This song, BOMS, “blood of my soul” is dedicated to all of the black women and men who have been murdered by police, a result of systemic racism which permeates every facet of our society. Until #BlackLivesMatter, all lives will not.
Profits from streaming on any platform will be added to my monthly contribution to the Equal Justice Initiative (eji.org), and, if it is ever licensed (big money) profits will also be donated. I am reposting a list of organizations that you can donate to (credit: @botanicaldyke), together with a list of legal resources.
shorturl.at/krxCD
Tab 2: Legal Services and Bail Support
Tab 3: Advice for Protesting and Social Media
Tab 4: Bail Funds, Memorial Funds, Organizations & Mutual Aid
Tab 5: International Solidarity and Resources
Tab 6: Misc Mutual Aid and Community Projects
Here are a few of the names of the women and men lost. I know many many more have gone unnoticed, but they are not forgotten. Say their names.
Breonna Taylor
Sandra Bland
George Floyd
Ahmaud Arbery
Rayshard Brooks
Michael Brown
Eric Garner
Oscar Grant III
Trayvon Martin
Amadou Diallo
Rekia Boyd
Tamir Rice
Alex Nieto
Aiyana Jones
Jonathan Akeem Pairre Ferrell
John Crawford
Ramarley Graham
Kendrec McDade
Ousmane Zongo
Kathryn Johnston
Eugene Ejikeobiora
Tarika Wilson
Sean Bell
Philando Castile
Terence Crutcher
Freddy Gray
I hope we keep up the fight and force true change in the USA. Demilitarise and defund the police allocating these resources directly to the community. Track individual police and hold police accountable when they use excessive force for any reason, not just when it results in severe injury or death. And so much more.
We can do so much. We can vote and make sure those who represent us follow through with their promises, we can protest in the streets, we can donate money, we can boycott businesses use prison labor or otherwise support a white supremacist agenda and we can directly support the black community, by, buying from black businesses, supporting and promoting black artists across disciplines.
I hope that we do not allow the numbing effect of living in a society of instant gratification consumerism to continue to drug us into inaction through surface-deep distractions, the illusion of division. I hope we can rediscover the unique creativity that lies in each of us, our power of expression, of true love.