Understand the importance of educating yourself.

The history of cruelty against Black lives is extensive, which is why it's important to educate ourselves on the matter, starting from the beginning.

Taking the time to learn about the history of slavery in the United States, racial discrimination against the Black community leading up to and during the Civil Rights Movement, systemic racism and the oppression the community faces even to this day are essential.

Books such as "White Fragility" by Robin Diangelo and "So You Want to Talk About Race" by Ijeoma Oluo are a great start. If you're not a book reader, podcasts are always an alternative! On your ride to school or work try listening to podcasts like "The United States of Anxiety" or the Angela Davis speeches, which are both available on Spotify. For visual learners, start off by watching movies and TV shows such as "13th" and "Dear White People", both of which you can find on Netflix!

Call out racism around your loved ones. 

So you're sitting at a table and all of a sudden your family member or friend makes a blatantly racist remark. What do you do? You call them out. Brushing it off and pretending it didn't happen just because you love them does more harm than you know. Let them know that their statement is racist, educate them, help them learn and unlearn.

Yes, it may make you uncomfortable to possibly argue with a cousin, grandparent, sibling, or even a parent but imagine them living the rest of their life feeling satisfied with the remark they made. No regret, no understanding of why the words that came out of their mouth are wrong, continuing to instill these racist ideas into society.

You have a voice, always use it.

Support Black-owned businesses. 

There are so many amazing Black-owned businesses out there that don't get the recognition they deserve. From beauty brands and fashion to food restaurants in your city, there's always a business you can support, and thanks to the internet, these businesses are now much easier to find.

Simply searching up Black-owned businesses on Google can bring you to resources that list out tons of businesses. Twitter and Instagram are also home to great lists of makeup and beauty brands you can support. Some makeup brands include Fenty Beauty, Uoma Beauty and Lena Lashes!

Jinaki and KÍLÉNTÁR are fashion brands with beautiful clothing you can purchase!

Find new food restaurants to support! ATL Wings, Lolo's Chicken & Waffles and Oasis Coffee and Tea Shop are just a few out of the many restaurants here in Arizona you can order from.

Address your own biases. 

Take the time to sit down and ask yourself what biases you may have and learn to change them. Do not be unwilling to reflect on your past.

Growth is only achieved when you learn from your mistakes.

Keep signing petitions and contacting officials. 

Taking the momentum from social media and applying it to your everyday life is important. Continue to sign petitions and keep yourself updated on them and call and email officials demanding policies that actually elicit change.

Share these petitions with friends and family, help them understand the importance of them.

Don't stop fighting for justice.