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Anguish and Action

Activists In Chicago Protest Police Brutality In Death Of George Floyd

At the Obama Foundation, we work to help leaders change their world—and the world needs changing. The killings of young Black men like Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, and too many others at the hands of their fellow citizens—in addition to Black lives like Breonna Taylor’s and George Floyd’s being cut short by police—have left many of us anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve. Find resources below to learn what you can do to create a more just and equitable world.

When President Obama was in office, he urged Americans to find ways to confront our country’s original sin of racism and slavery in their own communities, while advancing equality in the face of injustice.

In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, President Obama and his administration created the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance to break down barriers and expand opportunity for boys and young men of color, while around the world, a mass movement in defense and support of Black lives took to the streets to demand change. That movement continues today, as evidenced by the activism and protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But far more progress needs to be made.

If you’re looking for additional ways to create change, below you’ll find resources to learn about racism in the United States, police violence, and antiracism. You’ll also find actions you can take to encourage reform from organizations who have been working on the issues of racism and policing at the local and national level for years.

Take Action

Find ways to get involved and lend support.

  • Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund

    Tyre’s mother created this fundraiser to cover the cost of the family’s mental health services and a memorial skate park in his honor.

  • Trayvon Martin Foundation

    The Trayvon Martin Foundation was created by Trayvon’s parents, Sabrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, to provide emotional and financial support to families who have lost a child to gun violence.

  • The National Museum of African American History and Culture—Talking About Race

    Using the online portal, find ways to help families, individuals, and communities talk about racism and commit to being antiracist.

  • Movement for Black Lives—Week of Action

    Find a concrete action you can take in support of Black lives every day of the week.

  • Black Lives Matter—Toolkits

    Explore toolkits for individuals related to healing action, healing justice, conflict resolution, and more.

Watch

President Obama Speaks at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance Reimagining Policing: Spotlighting Reforms and Progress Town Hall

Following the release of the “Reimagining Policing: Progress to Date” report, President Obama offers an encouraging message about recommitting to building communities that are more safe, more equitable, and more just for everyone who lives in them.

My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Leadership Forum: A Conversation with President Obama

As part of the MBK Leadership Forum, President Obama participates in a conversation with youth and community leaders about the unprecedented activism and action that has taken place in the year since George Floyd's tragic murder.

A conversation with President Obama: Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence

President Obama joins Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President of Color of Change Rashad Robinson, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and MBK Columbus Youth Leader Playon Patrick, in a conversation moderated by Campaig

Take Care

Find the mental health care and trauma support you need.

  • Brave Space Alliance—Support groups

    Chicago-based Brave Space Alliance fills a gap in the organizing of and services to trans and gender-nonconforming people.

  • Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)

    Find resources for support on coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, social unrest, and more.

  • Black Men Heal

    Access to mental health treatment, psycho-education, and community resources to men of color.

  • Clinicians of Color

    Find clinicians of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as training and treatment styles.

  • Mental Health First Aid

    A skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues.

  • The Association of Black Psychologists

    The Association seeks to have positive impact upon the mental health of the national Black community by means of planning, programs, services, training, and advocacy.

Get Informed

Over 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America, and Black people are nearly three times more likely to be killed than White people. If you’re looking for additional ways to change these alarming rates, below you’ll find resources to learn about policing in America.

  • Reimagine Policing: Progress to Date

    Over 300 communities—representing 13+ million Black people and including all of the 10 most populous U.S. cities—took our pledge to Reimagine Policing. This report shares highlights and next steps in building on that momentum. Get informed, get inspired, and take action today.

  • The Reimagining Policing Pledge Workshop Series

    MBK Alliance, in partnership with the Leadership Conference and Cities United, has hosted multiple workshops for cities participating in the Reimagine Policing Pledge, which launched this past summer.  These workshops are developed as a way to support each pledge city’s policy review, community engagement, and ongoing reform process.

    From community activists and elected officials to civic organizations and national experts, the workshops create space for people from all sectors to learn about alternative frameworks and options for public safety and how to implement data-driven best practices to drive reform.

  • Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights—New Era of Public Safety: A Guide to Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing

    The recommended reforms in this report, which are intended to create accountability and build better relationships between law enforcement and communities of color, stem from President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

  • National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice—Future of Public Safety

    A six-part series of roundtables, panels, and open forums led by experts who share substantive and innovative recommendations for communities to consider as they reimagine public safety.

Get Engaged

Connect with these organizations on the front lines of social justice.

These third party external links are being provided as a convenience and for educational and informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Obama Foundation, and the Obama Foundation bears no responsibility for the accuracy or legality of the content of the external site or subsequent links from an external site.

Support the work of the My Brother's Keeper Alliance

Every young person's dream matters, no matter where they're from or what they look like. Donate today to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation to change their world.

The Barack Obama Foundation is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 46-4950751).

A young man with a deep skin tone wearing a gray hoodie and black jacket smiles toward the camera. There are other men and young men around him with deep skin tones. We see the sky slightly above their heads.

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