IMPORTANT!!

if you’re white and are protesting, please, please listen to this. if you’re white and have white friends protesting, let them know

this all blows in the face of Black and brown people protesting

y’all, i feel like i need to remind y’all that there’s a huge difference between ignoring what’s going on, and taking a mental break because you’re exhausted with trying to keep up with the situation in the country right now. this shit is no joke and is weighing incredibly heavy on people such as myself and if you need to take a break from this and just log out, please do. please take care of yourself and don’t feel bad that you’re not keeping up with things at every second of the day.

Evening, gang, I'm here to make a little note about the pridefall thing.

ITS NOT REAL.

People like that have been doing shit like that for years, and people give into it every year. Its been confirmed multiple times that it was, indeed, fake, and anyone that was taking it seriously is no longer doing it. Pridefall. Isn't. Happening.

Don't listen to anyone who says it is, don't let them scare you. LGBT people are scared offline every year by shit like this, and we keep letting it happen. We can't keep falling for this shit. Its getting OLD.

lgbtq+ please stay safe and go private this pride. 4//c//h//an is planning on attacking and doxxing lgbtq+ ppl especially minors.

guitars : )

I'm trying not to freak out about DC but everything about the situation is just... Questionable?? The white house goes dark and then the rest of the capital? Protestors who left earlier in the night can't get in touch with people who were still on the ground. DC deployed 1000s of officers and the national guard?? Why is the media silent when DC was literally on fire??

The most comprehensive link to donations, petitions, resources and information. Silence is compliance in violence.

When he realized red is the good part of the watermelon.. 😅

7 Virtual Mental Health Resources Supporting Black People Right Now

We may be socially distant in this traumatic time, but we're not alone.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been going through it. First there was the constant stream of news about the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black communities, then came the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of police and the wrongful death of Ahmaud Arbery. Meanwhile I’m navigating this pandemic along with everyone else, and trying to figure out how to make a positive impact along the way. It’s been dizzying. And I know I’m not alone.

According to Naj Austin, founder of the social community for people of color Ethel’s Club, all of those complex feelings and mixed emotions are normal in times of crisis and collective trauma. Ethel’s Club, which previously offered free mental health counseling for members in its Brooklyn location, has now transitioned to a digital model. “The great thing about a healing space like Ethel’s Club is that it takes our identity, and everything that comes with that, into account. You can’t talk about these complex feelings without talking about Blackness.” The club’s online community is hosting free, hour-long grieving sessions twice monthly.

For many Black people practicing social distancing, the need for virtual resources has never been more clear. So, I’ve compiled a list of six more mental health resources, in addition to Ethel’s Club, that are providing virtual support to the Black community right now. However you choose to grieve, process, and/or stand in solidarity, remember that you’re not alone, and that your personhood and wellness still matter.

Dive in Well

Maryam Ajayi founded Dive in Well, an organization offering digital classes on various wellness practices, to create a more inclusive wellness industry. Dive in Well hosts donation-based digital events like breathwork classes and therapy sessions aimed at centering self care.

Sista Afya

This Chicago-based, community-driven organization provides women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions, workshops, and free online conversations known as Online Sista Support Groups, which cover topics like managing the stress sparked by consuming news.

Healhaus

Founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle created this space in Brooklyn to provide accessible and inclusive wellness to their community. HealHaus is currently closed, but their ethos has continued virtually through live streamed classes, including a healing cypher for men of color.

Therapy for Black Girls

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford founded this organization to combat the stigma around therapy that might otherwise prevent Black women from seeking care. Now, TBG has become a successful podcast, a directory that aims to connect women with culturally competent therapists, as well as a private community Facebook support group. The organization holds free group support sessions weekly on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. EST.

The Nap Ministry

Performance artist and poet Tricia Hersey founded The Nap Ministry to champion Black rest as a form of reparations and resistance against burnout culture and capitalism. While she normally hosts free pop-ups where visitors can take brief naps and workshops in the Atlanta area, Hersey has been using Instagram to provide mini sermons about the importance of slowing down and getting more sleep when you’re a Black person fighting oppression day-in and day-out.

Inclusive Therapists

Austin-based therapist Melody Li founded the Inclusive Therapists database to provide therapists with training for racial trauma and connect people of all identities, abilities, and bodies with culturally sensitive care. Li herself, and many other therapists in the Inclusive Therapists network, offer reduced-fee teletherapy options to ensure that financial limitations do not keep people from pursuing care. Decolonizing Therapy and Viva Wellness are two other therapy practices with active online platforms.