Groundswell: How to Fight for Black Lives in the Midst of a Pandemic

As the nation reels from the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, people across the country are rising up to protest racial injustice and police violence. Thousands are taking to the streets—but with a pandemic simultaneously wreaking devastation, many organizers and protesters are exploring alternative avenues for exercising civil disobedience while still maintaining physical distancing measures. This week’s Groundswell highlights some innovative protest tactics from around the country.

California has a powerful history of combining art and activism; Oakland artists’ responses to the 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant, for instance, helped galvanize a new generation of activists. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, protest art—which can be experienced even from a distance—has taken on a new relevance. Los Angeles-based artist Nikkolas Smith’s portraits of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have been shared widely on social media in the past week (including by Michelle Obama), while murals commemorating Floyd are cropping up in places like Santa Barbara and Oakland. California artists are also engaged in imagining a more equitable post-COVID world: the Bay Area-based Center for Cultural Power recently shared "No Going Back," a strategy guide for artists who want to promote policies such as family-sustaining jobs, universal basic income, and well-resourced census efforts that will support a complete count.

Even before protesters in Indianapolis took to the streets for George Floyd, grassroots efforts like IMPD Transparency were urging residents to chalk their home driveways for Dreasjon Reed, who was shot in the back by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers in the weeks prior to Floyd's death. Activists have also called for donations to Indianapolis’ No Questions Asked Food Pantry as a response to the violence against Black residents. For those attending physical protests, Indy10 Black Lives Matter has consistently stressed mask-wearing or driving by with medical supplies, snacks, or water. Even those who can’t join the protests in person are doing their part for the movement: Indy BLM has received so many financial donations that it’s asking donors to redirect funds to The Bail Project, ACLU, and local mutual aid funds.

Following unrest in Chicago, black and brown communities—which have already been hit hard by the pandemic—are working to rebuild. My Block, My Hood, My City, a nonprofit started by Jahmal Cole, has responded by starting a Small Business Relief Fund and rallying local volunteers to help with clean-up efforts in already-struggling communities of color. The organization is also fundraising to provide Viral Response Packages to support seniors of color isolated by COVID-19, and is recruiting volunteers to call and check up on seniors in their neighborhoods.

We’d love to learn more about how your community is adapting in these challenging times. If you have stories to share, please email passen@newamerica.org.