In the work of recovery from this Hurricane Harvey, there is a opportunity to lean a hand, send money, and show support in a lot of ways. Where the money and resources goes is important. How you show up to do the work of flooded home clean out, supply giving, etc, is critical to create a just and peaceful work.
We were reminded again of this by the women of Black Women’s Defense League at a SURJ meeting on September 19th. In their words, there are people on “fire” and people who have access to money and resources have the “water”. If you have water, and there is fire, do you give the person a hug, do you tell them “I support you and believe in you!”? No. You pour all the water you can onto that fire. The time to support groups lead by people of color, particularly those lead by women of color or GLBTQ people of color is now. Show your support and understanding of their struggle by supporting them financially. They, and many other black and brown organizations were there from the beginning of this storm to do rescues, feed people, clean out homes, and now are offering micro-grants to families and hiring locals to do work. People need money to survive in the city. Don’t just post about their needs. If you have the means, please support.
Show your support today:
NBUF
We want to add your organization to this list…email us at connect@www.weststreetrecovery.org
Further Reading
It’s also important for white folks to do their work and research. One book that has been helpful to some of the West Street Recovery team is…
