BLACK LIVES MATTER.
CW:
murder,
police brutality;
The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the Black community at McGill, as many of us struggle with the overwhelming rage and indignation in the wake of anti-Black police murders in Canada and the US. Like everyone else, we have been caught up in the outburst of media attention on anti-Black violence. While this attention is beyond overdue, and has the potential to bring about transformative change, it has the corollary of provoking great distress among us. Our hearts break with anger, sorrow, and exasperation every day.
To our community, please put yourselves first. You have a right to be furious, to be exhausted, to withdraw from the news and social media. None of this is your fault. Prioritise yourselves, and surround yourselves with people who understand and validate your lived experience. And please, reach out to us on Facebook or at bsn@ssmu.ca if you have any needs that we can support you with.
To non-Black folks who have acted in solidarity with us, we welcome your outrage, and we state emphatically that the aggression of Amy Cooper and the police murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Yassin Mohamed, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, and Régis Korchinski-Paquet are not unusual. Before these murders and in their wake, countless more Black people have been arrested, assaulted, and murdered by police. These are ordinary events that occur with impunity and not at random, for a simple reason: anti-Black violence is a functional mandate of the police in our society. Impoverishment, imprisonment, and terrorism against Black communities are functionally embedded within the White social structure.
What is unusual about this situation is the uptake from non-Black people in the face of anti-Black violence, as a result of which a step forward has been taken to confront the demands of anti-racism. We will take a step further. Anti-racism is not simply condemning extreme acts of White supremacy. It is not simply calling out the racist inflections of actions and behaviours. Anti-racism is the acknowledgement that White supremacy permeates all our social structures, that our social structures racialise all social problems, and that it is incumbent upon everyone to resist the stability of this society with the same visceral outrage as the murder of George Floyd – because George Floyd is murdered, impoverished, and incarcerated every day. Ultimately, what is at stake in anti-racism is the subversion of an entire social order.
As Black folks, we are prepared to do what needs to be done, and to non-Black folks, we remind you: anything we achieve without you, will be far less than what we achieve with you.
In solidarity,
The Black Students’ Network of McGill
*** To view the list of resources, visit the website on desktop. ***
Montreal:
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Clinique Juridique de Saint-Michel: Bail funds are irrelevant in MTL, because you have to be in front of a judge within 24 hours of arrest. Donate here instead, since they’re the ones who focus on police brutality and discrimination and hate crimes.
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Ligue des Noirs: There is an ongoing lawsuit against the SPVM for racial profiling, Quebec.
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Go Fund Me for Library Racine: Black-owned library and event space for Black artists in Montreal-Nord.
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Hoodstock: “Générer des espaces dialogues et des initiatives mobilisatrices pour éliminer les inégalités systémiques et développer des communautés solidaires, inclusives, sécuritaires et dynamiques”.
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Center for Research-Action on Race Relations: A MTL-based independent, non-profit civil rights organization that was founded in 1983 with the mandate to promote racial equality and combat racism in Canada.
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DESTA - Black Youth Network: Founded in 2006 with a mandate to focus on the employability needs of Black youth in Little Burgundy. Recognizing the economic needs of participants.
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Afrique au Féminin: Soutien au femmes immigrantes dans l'amélioration de leurs conditions de vie et faciliter leur intégration au Québec.
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The Council for Black Aging Community of Montreal: Provides services, is an emotional support network, organize activities and create opportunities for seniors to engage in social, recreational, cultural, and educational activities, to prevent social isolation.
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Shanice Nicole Speaks: A page run by Shanice Nicole, local MTL activist, educator, and writer. She shares an array of resources and donation links to people who want to help. From her page: "If you can give, please do. If you can share, please do. As usual all money goes to local Black and/or Indigenous community members."
e-Transfer: shanicenicoleyarde@gmail.com
PayPal: paypal.me/shanicenicoleyarde
Elsewhere in Canada:
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Guide to Donations: This is a good comprehensive list of places to donate in Canada.
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Justice For Regis: Regis Korchinski-Paquet passed away from a tragic incident that we believe Toronto Police Services should be held accountable for.
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BLAC - Black Legal Action Centre: Legal aid services for low and no income Black residents of Ontario.
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Black Women in Motion: Support the advancement of Black women and survivors of sexual violence, Toronto-based.
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CEE Centre for young Black professionals: Addressing the economic and social barriers affecting Black youth, Toronto-based.
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Hogan’s Alley Society: A non-profit organization committed to preserving and promoting historical, cultural, societal, and economic contributions made by Black Settlers and their descendants to Vancouver.
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Vancouver Mutual AID: A list of organizations, fundraisers, and resources on defunding the police based in Vancouver.
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Not Another Black Life: Includes Black & Indigenous Trans Fund.
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Our Women’s Voices: Includes their new GoFundMe.
U.S AID:
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Donate to Bail funds: Split a donation to all the bail funds, mutual aid funds, and activist organizations listed on this page, or allocate specific amounts to individual groups.
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Fundraising/Bail/Petition: This spreadsheet is a comprehensive list of bail funds according to different US states.
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Comprehensive list of place you can donate to in the States.
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Homeless Black Trans Women Fund: fund for the community of Black Trans women that live in Atlanta and are sex workers and/or homeless.
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Minnesota Freedom Fund: Working with National Lawyers Guild and Legal Rights Center, distributing supplies and support in the field.
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Black Visions: Organization dedicated to Black liberation and to collective liberation.
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North Star Health Collective: Collective based in Minnesota to provide better street medic support to community organizing, and expand mental health care.
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Justice for Breonna Taylor Fund: Gofundme for Breonna’s family.