Indivisibles,

First, we want to say what’s on our hearts and minds. And because saying it once will never be enough, we must continually say it out loud over and over again:

Black Lives Matter. Without qualifications. Without asterisks. Without add-ons. 

Black. Lives. Matter. 

Now, the past few days have been difficult for many. Folks are gathering in the streets to protest against the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis, and Breonna Taylor, tragically lost to a no-knock police raid in Louisville, and all the other Black lives taken by police violence. And rightfully so -- even in a pandemic our voices can be heard, taking the risk to show up for Black lives in whatever ways we are able. We’ve been working around the clock to get you as many resources, places to donate, and actions as possible to join in solidarity with activists across the country fighting for justice. 

Below you’ll see our usual weekly to-dos, but right now, if you have the capacity or the ability to do so, invest your time and energy to take action in defense of Black lives. We’re going to give you a quick rundown of what we’ve learned so far and how you can get involved now:

1. Call your local officials and tell them to defund your local police department and invest those funds in resources people need, especially for Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color. This is in support of the asks of local and national Black-led organizations, which are demanding that local governments commit to cutting funding for the police and investing it in Black community-led education, health, and safety programs (such as funding for schools, treatment for opioid abuse, and conflict intervention programs that don’t rely on the police). You can use this tool from Common Cause to get the contact info for your local officials. 
2. Support Black-led organizations and impacted communities. You can use this page to split a donation and there are even more organizations to consider here.
3. Pursue anti-racist education. Our resource here lists a few helpful readings to check out and share.
4. Ask your representative to co-sponsor the Omar-Pressley resolution. Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) have introduced a resolution in the House condemning police violence. Call your representative and demand that they co-sponsor the resolution and speak out publicly about the need for the House to pass it without delay.
5. Protest safely. If you are able to protest and are planning to join any this week, please do so safely. The Anti Police-Terror Project has identified best practices for safety if you choose to attend in-person protests or events. Know the risks and do what you can to minimize the risk for you and those around you.

Read more about these actions and additional ways you can get involved this week in our latest resource. We’re constantly updating this with the latest calls-to-action and ways to support, so make sure to check back from time to time. You can also share this tweet, Facebook post, and Instagram post with quick, sharable actions. 

Okay. Here’s our list of weekly to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos 

1. Take action in solidarity with protestors in Minneapolis and across the country. People have been turning out in huge numbers across the country to assert that Black Lives Matter and that it’s time for police violence to end. Read our resource to learn how you can support people and organizers on the ground, and then donate, make calls, and demand accountability for the thousands of deaths of Black people at the hands of police in the last decade alone. 
2. Check out the second episode of our new YouTube series, COVID Corruption. In this episode, we break down how Republicans are using the Coronavirus pandemic and control of the courts to advance their long-standing goal of undermining our democracy for their own political gain.
3. Call your Senators and demand they pass the Heroes Act immediately. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans don’t want to do anything except give more handouts to corporations, but that won’t help people who need to pay their rent or who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus. We need to demand that they pass the Heroes Act immediately and oppose any amendments that water the bill down.
4. Register for our new workshop on June 4. In lieu of our National Activist Call this month, we'll be providing a workshop on Relational Organizing Amidst Racial Violence. This mini-training will teach you how to use the fundamentals of relational organizing to escalate white folks and non-black people of color from allies to accomplices, both in casual conversations and in concrete anti-racist action steps within our communities. 

 Who do you want to be Biden's VP Pick 

At the last debate of the Democratic primary, Joe Biden made a commitment to pick a woman as his running mate. His campaign is now in the process of searching for a Vice Presidential pick who will help unite the party to win this November. 

There are plenty of highly qualified and exciting possible choices for the role, but some names are rising above the rest. This is where you come in -- we want to hear from YOU on who you think that person should be. 

Take our Vice Presidential Survey and let us know who you want to see on the ticket! 

Upcoming Virtual Events

Workshop: Relational Organizing Amidst Violence

This mini-training will teach you how to use the fundamentals of relational organizing to escalate white folks and non-black people of color from allies to accomplices, both in casual conversations and in concrete anti-racist action steps within our communities.

Date: June 4th, 8 PM EST. Register here.

Red and Rural Webinar Series Episode #3 - Transformational Conversations 

Join us for the final webinar of the Red and Rural series as we learn what it means to host transformational conversations in Red and Rural Communities. Using elements of deep, values based canvassing, we will discuss how to have difficult conversations with our loved ones. We will be joined by Emily Baird-Chrisohon, from the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

Date: June 10th, 8pm EST. Register here.

Rural Voices Summit

Join us for Indivisible’s Virtual Rural Voices Summit! Come connect with rural Indivisible groups and rural organizers from across the country for a day of digital celebration, self-care, and rural power building in anticipation of the November election.

Date: June 27th, 11 AM-5:30 PM EST. Register here.

Fund support for protestors nationwide

As protests across the nation continue to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black lives lost to police violence, organizations working on the ground to support activists need as much help as we can give them. We’ve set up a page where you can donate directly to 10 leading organizations in Minnesota and nationwide -- click here to find out more and fund the crucial work they’re doing.

  Hold each other in community

In even the most horrific times -- we’re reminded how strong this community is. This past week, Indivisibles showed up for Black lives across the country and we’re so grateful to be in this fight with you. There’s a lot of education to be done and a lot of harm that still needs to be addressed. But seeing you out in the streets and protesting in whatever way you can to demand justice for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many countless Black lives lost at the hands of police -- it gives us cautious hope. 

Thank you for everything you’re doing -- we’re in this together.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team