Howdy, everyone. Where to even begin with this week’s news?
On May 25, police in Minneapolis, Minnesota killed George Floyd, a Black man, after handcuffing him and pinning him to the ground. Over the weekend, his death sparked peaceful protests not just in Minneapolis, but across the United States and in Toronto, London, and Berlin. In many U.S. cities, police escalated the protests by throwing tear gas canisters, firing rubber bullets, and engaging in other forms of physical violence against protesters. Mayors in a number of cities also imposed curfews, announcing them at times that made it difficult if not impossible to leave protests in time to meet those curfews.
Public curfews don’t help people get home safely, they help police arrest more people. LA gave protesters only 40 minutes notice to get home — people who have been walking and marching for hours now. This is LAPD trapping people into violating a curfew. pic.twitter.com/J5PCxkyQb6
— carina adly mackenzie (@cadlymack) June 1, 2020
Part of Sidequest’s mission statement is to value and center writers of different ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. With these values in mind, it doesn’t feel right to use this column for your regularly scheduled gaming news. Instead, we hope to use this week’s column to boost various fundraisers and resources that benefit the people and communities affected by violence.
Support Victims’ Families
- Official George Floyd Memorial Fund: A GoFundMe organized by George Floyd’s family will aid with funeral expenses, mental and grief counseling, and lodging and travel during future court proceedings.
- In Memory of Tony McDade: George Floyd was not the only person killed by police last week. Two days later, on May 27, Tallahassee police shot and killed Tony McDade. This GoFundMe will aid Tony’s family with funeral expenses and mental and grief counseling for his family. [Note: This fundraiser is no longer accepting donations, but we felt it necessary to include Tony McDade here.]
- Justice for Dion Johnson: An unidentified Arizona state trooper killed Dion Johnson on Memorial Day. His sister has organized a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
- Fight for Breonna: Breonna Taylor was an EMT and first responder in Louisville, Kentucky. In March, Louisville police entered her home and began shooting, fatally striking Breonna Taylor. This petition demands justice for Breonna and accountability from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
- I Run With Maud: On February 23, 2020, Gregory and Travis McMichael pursued and killed Ahmaud Arbery while he was jogging in Brunswick, Georgia. Though this was not technically a police shooting, it is still being investigated as “a possible hate crime” and the GoFundMe will assist Ahmaud Arbery’s mother and her immediate family with future legal proceedings.
- Justice for Regis: Regis Korchinski-Paquet died in Toronto last week after police were called to her home. The circumstances of her death are unclear, and her sister has organized a GoFundMe to help the family with future legal expenses.
- For James Scurlock’s Family: On Saturday, May 30, 22-year-old James Scurlock was shot and killed while protesting in Omaha, Nebraska. This fundraiser will benefit James Scurlock Sr. and surviving family members.
- Justice for David McAtee: Around midnight on Monday, June 1, Louisville law enforcement killed restaurant owner David McAtee, who ran Yaya’s BBQ in Louisville, while he was protesting. Writer and organizer Aida Osman has coordinated a GoFundMe on his behalf, with funds going to David McAtee’s mother.
Minnesota-Specific Organizations
- Minnesota Freedom Fund
Wow. So much support from all over the country + the world! We are overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who has provided support at this time. Please also consider donating to Reclaim the Block (https://t.co/RfymLGhVc2) + Black Visions Collective (https://t.co/7L4oV1LKtz)
— Minnesota Freedom Fund (@MNFreedomFund) May 28, 2020
- Reclaim the Block: Reclaim the Block’s goal is to organize community and council members to divest from policing and instead invest the city’s budget in areas that better promote health and safety in the community.
- Black Visions Collective: Black Visions Collective aims to dismantle systems of oppression and violence through principles of healing and transformative justice.
- North Star Health Collective: North Star Health Collective works with mainstream and anti-authoritarian organizations to provide health care services, resources, and safe spaces. North Star is no longer taking donations, but their site links out to a number of reputable organizations doing work that aligns with their mission.
- Twin Cities Recovery Project: South MPLS Support: Twin Cities Recovery Project is providing direct support to members of the South Minnepolis community, with the goal of providing grief and trauma services to those who need it.
Contribute to Local Bail Funds
Since last week, thousands of protesters have been arrested. Community bail funds help ensure that those arrested can be freed from jail.
a friend was arrested in atlanta last night for peaceful protesting. almost all others detained were black and bonds are up to $6000. if you can pls join me in donating to the atlanta bond fund, they’re really short on cashhttps://t.co/qOCnzRIj3l
— giabuchi (@jaboukie) May 31, 2020
- Chicago Community Bond Fund
- Columbus Freedom Fund
- Louisville Community Bail Fund
- National Bail Fund Network
- The Bail Project
We stand ready to provide bail assistance to protesters in cities where we have offices. Please retweet! pic.twitter.com/LM3EmEx9RO
— The Bail Project (@bailproject) May 30, 2020
You can also donate to multiple bail funds at once, or make donations to a local organization through ActBlue.
28. DONATE TO 30 BAIL FUNDS AT ONE TIME USING THIS LINK SO SO IMPORTANT. IT WILL SPLIT YOUR FUNDS BETWEEN DIFFERENT BAIL FUNDS ACROSS THE NATION. https://t.co/0sj3i0vpyh
— Kamara (@kamaraxtaurus) May 31, 2020
Protests are ongoing, which means bail funds and fundraisers are ever-evolving. Twitter user @botanicaldyke has created a Google Doc that contains tons of resources, including bail funds, memorial funds, legal aid, advice for protesters, alternative actions if you are unable to donate, and more.
hey, this morning i created a google doc to keep track of the bail funds, memorial funds, and actions that people have been tweeting out. there's also some advice for protestors. here's the link to that document if anyone else is interested: https://t.co/LnP7e1zDs9
— Indi (@botanicaldyke) May 29, 2020
Help Provide Frontline Supplies
Black youth in Minneapolis are fundraising for military grade gas masks. y’all know what to do. pic.twitter.com/ciK5MQnyHb
— vanessa taylor (@BaconTribe) May 31, 2020
I’ve seen the majority of donation requests going to one bail fund and select orgs. while their work is important, frontline youth are out there every night, largely unprotected, doing most of the leg work. so here’s a thread of individual efforts of (trusted) folks to support:
— fadumo (@saintfadumo) May 31, 2020
Mental Health Resources
SIGNAL BOOST: A group of black therapists are offering 1-2 free virtual processing sessions for Black people who were on the frontlines of the recent protests in Chicago. https://t.co/sIXTDCUYrJ
— Britt Julious (@britticisms) June 1, 2020
Here’s a thread of mental health reasources for Black people: https://t.co/h4z7okZa2x
— ashia monet ☁️🌙 (@AshiaMonet) June 1, 2020
Other Ways to Support
- Tabletop Treehouse is hosting two different game bundles. One bundle contains 20 games and the other contains 30 microgames, with all proceeds going directly to Black Visions Collective. The sale ends Friday, 6/5.
- Writers and developers are offering support and mentorship to Black gamedevs and writers.
In the spirit of this, I'd be honored to offer my industry knowledge and connections as a videogame journalist/critic to any Black writers interested. My DMs aren't open but my email is in my bio. https://t.co/HYyYoBK4RU
— Julie Alexis Muncy (@juliemuncy23) June 1, 2020
- Game developer Adriel Wallick is offering aid to Black people who are unable to take paid time off.
To be clear, I want to pay you to take time off. Take a mental health day, buy yourself dinner, pay a bill you’ve been putting off.
I’m gonna pin this tweet, and as long as it’s still pinned, I have the resources to help you to have one less thing to worry about. https://t.co/HpXJ2wczu5
— Adriel Wallick (@MsMinotaur) June 1, 2020
- On Twitter, artists and creatives are helping to boost resources for Black creatives across a number of industries.
Ayyy TV/animation writing Twitter, got any resources we can throw to Black writers wanting to study screenwriting?
— Nilah Magruder, horse feminist (@nilaffle) May 30, 2020
- Artists are also opening up commissions for fundraising. Many are requesting to see receipt of a fund they may have specified in exchange for a commission, trusting you in good faith to not be using a single payment across multiple artists. These are just but a few of a growing number of creatives using their skills for the cause.
DONATION COMMISSIONS – please rt pic.twitter.com/nCnRegCir1
— tendou's back (@acarneIian) May 31, 2020
until june 30th i'll be donating everything i make from commissions and ko-fi tips to charity
i would still urge you to donate directly to organizations and communities in need, but i'm happy to offer a small thank-you if it's the thing that pushes you to help pic.twitter.com/RhA7i3lQtR
— tom 🍋 – B L M (@ahokassan) May 31, 2020
charity commissions again! I don't have a lot of money to donate but I can incentivize all of you lol
charities to donate to are below, but if there are other charities you want to donate to relating to recent BLM protests, link those below and I'll accept receipts from them too pic.twitter.com/cCdG3f55ji
— AL (@alalampone) May 30, 2020
hey! i want 2 help but am poor, so i'm doing commissions to help out with the blm protestors in Minnesota! 100% of proceeds are going to the freedom fund & the medical supply fund, which i'll link in the thread. comment if interested, only thru paypal plz!! pic.twitter.com/ejjj6n4okl
— no milfphobia allowed (@alienliife) May 30, 2020
RTS APPRECIATED ‼️ I am taking BLM charity commissions, I’ll draw almost anything you want (no NSFW), send me the money via paypal and I will donate it to a charity/fund of YOUR CHOOSING (must be related to BLM) dm me if you’re interested!Examples + more info in comments pic.twitter.com/QeYDX1sehN
— zoru🧃@ CHARITY COMMISSIONS IN PINNED (@bennybunny_) May 31, 2020
DONATION -> COMMISSION
ive decided to open UNLIMITED slots for $20 icon commissions to support the blm movement, payment is via donation to any of the links >>>under this post<<<!
dm if interested! 🙂#BLACK_LIVES_MATTER pic.twitter.com/gitgnXmuIY— commissions closed until finished current ones (@bilbowt) May 30, 2020
gonna support in some way…i can’t exactly do free work, but i’m opening charity sketch commissions! i dont wanna overload myself so these wont be colored btw
25% will be donated to any #BLM-related charity of the commissioner’s choice, be a bailout fund/memorial fund/whatever! pic.twitter.com/6qDuXzJcda
— elisha the plant chick artist (@botaniccal) May 31, 2020
Hey folks! Donate to any of these groups, send me a screencap of your receipt, and I’ll draw you a character of your choosing! ✨
George Floyd Memorial Fund – https://t.co/F5Mdk6ZVwh
Reclaim the Block – https://t.co/NRDURHOJkX
Black Visions Collective – https://t.co/lLSprxbTTe— Christian/Kris Dobbins 🏳️🌈 (@C_Dobbins) May 30, 2020
In support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement I’ll be opening commissions for icons (or art in general)! Just DM me proof (timestamp / transaction ID) of you donating $5+ to any BLM cause and a few details of what you’d like me to do! 🥰✨ pic.twitter.com/Ca7r5JN3Qw
— caroline 🔆 BLM (@cgullYQ) May 31, 2020
opening donation commissions !!
accepting payment through a screenshot of a $10 donation to any blm movement (pls dm what you want before sending the screenshot)
inspired by @/kxyoph, i’ll be linking their commissions along with resources to donate to below pic.twitter.com/DvmeqxTGi6— ori🍎 (@cleffori) May 30, 2020
I’m going to open commissions for funds to go to BLM funds and charity. Prices are 21$ and you can DM me your receipt from Ko-fi! pic.twitter.com/ZbvxDKQnnG
— pls im v anxious (@cuddlewuddlepug) May 30, 2020
Opening up icon commissions to try to help out! Dm me if you’re interested #BLM #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/F2vZzneXfZ
— Baby Tam Clarke – BLM (@dasquirrelqueer) May 30, 2020
#BlackLivesMatter SKETCH COMMISSIONS!
100% of the funds collected through commissions are going straight to bail and memorial funds, the more commissions the merrierCHECK THE COMMENTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION + CONTACT VIA EMAIL OR DMS pic.twitter.com/3X5G6nO1ra
— GOBLIN MAN BLM (@ghostsquidzz) May 31, 2020
hi everyone! since we have a new baby and have not able to protest with #blacklivesmatter i am opening special rate commissions with all of the money going straight to the northwest community bail fund which will pay the cash bail of protestors being held in my state right now pic.twitter.com/brSliGCchb
— min @ BLM (@gregstophe) May 31, 2020
I’m opening commissions to support BLM!! I will draw you a commission (style pictured below) if you contact me in DMs and donate $10 or more to a site in thread, then send me your receipt. Screenshot must have a timestamp and donation must be done within 30 mins of contacting me. pic.twitter.com/kF171wNsKS
— ✿ ninonuke – BLM !! #JunkTerrorBill | see pinned (@gronnblade) May 30, 2020
hey guys!
im gonna do BLM charity commissions!
they are only going to be bust sketches!
8 USD per character!!
—
ALL EARNINGS WILL GO TO:https://t.co/TuhX9AIXIK
—
PLEASE DM ME! ill be taking 10 at a time!!
examples: pic.twitter.com/qOGmHyxwmk— 🍢IMP🍢 BLM 💥 ACAB (@squid_twins) May 31, 2020
☞︎Donation Commissions
i was invited alongside a group of writers and artists to participate in a donation fest, all proceedings going towards blm pic.twitter.com/dYVJePA9y6
— n𖧵ra⁷ #BLM (@honeybearnamu) May 31, 2020
I’m going to start doing quick $10 commissions for donations around BLM! Message me your receipt for donating and I’ll send you your commission as soon as I can! pic.twitter.com/CFqxYox3pg
— jenny (@jennybobenny36) May 31, 2020
I’ll be doing art commissions to raise awareness and money for #blacklivesmatter funds. There are many options , so feel free to ask questions, Please remember all money will be going to #BLM funds so bigger donations are welcomed! Make sure to sign the petitions and share!! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/KrfTrHkylF
— Click the link in my bio BLM!⁷ (@jinsbakeryy) May 30, 2020
hey guys! I’m opening up commissions so that I can support the blm movement! all proceeds will be going to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund (https://t.co/y3rzcwW53P)
Please dm me if you’re interested! pic.twitter.com/pGL4yUcELr— ☁️kylie☁️ BLM (@kxyoph) May 29, 2020
I’m opening donation commissions for 2 days (due to time/financial constraint), donate $15+ for BW sketch, $25+ for colored flats to any bail organization or BLM campaign. Receipt must be made within 15 min of donation. pic.twitter.com/5ByrNZC7GL
— Marri 🐰(韵韵)donation comms (@marribun) May 31, 2020
Im opening commissions for donating to blm/george floyd causes! depending on how much you donate it can range from a headshot-fullbody examples below and donation links in thread!!
comment or message me with proof and a ref and i can get working on it asap ^^ pic.twitter.com/hLDaDc3rDH
— Marshu 🐞🍊 BLM!! (@marshukitty) May 29, 2020
opening up charity commissions! i’ll draw a lineless headshot to anyone who DMs me proof of their $20+ donation to black visions collective, reclaim the block, north star health collective, or any bail funds benefiting protestors! i’ll link some organizations below this tweet! pic.twitter.com/p1YYQdUWpv
— ari 🌟 || blm charity comms open!! (@orcbiart) May 30, 2020
Charity art commissions alert! You can send me a proof + a timestamp that you donated $5 or more to BLM, George Floyds GoFundMe, or something similar, I’ll draw u something like these two drawings. You can choose! #ACAB #BLM pic.twitter.com/dwYBHgKvcx
— Your friendly neighborhood something or other (@0ddheart) May 30, 2020
I’m opening up my commissions to help fund organizations in support for Black Lives Matter! I will NOT draw NSFW or gore, and please do not request more than three characters! pic.twitter.com/3Vx7zPwZlt
— Pia ⭐ BLM DONATION COMMISSIONS OPEN (@piadoesart) May 31, 2020
[UPDATED THREAD] hi! i'm a college student working as a lab assistant so i unfortunately don't have income to give to orgs supporting blm. however, i do art and am taking "commissions" for donations over $10 to these orgs. rts appreciated, please read ENTIRE thread if interested! pic.twitter.com/JEwIna3g3c
— lev // donation comms 📌 (@pleiadesnights) June 2, 2020
I am offering sketch commissions for people who donate to:
BLMhttps://t.co/49FSc4Z3XI
black visions https://t.co/IkY2P2UIiG
reclaim the blockhttps://t.co/Z3eTRKBe2Iplease dm/reply with proof of your donation! ocs or fanart is ok! please see below: pic.twitter.com/04Rg3pUcPK
— lix (@princetrus) May 30, 2020
im opening commissions and all proceeds are going to BLM and northstar health collective. i don’t know if there is much demand but i will open 5 slots for now. even if you cant commission/donate directly please do whatever you can! black lives matter and always will! pic.twitter.com/AP336quiYZ
— marianne ⚔️‼️SHE-RA SPOILERS (@redsjacket) May 30, 2020
I’m opening commissions !!! If you donate at least 5$ to any of the organisations linked below, i’ll sketch you a bust of a character of your choice ! Just DM me before donating to see if i’m available and then send me the proof !
⬇️More information below !⬇️ pic.twitter.com/gw6JDG89de— PUCK || BLM (@saltyh0td0g) May 31, 2020
Doing some icon commissions!
I have two fundraisers for these icons which will be linked in thread: If you donate at least $10 to Floyd’s GoFundMe you can grab an icon on the left, if you donate $25 to BLM you can grab an icon on the right, rules in thread- pic.twitter.com/mnL1b6Y5Lg— sonionarts (dont qrt ❤) (@sonionarts) May 28, 2020
ICON DONATION COMMISSIONS!!!
please consider donating to one of the following organizations that fund and support BLM protestors! Taking these commissions in order to raise more money for these organizations!MFF: https://t.co/b0u1xGdgBL
more ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ZXh2E8rxJi— ☆ Isaiah loves steve rogers☆ (@SPIDERSTAPE) May 30, 2020
(NOTE: if you are a black artist, please reply with your art and commissions. I will retweet every single one)
Hello!! I’m doing headshot commissions, but for when you donate over $10 to BLM. I am linking donation options below. DM me proof of your donation<3 examples below pic.twitter.com/y4zFp1S7e7— swublin (THIAGO SAID GULPIN💕) (@tacobellkyurem) May 31, 2020
I AM TAKING COMMISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF #BlackLivesmatter
[This will be through Twitter DMs]
RTS APPRECIATED! pic.twitter.com/ljTNVGfcaT— cameron ✿ blm (charity comms) (@thesloug) May 29, 2020
I’m opening donation commissions to help support BLM organizations/fundraisers! pic.twitter.com/q2ArA3YUcn
— Yᴀᴍi ✨ BLM DONATION COMMS (@unamusedyami) May 31, 2020
Hi everyone, I’m taking some quick sketch commissions in the hopes of aiding the BLM movement and protesters in America right now.
I’m not sure how many English speaking followers I have or who would be interested, but even if you can’t donate please spread the word! Thanks! pic.twitter.com/ZJUdr8x8XO— め (@watatomos) May 31, 2020
[RT] Due to feeling absolutely hopeless as a black trans man, I’m opening donation commissions. I know that I do not have to do anything, but I want to live in a world where I’m no longer afraid, so I have to. 3 slots, donate to https://t.co/IPr1pd4wq9 and dm me receipt. #blm pic.twitter.com/XJrAjo4lOg
— Zephyren @ Please Support Us (@ZettasRen) May 29, 2020
Educational Resources
Donating and protesting are helpful immediate actions. It’s also important in the long-term that we do the difficult but necessary work of educating ourselves on being actively anti-racist. Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein have compiled a document of anti-racism resources, including books, articles, movies, and more. It is available through Google Docs. Haymarket Books is offering the ebook Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States, a collection of essays on police violence against marginalized communities, for free until June 5. Verso Books is offering the ebook The End of Policing, about how law enforcement exacerbates the problems it is said to solve and prevent, for free until June 10. (If you have the funds, perhaps consider donating the list price for these books to one of the organizations or fundraisers listed above.)
If you’re struggling to talk to your family members about the Black Lives Matter movement due to a language barrier, Cordelia Yu began a project in 2016 that coordinated translations of the Letters for Black Lives project.
For people (like me) who lack the words and vocabulary in their parent’s or relative’s native languages to explain the BLM movement, this is a google drive of the Letters for Black Lives project with final (and pending) translations. https://t.co/6GIP7gXL42 pic.twitter.com/fwntQmv2r4
— Em梅@ fer△l@o r v W E B T O O N (@strwbrytruffles) May 31, 2020
And Finally, If You’re Going to a Protest…
Despite the protests, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Vice has a guide specifically for protesting during the pandemic that discusses necessary precautions. Teen Vogue has a more general guide on what to expect, as well as an article outlining how to safely film police misconduct. Finally, Popular Science has a very thorough guide to dealing with tear gas, should you be exposed to it.
When taking photos, please be careful to edit out faces and other identifying features; these can hypothetically be used to track down protesters, which may then result in retaliatory actions. Please also be aware that per the Associated Press’s (the American standard for ethics in journalism) Code of Ethics for Photojournalists, photojournalists are not permitted to alter photos in a way that adds to or subtracts from elements in a photograph. This means that photojournalists will not blur protesters’ faces in photographs, so you may want to consider covering your face or applying makeup that will confuse facial recognition software. Developer Everest Pipkin has created a program that scrubs photo metadata and blurs identifiable features so you can safely post them.
i built a tool for quickly scrubbing metadata from images and selectively blurring faces and identifiable features. it runs on a phone or computer, and doesn't send info anywhere.
process your images so that you and others are safe:https://t.co/GbQu5ZweDq pic.twitter.com/jKjABTgPRX
— everest (@everestpipkin) May 31, 2020
If you’re not going to a protest, there are still ways you can help at home. Check out the thread below if you’re looking for ways to be active during the protests. This Black Lives Matter Carrd is also a great resource to bookmark.
PEOPLE AT HOME: if you're not going out on the streets to protest, you're not limited to helping via petitions & donations (although those are important/worthwhile)
any successful protest NEEDS some people to stay home in order to fulfill the following roles:
— ryro 🦇 (@gendervamp) May 31, 2020
Stay healthy, and stay safe out there, everyone. Until next time.
Madison Butler is Sidequest’s self-proclaimed jock editor. She co-founded the blog Critsumption and once got really into powerlifting via Fitness Boxing for the Nintendo Switch. She tweets at @_maddilo.
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