Summary

The website content provides guidance on non-arrestable everyday acts of defiance to support the Black Lives Matter movement, emphasizing education, dialogue, financial support, and patronage of black-owned businesses.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of sustained action to achieve societal change and support the Black Lives Matter movement beyond street protests. It suggests engaging with black culture through literature, music, and film to gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and current issues faced by the black community. The article also encourages meaningful conversations and active listening, particularly for white individuals to acknowledge their privilege and the existence of systemic oppression. It advocates for financial contributions or volunteering for related causes and for supporting black-owned businesses to strengthen local economies and promote social equity. Lastly, it recommends participating in workshops and classes to foster understanding and solidarity.

Opinions

The article conveys that mass action is crucial for change, including civil disobedience and direct action like marches and protests.
It posits that not everyone can participate in street actions, suggesting alternative methods of support that are equally impactful.
Reading books and consuming media by black creators is highly recommended to foster empathy and a broader perspective on the black experience.
The article criticizes "cancel culture," advocating instead for open dialogue and the importance of listening to uncomfortable truths to facilitate personal growth and societal change.
It suggests that financial support, whether through donations or patronizing black-owned businesses, is a practical way to contribute to the movement and empower black communities.
The article highlights the significance of small businesses in local economies and encourages conscious consumerism as a form of activism.
It promotes the idea that education and personal interactions can lead to a more informed and empathetic populace, which is essential for the progress of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Everyday Acts of Defiance You Can Start Doing Now (Without Getting Arrested)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled articles to bring you this special report on activism, for those who want to support Black Lives Matter.

We need mass action to bring about change. We need to flout unjust laws and create lasting change in our laws, rules, in our hearts. We must keep the movement going. America cannot be a true world power until all black people (and ultimately all minority groups) are treated fairly in this country.

It is vital to gather en masse to march, protest, picket, boycott, or even riot. Change can be turbulent, but it is imperative. That said, not everyone can or wants to take to the streets. Whether you are immunocompromised, alter-abled, afraid of crowds, can’t take time away from work, or any other reason, there is a lot you can do instead of (or in addition to) street action.

You can take control and make changes in other ways, and these are much more meaningful than you might think. Take a look!

1 — Read Books, Listen to Black Music, Watch Black Films

Put down the social media and mainstream news outlets for a moment and start to diversify your thoughts and learn something new instead. Often the Internet of Now is too focused on the moment to provide deeper historical and literary education, so empower yourself to become educated.

Read a book by a black American author, such as James Baldwin, Wesley Lowery, Maya Angelou, Upton Sinclair. Read books by Latinx authors, and books by Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Indigenous Americans, Indian/ Arab/ Pacific Islander Americans. Read essay articles and blogs from diverse points of view. The rights of black people are oftentimes intertwined with the rights of all minority groups, and patterns and nuances will start to become clear.

Netflix now has a Black Lives Matter playlist that is excellent and highly educational, with a focus on black storytelling. Spotify created a playlist of black pride and empowerment that includes hits from James Brown, Beyoncé, 2 Pac, Bob Marley, and Nipsey Hussle. YouTube has fundraiser playlists. Resources are out there.

How Education Creates Change

See the world through someone else’s eyes. None of us know what it’s like to be someone else, and it’s even more difficult to imagine being someone of different skin color or background. Reading puts you behind those eyes, and suddenly you feel empathy in understanding in a whole new way.
Understand the issues. By reading, you are learning the “why” behind the angst that exists in this country today. You’re becoming educated about the suffering and the injustices endured by black people in America for nearly 400 years, and the journey we’ve all come through as a society to even be where we are now. You’ll start to understand the news cycles of today in a different way, and most meaningfully, why Black Lives Matter is important for the emergence of a greater American society.
Remember American history. Too often we may think that what is happening in the world today is new and unprecedented, when in fact history often shows that cycles are repeated if real change isn’t created.

2 — Talk to People — And Listen Carefully

Cancel culture is the easy way out. The better way is to talk to people. And to listen to what they have to say. Challenge yourself not to simply snuff out opinions you’re uncomfortable with. White people especially need to learn this lesson: Sit with the discomfort as you listen; ruminate with it; let the discomfort change you into something better. Hear the harsh truths that if you have been passive, you have benefitted from oppression.

And no, white people, this absolutely does not mean you should find a black co-worker or acquaintance and assuage any white guilt you feel. It means being appropriately supportive to friends and hearing what people are saying at work that may be part of the problem. Listening may be difficult, uncomfortable, or even a stunning blow, but it is important to still listen and to move forward in a meaningful way without asking for credit.

3 — Donate Money or Time

Media outlets and influencers have widely publicized ways you can provide direct help to various charitable funds in support of Black Lives Matter, the victims of police brutality, the protestors, and organizers of marches, policymakers, and more.

If you have time, volunteer, and/ or advocate for a cause. If you have money, donate. It makes a difference, especially done in earnest.

4 — Shop Small & Shop Black-Owned Businesses

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Small businesses have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic closures, and as such most of us are keenly aware that shopping small is important. Now it’s especially important to shop black-owned (and minority-owned) small businesses as well.

Small businesses are what give each of our streets, towns, and cities a unique personality. Any strip mall will have chain restaurants and big-box stores; local stores with unique products, services, recipes, and offerings are truly special. Keep them in business!

How Shopping Small/ Black-Owned Businesses Creates Change

You are pulling your dollars out of the hands of the uber-wealthy and putting them into the hands of local businesspeople. By spending locally, you are helping a family pay their mortgage, versus funding another summer mansion for a CEO.
You’re reducing your carbon footprint exponentially, helping preserve fossil fuels and good air, water, and soil quality.
Small businesses have a direct impact on the local economy, making your neighbors wealthier and keeping tax dollars in the neighborhood (since local businesses pay local taxes). It also puts money in the hands of black communities, which have historically been disadvantaged in business.
Over 68% of money spent at local independent businesses is circulated locally, versus only 43% of the money spent at chain stores and 1% of money spent at a remote online store. Franchises fall in between local independents and chain stores.
You develop friendly relationships with people, increasing social awareness, and social consciousness.
You are funding the American dream of entrepreneurship!

The lure of cheap ‘stuff’ through faceless online stores is strong. But, as I learned the hard (read: expensive) way, it is rarely worthwhile. Learn from my journey to become more woke. Instead of buying more things you don’t need or want, consider buying less and spending that budget locally. And buy from black-owned businesses!

5 — Take a Class or Attend a Workshop

Peaceful gathering and open workshop in Los Angeles by Cate Patricolo/ Personal photo

An outdoor workshop in Los Angeles gave me hope for the future. Attendees were all ages, genders, orientations, and races, sitting peacefully with masks with active listening ears dialed in. There are dialogues and classes online, too, for those who cannot attend in-person. If you are curious where to start, search “Black lives matter workshops near me”!