& #39;Please I can& #39;t breathe.& #39;

Why do cities have to burn before we pay attention?

In the UK I hear people saying the plight of Black Americans is a US problem. Black people in the UK struggle daily. More black people than any other group have been fined & searched...

1/15
...during the lockdown - that& #39;s indicative of a wider systemic problem.

So what can non-black people do? (Numerous & detailed resources for the points made below follow later in this thread)

1. Don& #39;t expect black people to engage in the emotional labour of educating you

2/15
2. Sign petitions

3. Support black-owned businesses and movements, eg: @kayleighbenoit_, @OmariMcQueen, @CephasWilliams

4. Amplify black voices. Share their stories and raise awareness about the work they are doing.
3/15
5. Check in on black friends & colleagues. Remember that racism causes trauma. You must not ever expect someone to talk about the racism they have suffered or assume that it& #39;s easy to talk about.

4/15
If you are unsure of how to start that conversation, then send me a private message - I will try to help.

5/15
You will feel discomfort as you do these things (maybe even as you read this post). If you feel like stopping, remind yourself that you have the luxury to stop & move on to something else. Black people do not.

#justiceforgeorge #BLM

6/15
***Books and other resources:***
Black and British - @DavidOlusoga
Why I& #39;m No Longer Talking to White People About Race - @renireni
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire - @akalamusic
Guilaine Kinouani http://www.racereflections.co.uk"> http://www.racereflections.co.uk  @kguilaine

7/15
***Books and other resources contd***
https://blackbritishhistory.co.uk/ ">https://blackbritishhistory.co.uk/">...

#petitions">https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ #petitions ">https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/...

#resources">https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ #resources ">https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/...

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ ">https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/">...

http://www.refinery29.com/amp/en-us/2020/05/9841376/black-trauma-george-floyd-dear-white-people">https://www.refinery29.com/amp/en-us...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/06/black-lives-matter-uk-found-vital-social-justice">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...

8/15
***Information on black-owned businesses and movements***
@MNFreedomFund
@56BlackMen
@dipaliciousltd
@bindlondon
@bailfundnetwork https://twitter.com/bailfundnetwork/status/1266760383303319552?s=20
https://twitter.com/bailfundn... href=" https://natwestbackherbusiness.co.uk/bindlondon ">https://natwestbackherbusiness.co.uk/bindlondo...
https://travelnoire.com/black-owned-businesses-london-uk-black-history-month">https://travelnoire.com/black-own...

10/15
***Other times when riots have occurred in the US, cont’d:***

- people were told they couldn& #39;t party anymore: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/james-madison-u-block-par_n_534137

-">https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jam... because of pumpkins: https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-new-hampshire-pumpkin-riots-20141019-story.html

-">https://www.latimes.com/nation/na... because black people wanted educations: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/1/newsid_2538000/2538169.stm

14/15">https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday...
You can follow @teamconvergent.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: