The brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd by a group of police officers in Minneapolis should disgust every American citizen. The fact that the death was directly caused by a white officer kneeling on a black man’s neck is symbolic of the history of racial oppression and disenfranchisement that the black community has lived with since the founding days of this country. The tone deaf leadership in our government has actively made the situation worse by fanning the flames of outrage and resentment that turned protests into riots.
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Design cannot claim to be the most important subject at this moment, but we hope that it has a strong presence in this movement. As Van Jones noted after the arrest of a CNN reporter just days ago, “look in the mirror at how you choke off opportunity”. The design industry is not innocent when it comes to limiting opportunities for black and brown people. At Core77 we want to acknowledge our place in this system and the fact that we need to improve. We are committed to supporting the black design community and listening so our platform can be better used to amplify your voices. In addition to donating to some of the organizations we’ve listed below, Core77 is working on ways to contribute to this movement, are open to any feedback from our audience, and are a platform available to any BIPOC designers with an important message to spread.
If anyone from our audience has thoughts as to how our organization can improve, please feel free to reach out at [email protected] or via our social channels @core77—we’d love to get your feedback and even hear your ideas for stories or efforts we ought to highlight via our platform.
Where to Donate
We ask that you divert any time you would’ve spent reading our site this week to instead reading about what is going on in the streets, and learning how you can better support BLM and the black community/your community. Here are some resources we recommend:
Creative Reaction Lab
Founded by designer Antionette Carroll, Creative Reaction Lab was founded in response to the Uprising in Ferguson. The 501c3 non-profit is “building a youth-led, community-centered movement of a new type of Civic Leader: Redesigners for Justice.”
Reclaim the Block
Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety.
Campaign Zero
Campaign Zero is “a comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America”—donations help to support the team’s ongoing work.
National Bailout— Free Black Mamas
The National Bail Out Collective are working to bail out as many incarcerated black mothers as possible in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. (words by NAACP LDF)
Brooklyn Bail Fund
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund is committed to challenging the racism, inequality, and injustice of a criminal legal system and immigration and deportation regime that disproportionately target and harm low-income communities of color. Since 2018, BCBF’s New York Immigration Freedom Fund program has paid over $3 million in immigration bond to secure the freedom of more than 400 immigrant New Yorkers from ICE detention and reunite them with their families and communities (words by Brooklyn Bail Fund).
Black Futures Lab
“There are three ways that Black Futures Lab is a different kind of project for change: our mission to engage Black voters year-round; our commitment to use our political strength to stop corporate influences from creeping into progressive policies; and our plan to combine technology and traditional organizing methods to reach Black people anywhere and everywhere we are.” (words by Black Futures Lab)
Equality for Flatbush
This Brooklyn-based organization is currently running a GoFundMe, building an emergency fund for Brooklynites in need of groceries during the COVID pandemic.
Emergency Release Fund
The mission of the Emergency Release Fund is to ensure that no trans person at risk in New York City jails remains in detention before trial. If cash bail is set for a trans person in New York City and no bars to release are in place, bail will be paid by the Emergency Release Fund. (words by Emergency Release Fund)
Organizations Benefitting Black Americans
A comprehensive list to explore that tackle issues of racial equality in a number of ways, whether it’s educating young black girls in web development and coding or city mutual aid networks.
A List of Community Bail Funds
Want to contribute to bail funds for protestors in your state? Check out this list.
Additional Resources
How to Be Actively Antiracist (via @goodgoodgoodco)
Know Your Rights as a Protestor (via ACLU)
10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship (via @mireillecharper)
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Black Owned Businesses to Support in New York City (via @kumeda.design)
How to Protest Safely During a Pandemic (via VICE)
Transform Allyship Into Action: A Toolkit for Non-Black People (via Social Justice in Medicine Coalition at USC)
A Comprehensive Guide for Protestors (via Black Lives Matters)
An Incomplete List of Resources for the Equity Centered Designer (via Creative Reaction Lab)
We will continue to add to this list of resources as we find them
Source: core77