This week we are highlighting the resources and toolkits available on the Black Lives Matter website, specifically the #TalkAboutTrayvon: A Toolkit for White People.
Trayvon Benjamin Martin was a 17-year-old boy that was followed, shot and killed. “He went out for a snack but never made it home to his loving family. A grown man took it upon himself to patrol his neighborhood and to shoot dead an unarmed, unassuming boy.” - #TalkAboutTrayvon: A Toolkit for White People
The toolkit gives white people all the information they need in order to use their privilege to speak up about racism. White silence about race allows racism and white supremacy to be maintained and normalised.
‘It is important for those who are white to break white silence and have honest conversations with friends, family, and neighbours. These conversations can help us find others to build with and change the minds of people who disagree with us about racial justice.’ - #TalkAboutTrayvon: A Toolkit for White People
“When we #TalkAboutTrayvon, we tell grieving parents that we see them and acknowledge their pain. When we #TalkAboutTrayvon, we tell Black children that we are not afraid of them—we are only afraid they won’t get the bright future they deserve.”
The #TalkAboutTrayvon toolkit contains sample content for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as images to share with your networks, friends, and family members.
You can use the toolkit to:
- Commemorate the anniversary of Trayvon’s death
- Have courageous conversation with friends and family with the help of the scripts provided
- Share, support, and offer donations for the important work of the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
- Continue the conversation about the serious implications of anti-Blackness and prejudicial policing and legislation on Black people
You can also find conversation ideas and action plans within the toolkit to implement into your life.