June 3, 2:30 p.m. update: Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will increase the indictment against Derek Shovin to second-degree murder and prosecute the three other officers responsible for George Floyd's death (open in new tab).

June 1, 10:15 am update: The Minnesota Freedom Fund has raised $20 million and is instead calling for donations to go directly to George Floyd's family and other local organizations, especially black and BIPOC-led groups.

May 29, 2:27 pm update: Derek Shovin, the Minneapolis police officer who was seen pushing his knee into George Floyd's neck, has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder (open in new tab) and manslaughter.

By now, you have heard the news: on Monday, May 25, George Floyd (open in new tab), a 46-year-old African American man, died in custody after being taken into custody by Minneapolis police after being reported for using counterfeit money (open in new tab) in a grocery store. Outside the grocery store, Floyd was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by Officer Derek Chauvin. He pressed his knee against Floyd's neck, while other officers (Thomas Lane, Tow Thao, and J. Alexander Kuen) stood by, ignoring onlookers who begged them to take their hands off Shovin.

On Tuesday morning, a video shot by one bystander began circulating on the Internet, showing Floyd begging for his life and the officers refusing to yield. 'I can't breathe,' Floyd said. 'Please, I can't breathe.' (Eric Garner (open in new tab) said the same words in 2014 while being choked by the NYPD.) Minutes later, Floyd stopped moving and Shovin continued to dig his knees into him.

Needless to say what happened next.

George Floyd was yet another reminder of the racism embedded in our country. (Let us not forget the countless other blacks who are routinely killed, fueled by the racism exhibited by Ahmoud Arberry (open in new tab), Briona Taylor (open in new tab), and the Amy Coopers of the world (open in new tab).) The four police officers responsible for Floyd's death have been fired (opens in new tab), but still not enough. Protests are happening all over the United States (opens in new tab). Minneapolis is burning (opens in new tab); even a CNN reporter has been arrested (opens in new tab). Those of us who are not currently on the streets must continue to amplify our voices - especially those of us born with white privilege - and teach those around us once again that black lives matter.

If you are wondering how you can help now, here are some ways:

The petition asks Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and District Attorney Mike Freeman to arrest and They are asking that all officers involved in Floyd's death be arrested and prosecuted for police officer negligence.

SIGN THE PETITION (opens in new tab)

PHONE: 612-348-5550｜E-mail: [email protected]

CONTACT (opens in new tab)

Masai Godwin is, created a link to access a pre-written email template that can be sent to Minnesota authorities. All you have to do is go to her Instagram, click on the TinyURL link, type in your name, city, and state, and hit the send button--it takes less than a minute.

CONTACT (opens in new tab)

There are now over 3 million signatures demanding justice for George Floyd.

SIGN THE PETITION (opens in new tab)

If you have the means to donate, the Minnesota Freedom Fund is helping people arrested during protests make bail. Over the weekend, the organization announced (opens in new tab) that it is no longer actively soliciting donations (it raised over $20 million) and is encouraging people to donate directly to Floyd's family and other local organizations, especially black and BIPOC-led groups.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

"My family and I watched in absolute horror as the now infamous and horrific video began to spread rapidly through social media," George's brother, Philonys Floyd (opens in new tab) He writes.

"A white Minneapolis police officer was kneeling on my brother's neck, preventing him from breathing."

DONATE (opens in new tab)

According to her GoFundMe bio, all donations to George Floyd's daughter, Gianna Floyd, will be placed in a trust for Gianna and her mother.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

This Minneapolis-based grassroots organization "invests in violence prevention, housing, youth resources, emergency mental health response teams, and opioid crisis solutions, not more police."

DONATE (opens in new tab)

The NAACP's goal is to "eliminate discrimination based on race and ensure equality of political, educational, social, and economic rights to ensure the health and well-being of all people." You can also donate directly to the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund (opens in new tab) to fight racial injustice.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

This link (opens in new tab) makes it easy to split donations to bail funds across the country, including the Philadelphia Bail Fund and Chicago Community Bond Fund.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

Campaign Zero is dedicated to ending police brutality in America.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

The Innocence Project helps reform the criminal justice system to clear the innocent and prevent future injustice through DNA testing.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

The ACLU fights to protect the civil liberties of all, including criminal justice, prisoner rights, and racial justice.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

The Black Visions Collective runs a strong campaign for the long-term success of black Americans. By "building our movement from the ground up on an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long-term success and change.

The LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund helps LGBTQ people post bail to secure their release and safety and raises awareness about LGBTQ overincarceration. It is also the organization with the second highest number of prisoners infected with HIV.

DONATE (opens in new tab)

This is a great time to reach out to your Black and POC friends. Let them know what they are seeing and hearing. Here are some helpful articles on how to be a white ally:

"How White People Can Hold Each Accountable to Stop Institutional Racism"

READ IT (opens in new tab)

"The Anti-Racist Reading List"

READ IT (opens in new tab)

"Black People Need Stronger White Allies-Here's How You Can Be One"

READ IT (opens in new tab)