On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a black man, was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. During an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a white American police officer, kept his knee on the side of Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down.
Thousands of protesters of all colours, religions and nations came together peacefully across America and the UK to make a change. Black Lives Matter.
I am white and without realising it, I am privileged. I realised, like many others, I need to educate myself, to listen, to read, to learn and to have conversations so that we can be an ally for the Black community and help fight for a positive future.
I am sharing links, books, petitions and individuals that we all should know about… I want to share with you too.
Petitions
Individuals
- Reni Eddo-Lodge – Writer and author of ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race’
- Akala – Musician and activist
- Yomi Adegoke – Award winning journalist and co-author of ‘Slay In Your Lane’
- Candice Braithwaite – Presenter, writer, and founder of MAKEMOTHERHOODDIVERSE
- Munroe Bergdorf – Model, activist and founder of GODDESS Platform
- Layla F. Saad – Author of ‘Me And White Supremacy’ and host of ‘Good Ancestor Podcast’
- Afua Hirsch – Writer, broadcaster and author of ‘Brit(ish)’
- Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah – Co-founder and Executive Director of UK Black Pride, also known as Lady Phyll
- Liv Little – Founder and CEO of gal-dem
- Josh Rivers – Head Of Comms at UK Black Pride
- Travis Alabanza – Artist & performer
- Tanya Compass – Youth engagement specialist and host of 6lxdsontour podcast
- Kelechi Okafor – Host of Say Your Mind podcast
- Dawn Butler – Labour MP for Brent Central
Organisations
- Black Girl Fest – The UK’s first arts and culture festival celebrating Black British women and girls
- UK Black Pride – Europe’s largest celebration for LGBTQ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Latin American descent
- Kwanda – Non-profit dedicated to building reliable and empowering systems for black communities
- GODDESS Platform – LGBTQ crowdfunding platform founded by Munroe Bergdorf
Black British History
- Black Cultural Archives – The only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain
- Black History Walks – Guided walking, bus and river tours of London’s 2000 years of Black history
- The Black Curriculum – UK initiative that teaches Black history all year round in schools
- UK Isn’t Innocent – Instagram account highlighting 21st century racism against Black people in Britain, as well as the history of racism in the UK
Publishers, Books & Storytelling
- #MERKY Books – Penguin Books imprint dedicated to publishing the best new fiction, non-fiction and poetry, curated by Stormzy
- Token Magazine – Literature & arts magazine featuring under-represented writers & artists
- gal-dem – Award-winning online and print publication committed to sharing perspectives from women and non-binary people of colour
- AZ Magazine – Online publication, social space & event ogrganisers for LGBTQ people of colour
- Black Ballad – UK based lifestyle platform that seeks to tell the human experience through eyes of black British women
- Guap Mag – Youth-led new media platform dedicated to discovering, showcasing and nurturing diverse emerging creatives
- Millennial Black – A manifesto for Black working womxn, coming 2021
- Curlture – Online empowerment platform for Black women created by Trina Charles and Jay-Ann Lopez
- Knights Of – Diversity led independent publishers for children and adults.
Networking & Safe Spaces
- Meeting Of Minds – A platform that connects women of African descent
- Dope Black Women – A digital safe space for Black women
- Women Connect UK – Female forward collective creating inclusive spaces and equal opportunities for women and non-binary folk in the creative industry
- Black British Parent – Safe space for Black British families
Local Collectives & Groups
- BBZ London – Black queer art and DJ collective based in London
- BLACK SISTERHOOD – For London-based protestor
