Dearest HPFT community,

As you might be aware, police brutality is a huge issue in the United States. Recently, there have been a series of killings where white police officers have killed Black people--including one recent incident where a white police officer in Minneapolis pinned George Floyd, a Black man, down in broad daylight and knelt on his neck for eight minutes, even while he pleaded for his life. All of these incidents (which are part of a much longer history of state-sanctioned violence) illustrate how racism is deeply embedded within the structure of our nation. If you'd like to learn more, here are some useful resources:

• This explainer from Vox (or listen to the episode of the Today Explained)
• Good context from The Marshall Project about the Minneapolis criminal justice system
• And let’s not forget that there was another instance of lynching in broad daylight literally a few weeks ago (Rest in power, Ahmaud Arbery).
• Check out the Wikipedia pages about the shootings of Philando Castile and Jamar Clark. In particular, the sections about the legal fallout. This context matters.

And here are some general resources on anti-racism:

• Ava DuVernay's The 13th, a documentary about mass incarceration, or When They See Us, a mini-series about the Central Park 5, a tragic case where five black teens where wrongly incarcerated (both streaming on Netflix) [would highly recommend anything by Ava DuVernay]
• The 1619 Project
• Anti-racism resources
• Read White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh [short essay]

I am organizing an anti-police brutality fundraiser (like the wildfires fundraiser in January).

Here are some places to donate (note: not every organization accepts international donations; I demarcated those that do with an asterisk, though I didn't have time to check every org).

• Black Visions Collective*
• Reclaim the Block* (donate to one of the orgs in this list instead!)
• Official George Floyd Memorial Fund on GoFundMe*
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Black Lives Matter
• Communities Against Police Brutality* (local to Twin Cities!)
• Northstar Health Collectives (local to Twin Cities!)
• National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
• Southern Poverty Law Center*
• Black Youth Project 100
• Color of Change
• The Sentencing Project
• I Run With Maud (GoFundeMe for Ahmaud Arbery)

If you're international and can't donate to these orgs, I encourage you to find organizations in your local communities; racism is an international issue. If you find other orgs within the US, let me know and I can add them to the list.

other ways to get involved

I recognize that it may be difficult to donate during this time due to the effects of COVID-19. Here are other ways to get involved; I encourage you to still take action. And if you can donate: still take action! Charity is only the first step; the second step is solidarity, or continued and sustained efforts to support and stand beside BBIPOC.

• Sign this petition: Change.org - Justice for George Floyd
• Sign this petition: Color For Change - #JusticeForFloyd
• Google whether your local police dept outfits all on-duty police officers with body cams and write to your city/town govt rep and police chief to demand that body cams be turned on immediately when police officers respond to a call.
• Google whether your city employs evidence-based police de-escalation trainings
• Contact your local public school district to see how they are addressing racial inequity and the school-to-prison pipeline and demand more mental health services for Communities of Color
• Like/Follow local racial justice organizations on social media; try to attend a (virtual) chapter meeting
• Attend/keep up with your local city council meetings
• Demand antiracism training at your job, school, place of worship, and any other community organization
• Know Your Rights and share this information with family, friends, coworkers, etc.
• Buy from BBIPOC (Black, Brown, and Indigenous People of Color) owned businesses
• Support BBIPOC artists
• Common Cause: Americans can find all levels of their elected officials by address
  • Campaign Zero has resources for identifying your reps’ positions on police brutality and how to engage them
  • When contacting representatives, demand all non-violent incarcerated persons be free from prisons--epicenters of covid-19 outbreaks

Here are the list of offers being made in exchange for donations. If you want to offer something, let me know and I'll add you to this list!

• @sibilant - offering reviews, writing, or poems for any amount donated or any action taken [preference for reviews]
• @kuusi palaa [formerly Chemical_Pixie] - offering reviews, writing, or poems for any amount donated
• @Noelle Zingarella - offering reviews or one-shots for any amount donated
• @RonsGirlFriday - offering drabbles or one-shots [2 reviews per $5, one-shot for any amount]
• @magemadi - offering reviews for picspams for any amount donated
• @Bunbury - offering reviews for microfics for any amount donated
• @juls - offering reviews for any amount donated
• @MuggleMaybe - offering picspams or black-out poems for donations of $10 or more, or contacting your elected officials
• @crowsb4bros - offering full-sized story blends or picspams for any action taken or any amount donated
• @grumpy cat - offering any type of graphic for any amount donated
• @beyond the rain - offering any type of graphic or writing for any amount donated
• @sunshine_locks - offering reviews, writing, or aesthetics/moodboards/picspams for any amount donated

If you donate: please comment below with a screenshot of your donation receipt (hide any private information!). I will add your donation to this spreadsheet to keep track of the site's running total.

Thank you everyone