5 Things Friday
HERE ARE YOUR ACTION STEPS FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25.
It’s Friday, and I don’t have to tell you, we have some things we gotta do. This week served up some serious devastation, and our justice system and elected officials did a pretty stellar job of being crystal clear about their commitment to white supremacy. Which just means we have to be crystal clear about our commitment to dismantling it. Here are your 5 Things.
UNDERSTAND THIS On Wednesday, the Attorney General of Kentucky announced a meaningless indictment of first degree wanton endangerment against one of the three police officers who killed Breonna Taylor in her home on the night of March 13, 2020. Wanton endangerment, a low-level felony, is a charge often used in accidental injuries and implies minimal responsibility for the death or injury. "This charge is connected to shooting into the neighboring apartment unit, but not the murder of Breonna Taylor. To be sure, a wall—an inanimate object–has received more justice than Breonna Taylor did today." Read the full statement from The Movement for Black Lives and really try to understand the details, because you will likely be challenged by friends and family on what actually occurred and what it means. When you really know your facts, you can fight misinformation and change minds in your own community.
DONATE TO THIS Uplift Breonna’s family, friends, and community by donating to the Louisville Community Bail Fund. The Louisville Community Bail Fund exists to not only bail out folks (and dozens of protestors have already been arrested and charged with FELONIES), but provide post-release support to get them from jail, fed, and to a situation of safety. LCBF also maintains a focus on preventative measures for those targeted by law enforcement and threatened with incarceration.
SHOW UP FOR THIS There are protests happening around the Bay (and the country) every day, of every kind, day and evening, this weekend and likely long beyond. Please show up. We have seen what we can do when we show up en mass and in solidarity. Don't suddenly leave it to someone else.
READ THIS While fighting for the bigger picture, never lose sight of the smaller one—the Black folks in your life and in your community. Just like you took the time to learn about being an ally and dismantling white supremacy, make sure to be a constant and intentional listener on issues of how to authentically support the people around you. Artist George McCalman breaks down the collective Black anger at having to deal with white tears and tone-deaf "support" during this time. Read it, think on it, and if you feel like talking about it after...call your white friends, please.
SIGN THIS One of REP CO's contributors, the brilliant photographer Shayan Asgharnia, made us aware of this one, and we think his words tell it best: "I’ve spent time with Saelee while documenting the @pawsitivechangeprogram at California City Correctional Facility. 22 years behind bars. In 2018 and 2019 he worked as an incarcerated firefighter battling the effects of climate change in our state. 22 years served. The day of his release, with his sister waiting to lovingly receive him, he’s turned over to ICE agents and taken 2000 miles to a detention facility in Louisiana to be deported to Laos, a land he has never truly known, and his family is in California. This practice of turning over released inmates to ICE is a practice embraced by @gavinnewsom. If you’ve any sense of humanity, step forward and right this wrong. In the meantime, I need as many resources and helping legal hands on deck as possible. Saelee is one of the most gentle souls I’ve encountered. I’m writing this through tears and rage. What happened to our humanity?"