10 Ways Non-Black Latinas Can Be Allies to Black Americans

The senseless killing of George Floyd is yet another indication that institutional racism is deeply rooted in our country. In situations like this, inaction is cruelty. We non-Black Latinas can’t be silent and passive right now—it’s our moral responsibility to help combat anti-Blackness in any way we can (including in the Latinx community).

Here are 10 ways that we can actively support the Black Lives Matter movement and demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all other Black Americans who have been murdered for the color of their skin. When the protests die down, don’t think that our work is done; police brutality and violent acts of racism will continue to be widespread issues until the system is completely revolutionized. Being an ally to our Black brothers and sisters is something we need to do every day, not just when everybody’s talking about it.

1. Donate to the cause

In the past week, thousands of people seeking justice for George Floyd and other Black lives have contributed to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which is working to bail out protestors who have been arrested (and, as an endgame, to abolish the bail system altogether, which you can read more about here). The MFF is an important organization playing a vital role in the community, but the leaders of the organization themselves have stated that they are inundated with donations and are now encouraging people to direct their money elsewhere.

Here are some campaigns and nonprofits that could use your help. Remember that every penny counts; even if you are not able to make a large donation, please consider giving whatever you can.

Reclaim the Block

Reclaim the Block is a grassroots organization calling on the City of Minneapolis “to invest in violence prevention, housing, resources for youth, emergency mental health response teams, and solutions to the opioid crisis—not more police.”

The Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc.

This foundation aims to “connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities,” as stated on their website. Donations fuel their campaigns to “end state-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy forever.”

The NAACP

The NAACP chapter of Minneapolis is organizing on Twitter to give protestors rides home, administer first-aid help to protestors, and protect Black heritage sites from destruction. Donate here.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund

This legal defense fund is fighting “to protect voting rights, reform our criminal justice system, achieve education equity, and ensure economic justice for all.”

The National Police Accountability Project

This is a nonprofit created “to protect the human and civil rights of individuals in their encounters with law enforcement and detention facility personnel.”

The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund

This fund has been established by Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, to take care of expenses related to Floyd’s funeral and burial, grief counseling for the Floyd family, and lodging and travel for all court proceedings; “a portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.”

Here is a Google doc of bail funds, organized by city. The document also contains a list of resources for legal help. (This doc was originally shared with me by Latina Women at Yale; I did not compile it myself, nor do I know who did.)

There’s also an easy way to donate without giving money: you can stream this video, a showcase of Black art curated by Zoe Amira, who will donate 100% of the video’s ad revenue to support “bail funds” and “family funerals.”

2. Sign petitions

All four officers involved in the murder of George Floyd have been charged, but countless other Black Americans have been unjustly killed—and their murderers are still walking free. It’s necessary that we speak up for them as well.

To demand justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was shot in her home when Louisville police officers entered without a warrant and began firing:

Sign this “Justice for Breonna Taylor” petition on change.org.

Sign this petition on moveon.org.

Sign this petition on justiceforbreonna.org.

Text “ENOUGH” to 55156.

To demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was shot by a white father and son while taking a morning jog in Glynn County, Georgia:

Sign this “Justice for Ahmaud Arbery” petition and this petition for the “Disbarment of George E. Barnhill” (the prosecutor who sat on Arbery’s case) on change.org.

To demand justice for Tamir Rice, a 12-year old Black boy who was shot by a Cleveland police officer while playing with a toy gun in a park:

Sign these two “Justice for Tamir Rice” petitions on change.org.

Remember that these petitions only represent a fraction of the Black lives lost to police brutality. For more links to petitions, check out this Google doc created by Twitter user @marylewis370, as well as this webpage created by Twitter user @dehyedration.

3. Phonebank

To see that the Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor are held accountable, call these numbers and leave a message demanding that they are charged:

The office of Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer: 502-574-2003

The office of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear: 502-564-2611

The office of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron: 502-696-5300

LMPD Chief Steve Conrad: 502-574-7660

Should an incident of police brutality ever occur in your community, call your local officials and demand that they charge all officers involved.

4. Protest

Protest has historically been a powerful way to oppose state-sanctioned violence. If you choose to participate in a protest, remember to take certain precautions—and be aware that you are walking into a dangerous situation. As countless videos have shown, protests all over America are being interrupted by police shoving back crowds, spraying tear gas, and firing rubber bullets—and many officers won’t care if you’re peaceful.

Wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer, given the pandemic. Cover your eyes with goggles. Don’t wear contact lenses or eye makeup—if you’re sprayed with tear gas, these will only worsen and prolong the pain, as this article from The Cut explains. Carry Band-Aids and other first aid supplies. Write emergency contacts onto your skin in Sharpie. Take methods to protect yourself against digital surveillance; check out this Wired article for more detailed info.

And do not loot. As a non-Black protestor, your job is to peacefully make your stance known and, if possible, defend Black protestors being antagonized by police—not to partake in actions that could be unjustly blamed upon Black protestors. Show up to speak up and support—that’s it.

5. Don’t just spread awareness—share useful information

Social media can be a good way to bring awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement and the issue of police brutality—but make sure that your contributions to the ongoing conversation are useful. Before sharing something to your Insta story, ask yourself, “Am I posting this just to let people know I’m on ‘the right side of history,’ or will this help educate people and encourage them to take action?” Instead of simply posting hashtags and slogans, share links to funds and petitions, like the ones listed above; circulate educational resources created by Black Americans, as well. If you see incorrect or inaccurate information online, let the poster know. And while you’re at it, don’t share the video of George Floyd’s death. As many Black activists have explained, we don’t need to repost the upsetting and traumatic footage to declare that it was a crime. Don’t post photos or videos that show protestors’ faces, either; doing so could put them in danger.

6. Don’t use the N-word, ever

The N-word has a history rooted in the callous institution of American slavery. Our ancestors never suffered under that system of oppression; therefore, the word is not ours to claim. We can’t say it, we can’t type it, and we can’t sing along to it in songs.

Unfortunately, quite a few celebrity Latinas have believed that they were justified in using the N-word. J-Lo sang it in “I’m Real”; Gina Rodriguez rapped it in an Instagram video. Instead of normalizing such incidents, we need to do better. It doesn’t matter what your “intent” is; it doesn’t matter if you “grew up around people who said it.” The N-word does not belong to us; to use it is profoundly disrespectful to Black Americans and dismissive of their trauma.

7. Don’t use these expressions, either

This should be common knowledge by now, but saying “All Lives Matter” instead of “Black Lives Matter” misses the point. Of course all lives matter, but the saying “Black Lives Matter” was invented to specifically address the problem of police brutality against Black Americans—and that’s what we’re talking about right now. If you’re afraid to proclaim “Black Lives Matter” without reservation, ask yourself why that is and take a hard look at your internalized biases. Here is a Vox article that explains the issue in nine different ways.

“We are all one race—the human race” might be well-intentioned, but it ignores the fact that people from different races are treated differently on a regular basis. While it is true that we should all stand in solidarity, pretending that race does not affect people’s life experiences is not only naive, but deeply hurtful.

8. Speak out against racism and colorism in the Latinx community

Unfortunately, anti-Blackness and colorism have existed among Latinx people for ages. In some ways, this is manifested quietly—for example, the majority of actresses who appear on telenovelas have fair hair, pale skin, and European features. In other ways, it’s easier to spot—ignorant or rude remarks about dark skin or Black people. And in other cases, Latinos have committed straight-up atrocities. Let’s not forget that George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who killed Trayvon Martin, was Latino. So was Jeronimo Yanez, the police officer who killed Philando Castile. We can’t pretend that our community is free of prejudice when these blatant examples of anti-Black violence are staring us in the face.

Recognize any implicit biases you might have. Call out anti-Blackness and colorism in your Latinx peers when you see it. And use resources like this Teen Vogue article and this Remezcla article to learn more about the issue.

9. Recognize privilege where it exists

Non-black Latinx have experienced racism and xenophobia, but we don’t know what it’s like to experience anti-Blackness. Prejudice isn’t a blanket concept; it affects people of different cultures differently, meaning that it affects Black people differently than it affects non-black Latinx. Understand that the system doesn’t discriminate against Latinas in the exact way it discriminates against Black people—especially not light-skinned Latinas. Listen to and learn from the experiences of Black Americans instead of assuming that you know everything there is to know about the many insidious forms racism takes in America.

10. Don’t hijack the conversation—stand together, united in solidarity and love

If your response to the Black Lives Matter protests is, “But what about Latino lives?”, you’re getting it wrong. Comparing situations will not lead to a more just world; it will only take attention away from the calls for justice for brutally murdered Black Americans. While yes, it’s important to speak up about the institutional issues that affect Latinos on an everyday basis, don’t ever interrupt conversations about Black lives to do so. All oppression deserves our outrage. If we create division by asking, “Hey, what about us?”, not only are we being incredibly insensitive; we are also hurting the cause of all those who aim to dismantle the deeply rooted racism in this nation.

Black protestors have stood with Latinos time and again—we need to stand with them now and always. We can only pave the way for a better society through solidarity—uplifting each other unconditionally, now and always.

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