Say Their Names

Last week I saw an unarmed black man (George Floyd) get murdered by a police officer. Barely a week later another unarmed black man (David McAtee) was murdered by law enforcement. In the midst of a global pandemic, racism still has time to flourish. Amid peaceful protests there are people taking advantage and destroying communities by looting and causing chaos. And still. There are people that think this has nothing to do with them. All I have to say to them is it has everything to do with all of us as a nation and as human beings. Even if like me you aren’t able to attend protests there is still good that can be done. This is just a small list of the things I am doing. There are countless ways to help.

1. If you don’t do anything else, if you are of age, vote. Vote on everything. Learn about the people you are voting for.  Encourage your friends to vote. Real change happens at the local level and the more we vote for the leadership we want the more our leadership will show up for us.

2. Educate yourself. On all the narratives. There will be some narratives that will make you feel uncomfortable or angry. It is important to hear them even if you don’t agree so you know how to handle yourself when real situations arise. Never skip an opportunity to learn something. And learn about the full history of this country and all its people.

3. Donate (if you can). There are plenty of organizations working to make this world better.

4. Check on your black friends. They are grieving, anxious, outraged, and exhausted. Don’t diminish their feelings by telling them getting emotional won’t help. They may  not feel comfortable opening up to you but if they do just listen. I know it’s in our nature to offer up solutions, now is not the time.

Be well and stay safe fam. 💜

This illustration is called “Riot Girl” I’ve made an edition of 50 prints which are available for preorder. They are $15 + shipping. I will be donating the profits from the sale of these prints to the National Bailout Fund. To reserve a print please DM @heathergrocock on instagram or email me at heather.grocock@gmail.com. I will be posting updates to my social media and posting the purchase link to the store page when they are ready to ship.