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1/21. #GeorgeFloyd #GeorgeFloydprotest WHAT NOW? When the anger subsides, when the arrests are over, after the cities burn, what happens?
2/21. So what can we do when we see and/or experience social injustice and blatant disregard for human life? How can we respond to systemic racism, fear and violence against our people?
3/21. Protesting, marching, letter-writing, social media posts and the like are a fine start but all those tactics fall woefully short of accomplishing any lasting or meaningful changes in our society.
4/21. In order to make effective & meaningful changes, people, all people must be willing to engage in the society that they wish to change. It’s basic Civics 101. There is a direct correlation between the level of citizen involvement and the face of the society in which we live.
5/21. Off the top of my head here’s my initial to-do list for America. i. The easiest and perhaps laziest thing to do is to financially support organizations that are on the front lines of this fight to help victims, to educate folks and hold perpetrators accountable.
6/21. There are so many wonderful warriors out there but these 3 notable ones come to mind. The Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org ; the American Civil Liberties Union https://action.aclu.org/ ; The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund https://www.naacpldf.org/ .
7/21. ii.Every town, city, village has a local Neighborhood Council. Get on it and serve. You’d be surprised at just how much influence these councils have on what goes on in their communities.
8/21. Business practices, policing strategies, and the very tone and shape of the entire community can be set by the council. NCs can request meetings with the local police departments and hold them accountable.
9/21. If you want to know how your community operates or hold sway on what happens in it, then sitting on a Neighborhood Council is a great idea.
10/21. iii Voting is an obvious and crucial item on the list but there is one thing on your ballot that you should pay particular attention to: JUDGES WITH A CAPITAL “J” Many people avoid that daunting list of judges on a ballot and just skip them entirely. DON’T SKIP THEM.
11/21. DO RESEARCH. Why? “Though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately 32% of the US population, they comprised 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015” That’s why.
12/21. Remember that judges have the power to put minorities in prison disproportionately and let those WHITE officers off the hook when they murder innocent people.
13/21. These are just a few of the web sites that have information about candidate records (including judges), ballot measures, voter status in your area.
https://www.vote411.org/ ; https://www.vote.org/ ; https://www.ballotready.org/ ; https://ballotpedia.org/ ; https://justfacts.votesmart.org/elections/ballot-measures/NA#.XYarZ5NKi8U
https://www.vote411.org/ ; https://www.vote.org/ ; https://www.ballotready.org/ ; https://ballotpedia.org/ ; https://justfacts.votesmart.org/elections/ballot-measures/NA#.XYarZ5NKi8U
14/21. iv. While we’re talking about voting, another crucial thing to do is to ensure that everyone you know is willing and prepared to vote. We had “in person” voting parties last time but due to the virus, we’ll be having our voting parties on ZOOM this year.
15/21. With the virtual world, you can have lots of people with their laptops doing research, asking questions, checking voter status, etc. Make it fun. Make it interesting, but most of all, MAKE IT HAPPEN! Zoom, FB Live, Skype, FT etc.
16/21. If we want changes to policing on local, state and federal levels then we have to vote for rational folks who are representative of the communities across America in which we live. And, on a personal note, can we please stop voting for old white men?
17/21. v. Join a local community non-profit project/program as a VOLUNTEER or work for one. Food banks, Homeless Shelters, Groups combating hate crimes, Religious and Immigrants’ Rights organizations are all operating in your community and are desperate for help.
18/21. As I’m talking to everyone I’m also talking to myself. These suggestions are just a start but at least it’s something and definitely better than the silence that has prevailed for decades as these injustices have been committed over and over again.
19/21. We all have to promise ourselves and each other that we will do better. The sickening images of innocent people being murdered are forever burned into our hearts and now, in the world of social media, we cannot pretend that we didn’t see them.
20/21. We cannot let those open wounds close back up without addressing the inner infections that rage beneath the surface. There is deep sickness in our country and only we can fix it. We can’t let anyone ever again utter those words, “I can’t breathe.”
21/21. Let’s all remember that as we breathe in, the country exhales. I pray that we can succeed. Blessings to all of us. Please RT this thread. Thank you so much. @QueenJmapassa @sewimperfect @olisaeloka23 @Demeter_Designs @everybodyzzmama @tintaryan @PalmerReport @Rosie
