covering all identifiable aspects of yourself. Bring water and a snack.
Sanitization Protocol for Direct Action During COVID-19 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o1VSvdRvQYr-5puhJHfQx7vh3mza64P02Mbs1yE6oPQ/edit#heading=h.gu2nzabl2wr3
Avoid posting and resharing photos that could help police, organized and unorganized white supremacist groups, and employers identify the people protesting. Blur other people’s faces, tattoos, or other identifiable attributes if you’re going to post!
How to safely and ethically film police misconduct- https://www.instagram.com/p/CAv1oInBVSf/
“Riot Medicine” - A Twitter thread.
Abolish white supremacy. Let’s be in community and organize for an anti racist future.
