Statement of Solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter

The Sportula stands in solidarity with Black communities. At this time, our collective will center and support the needs of Black folks. As a collective by and for BIPOC and/or working class folks, we recognize that Black liberation is inextricably tied to the liberation of NBPOC, working-class, and LGBTQ communities.

We support the people of Minneapolis rising up to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and Ahmaud Arbery. We stand with those taking to the streets across the nation, in Minneapolis, Oakland, New York, Louisville, Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. We join in their demands to end police brutality and militarization and to move towards prison abolition and community-centered restorative justice.

The Sportula is here to provide aid to Black folks who need money to pay for mental health services or other resources. We will also provide aid to those who are protesting. Please reach out to us if you need support of any kind and continue to apply for microgrants. We provide microgrants between $5-$300, and can help connect you to other resources if you need them. We have included some of those resources in the links below.

For our Black community members, the following links provide information on Black mental health:

1. National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
2. Sista Afya
3. Therapy for Black Girls
4. The Steve Fund
5. Henry Health
6. The Confess Project
7. The Nap Ministry
8. Rachel Ricketts’ Anti-Racism Resources

You can also refer to the following twitter thread:

The Sportula is, as always, accepting donations, but we also recommend allies donate to bail funds and disseminate legal aid resources:

1. Bail Funds organized by State: The National Bail Fund Network
2. Bail Funds organized by City: City Roll Call
3. New York: Legal Aid NYC
4. Minneapolis: Colin Kaepernick’s Legal Defense Initiative
5. Los Angeles: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
6. Chicago: Chicago Community Bond Fund, First Defense Legal Aid, National Lawyers Guild Chicago

You can also refer to this thread on funds organized by city:

We also understand that our Black community members will need time and space to process these events. That is why we encourage Classics teachers and faculty to reconsider extension and grading policies. We also encourage educators to keep looking for resources on how to build anti-racist syllabi. You can find some resources on the ancient world here:

Finally, take some time to read about some of the experiences of Black Classicists:

1. “After Careful Consideration…” by John Bracey
2. Center and Margins: Recruiting, Anxiety, and the Power of Reaching Out, by Jermaine Bryant
3. The Birth of a Muthos, by Vanessa Stovall
4. Society for Classical Studies interviews with Shelley Haley: Part I, Part II

This is not the time for indifference, but neither was 1967, 1968, nor 1992. We must continue to work towards a future where we no longer have to insist, #BLACKLIVESMATTER.

In Solidarity,

The Sportula: Microgrants for Classics Students