By: Delilah Samson

For the past few weeks, the Black Lives Matter movement has been in the hot seat of most newsrooms, hashtags, and Instagram pages. But, as the weeks go by, we see less coverage of the ongoing battle. The movement does not end once the media moves on. The most difficult part of moving forward with this movement, especially when we are not in the heat of it, is staying with it. We tend to drift away from problems once it stops showing up on our feed, once the media starts to cover other news, and once our close peers stop sharing the same three posts. However, this is not a movement that can be left in the dust as the weeks go on. This will not be a movement that stays important for a week until it’s deemed as “old news”. As much as our social media now influences our lives and the peak hype of the Black Lives Matter movement has mellowed down, that does not make it any less important than it is.

Amidst the lack of media coverage this issue is getting, here are some ways to continue to support the movement and be an active member of changing history. You don’t need to show up at every protest to show your support.

1. Petitions

This is a fairly easy way to start off and keep up with the changes in the movement. Clicking one button and signing your name to a petition helps the issue gain supporters and helps it gain legitimacy when demanding for a change in the system. These are very easy to come by, but some of the popular and safe sites to sign petitions are change.org and grassrootslaw.org. An email and your name is what is required and then you’re just one click away from adding your name amongst others who believe the same as you.

2. Donations

If you have money, donations to small businesses, the movement, or for the funds of the families affected by police brutality you can really help. Even if you don’t have money to directly support any of the above, many people on youtube have been donating their earnings to the Black Lives Matter movement. A simple search of “Black Lives Matter stream” on youtube can bring you to a plethora of videos where your one view can be contributed to the support of the movement.

3. Supporting Black-Owned Businesses

A very easy way if you’re looking for new hair products, clothes or need a new place to eat is by supporting black-owned businesses. Going off of your mainstream shops, you can give your business to so many others who can benefit from your support. The instagram account @blackowned.to features many different shops within the GTA that are owned by black people. This can be the simplest way of supporting the movement.

4. Education

Educating ourselves on black issues and the history of their mistreatment can help us understand why this issue is so important. Taking the topic upon ourselves to study is very crucial in hearing them out and truly knowing what this fight is about. Education can be done by reading or even watching shows, documentaries, or movies. Netflix features many titles perfect for stepping into the intricacy of the movement and the roots behind it. This is something that can be easily done and also does wonders for becoming more informed about the issue.

5. Conversations

This one seems the simplest but can really be the most difficult. Just simply striking up a conversation with family or friends can do a lot to keep the issue at the forefront. Although this can be a touchy and controversial topic, difficult conversations need to be had in order to gain support and get the word out there. One of the more difficult things to do is calling out friends and family. Letting racial remarks pass you by is just as bad as saying them yourself, so take this time to educate your peers and realize that any sort of racial remark can be hurtful and insensitive.

The media can dictate how much we see online of the movement but it cannot dictate how much we do to support the movement. We are able to be the change and make a difference. This is not a one week fight, this will be and has been a battle for centuries that we will come out on top. Do your best to support the movement and understand every little contribution, and conversation is a step closer to achieving equality.