I’ve been largely silent on this blog during this time and that isn’t right. While I’ve shared articles and posts on Facebook and in my Instagram stories, it isn’t enough. I don’t want to be a performative ally, I want to help and I don’t know how. As a privileged white woman I’ve worried about speaking when this happens. I worry that my voice will overpower and takeaway from the Black and other POC voices, so I’ve kept silence which is worse. So I’m learning how to be a better ally, learning how to find my voice as an ally, one that says to listen to the voices that are going ignored instead of shouting over them.
While I work on this, here are some Black Lives Matter resources and how you can help during this time.
- BLACK LIVES MATTERS WEBSITE
- DONATE TO BLACK LIVES MATTERS
- HOLIDAY PHILLIPS ARTICLE “PERFORMATIVE ALLYSHIP IS DANGEROUS (AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD)
- WAYS YOU CAN HELP RESOURCES TO LEARN, DONATE, TEXT/CALL, FOR PROTESTERS, ETC.
- DISMANTLING RACISM IN WHITE SUBURBIA
- WHERE YOU SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T DONATE
- HELPFUL KEY TERMS FOR YOUR GOOGLE SEARCH BAR
- CAPITALIZE THE “B” IN BLACK
- DEAR WHITE AMERICAN THEATRE
- WHERE TO DONATE NOW AND LATER
- HOW TO RESPOND TO COMMON RACIST STATEMENTS
- ANTI-RACISM ACTIONABLE STEPS
- SELF-CARE TIPS FOR BLACK PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS VERY PAINFUL WEEK
- CANADIAN BLACK AND ANTI-RACIST GROUPS YOU CAN SUPPORT NOW
- 55+ BLACK-OWNED PLUS SIZED CLOTHING BRANDS YOU CAN SUPPORT
- CHILDREN MOVIE/TV/DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT RACE AND DIVERSITY FOR ALL AGES
- BOOKS ABOUT RACE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
- ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE STATEMENTS OF ‘SOLIDARITY,’ ARTS WORLD
- WHITE *THEATRICAL* PRIVILEGE
- BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES YOU CAN SUPPORT
- 9 POWERFUL BLACK FEMALE VOICES TO FOLLOW
- I WANT TO BE AN ALLY BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO
- BLACK-OWNED BOOKSTORES TO BUY FROM (U.S.)
- BLACK-OWNED BOOKSTORES TO BUY FROM (CANADA)
- YOU DID SOMETHING PROBLEMATIC, NOW WHAT?
Sarah O'Connor 