Be the Change

Financial contribution is a simple, safe and impactful form of activism. Purist invites you to join these ten innovative organizations in the ongoing fight for racial justice in Minnesota, NYC and beyond.
Art by @classic.katsara

“The reason we watch and we pray, but the reason we also work and we fight is because all of us are in this together. Justice does not exist if it is selective, if it only belongs to those who have privilege, those who have access. That is not justice. And there is no validation of who we are as Americans if we cannot guarantee that every person who lives here deserves to have the same respect and the same value ascribed to their humanity. You are speaking up for those whose voices have been silenced, but even more, those whose rage overwhelms their ability to articulate what they need to see. The world doesn’t change when we cast a ballot but the world does change when we remain silent. It gets worse. It gets colder and more committed to silence of those who do not belong in their estimation. But when we work, when we fight and demand our votes be counted we do see change. We see people stepping up and saying they want more and we see young people who didn’t believe that their voices matter finding the words to articulate the words they need. We do this because we believe in justice. We believe in equality. We believe in access. We believe that papers don’t determine your humanity and race doesn’t determine your value. We believe that the “isms” that affect us can be leached out if we cast those ballots and cast out those who do not see us or refuse to acknowledge us. We believe that more is possible.” -Stacy Abrams

“Dr. Martin Luther King said, ‘There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.’ It is the right thing to do to stand up for our children, it is the right thing to do to fight for our children, because if we don’t fight for our children, we can’t expect anyone else to fight for our children.”-Benjamin Crump, esq. 

  • ​American Civil Liberties Union was founded “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” The organization is currently filing a class-action lawsuit against Minnesota’s state and local law enforcement officials to ensure that police officers who target journalists are held fully accountable for their unlawful actions.
  • ​Black Lives Matter, founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of the man charged with the murder of Trayvon Martin, combats racially charged violence throughout the world and implements community initiatives to reduce instances of police brutality.
  • Black Visions Collective is a Minnesota-based organization that develops black-led community-empowerment campaigns, supports emerging black organizers and political leaders, and is currently posting bail for protestors.
  • Color of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, leading campaigns to combat white supremacy and police misconduct, and demand legislative change on local and federal levels. 
  • Donate to the Justice for Breonna Taylor memorial fund to support Breonna’s family, and demand that the officers who killed Breonna while she was in bed are fired, have their pensions revoked and are charged with murder. 
  • The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, works to eliminate racial prejudice and cultivate political, economic and social equality for American citizens of all races. 
  • The National Police Accountability Project, or NPAP, combats police brutality by providing education and resources to victims of police abuse, and supporting comprehensive legislative reform to hold law enforcement accountable for violence inflicted against civilians. 
  • Reclaim The Block stands up against corruption within Minnesota’s law enforcement and calls on the city to support vulnerable community members through initiatives for comprehensive health care, violence prevention and affordable housing.
  • You Good, Sis? Yoga Collective provides mental and spiritual support for black and brown women. YGS is hosting a number of virtual wellness events this month, including yoga, barre, meditation and more.
  • Click here to split a donation between 70+ community bail and mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizations.