Statement from the Bonner Foundation
Protests across the country and around the world have brought people together to express their pain and anger with the acts of police brutality, hate crimes and violence, and systemic racism affecting Black people and people of color in the United States. Bonded by our Common Commitments – social justice, diversity, community building, civic engagement, spiritual exploration, and international perspective – the Bonner Community acts on these ideals through our direct and sustained engagement in communities. Inspired by leaders before us, we carry out a shared vision of an anti-racist, inclusive, and just community.
The brutal deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others are just a few of the examples of racism and violence against Blacks in the United States and globe, and examples of white supremacy that must be dismantled. These incidents fuel anger, pain, rage, and fear in our own lives, which we courageously work to overcome and defeat everyday. As an organization committed to service, we pledge to do our part to recognize acts of injustice, cultivate an inclusive and anti-racist environment and institutions, and work to support and love one another. We will try hard to be the hope we need in the weeks, months, and years ahead of us. Bonner Love is inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These words represent the hopes and ideals of countless and diverse organizers, activists, and change makers who inspire our movement. The heroes we celebrate have been shaped, and supported, by countless people whose names have been forgotten.
We recognize that social change requires the investment, hope, and participation of people from all walks of life, perspectives, and approaches. Bonner Love represents a Beloved Community in which we, as individuals and as a community are judged by character – not appearance, race, ethnicity, class, income, gender, sexual preference, nationality, or other aspects of our identity. You are valued!
As we enter this week, and those beyond, take a moment for yourself and for those around you. Reflect on the people who have touched and have impacted you and your life, and whom you have impacted and touched. Remember, we are the Beloved Community. Celebrate and recognize your place and your contributions in a greater movement. As we deplore and work to fight against the inequity and injustice, let us look out for one another and embrace others in our community. Know that together we can and are bringing about a better, more just world. As you do this, be safe and take time for self-care. You are loved by the Bonner Community. B-Love!
May George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade rest in power. We also acknowledge all of the unnamed victims of racism and violence of the past and present. Let us continue in the fight for justice to create change so that black and brown people may live freely. Black Lives Matter.
We hope our community will continue to pursue the important mission and values the Bonner program represents. It is our duty to continue to advocate for social justice in instances of injustice world wide. Below, please find resources for ways to get involved while continuing to socially distance. If you have additional resources to share, please let us know and we will do our best to share with our larger network. These resources offer a range of opportunities to get involved and take action from educating one’s self and people around us to donating, to signing petitions, working for policy change, and organizing for a cause
Robert Hackett, President
and the Bonner Foundation staff and summer interns
Resources to Take Action Against Police Brutality and Racism
Contents
The Bonner Foundation is announcing a community fund for students and faculty in the Bonner Network to support racial justice initiatives that address inequities and build bridges in their local communities. We are encouraging students to engage other Bonners on their campus, the 3,000 current students across our national network of 65 colleges and universities, and our 18,000+ Bonner alumni. We are asking faculty to incorporate social action into an existing or new course where students can learn and join or launch a social action campaign during the semester that addresses racial injustice. We are developing and will announce the guidelines for this new fund in the coming weeks. These funds will be in addition to existing funds available at endowed institutions in the network. Additionally, the 2020-2021 funds for Community-Engaged Learning may also connect with racial justice initiatives, such as coursework or new academic programs.
The Bonner Foundation staff and community of campuses will support these efforts with funding and also on-going training, resource development, and networking. Our goals with this funding are not only to launch new projects and courses that seek to address the immediate and long-standing challenges facing our country and communities, but also to build sustainable structures and support on campuses in our network that will continue this work for the long-term.
The majority of the Foundation funds (whether from endowments or other grants) are allocated to students’ financial aid and to funding the operations of campus-wide centers. Additionally, only a third of the institutions in our network have funds from the Foundation, and many support their programs through Work Study and other institutional funds. If your campus is an endowed Bonner Scholar or Leader Program, talk with your Director or Coordinator about how to create a proposal for using your Bonner Community Fund and/or Junior/Senior Leadership Fund for organizing, training, and supporting efforts within your community. Additional information about pools of Bonner funds can be found here.
8-Themes Curriculum - Module on Fundraising — Check out this training to learn more about crowd-source fundraising and to find platforms and help with this skill.
What are some best practices for approaching the protests once we are back on campus? (Campuses often encounter situations involving race, e.g. Syracuse, what can we learn?)
How have you engaged with your students? (Have you released statements, reached out to Bonners, etc.) What is the pulse of your Bonner program?
What has your institution done as a whole? (Not just centers for community engagement)
Do your institutions have statements of commitment to inclusivity and diversity in their missions? How does your institution uphold those values?
What can the Bonner Foundation do to support you?
Here are some recommended links and places to take action.
Visit https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#victims, which includes links to donate to:
Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, has started a GoFundMe to assist his family in their time of grief and need.
George Floyd’s Sister’s Fund
Floyd’s sister Bridgett Floyd is raising money to help support George's daughter Gianna.
Ahmaud Arbery Fund
Regis Korchinski Fund
Jamee Johnson Fund
Destiny Harrison Funeral Fund
Eric Rosalia Fund
Belly Mujinga Fund
Dion Johnson Fund
Aaron James Fund
Tony McDade Fund
Healing For Darnella
Destiny’s Dream Scholarship
James Scurlock Fund
Support For Leslie Fund
Trever Belle Fund
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. DONATE HERE
The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a grassroots organization currently working with the National Lawyers Guild and the Legal Rights Center, will use donations to bail out arrested protestors and to supply those on the field. DONATE HERE
Reclaim the Block, a grassroots organization based in Minneapolis, will use funds to address community needs.DONATE HERE
Black Visions Collective, which is based in Minnesota, focuses its work on transformative justice in the state. DONATE HERE
North Star Health Collective is a group of street medics, radical health organizers, and community health trainers based in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and will use funds for gear and medical supplies on the field. DONATE HERE
Organizers in Louisville, Kentucky–the city that Breonna Taylor lived in–have created a community bail fund for protestors. DONATE HERE
Unicorn Riot, a non-profit media organization is dedicated to fair, on-the-ground reporting on civil disobedience, police brutality and white supremacy. Be thoughtful about sharing images of police brutality. These graphics may be personally traumatizing to watch for Black and brown individuals. DONATE HERE
The Legal Rights Center, which is based in Minnesota provides criminal defense and restorative justice services to low-income people, in particular people of color. Clients are never charged for firm services. DONATE HERE
National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) is a nonprofit organization, created to protect the human and civil rights of individuals in their encounters with law enforcement and detention facility personnel. The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States. It works toeducate and inform the public about issues relating to police misconduct, provide information resources for non-profit and community groups who work with victims of police abuse, support legislative reform efforts aimed at raising the level of police accountability, and create a forum for legal professionals and community organizations to come together and creatively work to end police misconduct. DONATE HERE
CLICK HERE to see a running list of major organizations by state that need support right now.
This video project was created to offer people a way to contribute to #blacklivesmatter without having any actual money or going out to protest themselves. Investing in our future can be difficult for young people, so 100% of the advertisement revenue this video makes through AdSense will be donated to the associations that offer protester bail funds, help pay for family funerals, and advocacy listed in the beginning of the video. You could help by watching the video and sharing it with others.
This PETITION on change.org website intends to reach the attention of Mayor Jacob Frey and county attorney Mike Freeman to beg to have the officers involved in this disgusting situation fired and for charges to be filed immediately.
To sign other petitions, CLICK HERE.
Contact Public Officials in Minneapolis and Other Areas
Contact Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to demand justice. You can call his office at 612-673-2100.REACH OUT HERE or submit your concern using this FORM.
Demand County Attorney Mike Freeman charge the officers with murder by calling him at 612-348-5550
Black Lives Matter Defund the Police Campaign
#DefundThePolicehttps://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/ Enough is enough. Our pain, our cries, and our need to be seen and heard resonate throughout this entire country. We demand acknowledgment and accountability for the devaluation and dehumanization of Black life at the hands of the police. We call for radical, sustainable solutions that affirm the prosperity of Black lives.
Campaign Zero - The comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.
An advocacy toolkit for fair, safe, and effective community policing https://www.obama.org/wp-content/uploads/Toolkit.pdf
Research-Informed Policy Solutions, Organizations on The Front Lines of Social Justice, and Other Resources https://www.obama.org/anguish-and-action/
Social Change Ecosystems Framework - https://buildingmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Reflection-Guide-for-Mapping-Roles-in-A-Social-Change-Ecosystem.pdf
Resources and Training on Bystander Intervention by ihollaback
Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism
“Why is this happening?” — an introduction to police brutality from 100 Year Hoodie
Books:
Podcasts:
Articles:
The Conscious Kid: follow them on Instagram and consider signing up for their Patreon
“America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us” by Adam Serwer | Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement (Mentoring a New Generation of Activists
”My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” by Jose Antonio Vargas | NYT Mag (June 22, 2011)
The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine
“The Intersectionality Wars” by Jane Coaston | Vox (May 28, 2019)
Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups developed by Craig Elliott PhD
”White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Knapsack Peggy McIntosh
“Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
"How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion" | Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26)
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Are Prison Obsolete by Angela Y. Davis
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Marie Brown
Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Inner Word of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness by Rhonda V. Magee
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Centuryby Grace Lee Boggs
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga
When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent
Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent
Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent
King In The Wilderness — HBO
See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent
The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
Antiracism Center: Twitter
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
National Domestic Workers Alliance: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
An Equity Scorecard: This tool, developed by the Center for Urban Education at the University of California, has been used by institutions across the country. In this process, the institution develops an Evidence Team comprised of faculty members, Diversity Officers, Student Support Services Personnel, Transfer Coordinators, Institutional Researchers, and Administrators. The Equity Scorecard™ is both a process and a data tool. As a process, it combines a theoretical framework with practical strategies to initiate institutional change that will lead to equitable outcomes for students of color. What’s unique about it is the engagement of individuals from different departments and divisions in an evidence team which investigates campus data, practices and policies. Near the conclusion of the process, the team will complete a Scorecard which captures the results of its investigations. This then leads to action plans to change curriculum, policies, and practices. See this article: The Equity Scorecard: A Collaborative Approach to Assess and Respond to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Student Outcomes by Frank Harris III and Estela Mara Bensimon. See https://cue.usc.edu/tools/the-equity-scorecard/
Anti-Racist Continuum: This continuum presents a six level rubric for assessing an organizational or institutional climate, with being a fully inclusive anti-racist multicultural organization in a transformed society as the highest level. It was developed by Crossroads Ministry in Chicago, Illinois, an organization that works actively on these issues. It adapts from the original concept by Bailey Jackson and Rita Hardiman, and further developed by Andrea Avazian and Ronice Branding. James Shields and colleagues at Guilford College introduced this continuum to the Bonner Network, which has been used to train and educate administrators, faculty, and staff and provided as a resource. AntiracistContinuumforOrganizations.pdf