The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many more are not anomalies. Their deaths stem from racism that can be traced across geographies, systems, and generations. We can’t allow this moment to disappear from public consciousness. We need to participate and actively engage in the Black Lives Matter movement to confront and dismantle the old normal.
The old normal is the longstanding status quo of institutional and structural racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness. It’s the normalcy of silence, fear, anxiety, division, and frustration. It’s the violence of police murders, broken public schools, and income inequality.
We need to respond to a call to action that has been an alarm since 1619, and stand with the Black Lives Matter movement to bring about Freedom, Liberation, and Justice. In the spirit of the movement, we are reflecting on our practices and how to best stand with our members and communities in this moment.
We know the weight of this moment must be met with urgency, support, and growth. Recognizing that we are more than an education organization, our work must evolve to meet the principles of the movement and advance anti-racism. Organizing campaigns must explicitly name racial inequality in their tactics and communications. We will train our organizers and staff on anti-racism practices. We will examine our own organizational practices to eliminate white supremacy.
We’re here to support the Black Lives Matter movement and stand with you as you take action for justice. To that end, our team compiled this list of resources. This is by no means comprehensive, but a starting place. We welcome you to share recommendations with us as well.
- Resources for taking care of your mental and physical wellbeing:
- A pocket guide for protest action and safety @bufu_byusforus
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Anti Racist educational resources:
- Podcast with Ibram X. Kendi how to be an anti-racist
- White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
- The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Reports from the Equal Justice Initiative about the history of structural racism in America
- Our recent actions and stories to drive change across the country, to serve as references as you build local campaigns:
Following the murder of George Floyd, Our Turn Twin Cities’ students drafted a letter to shed light on this modern-day lynching and demand the termination of Minneapolis Public Schools’ contract with the police department. This action turned into a national movement - MPS ended the contract, the Minneapolis City Council voted to disband the police force, and now, cities across the country are planning similar actions. Your power is changing history, and your leadership gives us confidence about the future. In the coming days and weeks, we hope that you can find the energy you need, whether it’s to love and take care of yourself or take action. We’re eager to hear your ideas for the path ahead and any requests for support.
We must take action in our communities to demand justice, elevate and echo leaders who affirm the value of Black lives, and work to support our members and staff of color who are targeted by white supremacy culture every day. Our Turn stands with Black Lives Matter and we hope our values, community, and campaigns inspire you. We need to shed a light on injustice and catalyze more people than ever to join the movement. It’s time for a wave of change that creates a new normal.
Sincerely,
The Leadership team
Mohan Sivaloganathan
Max Weiss
Lilly Wu
Christian Esperias
Kayla Romero Morais
