Why the Black Lives Matter Movement Needs Your Service
Hi friends, I’m Briona Jenkins. When Shelby asked me if I would be interested in writing for her blog, I was unsure what I should write about. Having been an activist, for most of my life, there were so many things I wanted to discuss. As of late, my work has been solely focused on the Black Lives Matter Movement, getting justice for those who have been murdered by the police and racists, and speaking on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially the trans people of color who are murdered at alarming rates. After bouncing some ideas around, I decided to write a letter to the folks out there aiming to be better allies, specifically White and Non-Black People of Color (POC) supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Graphic created by Rey Joaquin
Dear allies,
Whether you have been on your allyship journey for years or you are just starting out, welcome. First things first, I want to hit you with a hard truth. The Black Lives Matter Movement isn’t about you. Now, please, do not run around, do not get angry, but instead sit with any discomfort or feeling that you need to defend yourself. We have been conditioned to not talk about race, religion, and politics, therefore touching on these topics puts us into fight or flight mode. I am asking that you just sit and remember, change happens in the uncomfortable places.
As you begin your journey into allyship, I want to remind you that Black people know how to organize and we should be the ones leading the charge around the Black Lives Matter Movement. Black people have experienced well meaning White people rushing in and trying to teach us how to protest, march, etc. but we just need you to show up and support us.
Over the last few weeks I have had a number of friends and followers reaching out to me saying things from, “I want to learn more, what are some resources that you can recommend,” to “I am so sad. I get it now. I am so sorry this is what you have to deal with.” While your intentions may be in the right place this is VERY damaging. You are asking Black people to make space for your feelings when we do not even have the capacity to deal with our own. Instead, we need you to take your tears, anger, sorrow, annoyance, etc. and use your privilege and access for good. Show up and shield us from police violence and the agitators who are coming in to undermine the work we are trying to do.
Things I would like Non-Black allies to stop doing:
Centering yourself - If you mess up, move on. Black people do not want to hear how hard it is for you to get it right or to be an ally. We do not want to hear how sad you are or how shocked you are. You have had the privilege of waking up to this whereas we have been dealing with this for centuries. Your feelings are valid but you do not get to unpack them with us.
Letting the news criminalize murdered Black people - whenever a Black person is murdered by the police, we quickly see how vilified the victim is. This can range from “He left a job too quickly,” or “How were they behaving” to “Well she shouldn’t have been wearing/carrying that.” STOP VICTIM BLAMING MURDERED PEOPLE.
Asking Black people to send you resources or make space for your emotions - If you can Google and find the nearest coffee shop, you can search “how to not be racist” or “how to be a good ally” -- or you can read the hundreds of thousands of books that have been written.
Ignoring (micro) aggressions and racist comments - When you are at work or at a bar and see White people treating Black people terribly, step in. An example: “You are so articulate.” or “You are so pretty for a Black girl.” Note: I do not like the term “micro” in front of aggressions. For me, the term “micro” diminishes the impact that the actions have on Black people. An aggression is an aggression no matter what size it is.
Telling Black people that you are shocked, disgusted, or that you have been an ally for x amount of years, etc. - This is centering your experience and is honestly a slap in the face. I have had friends say this to me and I am shocked to learn that our friendship over the last x numbers of years clearly meant nothing to you if you only value the lives of Black people you know.
Negating the experiences of Black people - I once found an article outlining how Black people are fired due to the way we style and wear our hair. I reposted the article and a White person commented, “I have never seen this happen, how do you know it’s true?” There are so many examples of how Black hair is often seen as unprofessional, or a distraction, and has led to Black people being fired from their jobs because of it. Google “Black people fired from their jobs due to hair.”
Performative allyship - If you haven’t made a statement on BLM or the recent events going on just know that no response IS a response and your loved ones and followers are watching you. For those of you who have made a statement, please make sure you are posting because you support Black Lives Matter and are doing the work to dismantle systematic racism and helping to make sure that Black Lives are saved not just so you can get the social / clout credit.
Saying Black Lives Matter, but not having any Black people in your friend groups - I am NOT saying to tokenize Black people or go and check off a box about having a Black friend, but if you do not have a Black person that comes to mind when you think of Black Lives Matter, I would encourage you to think about why that is. Diversify your friend group.
Telling people how to protest - I have been seeing a lot of comments about the “looters” and “they should protest more peacefully,” and this is not okay. For generations Black people have protested, boycotted, marched, done sit-ins, took a knee and no matter how “peaceful” we were, we were constantly met with how we should properly do something and this generation is sick of it. In the words of John F. Kennedy, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
Stating that you are against looting but supportive of protests - I have seen a lot of comments about looting. The narrative that protestors are causing destruction is such a closed-minded and privileged way of looking at this. Let’s not forget that states have been closed down, in response to COVID-19, and while some of us received $1,200 checks, large companies received astronomical amounts of money. Those who are looting are getting things like diapers, food, and necessities they need in order to survive. Folks have been out of work and while $1,200 may seem like a lot that could mean some people are choosing between paying their rent or feeding their families.
Showing up ONLY when it’s convenient - Attending protests is not enough. Showing up means you must educate yourself; listen to podcasts, read books, attend seminars, etc. Talk to your people. If you have family members, friends, coworkers, etc. who make racist comments or perpetuate the false narratives around stereotypes, call them out. You can’t let that stuff slide.
Things I would like Non-Black allies to start doing:
Sit with your White privilege - Reflect on all the times you have benefited from being white. This can range from people not crossing the street when you are walking on the same side as them to you being able to find your shade of nude in everything you need.
Look at your life - If you have been able to borrow looks, phrases, etc from the Black community and no one ever stereotyped you because of it, that is privilege. Here are a few examples:
White folks who have had dreadlocks or braids and no one said your hair was dirty, unprofessional, or not classy.
White folks who have been on public assistance and no one ever calls them a welfare queen or lazy.
White folks who have features deemed as Black features (big lips, big butts, etc) and being praised for it but Black folks being stereotyped or sexualized for them.
If you use phrases such as “Yas”, “Shade”, “The Tea” - these all originated in Black Queer, Trans, and Ballroom scenes. Know this, and give credit where it’s due.
Research how our language deems “black” as bad - Some examples:
Angel’s Food Cake Vs. Devil’s Food Cake, black balled, black listed, black mailed, the dark arts, etc.
Philly Mag has a whole article on how to spot a racist word.
You can also read Understanding Social Problems by Linda A. Mooney, Ph.D./David Knox, Ph.D./Caroline Schacht, M.A. for a deeper dive.
Go to protests and marches - Physically put your bodies in the way of Black people who may be targeted by the police at these events. Let Black people organize and lead and you show up and support. This does not mean you should center yourself at protests.
Have conversations with the people in your life - Cancel culture has run rampant and we have been conditioned to stop talking to or ex-communicate from the people who do not believe the same things that we do. This is not helpful. I cannot get to your people the way you can. Show up. Stay put (as long as you are safe) and have these conversations. It is not your job to fully convince them, but to listen and be listened to.
Do the work to educate yourself - Use Google. Use Instagram. Watch a movie. Use anything but asking Black people to do the emotional labor for you unless you are talking to a Black person whose job is to talk about this or who has already created the resource. Every streaming service has a “Black Lives Matter” catalogue right now.
Donate to organizations that help with racial equity, in particular, black organizations - I suggest the NAACP, Black Lives Matter, The Loveland Foundation, Black Trans Conference, and the ACLU. You can also Google “Black led organizations near me.”
Pay Black people - Artists, photographers, designers, presenters, hosts, etc. Black people are constantly underpaid or expected to do / give things away for free.
Share resources and credit the people who created them - Self explanatory, White people have been taking credit for things created by Black people for centuries. The most recent example I can think of is when dancer Jalaiah Harmon created a dance that went viral on TikTok and was done by countless people — White social media influencers got paid while never crediting Jalaiah.
Vote - Research who your local and state officials in positions of power. If they are not aligned with your wants for your community, vote them out.
Talk about injustices all the time not just when one of us is killed - This is a movement, not a moment.
Research the school to prison pipeline, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, the effects COVID is having on the Black community, the History of Black Wall Street, etc. - Look into how Black people have been oppressed for the last 450 years. I love this short YouTube.
Listen to me - You can find my conversations on Black Lives Matter, race, and much more here.
As you continue to learn and have these conversations, remember that it’s not something you are going to complete overnight. This is a movement and I do not want activists and allies to get burned out within the first mile of this marathon. Continue to educate yourself, talk to your circles, donate to Black led organizations, individuals, and causes you support, and create real change in the world. You are not going to be perfect, so remember to have grace for yourself and others, and center the voices of the Black people you are trying to support. I hope that you will find this resource useful and that it will cause you to do some thinking of how you can be a better ally to all marginalized communities.
Briona Jenkins
@brionajenkins
brionajenkins.com
