Dear white friends, subbies, and clients:
Maybe you have the day off today for the first nationally recognized Juneteenth paid holiday, maybe you didn’t...but either way, let's take some time today AND EVERY DAY to send money to Black people. Support Black-owned businesses, artists, performers, and content creators. I know a lot of folks like to donate to Black-led organizations, and I do that too, but I also think there is so much power in mutual aid and just simply sending money to individuals directly.
You already know that Black people forcibly built this country. Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of slavery and that emancipation for some enslaved people was delayed (the emancipation proclamation was signed Jan. 1st 1863 - but didn't come for many parts of the confederacy until June 19th, 1865). Slavery ended but has since been codified and legalized under the 13th amendment.
Juneteenth is a celebration for Black folks and a call to REFLECT AND ACT for white folks. We know that the systemic racism and oppression of Black people in the country is alive and well, and generational wealth and power are still in the hands of white people.
I've had more opportunities, income, access, and stability because I am white. I believe deeply in reparations and that this starts with us individually. If you do not have money to send, share and uplift the voices, content, and creations of Black people in your community. Our debt is overdue.
I've posted some ideas here of where to start. Please add more ideas in the comments friends, thank you:
GIVE MONEY is #1
This thread has a bunch of pay handles for artists, activists, sex educators, and content creators so you can just randomly choose someone and send money. Do it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce_uqslOhGO/
Portland Black-owned Business Directory: https://mercatuspdx.com/directory/black-owned-businesses/
Black-owned restaurants in Portland: https://www.travelportland.com/culture/black-owned-restaurants-week/ & https://iloveblackfood.com/pdx-directory/
Black Trans Travel Fund: https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/donate
Donate to GoFundMe's for community support, find these on # blackmutualaid on twitter or # blackcrowdfund
Donate to bail funds: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Buy books by Black authors: https://twitter.com/black_authors. Educate yourself.
Make your events free to BIPOC folks, or offer discounts to Black people in your business. My monthly party entrance fee is waived for BIPOC folks - they can reach out for a spot on the guest list or mention this policy at the door for free entry.
Hire & platform Black performers, artists, web designers, illustrators, musicians, DJs, bookkeepers, tax preparers, whatever service-based business you use. If everyone you pay in your business is white, change that.
But seriously, GIVE MONEY is #1.
Also, it is ON YOU wherever you work or whatever organization you are in, to push for more Black and BIPOC people in power at your workplaces - you likely have access to mostly white spaces, are you asking/pushing your colleagues at your worksplaces/orgs to donate, fundraise, hire, promote and platform Black folks? Do you point out when things are not inclusive in these spaces? Do you platform and give space to Black voices?
We need to do better, folk. This is not on Black people to fix or speak out about. It is on us. Start today. This debt is horribly OVERDUE in this country. Do it now.
If you reach out to me to show me that you’ve donated money for Juneteenth, at least $150 dollars, I will give you an extra half hour of session time for our next session. I value people who give, who donate, who engage in mutual aid.