U.S : Please consider taking one or all of the following five actions.

Dear friend,

Approximately 1,600 active duty troops have been deployed against protesters in Washington, D.C., and police are hurting, maiming, and even killing protesters around the country.¹ It has taken a massive uprising in every city and state just to bring charges against the four officers who murdered George Floyd.² 

There is still so much work we need to do.

Combatting racism--on both the individual level in our homes and communities and in larger systems of power and in institutions--requires a long-term commitment and ongoing work beyond this moment. Right now, whether or not we can personally protest in the streets, there are some actions we can take. 

Today, please consider taking one or all of the following five actions :

• Continue speaking up for Breonna Taylor. Breonna Taylor was an EMT in Louisville, Ky., who was shot by police officers in her own home while they were looking to arrest someone else who did not live with Breonna and was already in custody. Please donate to our fund to go on an all-out offensive on behalf of Breonna. The fund will help support local organizers on the ground and pay for a mobile billboard, a double-page centerfold ad in the Louisville Courier-Journal, and an airplane bearing the message, "Breonna was essential."
  
• Join the Movement for Black Lives. In addition to joining their email list or making a donation, you can follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
  
• Demand that your local city or town enact these eight reforms. Campaign ZERO, a data-informed platform to end police violence, has identified eight policies that can decrease police violence by 72%. Learn more about these policies on their #8CantWait website, and demand that your city or town implement them.
  
• Identify and call your local prosecutor. Our partners at Color of Change have created a handy tool to identify your local prosecutor, learn where they stand on six key issues, and find the prosecutor's contact information.
  
• Continuously educate yourself and share what you learn with others. The burden of dismantling racism and white supremacy should not be on the shoulders of Black people and people of color. We especially encourage white members to educate themselves and share all of these resources with their family and friends. This week, we encourage our members to learn more about defunding the police and creating a police-free future. Local organizers in Minneapolis, Minn., have put together this educational "Building a Police-Free Future FAQ" slideshow on Instagram.

Keep reading. Keep taking action. Keep sharing.

Thank you for joining us !

Shaunna, Kat, Kathy, Anathea, Melody, Pam, Lindsay, Sonja, Kimberly, Maria, Elisa, and Katie, the UltraViolet team

Sources :

1. "These Are the Active-Duty Units Deployed to DC Region for Protests", Military.com, June 2, 2020

2. "All four former officers involved in George Floyd’s killing now face charges", CNN, June 3, 2020