Resources to Help Demand Justice for George Floyd

His name was George Floyd.

Floyd’s life was brought to an end after an encounter with the Minneapolis Police on May 25. Former officer Derek Chauvin was captured on video, kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, with Floyd pleading “I can’t breathe.” The actions of Chauvin, as well as the other officers, ultimately killed Floyd.

We cannot normalize these tragedies. We as a society need to take action and demand justice.

This is an important conversation that must be had amongst all communities.

While it can feel like an overwhelming time, and many people are questioning what they can do to demand justice, we put together a list of resources and helpful tools to help you work toward creating change.

Make a donation

George Floyd’s Family Go Fund Me: these funds will be used to cover funeral and burial costs, counseling services, legal fees and continued care for his children.

Find a bailout fund in your community: to donate to bail out protestors.

Black Visions Collective: since 2017, Black Visions Collective, has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota.

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.

Lehigh University junior Ella Fabozzi is selling stickers she designed, and donating all proceeds to Reclaim The Block.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: 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.

Communities United Against Police Brutality: which operates a crisis hotline where people can report abuse; offers legal, medical, and psychological resource referrals; and engages in political action against police brutality.

Your local Black Lives Matter Chapter, which can be found here.

Take action

Think about the different steps you can take toward demanding justice.

While posting on social media is a starting point, and an effective way to spread resources and tools, think about where you can go from there. When posting on social media, be aware of what you are posting and ensure that all information is accurate. As you show your support on social media, be mindful that you do not post photos of protestors where they are easily identifiable to avoid putting them at unnecessary harm.

Signing a petition is a great first step. If you have not already done so, you can text “FLOYD” to 55156 or click here.

Another petition, Justice for George Floyd, is working towards reaching the attention of Mayor Jacob Frey and DA Mike Freeman to encourage charges to be filed against the three other officers involved. You can sign here.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is screen-shot-2020-05-31-at-7.24.44-pm.png — Credit: @weredefy on Instagram

You can donate your time by contacting state and local leaders such as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to demand justice for George Floyd.

Call District Attorney Mike Freeman at (612) 348-5550 to demand the officers involved be charged with murder.

(612) 324-4499 is a hotline to guide you through contacting those who can arrest the officers who killed Floyd.

With elections coming up, familiarize yourself with the stance of the candidates on your ballot to ensure you are voting for those you believe will encourage change.

If possible, attend a protest. You can click here to see if there is a Black Lives Matter chapter near you, to be in the know about upcoming events.

With the coronavirus pandemic as an additional factor, it is more important than ever to ensure self-protection if you choose to attend a protest.

ELLE Magazine shares their tips on how to safely protest during a pandemic. WIRED shares how to protest in the age of surveillance.

Refresh yourself on your right to protest before attending by clicking here.

Take time to educate yourself

A few ways to spark a conversation and educate yourself are through reading books by black authors, watching movies and documentaries about black history and reading articles about contemporary race relations.

This is the time to engage in an open dialogue with your friends, family members and classmates.