Black Lives Matter to InSPIre the Mind
This blog has been written on behalf of the InSPIre the Mind editing team. As a team we want to raise awareness of such a prevalent issue going on in our world and hope that the resources we have found can be of use for our readers.
As some of you will know, in light of the ongoing protests and grief around the world following George Floyd’s killing, we have decided not to publish our usual blogs this week.
Particularly at this time, our attention must be on the issue of racism, which continues to impact countless lives across the world. These recent events act as yet another reminder of the systemic racism and oppression present in our society. We recognise that total silence at this time is unhelpful and hope that the resources we have listed below can begin to guide those unsure of what they can do to help. Likewise, we must all continue to examine our roles in this problem, our prejudices, and our privilege.
We have also just published a fantastic piece written by designer and researcher Natasha Trotman entitled, “Black Lives Matter: Transforming Empathy into Action” which discusses the BLM movement from a neurodivergent and diaspora perspective. Thank you, Natasha, for sharing this with us and providing links to some great resources, some of which are included again here.
At InSPIre the Mind, we have a responsibility to use our platform to help highlight and discuss how current societal issues affect mental health and wellbeing. We have spoken with our team and want to take this opportunity to show our support to Black communities and the Black Lives Matter movement. As such, we want to encourage bloggers, writers, poets, and all literary creatives of Black communities to use this platform as a place they can share their work. We hope to amplify Black voices in whatever ways we can; if you are interested in writing a piece for InSPIre the Mind on any topic of your choice linked to mental health, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at inspirethemind@kcl.ac.uk.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP
SUPPORTING BLACK CREATORS
- One fantastic platform for Black writers and online content creators is Black British Bloggers, a network dedicated to elevating Black voices in the UK and supporting the growth of these creative communities.
- Likewise, UK Black Owned Businesses is a catalogue of Black-owned businesses throughout the United Kingdom which aims to overcome the under-representation of Black-owned businesses by connecting them to potential customers.
- Black Writers Collective — a network aiming to connect Black writers worldwide and supporting their projects from idea to publication.
- How to support black publishers and bookshops
- Opportunities for writers and illustrators of colour
DONATE
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund — This is the official GoFundMe organised by George Floyd’s family. DONATION LINK
Black Lives Matter UK — All money raised here will be put towards paying in full for therapy sessions for those in need, connecting black individuals and families with professional mental health services across the United Kingdom. DONATION LINK /// MORE INFO
UK Black Lives Matter Fund — This fund organised by BLMUK activists aims to continue supporting and campaigning for black communities in both the UK and across the world. DONATION LINK /// MORE INFO
Minnesota Freedom Fund — Due to the overwhelming response this organisation has received in these past few days, they have asked that any donations you wish to make be instead directed at another one of these organisations. DONATION LINK /// MORE INFO
DONATE WITHOUT MONEY // STREAM TO DONATE
For those of us who want help but are unable to make any donations directly, there are ways you can support raising funds. Below are a list of videos and playlists which you can stream on YouTube which will be donating all the ad revenue to support the families and protestors who need it.
What qualifies as a valid view on a video can be tricky, so first, here are a few pointers regarding efficiently streaming. While watching, ensure any ad blocker you are using is turned off and that you do not skip ads. Also, watching on repeat may mean that your views are not counted; to avoid this, watch a couple other videos between streaming any of the videos below.
There are dozens of these videos and live streams going up on YouTube now, a few other videos taking part in this “donate with no money” initiative include:
one /// two /// three /// four /// five /// six
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
- Ways to Help / BLACKLIVESMATTERS — this page provides a comprehensive list of educational resources on anti-racism, how to be an ally, and Black history. Also on the site are some great lists for more places to donate and petitions you can sign.
- This is an extensive list compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein (referenced also in Natasha’s blog) of anti-racism resources for white and non-black minorities, including books, articles, podcasts, videos, and films.
- Black Mental Health Matters — this is another great website containing resources to therapists and hotlines for black African Americans struggling with mental health.
- The White Shift — a helpful hub for more suggestions and guidance on what we can do to support Black communities and the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Another collection of places to donate, petitions to sign, and information on protests, with an emphasis on Black women and Black people in LGBTQ+ communities.
- Another comprehensive list covering more places you can donate to, petitions you can sign, educational resources, and information regarding protests.
Of course, this list should not be taken as a complete set of resources but rather a helpful starting point. Once again, we hope to make InSPIre the Mind a place where writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to share their work on all things mental health.
Thanks for reading — your InSPIre the Mind editors.
