U.S : Five anti-racist actions for the week of July 13.

Dear friend,

Understanding how systems of power operate is critical to undoing them. Anti-Black racism and misogyny permeate U.S. culture at every level : from the way we structure the legal system to what we see on TV. Fighting these systemic forces will require from us intentional reflection, active learning, sharing our learnings with loved ones, and taking action in our communities. 

As an organization and community, UltraViolet is committed to the lifelong struggle of undoing racism and white supremacy. Join us in this ongoing work by taking one or all of the following five actions right now :

• Donate to the Trans Women of Color Collective (TWOCC). Trans and non-binary Black people frequently bear the brunt of racist and transphobic police brutality, homelessness, and poverty. In general, people who self-identify as LGBTQ are incarcerated at twice the rate of adults who do not self-identify as LGBTQ¹. TWOCC fosters a network of trans and non-binary Black and people of color who are artists, healers, entrepreneurs, and creators of healing and restorative justice projects. 
• Call Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Breonna Taylor's behalf. It's been more than four months since plainclothes police officers broke into Breonna Taylor's home and shot her to death. Only one of the three police officers at the scene has been fired, and none have been charged with her murder. Make the call to demand justice for Breonna today!
• Make a sign in support of the Movement for Black Lives. Here is a fun activity that could involve children and other members of the family. Make a sign in support of the Movement for Black Lives and email us a photo at photos@weareultraviolet.org ! We will then post as many of the signs as possible on UltraViolet's social media channels to inspire others to make signs, too. Such a sign could be posted in the window of a home or a car, made into a lawn sign, or even attached to a mailbox. Making a bold and public statement in support of the Movement for Black Lives or #justice for Breonna Taylor is powerful.  
• Purchase books from Black-owned bookstores. Purchase books to learn from--and purchase additional copies to share with family and friends !--from Black-owned bookstores. Publishers Weekly has a handy list of Black-owned bookstores that sell online and across the country. 
• Shoppe Black. Due to systemic racism that limits Black people's access to capital and other resources necessary to start a business, they already had the lowest business-ownership rate in the U.S. prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. That number has plummeted--40% since February of this year--decimating jobs and the livelihoods of many Black families.² The website Shoppe Black catalogues Black-owned businesses across sectors, including coffee, photography, local businesses, and more. Take a moment to check it out and perhaps find your new favorite store.

Thank you for taking action with us !

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

Sources :

1. Criminal Justice, Movement Advancement Project (MAP), accessed July 15, 2020.

2. Number of working black business owners falls 40 percent, far more than other groups amid coronavirus, The Washington Post, May 25, 2020.