I’ve been fortunate to have kept my job during this pandemic so I’ve found it necessary to allocate a small portion of my paycheck to various nonprofits that benefit our community, whether through providing meals to healthcare workers and impoverished families (Off Their Plate, Mantra Lounge Foods), to supporting veterans and the arts (Wounded Warrior Project, NYC Ballet), to protecting children suffering abuse and neglect (Children’s Defense Fund).

But with everything that’s happened recently, I’ve reallocated my dollars to nonprofits that I believe will make an immediate impact on addressing our systemic racism, and if you’re capable of donating money then I recommend you do the same, too. No amount is too small (I can only do $15-$25 at a time) and if you’re unsure where to start then I recommend these organizations I recently donated to:

1.) NCAAP Legal Defense Fund (https://www.naacpldf.org/). Help pay for legal fees for black people who are unjustly arrested, imprisoned or killed.

2.) Northside Achievement Zone, “NAZ” (https://northsideachievement.org/). This Minneapolis-based non-profit makes progress on eradicating educational and social disparities, and this progress is measurable and data-driven.

3.) Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (https://bherc.org/). We need more diverse stories and perspectives in the mainstream media and to support filmmakers who can often be overlooked by large production companies.

If you’re able to contribute money, you can still use your voice through peaceful protests, voting, engaging in open dialogues, and always be mindful and conscious about how you use your voice. Since we are facing a systematic problem, it’s going to take all of us to fix this and rebuild the nation that it was always meant to be—diverse, united, beautiful and just.

-Kendall

Featured image: Free stock photography from pexels.com.

Above two images were taken in my neighborhood in West Philadelphia.