How to Engage
CW murder, police violence, racial violence
Dear RECLAIM Community,
The last year has not brought a reprieve from the pain and anger following George Floyd’s murder last summer, and we are all experiencing a new wave of grief with the murders of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo by law enforcement. Our community and our country anxiously awaits the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial while we continue to experience the injustices of white supremacy, racial violence, attacks on our AAPI siblings, anti-trans legislation, and trans violence. We are so very tired, and we know you are, too.
And yet, in the midst of these feelings of powerlessness, anger, and sadness, there are still opportunities to support one another, show up for each other, and channel those feelings into action. As we did last summer following the murder of George Floyd, we’re sharing resources for you so that you can engage and act in the way that feels appropriate and right for you and your circumstances.
Please take care of you and yours, and stay safe and healthy.
With deep care and in solidarity with our RECLAIM community,
The Board and Staff of RECLAIM
What follows is a dump of information, somewhat organized but with the intention being more to give you anything you might need to access, than to make it a cohesive list.
GET INVOLVED
- Check your social media for local clean-up, demonstration, and support efforts happening in your community.
- Follow the Brooklyn Center Community Schools twitter feed for updates on supply, financial, and volunteer needs and ways to support the people of Brooklyn Center.
- Make food if you have extra resources this weekend, and share it with the medics and volunteers and protestors gathering at medic stations.
CONNECT
- Connect with your loved ones who have been directly impacted by this week’s events, check in with friends or family who are involved in direct action or who are still going to work, see if they need any support or friendly encouragement from you.
- Get on social media and follow local organizers and organizations, and amplify their work and words to your own socials, so that your followers in other parts of the country can engage with real information about these events - the mainstream media coverage is skewed on this, and it is important to share the reality of what is happening to our community.
- Challenge your family, your friends, the people in your communities on social media, have the difficult conversations where you confront people about what they are doing tangibly to show up for the community right now. Send this email, or other resources to people and tell them to donate, encourage them to send supplies. IT IS A POWERFUL ACT TO SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT YOUR SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
- Share this leaflet put together by Merit Thursday of Video Variant far and wide, with your neighbors, family and friends around the twin cities as a helpful way to consider all the alternative options to ever calling the cops.
GIVE FINANCIALLY IF YOU CAN
Even small amounts like $5 join with the contributions of others to have a major impact.
LEARN (and then discuss your learning far and wide!)
STAY SAFE AND ENGAGED (directly quoted from Headwaters, who said it so perfectly)
"Take action responsibly, in ways that protect your health and the health of communities already disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Stay engaged -- our responses will need to be both immediate and long term. Lean into community and your loved ones when you can."
IF YOU TAKE DIRECTION ACTION, HERE ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID RESOURCES.
These handouts are for people who have participated / will participate in actions, protests, etc. from North Star Health Collective, Twin Cities (North Star has some additional great resources on their
website and
Facebook page.)
(2) Mental Health First Aid / Self-Care for Protestors
After an intense emotional or physical experience, many people encounter a wide range of symptoms and feelings. Some of these may be positive, such as deep sense of clarity about what is most important to you. You may also experience deep feelings of determination and commitment to loved ones. On the negative side, it is very common to experience a wide array of feelings that may or may not be typical to you.
After an event like this you may feel:
- A sense of confusion about what happened
- A sense of it being unreal
- Feeling out of touch with yourself
- Intense feelings of anger, anxiety, shame or guilt
- Uncontrollable crying or laughter.
- Numb
- Like you want to run home or find home somewhere
- Hate towards those that caused it
- Compassion toward those who caused it
- Exhausted
- Unable to eat or wanting comfort food.
- Betrayed by your organization
- Unable to sleep with scenes from the incident replaying in your mind
- Like you should have handled it better or done something different
- Like craving to be with others
- Like wanting to be alone
- Like wanting to talk
- Like not wanting to talk
- Any or all of the above in a confusing mix
If you experience any of these, don’t worry that something is wrong with you. All of these are commonly reported reactions that will typically subside over the coming weeks and days. People are unique and your reactions may be very different than someone else who experienced the same incident. Allow yourself to recover at your own pace. Be gentle with yourself in your thoughts and expectations.
What is helpful?
- If you can, write or journal about the situation and what you encountered.
- Try to get as much rest as possible and eat well.
- If you are able, exercise vigorously during the next several days after. Your body will have been on high alert during the crisis, but now will need help in getting rid of the stress hormones and chemicals in your system. Exercise will help your body do this.
- Do activities that involve spatial reasoning such as organizing your room, playing Tetris or Scrabble with a friend. This type of activity can help distract your brain from negative processing and provide a needed break.
- Most individuals need to tell their story, but only when the timing feels right to them.
- Try not to be critical of yourself or your actions during the incident. You were trying to survive an abnormal situation.
- Pray, meditate, sing or listen to calming music.
- Do things that increase your sense of safety.
- Resume a routine, but give yourself permission to do tasks at a slower pace. Take frequent breaks.
- It is often helpful to speak to a mental health professional to understand your particular response.
What is not helpful?
- Avoid using alcohol or drugs to relax.
- Talking about the situation, if you are not ready.
- Avoid blaming yourself for what happened or how you reacted.
- Avoid making major decisions, if possible. Give yourself time to adjust and regain perspective.
- Don’t downplay or minimize the incident because you feel it is expected.
Other considerations:
- Let someone in know how you are doing and what would help.
- If you continue to have symptoms that are severe enough to cause you significant distress, interfere with your daily routine and functioning, or last for more than a month, contact a mental health professional that can help you.
