At Juniata, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to demonstrate our solidarity with those experiencing marginalization and oppression. As a college committed to changing lives, our ability to exercise moral imagination to create a different and better world has never mattered more. Our longstanding commitment to putting theory into practice and providing meaningful experiential education gives us a basis upon which we can act. Below you will find important support resources for people of color, as well as opportunities for education, and action.
Mental Health Resources for Black People and Other People of Color
· Call 911 for emergency services or go to the nearest emergency room.
· Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).
· Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a person’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. For more information about how to contact social media outlets, visit the Lifeline’s Support on Social Media webpage.
· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area. Support is available in English and Spanish and via live chat.
· Veterans Crisis Line: This helpline is a free, confidential resource for Veterans of all ages and circumstances. Call 1-800-273-8255, press "1"; text 838255; or chat online to connect with 24/7 support.
· Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741 for free & confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S.
Helping yourself or a loved one deal with emotional and psychological trauma
7 Tools for Managing Traumatic Stress
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA):
- https://adaa.org/african-americans
- https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/be-female-anxious-and-black
- https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/link-between-experiences-racism-and-stress-and
Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Directory to help Black women find Black therapists
Directory for therapists of color in the San Francisco Bay area
Chicago based organization offering therapy for Black women.
Yoga and meditation classes and workshops in Brooklyn
A space for Black women to gather to support, encourage, and learn from one another.
Self-Care tips for Black People struggling
Liberate Mediation App
Inclusive Therapists – trained for racial trauma
Digital classes on wellness practices
The Best Online Therapy Services of 2020
On Twitter:
Black Lives Matter
https://blacklivesmatter.com/resources/
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives. Find links to the following toolkits:
Take Action: A List of Ways You Can Stand In Solidarity with the Black Community
Black Lives Matter at School - Resources
- Talking About Race
- Standing Together
- Art and Activism
Twitter explains how to support Black Lives Matter as a non-black person
Helping Children to Become Thoughtful, Informed, and Brave about Race
Educational Resources
Resources for Allies
Articles
- Anatomy of An Ally
- What is My Complicity?
- White Anti-Racism Living the Legacy
- It Does Not Matter If You Are Good
- Black Rage in an Anti-Black World is a Spiritual Virtue
- Save the Tears: White Woman's Guide
- White Guyde To The Galaxy
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
- Curriculum for White Americans to Educate Themselves on Race and Racism–from Ferguson to Charleston
- The Case for Reparations
Podcasts
- Podcast on topics regarding Black mental health and wellness
- The Importance of the Nationwide Protests Over George Floyd’s Death
- Why Minneapolis's Police Reforms Failed George Floyd
- Justice for George Floyd (start at 1:38)
Documentaries
- 13th (2016)
- Let the Fire Burn (2013)
- I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
- Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 (2017)
- LA 92 (2017)
- Whose Streets? (2017)
- Copwatch (2017)
- 16 Shots (2019)
- Do Not Resist (2016)
- The Force (2017)
- Crime + Punishment (2018)
- The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017)
Books of Interest (Lib Guides Link)
- James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time
- Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow
- Bryan Stephenson’s Just Mercy
- Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me
- Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility
- 31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
- White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide, Carol Anderson
- Racism Without Racists, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
- I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Austin Channing Brown
- Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, Jennifer Eberhardt
- How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
- They Can’t Kill Us All, Wesley Lowery
- Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, Jennifer Eberhardt
Ways to Get Involved
If you are looking for ways to speak out against George Floyd's death, help his family, or get educated on the history of systemic racism and police violence in the United States, consider:
Joining Central PA chapter of Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org centralpasurj@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centralpasurj/
- Donating to the memorial fund George Floyd's family has set up. The GoFundMe page also includes an address where anyone can send cards or contributions.
- Supporting organizations working on the ground in Minneapolis, including the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which pays bail for low-income individuals; Black Visions Collective, which works to organize black communities in Minnesota; Reclaim the Block, which works to move money from the police department into other parts of the city that promote health and safety; and the North Star Health Collective, which provides health care services and resources to protestors.
- Helping protesters with legal fees and bail-out funds and supporting organizations including the Know Your Rights Camp founded by Colin Kaepernick, the Brooklyn Bail Fund, the Bail Project, the National Bail Fund Network, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, and Free Them All for Public Health
- Supporting the GoFundMe for Tony McDade, the transgender man killed in Florida on May 27.
- Contacting the Minneapolis mayor and the Hennepin County attorney at 612-673-2100 and 612-348-5550, respectively. You can also email the attorney at citizeninfo@hennepin.us, or contact the Minneapolis police department at police@minneapolismn.gov.
- Continuing to educate yourself, speaking out against injustice, and expanding your anti-racism work. Writers and activists Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein have compiled a document of resources, if you need a place to begin. There are also several anti-racism book lists, including this and this.
- Signing a petition to demand the police officers involved are charged.
- Talking to your kids about what's going on. There are great resources at The Conscious Kid and Teach and Transform.
- Reading more about George Floyd and how his friends and family remember him. One friend, Vanita Williams, told BuzzFeed News: "He was articulate. He was grounded. He was spiritual. He was an athlete. He was an organizer. He was a comforter. He was an encourager."