We support the protestors who are out on the streets calling for justice and an end to state-sanctioned violence against Black people.
June 12 update:
💰 In addition to contributing to bail funds for protestors, many activists are now recommending we find our local legal aid chapters to ensure that protestors will receive legal defense if they face any charges. In our team's areas we have:
- Boston: Lawyers for Civil Rights
- New Mexico: New Mexico Legal Aid
- NYC: The Legal Aid Society
Please feel free to share your local legal aid chapter in our FTLOR thread, Resources to Support Black Lives Matter.
❤️ We are so happy to see the Ravelry community seeking out ways to support Black designers and yarnies. Check out the bundles that the Ravelry Solidarity Swap group has curated of BIPOC designers and yarnies. You can search these bundles using our Advanced Search, and if you add the bundle of Designers to your Ravelry favorites you'll automatically see new patterns from included designers in your Highlights on the main Patterns page.
📷 On Instagram, you can follow the @bipocinfiber, @meetmakersofcolor, @blkmakersmatter, and @themakersofcollorcollective accounts and enrich your feed (not to mention your pattern queue and yarn stash) with the incredible talent they showcase!
🧶 The NFC Momentum Fund keeps on growing, thanks in large part to fiber community donations. We know that every penny of this fund is going to be put to great use! https://www.gofundme.com/f/nfc-momentum-fund
June 5th update: 🧶 Neighborhood Fiber Co. is raising money to start a permanent fund to support organizations working for justice, equality, and empowerment. The NFC Momentum Fund will be able to receive tax-deductible donations that will be dispersed to a variety of organizations working for justice, empowerment, and equality.
We’ve known Karida, owner of NFC, for as long as we've been in this industry. Please support this initiative: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nfc-momentum-fund.
June 3rd update: June is Pride Month. 🏳️🌈 ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏾✊🏼✊🏻 Queer Black people suffer from intersecting forces of violence and oppression. Selected Black-led organizations supporting queer Black people:
- Solutions Not Punishment is an Atlanta-based Black trans and queer led collective that fights for investment in community and divestment from policing, criminalization, and incarceration.
- House of GG, founded by Miss Major, focuses on supporting and nurturing the leadership of Transgender women of color living in the U.S. South.
- The Trans Justice Funding Project supports grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people.
With a little digging, you will find organizations that work for justice and equity for Black people in your own community. A short list of some resources that were shared by other Ravelers:
- BRIDGE is an education, training, and advocacy oriented organization based in Western Massachusetts. They could use your support.
- The Equal Justice Initiative fights for racial justice and an end to mass incarceration and excessive punishment.
- List of Twin Cities organizations looking for support.
- Access to food in the community where George Floyd was murdered has dried up. Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church is one organization that is addressing food scarcity in the neighborhood.
- Ravelers have been sharing more resources in a forum thread titled Resources to Support Black Lives Matter.
🇺🇸 Primary season in the US isn't over! Visit electblackleaders.com and vote Black candidates into office.
🧶 Finally, many people have asked how to support Black fiber artists. Check out BIPOC in Fiber, founded by Jeanette Sloan (Jetsy on Ravelry).
June 1st: because of the pandemic, we earned more money from May pattern sales fees than we expected. We are matching donations, up to a total of $13,000, made to Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, the Philando Castile Relief Foundation, and Know Your Rights Camp. UPDATE: We've matched all $13,000 in under 6 hours. Thank you everyone!
If you aren't sure how to help your community right now, consider donating to a local bail fund or legal defense fund.
