Melanie Surani's Blog
September 12, 2020
It’s true!
August 22, 2020
August 17, 2020
vaspider:
bogleech:
i-think-2-much:
nobodybetterhavethisoneori...
nobodybetterhavethisoneoriswear:
Conservatives have wanted to kill this for years but they’re going for the killing blow at precisely the most damaging time – which shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point.
Be mad and be loud about this one, friends. Call your senators.
The mail piling up?
Those are bill payments.
Those are medication refills.
Those are time sensitive documents.
Those are paychecks.
Gutting the USPS doesn’t just mean skewing the election. It means millions of people will be without the things they desperately need for survival.
Disabled people who can’t access their grocery store will go without supplies
People who can’t afford to pay for private shipping/people who don’t live on profitable routes may lose shipping altogether
People who can’t afford private shipping and need government intervention the most will not be able to send mail-in ballots
It means court orders for parents who will end up missing their custody battle and lose their children
There is so much more than, “my package will be a week or two late”
Mail service is a necessity, not a luxury.
July 2, 2020
thebibliosphere:
narendur:
writingrailroad:
ground-zoro:
Saw...
Saw this on Facebook, but I have greater reach hear
I fact-checked this and it looks totally legit!
Brittany Lavery is an associate editor at Graydon House (here is a link to the Twitter thread where she answers a lot of questions).
Here are some key takeaways:
They only publish Adult Fiction (no YA, middle-grade, or children’s)
Inkyard Press, their sister imprint, is going to be doing a similar open call in August for YA novels across all genres (link to Twitter thread)
No sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or nonfiction
It DOES include queer lit!
Romance/romantic women’s fiction can be sent to HQN Imprint
who are doing a similar open call
(link to Twitter thread), but the editors acquire manuscripts for both imprints and will make sure it gets to the right place
They are open to international Black writers + Black writers of any gender
While they will only make an offer for completed manuscripts, they still look at unfinished manuscripts and may request to see more material
According to Melanie Fried, editor at Graydon House, here’s what’s hot right now:Make sure you get your manuscripts in, and tell your Black author friends!!! I’d love to know who all’s submitting!!!
Neat! I hope any black writers following me can take advantage of this!
Also hey @thebibliosphere this looks like something some of your followers could benefit from, would you mind spreading around?
Absolutely!
June 2, 2020
WAYS TO SUPPORT/BE AN ALLY
Here is a compilation of places to donate (IF you can, simply reblogging and sharing this can help) and petition to sign. I found these websites and organizations on twitter.
DONATIONS
THE MINNESOTA FREEDOM FUND: Donate to this to collect funds to pay jail bonds for the protesters who get arrested.
BLACK LIVES MATTER: An organization fighting for the BLM movement. Donate if you can.
BLACK VISIONS MN: an organization that is led by Black, Queer and Trans people. Donate if you can.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Fights for the overall equality fight. Donate if you can.PETITIONS
Willie Simmons has spent 38 years in prison for a $9 robbery. He had two prior convictions similar to robbery that he served time for. He was prosecuted under the Alabama Habitual Offender law and was given a life sentence for his third strike - stealing 9 (NINE) dollars. Sign his petition.
Breonna Taylor was killed by police who were conducting an UNANNOUNCED drug raid, where they gave no request to enter. They bashed her door and entered, shooting her EIGHT times. They were in the WRONG HOUSE.
George Floyd was killed by a police officer who knelt on his neck and suffocated him to death, after George pleaded with the officer and told him he couldn’t breathe. The officer had pulled him from where he sat in his car on an alleged FORGERY. You can also text “FLOYD” to 55156
ARREST THE OFFICERS WHO KILLED GEORGE FLOYD: The main police officer who murdered George is being kept in PROTECTIVE CUSTODY. You probably have heard he was arrested, but this is NOT TRUE. He was placed under PROTECTIVE custody because of the riots and “threats” on his life.If you know of ANY other organizations or petitions, PLEASE ADD TO THIS LIST. The fight for justice doesn’t end here, it will never end. Especially when the president of the United States calls white supremacists good people and protesters of a mans death THUGS. USE YOUR VOICE. NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE. FUCK COPS. FUCK “BLUE LIVES”. ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER!
the minnesota freedom fund is asking folks to donate to other organizations instead. the specific ones they listed are black visions, linked above, and these two:
northstar health collective, organized healthcare professionals working with anti-authoritarian groups
reclaim the block, a collective that aims to redistribute funding away from police and towards more community-oriented projects in minneapolisthese are the links i send to my facebook friends who keep running their mouths about “the protests hurting the community”
minnehaha food shelf & calvary church food shelf are both centered in the south minneapolis area where the riots started. the grocery stores in the area have been decimated, so food shelves and food insecurity charities need a lot of love right now.
northside funders group is a philanthropic group in the twin cities that’s using all its funds right now for helping local businesses
migizi is a native american media/history nonprofit whose office was destroyed in the riots
we love lake street is devoting funds specifically towards rebuilding the lake street area in south minneapolissome more groups that could use your help
the healing justice foundation is a national nonprofit that’s specifically focusing on mental health resources for bipoc right now
ctul is a nonprofit focused on low-wage workers and workers rights in minnesota
mpd 150 is focused on policing and specifically trying to reroute the conversation from “we need to change police procedures” to “the police need structural reform”
the spiral collective is providing funds for supplies, medic kits, and other things that protesters will need on the ground
unicorn riot is a media collective that has had people on the ground filming every night in minneapolislast but not least some more bail funds
atlanta
baltimore
brooklyn
columbus
connecticut
dallas
denver
detroit
houston
las vegas
los angeles
louisville
massachusetts
philadelphia
pittsburgh
seattle
June 1, 2020
pridemons:pridemons:donations masterposti’ve composed a list of all of the donation fund i...
donations masterposti’ve composed a list of all of the donation fund i could find. i will stand with black lives forever and always and everybody should do the same.
donate to the minneapolis bail fund here
donate to the black lives matter movement here
donate to the george floyd memorial fund here
donate to george floyd’s family here
donate to the justice for regis fund here
donate to reclaim the block here
donate to the i run with maud fund here
donate to justice for jamee here
donate to the eric rosalia fund here
donate to the north star collective here
donate to the national police accountability project here
donate to the unicorn riot fund here
if i’ve missed any then please add them onto this post! if you’re a black person with your own donation fund then feel free to add that too!
share if you can’t donate, share if you can
pridemons:donate to the atlanta solidarity fund herepridemons:donations masterposti’ve...
donate to the atlanta solidarity fund here
donations masterposti’ve composed a list of all of the donation fund i could find. i will stand with black lives forever and always and everybody should do the same.
donate to the minneapolis bail fund here
donate to the black lives matter movement here
donate to the george floyd memorial fund here
donate to george floyd’s family here
donate to the justice for regis fund here
donate to reclaim the block here
donate to the i run with maud fund here
donate to justice for jamee here
donate to the eric rosalia fund here
donate to the north star collective here
donate to the national police accountability project here
donate to the unicorn riot fund here
if i’ve missed any then please add them onto this post! if you’re a black person with your own donation fund then feel free to add that too!
share if you can’t donate, share if you can
May 31, 2020
mothpoem:
so direct action is not an option available to you. what can you do right now instead?
Be...
so direct action is not an option available to you. what can you do right now instead?
Be mindful of the content you’re putting on your social media accounts. Stop retweeting/reposting violent images and videos of black people dying. Know that content like this, even with trigger warnings included, can be very emotionally disturbing/distressing and yes, even traumatic, for black people navigating the internet right now.
Report any images and videos you see where protestors’ faces are visible/unblurred, particularly in content surrounding the lootings. Don’t retweet or repost these images and videos. This can be a death sentence.
DONATE, PARTICULARLY TO MINNESOTA-BASED BLACK YOUTH MOVEMENTS / MUTUAL AID FUNDS WHO ARE DOING WORK ON THE GROUND. FOLLOW/BOOST IF YOU CAN’T.
• The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a mutual aid group fighting back against the unjust MN bail system, is taking donations. (Twitter)
• The Black Visions Collective, a Minnesota-based freedom fighter organization creating campaigns for justice, is taking donations. (Twitter)
• Reclaim the Block, a coalition to demand that Minneapolis divest from policing, is taking donations. (Twitter)
• Crowdfunding for black trans people in need thread.
• Comprehensive Minnesota bail fund/support document for May and June.
spidaerman:
To all my black followers and friends, stay...
To all my black followers and friends, stay safe.
Also, I would like to add that black lives have always mattered, will always matter.
It’s awful that we even have to say that because it should be a given. However, we need to say it loud and clear for the racists.
We cannot be silent.
