Break Free From Plastic reaffirms the unequivocal truth that #BlackLivesMatter — we join in solidarity with our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) members fighting for Freedom, Liberation, and Justice around the world. We are appalled and deeply saddened by the senseless murders of George Floyd in Minnesota, of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and of the countless innocent people of color who have been killed by police brutality, white supremacy, and institutionalized racism.
As a global movement rooted in social justice and systems change, we strongly condemn the violence inflicted on Black communities by the police officers who are supposed to protect and serve. Today, we bring the power of our 2,000 members fighting for justice along the entire plastics supply chain to join the call for a sustainable transformation.
Social Justice. Racial Justice. Environmental Justice. We believe these are all part of a single, globally-connected Movement for Justice. We are committed to utilizing our platforms responsibly and proactively, centering the voices of BIPOC community members at all levels of our leadership, and continuing to fight racism and systemic oppression around the world.
On behalf of Break Free From Plastic, we’re sending love and strength to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and countless other families and communities who have been victims of violence by institutions rooted in racism and the perpetuation of inequity. Together with every community that has been forced to endure the immeasurable loss of life, we raise our voices across the world with one unified message: Black Lives Matter.
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Please join us in sharing this statement far and wide! You may download the statement as a word doc to share on your organizational website, amplify on social media, and read up on how to be a #BlackLivesMatter advocate and ally.
Download #BlackLivesMatter Resources:
Share Sample Tweets (with Graphics):
- Today, we reaffirm the unequivocal truth that #BlackLivesMatter. As part of the global #BreakFreeFromPlastic movement rooted in social justice and systems change, we bring the power of our 2,000 members fighting for #environmentaljustice along the entire plastics supply chain.
- #EnvironmentalJustice. #SocialJustice. #RacialJustice. We believe these are all part of a single, globally-connected Movement for Justice. Together with thousands of #BreakFreeFromPlastic members around the world working for systems change, we reaffirm that #BlackLivesMatter.
Anti-Racism Resources for White Allies (thanks to Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein, BFFP Social Media Consultant, for compiling the materials below!)
Articles to Read:
- “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change” by President Barack Obama | Medium (June 1, 2020)
- “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 Combahee River Collective Statement
- “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)
Videos to watch:
- Black Feminism & the Movement for Black Lives: Barbara Smith, Reina Gossett, Charlene Carruthers (50:48)
- "How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion" | Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26)
Podcasts to subscribe to:
- 1619 (New York Times)
- About Race
- Code Switch (NPR)
- Intersectionality Matters! hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
- Pod For The Cause (from The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)
- Pod Save the People (Crooked Media)
- Seeing White
Books to read:
- 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
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- 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 New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander - The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century
by 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
- Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States 250-page ebook with a Foreword by Alicia Garza
Films and TV series to watch:
- 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
Resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:
- Books: Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners (books for children and young adults)
- Podcasts:Fare of the Free Child podcast
- Articles: PBS’s Teaching Your Child About Black History Month
The Conscious Kid: follow them on Instagram and consider signing up for their Patreon
