A few things you can do right now

BLM BLM BLM BLM BLM BLM

Defund the police 

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer has proposed a $27 million increase for the Police Department. Don’t let it happen. Over the past few days, we’ve seen video of militarized police officers escalating situations, turning peaceful protests volatile and proving that they’re not responsible enough to handle the resources that we give them. 

Yesterday, SD City Council’s meeting lasted over 11 hours, much of which was devoted to a public open comment session where nearly everyone told City Council to reject this budget. It was a beautiful thing to witness. 

Keep the fire going. If you didn’t get a chance to call in, below are the email addresses of all your local City Councilmembers.  

Barbara Bry, District 1: barbarabry@sandiego.gov

Jennifer Campbell, District 2: jennifercampbell@sandiego.gov

Chris Ward, District 3: christopherward@sandiego.gov

Monica Montgomery, District 4: monicamontgomery@sandiego.gov

Mark Kersey, District 5: markkersey@sandiego.gov

Chris Cate, District 6: chriscate@sandiego.gov

Scott Sherman, District 7: scottsherman@sandiego.gov

Vivian Morena, District 8: vivianmoreno@sandiego.gov

Georgette Gómez (Council President), District 9: georgettegomez@sandiego.gov

(Here are all of them for easy copy/pasting: barbarabry@sandiego.gov, jennifercampbell@sandiego.gov, christopherward@sandiego.gov, monicamontgomery@sandiego.gov, markkersey@sandiego.gov, chriscate@sandiego.gov, scottsherman@sandiego.gov, vivianmoreno@sandiego.gov, georgettegomez@sandiego.gov)

Write to your representatives and let them know that you don’t support more money going toward an increasingly militarized police force. If you want a script, you can use this (feel free to add your own flavor/expletives): 

My name is _______ and I ask that you reject Mayor Faulconer’s proposed budget increase for the Police Department. After witnessing reprehensible actions by police that escalated into violence during otherwise peaceful protests in La Mesa, Downtown and across the country, we cannot reward this type of behavior. Please invest those funds in communities, art and public transportation instead. Thank you. 

Protest

If you’re able to, protest. Bodies = visibility. But don’t be a bad actor (I’m not talking about you, Jesse Eisenberg!). If you think Sublime’s song “April 26th, 1992” is especially poignant right now, then you should stay home. Be conscious of your photos— respect those who don’t want their picture taken. Also, be careful. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic, so wear face coverings.

Donate 

Here’s a good graphic of where your money will be useful: 

Support Black businesses

I can’t look at the below graphic without drooling.

Read Black authors

Victor Lavalle’s The Changeling was my favorite book of 2018, as well as one of my all-timers. This horror novel is both shocking and funny, and it touches on all the best horror tropes, including parental anxiety and body horror. It’s also one of the best depictions of being Black and experiencing supernatural horror while trying to navigate the everyday horrors that POC endure. Make sure to order from Book Catapult or your indie bookstore of choice. Amazon sells facial recognition software to police departments all over the country, so they’re obviously part of the problem.  

Watch Black movies 

Horror Noir is an excellent documentary that analyzes Black contributions and innovations in the horror film genre. It’s so good. Watch it. 

Follow Travelers Club 

Travelers Club—a group of San Diego-based artists and culture purveyors—is on top of their game by keeping people up to date with information on protests and resources. Follow them on Instagram.  

Be kind to each other

These are tense times, and we’re liable to have knee-jerk reactions. Open up to the idea that you can be wrong. It’s fine to apologize. Don’t hold it against your friends and family who say short-sighted things right now, but educate them.

Black lives matter

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