How Can I Help? Support LA’s Black Owned Restaurants

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As we continue to face the realities of systemic racism and the oppression of black lives in America there comes a point where silence is no longer option. Food has always been political, and while I realize this is just a food blog… I cannot be silent on this matter. Over the last couple of days we have seen peaceful protests, angry protests, and cities burn over the outrage of the murder of George Floyd. My reality is that at the age of 29 years old; I can’t even count the numbers of murders that have occurred at the hands of law enforcement in this country during my lifetime. Countless hashtags, countless retweets, countless postings over and over again demanding that black people be seen as human beings in this country and till this day; it still has not happened. I have both witnessed and experienced police brutality, racial profiling, and the systemic racism that keeps me and my fellow black people oppressed. From having a family member arrested and detained for a crime they did not commit, to abuse in the workplace, and just flat out racial profiling while doing everyday tasks; my reality is that America (the country in which I was born) is not a place I can call home. There is no place for me, for us …here. Black people have had to fight for our rights just to simply exist since the birth of this country, and quite frankly we are tired.

cc @slashed.it

I write this post today to say this. If you are silent on this matter, your silence speaks VOLUMES. There are many ways that we all can help to end the injustices that black lives face on a daily basis. It is just not the responsibility of the oppressed to speak up and fight for our rights. If you are a human being you have a duty to the human race to speak up and out on the injustices that occur in this world. And if you are American, remember that this country was built on the backs of the black people. From being enslaved and treated as property, to having basic human rights stripped and taken away from us; the black life has never mattered in this country and in 2020 it is time once and for all for that to change.

How Can I Help?

There are many ways you can help. Even after the protests die down!

Vote

It starts with how you vote. If we want to see reform in police departments across this country, it starts with how we vote at the local and state levels. Our mayors, county executives, district and state attorneys are all directly responsible for who is elected as our police chiefs and the police unions that exists. Ensuring that we vote with people who have the same values and morals as us will help stop these kinds of things from occurring over and over again.

Donate

Donate to organizations that are protesting and funding for Black lives. I’ve dropped several links below where you can vote to help bail out protestors who have been jailed, and donate directly to organizations who exist to bring about justice for black lives.

https://minnesotafreedomfund.org

https://www.gofundme.com/f/george-floyd-bigfloyd

https://www.blackvisionsmn.org

https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-city-council-ticket-fund

https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home

https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/louisville-community-bail-fund/

https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/support-justiceforgeorgefloyd-protesters-in-atlanta

SUPPORT Black Business

Buy black. Eat at black restaurants. Below is a list of black restaurants/food trucks/markets in LA where you can eat at to support your local communities. @proscittogirl69 has also curated a list on google docs with even more local black restaurants.