WAYS YOU CAN HELP DEMAND JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD
Another unarmed black man has been murdered by a police officer. George Floyd was suffocated in Minnesota by a white police officer while he was handcuffed, and lying face down on the ground. The police officer had his knee on the right side of Floyd’s neck for over 8 minutes, with his hand in his pocket, while three other officers held down his back and legs.
One month prior (March 13, 2020), a 26 yr-old African American woman named Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers. A month before that incident (February 23, 2020), an unarmed 25-year-old African-American named Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by a former George City Police Department investigator and his son while jogging.
Many Americans are hurt by the ongoing mistreatment toward the African American community by corrupt police officials. As members of the African-American community, and as colleagues of the entertainment industry, we want to use our voices to make sure justice is served to the officers who are responsible for Floyd’s death.
Women of Color on Broadway Inc. is currently looking at ways we can vocally and financially support the communities and organizations who advocate for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many, many others who fall victim to police brutality. We want you to encourage YOU to do the same, and not remain silent in this midst of another pandemic.
Please read the information below to learn ways you can support George Floyd’s family, and see that all four(4) of the officers involved with George Floyd’s murder are charged and sentenced for their irreversible actions.
Photos courtesy of Nikkolas Smith
“I am exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop.”
Michelle Obama
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
DONATE.
The Minnesota Freedom Fund - The Minnesota Freedom Fund has been posting small cash bails for people who otherwise couldn't afford them. In light of he protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the grassroots organization has partnered with the National Lawyers Guild and the Legal Rights Center to use donations to reduce the burden of bail for protesters who’ve been arrested.
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund- To help cover the costs of funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling, lodging, and travel for all court proceedings, Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, started a GoFundMe to assist his family in their time of need. Additionally, a portion of these funds will go to the Estate of George Floyd, which benefits his children and their educational fund. To send cards, letters of encouragement, or contributions in the form of a check, you mail them to:
The Estate of George Floyd
c/o Ben Crump Law, PLLC
122 S. Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Attn: Adner Marcelin
More Bail funds and Non-profit organizations to support:
• The Atlanta Solidarity Fund is raising bail and bond money for jailed protestors in Atlanta.
• Black Visions Collective is a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
• Fair Fight is an organization founded by Stacey Abrams that aims to end voter suppression and equalize voting rights and access for fairer elections.
• The Gas Mask Fund for black youth activists in Minneapolis is raising money to buy gas masks for demonstrators who’ve faced tear gas during protests.
• The Know Your Rights Camp is an organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that provides education and training in black and brown communities, set up a legal fund for Minneapolis protestors.
• The NAACP Legal Defense Fund supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation, and education.
• The National Bail Fund Network has a directory of community bail funds to which you can donate, along with a COVID-19 rapid response fund. Another list of funds is available here.
• Northstar Health Collective, a St. Paul–based organization that provides health services and support at protests.
CONTACT MINNEAPOLIS OFFICIALS.
Writing a letter to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey or Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz to demand justice, accountability, and policing changes. The letter shared in this petition offers a helpful script.
SIGN A PETITION.
#JusticeforFloyd
This petition from the organization Color of Change demands that Mayor Frey block all four officers from receiving their pensions and ban them from working as police officers again. It also calls for Officers Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng to be charged; and to release any protestors who've been arrested. The petition currently needs 500,000 more signatures to meet its goal of 4,000,000. You can sign the petition at the link below or text "FLOYD" to 55156.
Justice for George Floyd
Change.org also has a petition demanding that the three other officers are held accountable for the death of George Floyd. The petition currently needs 200,000 more signatures to meet its 10,500,000 goal.
OFFER RESOURCES TO PROTESTORS IN YOU AREA.
If you can, please consider picking up some extra bottles of water, food, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and other supplies for peaceful protesters in your area. You could also pick up extra household supplies such detergent, diapers, cleaning products, first-aid equipment, whole milk, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) etc., and find a donation point in your area. Providing these basics is one way to help support the cause, even if you don’t feel safe enough to join one.
HELP WITH CLEAN UP.
Lastly, you can support small businesses that are owned by people of color that have been damaged in your area as a result of protest. In Minneapolis, organizations such as Free Hugs Project and Support the Cities have started community clean-up events. Volunteers will need shovels, trash bags, brooms, gloves, water, face masks, etc. for clean up.
Additionally, here are links to petitions and donation sites to demand justice for Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery
JUSTICE FOR BREONNA TAYLOR
DONATE.
The Official Breonna Taylor Family Fund
Louisville Bail Community Fund
CONTACT LOUISVILLE AND KENTUCKY OFFICIALS
Here’s Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s address:
Office of the Attorney General
700 Capital Avenue, Suite 118
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-3449
And here’s Louisville Metro Mayor Greg Fischer’s address:
Mayor Greg Fischer
527 W Jefferson Street #600
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
SIGN A PETITION.
#JusticeforBre by Color of Change
Stand With Breonna by standwithbre.com
Justice for Breonna Taylor by Change.org
JUSTICE FOR AHMAUD ARBERY
DONATE.
Official Ahmaud Arbery Family Fund
CONTACT GEORGIA OFFICIALS
Make a Call or Email Governor Brian Kemp Here
SIGN A PETITION.
I Run with Ahmuad by Action Pac
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery by Change.org
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery by The NAACP
The Atlanta Solidarity Fund by Action Network
Be safe, and Don’t hesitate to TAKE ACTION. Your voice matters.
Sincerely,
Victoria Velazquez and Alexia Sielo
Co-Founders of Women of Color on Broadway Inc.
updated 06/04/2020
