Following the horrific murder of George Floyd, we witnessed a social media storm, with many flocking to their platforms to express support for the Black Lives Matter movement. It seems showing support for the movement quickly became a ‘trend’ which many jumped on. However, the social media support has begun to die down, as the ‘trend’ has seemingly passed. Despite this, the issue is still very much present, and we need to tackle it. There are many ways to show continued support and we believe everyone should get involved in them.

Continue educating yourself and others

First and foremost, we must keep conversations about the movement going. The best way to show support is to educate yourself and those around you. Continue to read around the subject, watch documentaries and Netflix series on the topic, listen to podcasts; these are all ways you can keep supporting the movement. There are many lists circulating the media currently on things to watch and read, you simply need to search Google. However, I will mention some here to get you started.

Netflix has a category called Black Lives Matter which you can browse

First of all is Reni-Eddo Lodge’s ‘Why I No Longer Talk to White People About Race.’ This book is a great introduction to learning about all of the intricacies of race and racism. For UoB students, this book is free to read via FindIt@Bham, so there are really no excuses. In terms of TV shows and documentaries, Netflix has a category called Black Lives Matter which you can browse. The documentary 13th demonstrates the criminalisation of African Americans and is an important watch. There are many podcasts are available to listen to on the topic, including Lodge’s podcast ‘About Race with Reni-Eddo Lodge.’

Use all of these resources that most of us are lucky to be equipped with and educate yourselves. Through educating ourselves, we can gain insightful information which can be used to challenge the outdated views of others. I urge you not to hesitate to challenge the views of those around you, whilst these conversations are often very difficult to have, they are essential to promoting racial equality. If someone’s opinion is never challenged, it is never going to change.

Donate to charity (directly or indirectly)

Whilst there is a large focus on donating to charities, and this is important, I recognise that especially as students, many cannot afford to do that. Yet, there are ways you can indirectly donate to the cause. Many Youtubers have released certain videos with extra ads, with the aim being to donate all the ad revenue to causes supporting the movement. One video which attracted a lot of attention, and rightly so, was Zoe Amira’s video. Amira’s video is an hour long and is made up of contributions from black creators. The video contains many ads, by watching these you are indirectly donating to the movement, easy right? You do not even need to physically watch the video, as long as you leave it running in the background with the ads on, it will create ad revenue.

Many Youtubers have released certain videos with extra ads, with the aim being to donate all the ad revenue to causes supporting the movement

Therefore, there are other ways to donate than physically parting with your money, however, if you can donate, I urge you to do so. Examples of charities you can donate to include: London Black Women’s Project, Show Racism The Red Card, and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Remember these are only a few examples, please take the time to discover more charities.

Buy more from black owned businesses and follow more black content creators

Why not help bring black owned businesses to the forefront? Instead of buying from chains and large companies, choose to purchase from small, independent black owned businesses. For a comprehensive list of black owned businesses in the UK, visit UKBOB and check out their ‘Black Book.’ Also, do your research. Many mainstream businesses who have claimed to support Black Lives Matter have been criticised for their seemingly empty statements, they may state that they support black lives, but their actions tell a different story. Do we really want to support performative corporations over independent black businesses?

Many mainstream businesses who have claimed to support Black Lives Matter have been criticised for their seemingly empty statements

Also, follow and support more black content creators. Many at university choose to watch ‘StudyTubers’ for some much-needed motivation. Try and expand your watchlist. I would recommend Vee Kativhu, who recently graduated from Oxford. Vee is empowering and down to earth, her channel exudes positivity whilst showing the reality of being a student, completing work the night before. Another ‘StudyTuber’ you should consider watching is Ehis, whose channel is the type you end up watching at 3am when you’re sleep deprived (probably at the same time as he is making his next video).

Follow black influencers on Instagram. Some accounts that I would recommend following are: @mikaimikai, @melissaswardrobe, @dazhaneleah, @munroebergdorf and @ajabarber. These accounts create great content, so really, why aren’t you already following them? These are only a small sample of amazing black influencers on Instagram so check out more.

Organise/support action in your local community

One of the best ways you can support the movement is by taking action in your local community, especially if you live in a small town. Make a sign showing your support and put it in your window. Whilst with COVID-19 restrictions, protests aren’t always feasible, you can still walk around with your own sign and protest. Another way of making a difference in your community could be to create a Facebook group where you add educational resources for people to check out; ignorance is one of the biggest reasons why people cannot grasp the Black Lives Matter movement. You can also write to your local MP and urge them to show more support for the movement and use their power to make positive steps forward.

Question how effective the curriculum at your primary and secondary schools was to teach you about race

Additionally, question how effective the curriculum at your primary and secondary schools was to teach you about race. Often, it seems we don’t learn much about it at school. If this is the case, email your old school and push for a more inclusive curriculum. If you search on Google, there are templates you can use for emails to your MPs and schools, you simply need to sign it and send it off.

In terms of bettering the community at university, emailing the Vice Chancellor is another way of putting pressure on the university to do more to promote racial equality. Make your university listen to black voices and their experiences.

Sign petitions, petitions and more petitions

The only way to create change is to push for it. Keep signing as many petitions as you can and go back to check on the progress of them. The more signatures that petitions get, the more influence they have to incite change. There are many articles online which collate petitions together for you to sign. It is so easy to set aside just ten minutes of your day to sign some petitions, so let’s get to it.

Be an ally, and not just the performative kind

Arguably the most important thing you can do is be an ally. There is a difference between not being racist and being actively anti-racist, learn about this. Secondly, don’t be performative in your activism. Just because the trend has died down, it doesn’t mean we stop learning and forget about the issue. The fashionable aspect of the movement might have ended, but this is the time to make real change. We need to keep fighting for things to improve. Learn more about performative allyship here.

Use your platform and your white privilege positively

Most people will respond to this and say, ‘but I don’t have a big platform.’ Anyone with a social media account that has followers has a platform. Whether your platform has a large following, or a miniscule one, you can still use it to make a difference. Continue to share resources and information that you come across; this can help to educate others. Use your platform to inspire positive change and don’t fall prey to the performative activism trend.

Please don’t stop your support now that the Instagram trend is over

Secondly, try not to take criticism of white privilege too personally. The movement isn’t saying that you don’t struggle too, it is simply saying that your struggles are not due to the colour of your skin. Use your white privilege to amplify black voices.

These are just some of the ways you can continue the momentum for the movement. Please don’t stop your support now that the Instagram trend is over. Prove to everyone that you genuinely want to see change and keep taking the necessary steps towards it. Keep lobbying for a difference. At the time of writing this, Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain’s murderers are still walking free. Let’s change this.