Black Lives Matter: Practicing Love in Action

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In the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and the protests in Minnesota and across the country, many people are wondering what they can do, especially in this time of social distancing. Here’s a short list of how you can be involved both locally and nationally.

  1. The Nashua NAACP and Nashua Black Lives Matter are hosting a Nashua Vigil for Black Lives next Saturday, June 6 at 6pm in Greeley Park. They are asking people to wear masks and maintain social distancing. If you are able to take the risk of an outdoor gathering right now, this is a great way to support our local Black-led organizations.
  1. You can join the Nashua chapter of the NAACP to support and connect with the work that they do in our community.
  1. For those who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color, DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries) is holding an online vigil on Monday, June 1. You can find more information here.
  1. The UUA’s Organizing Strategy Team invites all UUs to “Support the uprising and commit to joining other UUs in working to combat the violence of militarism and the police state: Speak about your convictions in support of Black liberation. Articulate your support of Black organizing, grounded in your Unitarian Universalist faith. Have hard conversations with your family, your social networks, your neighbors. And sign up at this link to be connected with a network of UUs committing to learning, reflecting, and acting together.”
  1. If you are able to offer financial support, give it to the front line organizers providing leadership: Give your money, and ask others to give in support of organizations like Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, and Minnesota Freedom Fund.
  1. Think about your relationship to the police and learn about the impact of policing on your community. Check out this UUA resource on alternatives to calling the police and consider how to apply it to your life and your communities.

Looking for more ways to connect to the ongoing struggle? Check out this great compilation of 26 ways to be in the struggle beyond the streets.