Category: Activism

It’s ok to be sad and scared about the passing of RBG, but don’t forget to fight for her legacy

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By Emily Park
Illustrations by Katelyn Betz

A few days ago I was sitting in my boyfriend’s kitchen, happily chatting about our day and plans for the weekend as he made dinner, when my phone buzzed. 

I picked it up and froze as I read the words in the headline from my news app notification: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87.

I don’t remember exactly what I said next, but I remember exclaiming very loudly and distressed that we—as in the United States, women, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color—were absolutely, 100 percent screwed. 

Then I proceeded to have a spiraling meltdown—trust me, my boyfriend can confirm—for the rest of the evening as I downed half a bottle of premade-Bahama Mamas and my mind ran through every horrifying scenario that the death of this national treasure could cause. 

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White People: Let’s Stop Cherry-Picking MLK’s Words and Instead Listen to What We Need to Do for Change

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By Meg Pawley

If you take a look around the Twin Cities today, you might mistake it for the year 1967. As a reaction to the repeated, state-sanctioned execution of black men and women that continues in the US today, an uprising has begun. What began as peaceful protests in 1967 became bona fide race riots all over the country. When discussing the riots, Dr. King said:

“Riot is the language of the unheard, and what is it that has America failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of White society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity.”

Those words are still relevant today, as the peaceful protests in Minneapolis and Saint Paul have also ended in riots. Engagingly, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, I have seen far more white people criticize the riots than the senseless act itself. Most of them accompany their (unwarranted) opinion with one quote or another from Dr. King that, taken wildly out of context, seems to only promote peace and love. 

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Black communities paved the way for Asian-American communities. Here’s how Asian-Americans can support #BlackLivesMatter

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By Ishani Doshi

I want to share these resources for other Asian Americans to help understand how importantly Allyship is for People of Color. If your family immigrated after 1965, you are here because of the Civil Rights Movement and the passing of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act. Asian American communities exist because Black communities in America paved the way for us, and made it possible for us to seek a better life for our families. We need to do our part both within our own communities and externally to ensure we are part of the solution and not the problem of racial injustice.

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Want to support the KC Black community with your money, time, and action? Here’s where to start.

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By Catcall Staff

Erin Zimmerman, president of Kansas City Women in Film and Television, started this growing, Anti-Racism Resources document to help Kansas Citians get connected and supportive of our Black community. This is a growing doc, open for contributions.

Anti-Racism Resources

* This is NOT a fully comprehensive list, it’s a START. A community-collected resource. If you have a resource you would like added, a correction or update, please fill out this Google Form. Thank you!

** THANK YOU to the humans who have paved the way for us to DO THE WORK—especially Black Folx! We see you. We hear you. We are here to do the ongoing work.

This is meant to continue on as a living, breathing resource, to do the work so that we can keep black humans living and breathing! It’s a resource meant to add to, update and reference over time, so that we, as white people, can do our part to dismantle racism and the systems that oppress, brutalize and murder black people. Performative, optical allyship is just NOT acceptable!

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How to support justice for George Floyd now

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By Kelcie McKenney

On May 25, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. With Chauvin’s knee pressed into the back of Floyd’s neck, Floyd said, “Please, I can’t breathe.”

Protests continue in Minneapolis and nationwide. (Stay up-to-date from CNN.) Whether you are located in Minneapolis or not, there are ways to support justice for George Floyd. Attend a local protest happening in your community. If you don’t feel safe attending, offer to provide rides for friends or help deliver supplies—such as snacks, water, or gallons of milk for protesters in Minneapolis facing police tear-gassing. Speak up when you see injustices take place. Start a dialogue at home and online with friends and family about why we are outraged and why it’s our responsibility to support the Black community now.

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