"What More Can I Do?": Monetary and Non-Monetary Suggestions

[Originally written June 3, 2020, Imported from my old website on August 8, 2024]

Content warning!

Some of the resources on this page will bring you to that include police brutality, race-based violence, and many other sensitive topics. While I do believe that sometimes it’s necessary to watch and read things outside of our comfort zones, the subject matter on this page can be very heavy.

Please take care and stop or skip whatever you need to. Use your best discretion.

KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING

After what feels like the longest nine days of my life, but definitely not the first days I’ve felt so heavy about this topic, I needed a break from social media.

I’ve spent the majority of my days sharing resources - even sacrificing sleep to do so. I am quickly realizing that I can’t keep directly messaging everyone individually as I have been, despite how much I do want to talk to all of you. I’m no good to anyone as tired as I was last night.

During my “break”, I compiled a list of learning resources for those who want to continue the momentum now and forever, and it’s shareable so you can forward it along to anyone who asks “What more can I do?” too. I understand that since many people have unstable incomes right now as a result of COVID-19 or otherwise, donating money might not be possible.

Do more than watch Hollywood movies that feature Black people as slaves. Do more than support businesses that use Black people for “diversity” while not caring about our humanity.

Amplify Black voices always and don’t let your participation stop here!

Peaceful protests (Ontario)

SAFETY WARNING:

Some protests have recently been deemed unsafe and I urge you to be informed before you commit to being in attendance. I’ve omitted any protests with safety warnings from this list as of June 4th, 2020. Protest statuses are subject to change.

Check here for the most recent updates and further information.

PETERBOROUGH

June 2, 12pm [COMPLETED]


KINGSTON

June 2, 4:30pm [COMPLETED]


KITCHENER-WATERLOO

 June 3, 5pm [COMPLETED]


OAKVILLE

 June 4, 3pm [COMPLETED]


BURLINGTON

June 4, 5pm [COMPLETED]


THUNDER BAY

 June 5, 3pm [COMPLETED]


NIAGARA FALLS

June 6, 12pm-4pm [COMPLETED]

LONDON

 June 6, 3pm [COMPLETED]


MISSISSAUGA

 June 7, 1:30pm [COMPLETED]

OSHAWA

June 7, 2pm [COMPLETED]


SARNIA

June 13, 3pm [COMPLETED]


BRAMPTON

June 17, 4:30pm [COMPLETED]


VAUGHAN

 June 6, 12pm [COMPLETED]

Legal resources

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PROTESTORS:

This is not me providing legal advice as I'm a writer and not a lawyer :) These tips were sourced from this document and its details apply to Canadian protestors, specifically those from Toronto. But be sure to contact a pro before making any legal decisions.

  • ARRESTED at a demo or other police action?

  • REPORTING an arrest?

Call the Law Union of Toronto Movement Defence Committee: 416 833 6137

If you are ARRESTED…

  • You have the right to get ADVICE FROM A LAWYER (and a parent or guardian if you are under 18)

  • You have the right to speak with YOUR LAWYER OF CHOICE, whether that means duty counsel, an MDC lawyer, or private counsel - be aware that the police may consider the first lawyer you speak with to be your lawyer of choice

  • DO NOT answer any questions or give any statements apart from your name, address and date of birth

  • DO NOT sign any release papers, agree to any bail conditions or sign any immigration papers before speaking with a lawyer

  • You are supposed to be taken to court for a BAIL HEARING within 24 hours if not released by the police

  • Be prepared to provide legal support office with contact information for potential SURETIES (people who are able to assist in having you released on bail)

  • If you are asked about your VISA or IMMIGRATION STATUS, or asked to sign something by immigration officials, ask to speak to a lawyer first

  • If you identify as INDIGENOUS, it may benefit you to advise your lawyer or the legal office of this fact

If you are NOT ARRESTED, but the police QUESTION or SEARCH you...

  • You DO NOT have to answer any questions or identify yourself while participating in a demonstration

  • You DO NOT have to allow police to search your belongings; if they insist, state loudly and repeatedly that you are not consenting to a search, but do not physically interfere

  • If they want to STRIP SEARCH you anywhere other than inside a police station after you’ve been arrested, make sure you let them know you do not consent, and inform a lawyer as soon as possible

Please call the arrest line to report all arrests.

For all other inquiries, write them at lawunionmdc@gmail.com

Call the Law Union of Toronto Movement Defence Committee: 416 833 6137

www.movementdefence.org

If you would like a French document along with this one, let them know/Si vous souhaitez un document français avec celui-ci, faites le nous savoir.

Contact information below.

maeesha515@gmail.com / IG: @mani515 (they don’t check email often)

laibah.kaleem@gmail.com / IG: @laibah.k

If you are having trouble messaging them on IG, they advise that you press the three dots on the top right corner and press send message.

Black businesses in Canada

For a very comprehensive database of Canadian Black-owned businesses and services, check out this website: https://www.afrobiz.ca/.

FYI - Kitchener is on this website!

Business categories include:

  • Art/Artists/Art Galleries;

  • Education/Books/Black authors;

  • Business Services and Technology;

  • Black doctors/Health/Fitness;

  • Real Estate/Home Services;

  • Shopping;

  • Community/Faith Centres;

  • Black Hair/Salons/Barbers;

  • Black Media/Events/Entertainment;

  • Restaurants/Bakeries/Grocery;

  • Financial/Legal Services;

  • Travel/Auto

    …and more!

Kitchener-Waterloo BIPOC businesses

What can your support do? Your small acts make a big difference, especially during these unprecedented times. Below are some BIPOC businesses (and their Instagram handles) that are local to Kitchener-Waterloo.

Feel free to mention me when you contact or visit any of the individuals on this list so others can learn about the resources too! Keep up the momentum!

FITNESS

@freedomcyclefit

@juiciyoga

@boxingbysyd

@templ.fitness


PHOTOGRAPHY

@sloane.bphotography

@awynterphotos

@yeabsera.agonfer

@shaqpeaz

@nathanroyy


FASHION

@artisanaldesignco

@jamilakyari

@culturefancier

@littlewolf.co

@loopclothing

@kultrunmarket

@kohlstudio


ARTISTS

@jaredcalder

@lukeswinsonart

@astehtsi_designs

@trishaabe

@piaartstudio

CONSULTANTS

@beer_diversity

@queensuccesscoach


AGENCY

@honest.hustle

@rebelandrhye

@ryanantooa


ENTERTAINMENT

@goodcoprod


INTERIOR DESIGN

@ariumstudio

FOOD

@lenjobakes

@fourallicecream

@cefoodexperience

@blisscreations.kw

Mark’s Caribbean Kitchen

East African Cafe

Afri-Can Market

House of Patties

The Caribbean Kitchen

Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine

Ellison’s Bistro

@mybfisgf

@woodenboatfood

@zerowastebulk

@unitybaking

@matteroftaste_catering

@tasteofseoulkw

@iznadonburi

@kinkakuizakaya

@pupuserialkw

@kensushihouse

Banh Mi Givral Deli & Subs

Guanaquita Restaurant

Korean BBQ Restaurant

Mi Tienda Latina Food Store

Naranj Middle Eastern Restaurant

Queen Shawarma & Kabab

Yurub Restaurant Somali Cuisine

Northern Thai

Pho Dau Bo

Pho DNK

Pho Vietnam K&W

Sahar’s Kitchen

Variedad Latina

Yo Sushi

Credit: @inspiroue on Instagram - thank you for compiling a large portion of this local list!

Formal learning resources

CLICKABLE LINKS

Instagram Resources

Black Revolutionary Texts - @alijahwebb on Instagram

10 Books About Race To Read Instead Of Asking A Person Of Color To Explain Things To You

A Theory of African American Offending

Anti-racism Resources for White People

Toronto Public Library’s Black Lives Matter Movement Selection

Ways to Help

Facebook Page: Black Lives Matter Waterloo Region

Article: Obama Praises Protesters, Tells Young Black People "Your Lives Matter"

https://twitter.com/shawnfoundation/status/1268325296178003969

How the Term 'POC' Erases Black People given in by IG: @heyjoyruby

Toronto Police Budget made by IG: @sara_wylie

Toronto Prisoners Right Project

Montreal Police Budget 2020 - Letter to officials provided by IG: @slow_blink

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present, by Robyn Maynard

A brief history of anti-Black policing in Montreal

The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale (E-Book is FREE)

Police A Field Guide by David Correia and Tyler Wall (E-Book is FREE)

Anti-Racism google doc of different education/ donation links made by IG: @danii_jo, @asasyssas, @deadcelery

History on Indigenous Residential School

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up Documentary

LITERATURE WITH CITATIONS

Condon, F. , & Young, V. A. (Eds.). (2016). Performing Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Writing and Communication. University Press of Colorado and WAC Clearinghouse. Retrieved from https://wac.colostate.edu/books/antiracist/pedagogy.pdf

Crosby, Andrew C., and Jeffrey Monaghan. Policing Indigenous Movements: Dissent and the Security State. Fernwood Publishing, 2018.

Harper, Frances Ellen Watkins, and Koritha Mitchell. Iola Leroy; or, Shadows Uplifted. Broadview Press, 2018.

Larsen, Nella. Passing. Dover, 2004.

Maynard, Robyn. Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present. Fernwood Publishing, 2017.

Ousey, G. C. and Unnever, J. D. (2012), Racial–Ethnic Threat, Out-Group Intolerance, and Support For Punishing Criminals: A Cross-National Study. Criminology, 50: 565–603. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-9125.2012.00275.x

Schuyler, George Samuel. Black No More: Being an Account of the Strange and Wonderful Working of Science in the Land of the Free, A.D. 1933-1940. Dover Publ., 2011.

Stewart, Anthony. Visitor: My Life in Canada. Fernwood Publishing, 2014.

Unnever, James D. (2012) “The Power of One?: Reflections on Agnew’s Integrative Theory of Crime” Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology. Volume 4, August.

Unnever, James D., and Shaun L. Gabbidon. A Theory of African American Offending: Race, Racism, and Crime. Routledge, 2011.

Young, Vershawn Ashanti. Your Average Nigga: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity. Wayne State University Press, 2007.

Email templates

Please only use these for reference. Some email inboxes have filters in place to block spam, so identical emails may be filtered and not read.

FOR INFLUENCERS:

@kirstyleanneuk, @georginagrogan_, and @violetglenton on Instagram have created this email template. Their words: “One way in which white content creators can help to [amplify the voices of Black people] is to ensure [they’re] working on diverse campaigns and press trips”. They’ve allowed their audience to use, edit, and adapt this email template to their own style.

Hello,

Thank you for getting in touch, this sounds like a great campaign and I’d love to be involved.

Before we start discussing deliverables and budget, I only take part in campaigns that include Black, POC, disabled, LGBTQ and plus-sized creators and although I imagine this is already the case, I wanted to check if this will be a diverse campaign before we get down to the finer details.

I’m delighted you enjoy my content and hope we align on these values.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks,

TO CONTACT A REPRESENTATIVE TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR A VICTIM:

@nozaknows on Instagram provides the below example as an email template for contacting your elected M.P. about Regis Korchinski-Paquet. You can further adapt this template to suit your needs. I’ll put some contact information below for those who have issues finding a person to address their emails to.

Subject: Justice for Regis Korchinski-Paquet

Hello [name of the individual you’re emailing],

I am a [city of residence] resident contacting you regarding the incident that occurred at 100 High Park Avenue on May 27th, 2020. I am a concerned citizen who would like to express my anger and concern over the death of a 29-year-old Black Indigenous woman, Regis Korchinski-Paquet. I want justice for her death and as a citizen, I demand transparency and accountability as well as the disclosure of as much information as possible to the public that has on all accounts being specified on the SIU webpage.

Best Regards,

[Your Name]

CONTACT & CALL INFO (TORONTO-SPECIFIC):

FIND YOUR ELECTED MP (clickable link)

Twitter (X) threads

New threads are being made constantly, so this is only a starting point. Try searching “threads” or “resources” in Twitter’s search bar.

Children’s books that speak on race and racism

Masterdoc for resources to help Black (trans) women + LGBT+ people as well as protest tips

Threads where you can help donate and sign petitions

Black businesses you can shop with, Black designers, Black organizers, Black trainers, Black Directors, Black Models, ALL BLACK ERRTHANG

Petitions that you can sign

Black artists

Black trans crowdfund links

Black trans and/or disabled people you can donate to

Black trans funds/organizations

What you as a non-black person can do to support #BlackLivesMatter

Things you can do to demand justice for George Floyd

Black-owned beauty

Check out either @blackowned.to and @allegrashaw on Instagram for more Black-owned beauty company suggestions.

SKINCARE/PERSONAL CARE:

HAIRCARE:

Black pop culture

Please understand that this is not a complete list. There is so much Black content already out there, so you may need to do the work on your own to find more.

Credit: @meaganforde on Instagram put together most of this list, and I added additional recommendations based on suggestions from the greatest film bro I know, Evan Lintzeris. At this moment, however, I’m not sure if some of these titles are available exclusively on the U.S. versions of the platforms.

I know you all know how to find movies and shows other places though and while I won’t recommend that you do so, I think many of these recommendations will be easy to locate.

TELEVISION:

  • Insecure (HBO)

  • Chewing Gum (Netflix)

  • A Different World (Prime)

  • A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)

  • Living Single (Prime)

  • Atlanta (Prime)

  • 2 Dope Queens (HBO)

  • Black Lightning (Netflix)

FILM:

  • Do the Right Thing (Prime)

  • Get Out (Prime)

  • She’s Gotta Have It (Netflix)

  • Queen & Slim (Prime)

  • Uncorked (Netflix)

  • Moonlight (Prime)

  • Sorry to Bother you (Prime)

  • Paris is Burning

  • I Am Not Your Negro

  • Blindspotting

  • Fences

  • O.J.: Made in America

  • Tangerine

  • Detroit

  • Dope

PODCASTS (LINKS/NAMES):

1619 (New York Times)

About Race

Code Switch (NPR)

Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw

Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast

Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)

Pod Save the People (Crooked Media)

Seeing White

Why Won’t You Date Me? w/ Nicole Byer

Sooo Many White Guys w/ Phoebe Robinson

Thirst Aid Kit w/ Bim Adewunmi & Nichole Perkins

Adulting w/ Michelle Buteau & Jordan Carlos

The Read w/ Kid Fury & Crissle West

Call Your Girlfriend w/ Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman

Truth Be Told w/ Tonya Mosley

INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS:

@itsmekellieb

@tembae

@nicoleocran

@stephanieyeboah

@wisdm

@enamasiama

@jnaydaily

@akilahh

@chikalogy

@donte.colley

You can also follow me: @maliyahbernard

TWITTER ACCOUNTS:

@evelynwoodsen

@IWriteAllDay_

@hunteryharris

@earringdealer

@jaboukie

@sassyblackdiva

@lilnasx

@simonemariposa

@brokeymcpoverty

You can also follow me: @maliyahbernard

HOMEWORK:

These are hard to watch, but try if possible. All are available on Netflix.

  • When They See Us

  • American Son

  • 13th

  • Fruitvale Station

  • Pose

  • Strong Island

  • Time: The Kalief Browder Story (I highly recommend this one)

BOOKS:

  1. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

  2. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

  3. White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism - Robin DiAngelo

  4. Me and my White Supremacy - Layla Saad

ART & ILLUSTRATION (INSTAGRAM):

List suggested by Instagram User @nattibie.

@minniesmall

@lovewatts (this is one of my favourite Instagram accounts, and they have more accounts including @watts.on and @watts.place)

@atoffany

@alhuart

@kinopia

@kianamai

@nots_27

@abellehayford

@tatyanavogtart

@eat_more_spiders

“I feel like this should go without saying, but it’s okay to be wrong. Being anti-racist is a set of conscious and consistent choices that you make on a daily basis. That comes with a learning curve. However, as you learn from these mistakes it’s important to separate intent from impact.

If your focus is on the former, then you’re making the Black Lives Matter movement about yourself.”

— @meaganforde on Instagram

I know that this is a lot of information.

You’re asking a lot of questions, and you’re receiving lots of answers. You’re being introspective and sometimes it’s hard to face how we’ve contributed to racism. I know that I have and continue to make mistakes sometimes. The important thing is to do the hard work and change for the better.

Please feel free to contact me with more resources at the CTA button below to help this document grow. I will approve comments after fact-checking/exploring legitimacy.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for updates.

Kindly,

Maliyah