Go Left’s Values, What We Stand For and Resources For You…
At Go Left News, equality and diversity are very important–both to us and our readers. As Progressives, we are part of the fight for social justice. We believe that as one species, human beings, it’s well past the time in our society that we no longer judge one another based on race or class. On the other hand, it’s painfully obvious how far away we are from that fully “woke” society.
Things often get worse right before they get better, so we use that optimism to muddle through the difficult times we face right now. Racism seems to be on the rise, but Donald Trump simply allowed racism to come out of the dark and into the light-unashamed-for all to see. When people were hiding their bigotry, the public only saw the more extreme aspects of it in our society. Now, anyone feeling hatred for the “other” feels empowered to express that hatred without accountability. We, the majority, need to band together and fight back! (figuratively)
Systemic racism has also become more obvious. As disheartening as that is, people that have never believed in such a thing can no longer deny it when it’s in their face, on the news, and fiercely protested in public; they can only pretend not to see it.
The Republican party and their base have been on a rampage, banning any books that teach, or simply mention, diversity, equality, and inclusion. Even further, they’ve banned books about anyone and anything that isn’t white, straight, middle class, and Christian. As a news source, we put these stunts on full display so all of us can be aware and protest against them.
The minority in the USA is currently bullying the majority using fear, anger, lies, and violence. Fox News spreads hatred and fear of the other 24/7. Domestic terrorism is a much bigger threat than anything coming from outside the country. As the majority, we must do everything we can to be LOUDER than they are. Protest BIGGER than they do. Spread LOVE and ACCEPTANCE to combat their hatred. All human beings are worthy of love and deserve respect regardless of race, gender identity, class, political affiliation, or who we choose to love. Full stop.
Now that the sun has set and the rain has abated,
And every porch light
in the neighborhood is lit,
Maybe we can invent something;
I’d like a new
Way of experiencing the world, a way of taking
Into myself the single light
shining at the center
Of all things without losing the dense, eccentric
Planets orbiting around it.
Jay Hopler, “Out of These Wounds, the Moon Will Rise” from Green Squall. Copyright © 2006 by Jay Hopler. Reprinted by permission of Yale University Press.
Source: Green Squall ( Yale University Press)
We Support the Black Lives Matter Movement and Their Initiatives
From the BLM website:
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) is working inside and outside of the system to heal the past, re-imagine the present, and invest in the future of Black lives. We fight through policy change, investment in our communities, and a commitment to uplifting Black arts and culture. One of the most powerful demographics we have in Movement spaces are our young people. Black youth are reimagining our futures and are often at the forefront of much of the on the ground work.
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is launching BLM HBCU. Connecting BLMGNF to the HBCU community with programming, scholarship, and student loan debt reduction opportunities.
https://blacklivesmatter.com/hbcu/
Support BLM and look good doing it!
Visit the official BLM Shop.
How Can I Support the Movement?
No matter where you are in the world, you can support the struggle for Black lives, whether by donating money, attending protests, amplifying Black voices online, or calling out racism when you see it. Below, you’ll find just a few ways you can help right now. This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive list, and we’ll do our best to keep it updated.
1. Support families directly
A number of fundraisers have been created to support Daunte Wright’s family, including his girlfriend and one-year-old son.
Kelly Bryant, Wright’s aunt, created a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs.
The Minneapolis-based business Holistic Heaux has been coordinating donations for Chyna, the mother of Daunte’s son. They’ve listed multiple ways that you can donate directly to her on Instagram.
You can also follow mutual aide pages on Instagram and donate when and what you can directly to families who are suffering from institutional racism, housing insecurity and the Covid-19 pandemic.
2. Donate to causes that need funding
There are tons of worthy organizations bailing out protestors who have been arrested and supporting the wider movement for social justice. Instead of donating every time there’s a tragedy, set up monthly donations so these organizations can continue their work year-round.
Here are some U.S. organizations that you can fund right now to support Black people and help the fight against racism.
American Civil Liberties Union
National Bail Fund Network or local bail funds across the US
National Police Accountability Project
3. Show up to a protest
Throughout history, public protests have been crucial to the visibility and success of civil rights campaigns—from women winning the vote to LGBTQ+ rights.
In solidarity with the ongoing protests in Minneapolis, smaller demonstrations were held in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, and Omaha this week with additional protests planned in Dallas and Atlanta.
4. Exercise your vote
Wherever you are, you can support political movements and parties that are campaigning against racism.
In the U.S., support the fight against a growing number of voter supression bills being passed by state legislators and advocate for mental health intervention instead of police response. You can also use this tool to find and contact your local congressional representative.
In the UK, you can find out your local MP’s record on racial issues using the TheyWorkForYou website. It also offers an easy, free way to contact your MP so you can ask them to take action.
Volunteering to register voters is another great way to support the greater movement.
5. Show solidarity on social media
Social media can be an effective way for people all over the world to show support and raise their friends’ and followers’ awareness of the anti-racist movement, but don’t fall into the practice of performative activism. Feel free to post links to resources or fundraisers, state your support and solidarity, and share anything that you’ve found helpful, but don’t forget to prioritise Black voices and do the hard work of making your world more anti-racist in real life.
6. Educate yourself
If you’re not Black, one of the most important things you can do is to learn something about the situation. Check out the many links being posted on social media about police brutality, racial inequality and historical injustice in the USA, the UK and other countries. As well as speaking out, take some time to listen and absorb the stories and messages coming from the Black community.
(Just one thing: unless they offer, please don’t ask your Black friends or people you follow on social media to spend their time helping you learn about this stuff. There are plenty of resources out there – Google is your friend.)
Think about your own prejudices too – what your emotional responses are to the current protests, and how the ways you’ve learned to behave over the years might affect how you treat the Black people in your life.
Not sure where to start? TimeOut.com asked NYC’s top black-owned bookshops for their anti-racist reading recommendations. If you take up their suggestions then please purchase from them, rather than major retailers. In fact, here are nine more Black-owned bookstores in the USA (and they even state their favorite books by Black authors).
And if you’re in the UK, you can order from these Black-owned bookshops in London, many of whom are making suggestions on social media.
If you’ve got kids, think how you could raise them to be anti-racist: here are four children’s books celebrating racial diversity and inclusion, and here are some tips and resources to help you talk to your kids about race, justice and equality.
7. Send texts and sign petitions
Becoming more politically active can take as little as one minute a day. The ACLU website offers a handful of quick ways to participate on its site as well as some more involved options, like making phone calls or texts on behalf of the organization’s causes.
You can also sign online petitions, like this one demanding justic for Daunte Wright.
8. Support Black creators and business owners
If you want to help people at an individual level, the best way to start is by supporting Black people’s creative and business endeavours. Employ and promote Black people; buy their books, music or films; donate to their Patreon pages; amplify their voices by sharing or retweeting; and patronise their shops, restaurants, cafés or bars.
9. Keep listening and learning
There will always be new ways that you can help. Keep your ears open and let Black people guide your actions.
Read the full article on TimeOut.com.
