This post discusses matters of violence and abuse.
This post is part of a new spotlight series on the Bolt Safety platform called 'Spotlight: Perspectives', where members of our community can use the platform to discuss issues that matter to them, related to personal safety, violence, discrimination, abuse, access to basic resources, and mental health. You can filter the Hub content to read posts specifically in this series.
The very first post we're sharing has been written by Catherina Tseng, and is about how allies can support the Black Lives Matter movement, and how racism is one of the causes for violence and attacks, and hence a major threat to personal safety.
The Consequences of White Silence: How We Can Become Better Allies for the #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Image credits: Bolt Safety, quote by Catherina Tseng
What is White Silence?
"If you’re reading this, you likely care about issues surrounding race; but if you are white, you will always have the ability to opt out of this conversation with your silence. However, a true ally will work to engage others in their community in this fight to eradicate racism. White America is speaking up but we need more of it. We need you.” —@teresabaker11 & @she_colorsnature
The first step of being an ally is recognising your own privilege, and this is especially important if you benefit from white privilege. You have the power to engage your community in a discourse about race they may otherwise feel no responsibility for, and your whiteness may make them more receptive to our fight. Educate yourself on why #AllLivesMatter is counterproductive to the movement and why racism against white people, or “reverse racism,” does not exist, and use this knowledge to educate your peers. Use your white privilege to amplify the needs and concerns of Black people and spread awareness about their plight.
Remaining silent is anti-Black and benefits systems of racism and oppression. It is not enough to be quietly non-racist. Now is the time to be avidly and vocally anti-racist.
With that said, the responsibility to speak up for Black people extends beyond white people and towards East Asian, South Asian, Latinx, and indigenous allies as well. As an East Asian woman, I believe it is incumbent on all of us to acknowledge the anti-Blackness in our respective communities and aspire to fix it. People of colour must stand united to ensure that the voices of one minority group are not drowned out.
Black people make up 13% of the American population and 20% of police killings. A Black person is 2.5 times more likely to be shot by the police than a white person. The life expectancy of a Black trans woman is thirty-one years old. They need us.
“White silence is not supportive.
“White silence is violence.
“White silence is not neutral ground.
“Please do not stay silent.”
—@teresabaker11 & @she_colorsnature
The Basics of Allyship
A good ally amplifies Black voices without speaking over them and listens to Black voices without dismissing their trauma. The mark of a great one, however, is the ability to correct themselves without getting defensive when they are told they are out of line. As a queer woman of colour, I have had to end a few friendships with people who claimed to be allies but became malicious and vindictive once I even implied there was an issue with their allyship. As white people and non-Black people of colour, it is not up to us to decide what is or isn’t racist to Black people, and we must be open to their criticism even if we had the best of intentions.
It is critical to remember that it’s okay if you ever mess up as an ally as long as you are willing to take accountability for your actions and improve. Racism is so ingrained in our society that even people of colour have tendencies to be racist to themselves sometimes. After three years of being an active ally, I still find myself unlearning internalised racism imposed by society and failing the community. Confronting your own interalised racism is uncomfortable, but the discomfort is good because it means you care—white guilt and white tears are infinitesimally insignificant compared to Black lives. The most important person you will ever educate about racism is yourself, and as complicated of a subject it is, you will find yourself doing so again and again throughout your life.
That being said, Black people do not owe us the emotional labour of explaining their pain and trauma. There are plenty of resources available for you to scour first. Instead of asking a Black person to explain racism to you, ask yourself if you can consult Google.
Here is a list of day-to-day actions you can do to unlearn your internalised racism:
Intentionally diversify your circle of friends
Don’t let your friends say the N-word and educate your family when they say something racist
Vote for candidates that support Black communities
Go to Black events and support Black endeavours
Use your influence to make the spaces you’re in more racially inclusive
Educate yourself on Black history beyond what you learned in high school
Performative Allyship
Performative allyship is a superficial form of activism that looks good on social media, but isn’t actually productive to the movement. This includes using trending hashtags for the sake of the trend (“#BlackLivesMatter” with no informational or educational context), tagging your friends on Instagram chains (“Tag ten people who support #BlackLivesMatter”), and most direly, promoting your merchandise or artwork—Black trauma is not your inspiration (“For every ten retweets, I will donate $100”—just donate the money). We don’t care that you created a dance in honour of George Floyd, Karen, now open up your purse. Just kidding.
Often, performative allyship is done with the best of intentions! You might think of it as a way to voice your solidarity to the community. However, if all the activism you do is simply performative, and you can’t deign to even sign petitions or share resources with your followers, there is an issue.
To ensure you are not a performative ally, ask yourself these questions: Am I doing this just because everyone else is doing it? Am I doing this for my public image? Am I doing this to feel better about myself?
If so, you are doing this for the wrong reasons.
Let’s Take Initiative
A Good Starting Place: blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
Educate
Netflix documentaries that explore racism, discrimination, and injustice in America:
13th
I Am Not Your Negro
Ferguson: A Report from Occupied Territory
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Free download of The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale:
A massive Google Drive folder of Black history and activism compiled by a Black trans person.
Thread of non-fiction book recommendations written by Black revolutionaries and
Black activists.
23 young adult books with Black protagonists written by ownvoices authors.
The first book that brought me into my activism was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, a multi-award-winning young adult novel about police brutality that’s been on the New York Times bestsellers list for over three years now. I highly suggest it as a starting point, along with its movie adaptation. It helped my right-leaning centrist mother better understand police brutality, too!
Protest
If you are white or a non-Black person of colour, you are there to march and chant alongside Black people to amplify their voices. Anything more is inappropriate. Please do not cause chaos or loot to make the movement look bad. Although many peaceful protests were escalated by police and white supremacists, and many of the stores looted were Black-owned businesses, the Trump administration is trying to pin the blame on the protestors.
If you are partaking in a protest, I highly recommend making a group and using the “Safe Buddies” space on the Bolt Safety platform, which will allow you and your closest friends to have each others’ backs, and plan for what to do in the event of you being hurt or in danger. I’d recommend deciding beforehand when to check-in on each other, especially if you’re not going to be travelling together.
Infographic credits to its owner
Donate
A thread of mutual aid funds.
Funds for organisations fighting racial injustice.
A thread of funds for small Black businesses that were destroyed by looters.
A GoFundMe for Gianna Floyd, George Floyd’s daughter.
A GoFundMe for the peace and healing of Darnella Frazier, who risked her own life and
mental wellbeing to ensure George Floyd’s murder was recorded.
Sign Petitions
A thread of petitions for Black lives that still have not been brought to justice.
A thread of miscellaneous petitions for #BlackLivesMatter, including the plea to ban rubber bullets.
A thread of lesser-known #BlackLivesMatter petitions that still need your support.
A petition for the US Senate: Hands Up Act that would punish police for shooting unarmed citizens.
Contact Authorities
This may seem scary and cumbersome, but it takes only 30 seconds!
An email template to the Minneapolis police department for the murder of George Floyd.
A thread of email templates to defund the police.
A multiple-email generator demanding specific action for the many-murdered Black victims.
Please note that if you choose to partake in any of the activities above, Bolt Safety and its partners cannot be held accountable in the event of harm, illness, or injury. Please take care of yourselves, and look out for your ‘Safe Buddies’. This post is written by a member of our community, and does not necessarily reflect our organization’s views. If you would like to write an open letter to the Bolt Safety community to start a conversation on a topic or initiative that is close to your heart, please email us at boltsafety@gmail.com or alternatively, message us through this app itself.