Whether you’re sharing knowledgeable information, promoting ways to spread awareness on social media or actively participating in protests, there are tons of ways to participate and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Before the shelter-in-place order was put into effect, I didn’t think my freshman year of college would end being trapped in the house due to a worldwide pandemic. I began to work from home, getting paid every two weeks or so. Since I’m living at home with my parents and sister, most of the essential things like food are paid for, most of my small paycheck goes into my savings account. I have actively participated in protests most of my life to show support and spread awareness, however, due to the pandemic, being outside around thousands of people wasn’t an option.
UPDATE 3! “ how to donate to BLM with NO MONEY” pic.twitter.com/DWkIOWPsyv
— ZOE AMIRA (@zoeamira) June 4, 2020
Outside of protesting, there are other ways to contribute like signing petitions, reposting vital information on social media and contacting local government officials. In addition, YouTube has become an unlikely way to show solidarity. YouTuber Zoe Amira uploaded a video project and in the description she explained that 100% of the ad revenue generated from the video would be donated to help pay for funerals and advocacy as listed in the first minutes of the video. The video was recently made private as YouTube is in the process of taking down videos aimed at inflating ad views for fundraising.
Despite YouTube’s efforts, many creators are following Amira’s blueprint and using their channels to donate via watching live streams and videos alike. Channels like Revive Music have rasied just a little over $40k to the NAACP. If you find yourself in a tight situation, go ahead and search some channels that donate proceeds to grassroots organizations, non-profits, bail and mutual aid funds.