In light of the protests and news surrounding Richard Spencer, a white nationalist, speaking at the University of Florida (UF), we wanted to compile a short list of productive ways you can stand up against racism and help fight for equality in the United States.
If you want to get involved in the fight against racism in this country, here are four ways you can start:
- Donate to a campaign supporting protests and equality groups.
- Join up with #TogetherUF
- Support the NAACP
- Volunteer with your local Black Lives Matter chapter
First, let’s discuss donating to a campaign started because of the protests occurring at UF.
1. Donate to a campaign supporting protests and equality groups focused on UF.
In the wake of these growing protests, dating back to Charlottesville, multiple crowdfunding campaigns have been created to stand up against racist rhetoric and raise money to help organizations fighting against racism as well as protesters in need of funding to cover legal costs.
Following the news coming out of Gainesville, “Stop White Supremacy – Support UF Protesters” was created. You can donate to the campaign here.
As the organizer explains:
“We stand against alt-right, white nationalists like Richard Spencer. Inspired by the protests at University of Florida, we’re raising money to help fund groups that fight against racism & hate while promoting equality.”
Any donations to this Fundly-verified campaign will be divided between local and national organizations working to end racism and fight for equality.
2. Join up with #TogetherUF – A University of Florida Group
#TogetherUF is a student group, organized by campus leaders at the University of Florida. It is designed open a conversation about race relations and show that hate has no place on the UF campus.
The campaign has organized a virtual assembly to be hosted during Richard Spencer’s speech. The assembly will seek to, “Start [a] dialogue about race relations, cooperation, diversity, and more.”
The campaign is asking students to participate in the virtual assembly and donate to the student crisis fund which “goes to students who have experienced natural disasters or are in need of emergency medical care.”
#TogetherUF is a positive, peaceful response to the inflammatory situation sparked by Richard Spencer’s speech on campus.
You can support the work of the student group as it continues to promote cooperative action and conversation around campus, and you can also donate to the student crisis fund, turning negative campus attention into a positive for the students of University of Florida.
3. Support the NAACP
The work the NAACP does to promote equality is immensely valuable.
You can donate directly to the national organization here.
The NAACP’s mission is clear, focused, and exactly in line with standing against racism:
“The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.”
4. Volunteer with your local Black Lives Matter chapter.
Founded a few short years ago, Black Lives Matter has quickly risen to prominence as one of the most active organizations standing up to racial injustice.
You can donate to their work here, but a great strength of Black Lives Matter is that it encourages supporters to take action.
Visit their website, sign up to hear alerts directly from them, and take action when there are protests and demonstrations in your neighborhood.
To get started, find and get connected with your local Black Lives Matter chapter here.
We hope you’re able to take advantage of one of these opportunities and take a stand against racism. As news comes out of Gainesville, we’ll continue to update this page.
The post 4 Ways to Stand Against Racism at UF (Donate, Volunteer, & More) appeared first on Fundly.