(c) Jalani Morgan: Untitled, Toronto
My brain is brimful with emotion right now. Anger. Hurt. Weariness. Scepticism. Optimism (light). Passion, also. The assault on Black bodies, minds and our collective spirit has gone on unchallenged at best and celebrated at worst, for centuries. It’s so entrenched and systemic that at this point, it’s not a bug - it’s a feature, as Twitter is wont to say. Still, I hold on to an inkling of hope that this moment in time will bring about a scintilla of change. It feels larger, somehow. Too much has happened in the past few years alone. But I also know history is a coiled mess rather than the neat line we imagine it to follow. Time alone will tell. When the world seems to be spinning out from under you, it can help to get really practical. Which is why we at KNOTORYUS are serving you a non-exhaustive list of projects to donate to, people to follow, sources to read up on in order to carry this momentum further than the first Tuesday in June. Channel all those conflicting emotions. Read until you find the words that seemed to elude you before. Or put your money where your mouth was planted, ‘ally’. Pass it on. Call it out. Pull up.
WHERE TO DONATE (INTERNATIONAL)
HOW TO DONATE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES
WHERE TO DONATE (BELGIUM)
Go to this Google Doc for an extended list of local donation resources
Support the petition to remove Leopold II statues in Belgium
WHAT TO READ
Anti-Racist Resources Google Doc
Patia’s Fantasy World Master List Google Doc
Black Lives Matter Resources
“In Defense of Looting” by Vicky Osterweil
“A Mask and a Target Cart: Minneapolis Riots” by Aren Aizura
Reformist Reforms vs. Abolitionist Steps in Policing via Critical Resistance
“Black Riot” by Raven Rakia
“This Is What You Get” by Ashley Reese
“Is Prison Necessary? Ruth Wilson Gilmore Might Change Your Mind” by Rachel Kushner
The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale
Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada From Slavery to The Present by Robyn Maynard
How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct by Palika Makam
How to Protest Safely in The Age of Surveillance by Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman
WHO TO FOLLOW
This list was compiled with the additional help of sourcing provided by Black Lives Matter, Uwi Van Hauwermeiren, Sweet Mutuals, Patia, Janet Mock, An-Josefien Falelavaki, Noor, SELF & SSENSE. If you have any further recommendations, feel free to share them in the comments.
Top image: (c) Jalani Morgan: Untitled, Toronto
