Programming note: tomorrow (6/12/20) is a statewide silent march and general strike organized by Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County in support of Black lives. Per the organization’s website, “we urge everyone to spend their time and energy on direct action for lasting structural change.” We at LL are choosing to spend our day focusing on reflection and steps we can take to help create a more equitable and just world. FanPost Friday will return next week, and the Sporcle will be up on Saturday morning. For those looking for draft coverage, we have a podcast we recorded tonight covering Day 2 of the draft available wherever you get your podcasts in addition to the one we put out from yesterday covering Day 1; the article that usually accompanies the podcasts will also be up on Saturday. You can also catch up on pick-by-pick analysis under the “MLB Draft” tag and read through the Draft open thread. However, we won’t be posting any new content on Friday, and will also be closing comments on this article in the spirit of minimizing distractions from this important day and creating a space of silent reflection (and also giving our site moderators the same opportunity for reflection).
If you are in Western Washington and interested in gathering with others in support of the general strike, click here to find a list of gatherings in your area. You can also find a list of upcoming gatherings here. If you cannot attend a gathering but want to provide financial support for materials and supplies, click here.
In addition to donating to BLM-Seattle, you can also donate money or service to the Seattle Mutual Aid Fund. To donate money click here. To donate your time—for example, bringing groceries to those affected by the COVID-19 crisis—click here to sign up with the SMAF. Donations are especially needed in South Seattle. A list of other places to donate in the Seattle area can be found here.
Another way to spread equity is to support Black-owned businesses in Seattle (list) or beyond—seek out Black-owned businesses. If you don’t know of any in your area, go online shopping; Etsy has a list of Black-owned sellers, or search the Black-owned business directory.
If you’re unable to attend an event in person nor donate funds, here are some free things you can do:
- Sign a petition on change.org for justice for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, or in support of things like the “Hands Up” Act, which would punish officers who used deadly force against unarmed citizens or the banning of rubber bullets. To focus your efforts locally, find Seattle-based petitions (like ending the relationship between SPD and SPS) here.
- E-mail your reps. Here’s a list of causes to consider supporting and the relevant contact information at both the federal level and locally. At the very least, know who your reps are and what they stand for/support.
- Use your airline or credit card points to donate to JustGiving and select charities that support Black causes like the Innocence Project, BLM, or the NAACP.
- Register to vote.
- Have a difficult conversation with friends or family. Share your perspective and really listen. Don’t expect change to come about immediately. Those conversations can have an added layer of complexity when going across cross-cultural lines; seek out culturally responsive materials like this for Latinx families or this for Asian families to support these conversations.
- Read, listen, watch, and learn. Here is an extensive list of articles, podcast episodes, books, film and other media dealing with issues of racism. If you’re a parent or guardian, the Seattle Times has a guide for talking to the children in your life about the protests and what’s happening right now. To understand why people are calling for defunding or abolishing the police instead of police reform, read this. (Or watch this roundtable from Trevor Noah. Or if you only have 40 seconds, watch this from John Oliver.)
Our sister site Sounder at Heart has posted a list of their own resources which includes a section on learning about “defunding” vs. “reforming” police departments and the issue of ending qualified immunity from Seattle leaders and own voices.
Be well today, Seattle. We’ll see you all again tomorrow.