I have tried writing my down thoughts so many times now. Nothing I say is quite right. Everything feels wrong because it keeps missing the mark. But there comes a time where you have to let it go and just write.

It has been over a week since George Floyd was murdered. Why has there only been one arrest? Where is the justice? How many people need to take to the streets until the people WE put in power have a conversation with us?

I’m so tired.

But if I’m tired as a privileged white woman, I couldn’t possibly ever imagine how tired Black Americans must feel right now.

I’ve been too quite this last week. Sure, I signed the petitions and donated money. There were even a few retweets, but enough. I might be 4,000 miles away from home, but I will campaign, protest and FIGHT for Black Americans. Let them hide in their bunkers; they never cared about any of us to begin with.

The blog will be back to normal next week, but the world won’t. Please don’t ever let the world ever go back to that “normal” again. Please help the fight.

It will be all to easy for white people to get bored and move on. But for Black people and other people of colour, they can’t just “move on” from the systemic, institutionalised racism in their every day lives. We must actively make changes in our country, not only when a video makes the news.

So while I don’t have any answers, I do know that you can make changes politically using money and your power to vote.

I also encourage non-POC to diversify what they read and watch. Not just today. Not just while people are looking but always. Don’t do it just for the image, but because you actively enjoy what POC are creating. The more you search, the more you’ll discover.

My lists are just the tip of the iceberg. Please seek out information by better-informed voices. I just wanted to offer up my support where I can.

And to the people of colour on both sides of the Atlantic: I stand with you. Black Lives Matter.

Some places you can donate:

Minnesota Freedom Fun
ACLU
Reclaim the Block
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
“I Run With Maud” – fundraiser for Ahmaud Arbery’s family’s legal costs
Milwaukee Freedom Fund – currently on pause, but has great links to causes specific to WI

Petitions to sign:

Justice for George Floyd
Justice for Breonna Taylor
Justice for Ahmaud Arbery
Ban the use of rubber bullets
Suspend UK export of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields to USA
Black Lives Matter’s website is a great resource for petitions – especially if you are looking for a specific cause.

Some of the fantastic Black creators that I love:

• Dean Atta is a poet and author of Black Flamingo, a thought-provoking and gorgeous book in prose about identity and acceptance.
• Horror Noir: A History of Black Horror This documentary on Shudder is a must-watch for horror fans as it looks into the complex relationship between the genre and Black Americans.
• Real Queen of Horror – Zena is hilarious and always offers a horror recommendation for something I have never heard of before.
• Bowties & Books – Jesse currently is protesting in Minnesota. They’re documenting their stories on Instagram and Twitter. Their videos on YouTube cover a spectrum of fun and thoughtful content.
• Chanelle is a beautiful beacon of hilarity on her channel Chanelletime.
• Dandy Wellington is a bandleader and just an all-around sharp-dressed man. His style may be from another era, but his politics certainly aren’t.
• Check out the short films I’ve covered in the past by black female directors like Suicide By Sunlight (Nikyatu Jusu), Searching for Isabelle (Stephenie Jeter) and Venefica (Maria Wilson). 
• Graveyard Shift Sisters is an incredible resource. Every black-female directed short film I have found was through them.
• Cantrip Candles makes nerdy D&D themed-candles that I just love. A seriously worth-while luxury buy.
• Bow & Crossbones makes some of the cutest reproduction vintage jewellery. Every time I buy it’s in bulk because it’s turned into a bit of an addiction.