Black Lives Matter
I have such a huge heart for people and I often find myself beating myself up for not choosing a job where I can directly help. For example — a nurse, a therapist, a teacher, but today I was reminded by my boss that what we do is important. What we do as a social media team for Nickelodeon directly impacts kids. We offer escapism from a scary world, but also offer education.
I work with so many amazing kids and I want them to know the adults in their lives are fighting for a world where they can feel loved and unafraid. My heart breaks to know that they are scared and confused.
My heart also breaks because I have loved ones who don’t understand that this is so much more than just one black man’s terrible death. It’s about the many deaths of our black brothers and sisters, the frustration over decades of failed police practice and training reform, and the ingrained racism in our country. It’s about fighting a system that was built broken and a president who tweets what his followers want to hear while he hides inside the White House. We need a real leader.
In November, obviously get out there and vote Trump out of office, but also make sure to start participating in your smaller state and local elections. I know I will. I have learned through all of this that those elections are what have a huge impact on our criminal justice system and police practices.
Outside of voting and attending your local protests, something else you can do is donate! Donate your money or your time!
Go clean-up the local neighborhoods after protests have ended or donate your money to one of the various organizations who are making a difference during these troubling times (listed below).
Obama said it himself, violence and looting is not the answer. Neither is “All Lives Matter” and let’s just love each other. Even more so, silence is definitely not an answer either, but a sign of betrayal.
And while I can never fully understand what my black brothers and sisters are feeling right now, I will do my best to come alongside them and listen, learn, and fight for change. Let’s make this world a better place for our children.
Donate
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc. - Donate Here
To read more about LDF, please visit: https://www.naacpldf.org/naacp-mission/
Black Lives Matter - Donate Here
To read more about BLM, please visit: https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/
The Loveland Foundation - Donate Here
To read more about this foundation, please visit: https://thelovelandfoundation.org/about/
The Innocence Project - Donate Here
To read more about The Innocence Project, please visit: https://www.innocenceproject.org/about/
The Bail Project - Donate Here
To read more about The Bail Project, please visit: https://bailproject.org/faq/
My company also matches any amount up to $1000 donated to any cause. If you have a specific cause you would like to donate to and have ViacomCBS match it, let me know.
You can eat at a black-owned business in your area: https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2020-05-31/black-owned-restaurants-in-los-angeles
You can even use the smile.amazon url to donate to any charity you’d like: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?orig=Lw==
Information and Research
Why Saying “All Lives Matter” Is Harmful: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a27075028/black-lives-matter-explained/