What to do if you can’t protest during the BLM movement

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Speaking out against police brutality, nearly 2000 cities in all 50 states have protested during the Black Lives Matter movement. (Photo/Kayla Rubenstein)

With many people across the world supporting the Black Lives Matter movement through protesting, others who cannot want to find other ways they can show support. If you wish to contribute to both the protestors and the movement as a whole, here are some ways to show your support.

Sign Petitions

Activism extends far beyond the black squares on Instagram. A great place to start taking action against injustice is by signing petitions. Bleu Magazine provides a helpful list of  30 Black Lives Matter petitions you should sign.

Support Bail Funds

Bail funds are organizations, usually volunteer-driven, that collect money for those in jail pretrial detention. The donations from the bail funds are not only used to bail protestors; they can also be used to free journalists who have been detained when trying to report news. The Community Justice Exchange and Bleu Magazine list a collection of resources for protestors throughout the country.

Donate to Organizations to Fight Injustice

If you are capable, donating to organizations that fight injustice encourages them to continue to aid those in need. New York Magazine’s, The Strategist, has also provided 135 ways to support black lives and communities of color. Some great organizations fighting to abolish injustice include:

Contact Authority Officials

Contacting authority figures within your area via email, twitter, phone call, etc. are easy ways to demand change for unjust policies. You can email Fla. governor Ron DeSantis at [email protected]. You can also find the list of Florida elected officials to contact here.

Create Face Masks

With COVID-19 still upon us, it is still important to take precautions and stay safe while protesting. If you want to make face masks and are uncertain on where to start, here is a helpful guide.

Support Black-Owned Businesses

Up to 90% of minority and woman owners were shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program that was designed to secure federal coronavirus relief. You can contribute to changing this by frequently choosing Black-owned businesses. Listed below are  resources for Black owned businesses.

Protesting doesn’t have to and shouldn’t be our only form of speaking out. Educating ourselves and others helps change the injustice within our communities. Remember, the most important thing is not how we make our voices heard, but why we feel urged to do so. 

As a senior, Emily spends her second year on staff as both a copy editor and entertainment editor. Outside newspaper, Emily plays violin in the school orchestra and leads Dead Poets Society as president. When she's not at school, however, Emily enjoys writing poetry, repeatedly watching the same movies and, sometimes, succeeding in her goal of reading five books a week.