The murders of black men, women and children at the hands of police is a tragedy plaguing this country. This is a crucial time to discuss systemic racism, police violence and how we, as communities of color, can come together to support and listen to the black community. So what can we do as allies? 

Here are a few action items:

• Pledge to stand with the Movement for Black Lives.
• Recognize the diversity in your community. 
• Listen to the needs of the black community.
• If you’re a leader, educate your community.
• Pressure to create change.
• Invest in black-owned businesses.
• Offer your community support.
• Remember that language is important. Understand the problems with using "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter." No one is saying that other lives don’t matter, and no one is saying that black lives matter more. What is being said is that the black community at this time is facing particular perils that must be addressed.
• Self-care: places of worship (i.e. mosques, churches, etc.) should provide contact information for social workers and mental health professionals.
• Research alternatives to community policing. 
• Learn and share resources on your rights (i.e. what do you do if you get pulled over?). 
• Communication: share articles and resources that community members and leaders have written on the topic within the community (see below).
• Social movement = policy movement/change. Be involved in policy making. 
  • Make sure people register to vote and actually go out to vote.
  • Motivate leaders in your community to run for office. 

Here are a few shareable resources: 

• 5 tips for being an ally to #BlackLivesMatter
• Article by Rana Elmir and Dawud Walid about Arab-Black solidarity
• Article by Rana Elmir and Dawud Walid about Baltimore
• Article by Muslim ARC about Baton Rouge

We hope that these action items and resources are useful! We urge you to continue these conversations in your own communities.