#BLM B-town's 2019 Projects
Summer Necessity Drive
Continuing last year's successful Necessity Drive, BLM is collecting healthy, high-quality products for multiple non-profit organizations in Bloomington. The needs of our community change seasonally, and our periodic drives help local organizations meet the challenges they face everyday. These organizations will distribute these items to members of our community who need them. Visit our Necessities Drive page to find our Amazon Wishlist and make a donation. Groups we donate to: Shalom Center MiddleWay House Project Pink Bloc My Sister's Closet ALL Options Indiana Recovery Alliance HOW TO DONATE Click HERE FACEBOOK EVENT Click HERE 2019 Primary Candidate Questionnaire & Voter's Guide
In April 2019 all primary candidates received a questionnaire covering issues vitally important to the black community’s health and well-being. Black Lives Matter has evaluated and rated each candidate’s responses for voters. Full responses from all candidates are available below unedited and without commentary attached. These assessments are provided to voters for informational purposes. Black Lives Matter does NOT endorse specific candidates. Long form "In Depth" Voters guide [Click HERE] Short form "At the Polls" Voters guide [Click HERE] Candidate Questionnaire Answers (unedited no commentary) [Click HERE] |
Juneteenth Celebration & Summer Necessity Drive Drop Off
Join Black Lives Matter Bloomington for our Juneteenth Celebration & help with our Summer Necessity Drive WEDNESDAY JUNE 19th 2019 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Banneker Community Center WITH: Food Trucks, Music, Info Tables, & Kids Reading & Activities Corner! Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It commemorates African American freedom, with an emphasis on education and achievement. Sometimes a day, a week, or even the entire month is marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection, rejoicing, assessment, self-improvement, and for planning the afro-future. Our celebration of Juneteenth is a part of our community outreach and coalition initiatives. We seek to educate, engage and enjoy our town and community. 
"Make the Right Call" Campaign
#BLM B-town is helping to help spread awareness about and to address an epidemic of harassment taking the form of unwarranted phone calls to the police concerning black people innocently occupying public spaces. Visit our page to learn about this rapidly growing form of racially motivated harassment and what you can do to prevent it. We will also be creating a call guide that will connect people directly with specific emergency services in crisis situations. |
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Police Oversight Committee
Black Lives Matter was founded to address racial bias in policing and police brutality against African Americans. Black Lives Matter Bloomington supports a number of programs encouraging police reform and oversight at the local level. We are building a taskforce to guide police reform in Bloomington as well as compile new public records of police encounters. These records include decades of research on intersectionality and policing in Monroe County. Visit our subcommittee page to learn more about these initiatives & how you can get involved. |
Education Oversight Committee
The statistics of racial bias in school systems are alarming, as are data about the school to prison pipeline. Black girls, in fact, experience the highest rates of classroom removal by the police, for problems as petty as hairstyle to talkativeness. The risks to Black students in our schools is clear. #BLM B-town is creating an oversight committee to sit in on MCCSC school board meetings, weigh in on curriculum, guide our local school systems, and in general work to create safer educational spaces for black and brown students. |
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Black Families Bail Out and Court Watch Information
Black Lives Matter Bloomington is looking to partner with existing organizations to create a pool of resources for bailing out Black families and to support court watchers in addressing disproportionate arrests of black and brown people. We seek to bring their cases and causes to the public eye to provide families the support they need as they navigate the criminal justice system. |
Fundraising for #BLM events & philanthropy
#BLM B-town functions as a not-for-profit; while we are still in the process of acquiring that status officially, we take in NO money for ourselves, and we do fundraise for projects and programs we wish to see take shape. What we do raise goes directly to the work we are doing here in Bloomington and the world. We both partner with local organizations and groups to fundraise, but we also welcome direct contributions from the public. Click this link to find out how to donate to #BLM B-town and learn about where your money goes. |