Organizing Against Anti-Blackness and White Supremacy

Organizing Against Anti-Blackness and White Supremacy

Image courtesy of Care Not Cops PDX. [Image 1: an orange square with the acronym “ACAB” in the middle. next to the “C” are the words “cops, cages, courts, capitalists.” inside each letter is an image: in the “A” there is a police car on fire, in the “C” there is an image of cops wearing face shields, in the 2nd “A” there is an image of cops in riot gear standing on a police truck, and on the “B” there is an image of the back of a jacket with the words “gang enforcement” on it. each of the letters has a green shadow]

First and foremost, here are some mental health resources specifically for Black people, compiled by Gladys. Although most of these resources are not Portland specific, a lot of these providers offer teletherapy options remotely. Stay tuned for a list of Portland based free and sliding scale options organized by BLM PDX. If you are a provider and would like to be on this list of resources add your name here- https://www.facebook.com/blacklivesmatterpdx/posts/3038382469591800.

There are so many different ways to show up for racial justice and organize against white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Show up how you can, fit in where you can. 

In the words of Nnenna, “If you’re an organizer, please don’t feel guilty about not throwing down in the streets. We need you in the long run. We need your skills, knowledge, and your humanity. Organizing is hard, long-term work and we need more people in it for the long run. We need deep political education. We need trainings. We need leadership development. We need coalition building. We need to struggle. We need community infrastructure. We need each other and if you are committed to this in the long run you know and understand your role.We need strategy. We need organizers. We really need y’all. I need y’all truly. I want and need to build something new. I need y’all to be here for the long run and I believe together we can transform the world.”

Get plugged into local efforts. 

Abolitionist organizers have been working with Care Not Cops and Critical Resistance for three years. Build community and build a just future by joining their campaigns to defund the Portland Police Bureau. 

Donate 

Locally

Nationally

The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a bail fund committed to supporting any protestors who are arrested, has received an outpouring of support so they recommend donating to other MN based orgs:

If you cannot protest or donate

  • Write incarcerated folks- Email Critical Resistance PDX about getting involved with their ongoing letter writing- crpdx@criticalresistance.org

  • Write to Joshua Williams, who was arrested when he was 18 during the Ferguson Uprising. He's up for parole in June. Details here.

  • Read this document with 26 alternative ways to contribute beyond physical protests, “26 Ways to Be in the Struggle Beyond the Streets” https://issuu.com/nlc.sf.2014/docs/beyondthestreets_final

Learn more

Write an email demanding justice for Tony McDade

Protesting

  • Have a plan and a back up plan. Turn off your data/turn off your phone/leave your phone behind. Write the PDX General Defense Committe’s number on your body (503-442-0866) to call if arrested. DON’T TALK TO POLICE. Wear a mask. Wear nondescript clothing, covering all identifiable aspects of yourself. Bring water and a snack. 

  • Sanitization Protocol for Direct Action During COVID-19 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o1VSvdRvQYr-5puhJHfQx7vh3mza64P02Mbs1yE6oPQ/edit#heading=h.gu2nzabl2wr3

  • Avoid posting and resharing photos that could help police, organized and unorganized white supremacist groups, and employers identify the people protesting. Blur other people’s faces, tattoos, or other identifiable attributes if you’re going to post!

  • “Riot Medicine” - A Twitter thread. 

Abolish white supremacy. Let’s be in community and organize for an anti racist future.

Anna SilbermanComment