Dear fellow white people:

If you’re going to buy “Black Lives Matter” related things (shirts, buttons, whatever)… The absolute bare minimum level of allyship you should be expressing is buying those things from a black maker/business.

Otherwise, you are literally part of the problem. Your “allyship” is merely creating yet another way for white folks to profit off the backs of black folks.

And if you see white businesses looking to profit off of black trauma like this, write down their names. And remember their true colours as you move forward (aka never buy from them again).

I love the maker community, but this morning it has my blood boiling.

If you’re looking for merchandise to visibly show your support, here are some sources:

Black Lives Matter Official Store
Black Owned Etsy Shops

If you are concerned that buying from online shops might take too long to arrive, I challenge you to sit and think about why the need to have the item quickly to show your allyship overrides the act of financially supporting the cause you are looking to wear. If it’s because you’re attending an upcoming rally, protest, or demonstration, a piece of paper and markers will have the same effect. One part of allyship in terms of racial injustice is us white people opening up our wallets and making sure that money gets to black individuals. Especially when it is on items that are made about their trauma and their history.

If, despite this, you insist on buying from a white person (insert an excuse) find a maker/business that is donating 100 percent of the profits to the cause. This is not a get out of jail card, but rather a compromise in stubbornness.