#BLM Statement & Resources

CAIR-Chicago expresses our deepest empathy and solidarity with the Black community during the unrest of these times and the injustice they historically faced in an institution purposefully built against them. Below, you can find resources to help support the Black community locally. You can read our statement here.

Be sure to know your rights if you’re headed to a protest. Click here for a downloadable of a pocket Know Your Rights guide.

Fight for justice for Jacob Blake. Find our Kenosha and Milwaukee resources at the end of this page.


Chicago Donation and Patronage Resources

  • Black Lives Matter Chicago : “Black Lives Matter Chicago is an intersectional vehicle that values Black people and our right to self-determination. We fight for justice with families most impacted, while working to create just and equitable systems.”

  • Inner-City Muslim Action Network Chicago : “IMAN incorporated as a nonprofit in 1997 through the drive of people directly affected by and deeply invested in social issues affecting communities of color living on Chicago’s South Side. Since that time, IMAN has steadily grown and, in 2016, opened a second office in Atlanta to continue mobilizing a cross-section of people committed to this mission.”

  • Black Muslim COVID Coalition : Black Muslim COVID Coalition is committed to continuing the work of organizing and connecting our communities to respond to both COVID-19 and the ongoing plague of white supremacy and racism.

  • Chicago Bond Fund : “The Chicago Community Bond Fund (CCBF) pays bond for people charged with crimes in Cook County, Illinois. Through a revolving fund, CCBF supports individuals whose communities cannot afford to pay the bonds themselves and who have been impacted by structural violence.”

  • SOUL: Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation : “SOUL believes that our faith calls us to the fight for justice for all, especially those who have historically been marginalized and oppressed. Our mission is to assist low-income people of color in the Chicago Southland to build power, then subsequently leverage that power to fight for their own interest and liberation.”

  • Brave Space Alliance : “We strive to empower, embolden, and educate each other through mutual aid, knowledge-sharing, and the creation of community-sourced resources as we build toward the liberation of all oppressed peoples.”

  • Black-Owned Businesses in Chicago : Your guide to patronize Black businesses in Chicago

  • Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression : “Since 1973, when it was born from the movement to free Angela Davis and all political prisoners, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression has defended the rights of oppressed people in Illinois and around the world.”

  • BYP100 Chicago : “Founded in 2013, BYP100 (Black Youth Project 100) is a member-based organization of Black youth activists creating justice and freedom for all Black people. BYP100 was, at one point, just a hashtag for the 2013 “Beyond November Movement Convening” developed through the vision and leadership of Cathy Cohen.”

  • Assata’s Daughters : “Assata’s Daughters (“AD”) is a Black woman-led, young person-directed organization rooted in the Black Radical Tradition. AD organizes young Black people in Chicago by providing them with political education, leadership development, mentorship, and revolutionary services. Through our programs we aim to Deepen, Escalate, and Sustain the Movement for Black Liberation.”

  • My Block My Hood My City : “My Block, My Hood, My City provides underprivileged youth with an awareness of the world and opportunities beyond their neighborhood.  We take students on explorations focused on STEM, Arts & Culture, Citizenry & Volunteerism, Health, Community Development, Culinary Arts, and Entrepreneurism.”

  • The #LetUsBreathe Collective : “The #LetUsBreathe Collective is an alliance of artists and activists organizing through a creative lens to imagine a world without prisons and police. The Collective operates the Breathing Room space, a Black-led liberation headquarters for arts, organizing, and healing on Chicago's South Side.”

  • The TRiiBE : “The TRiiBE is a digital media platform showcasing innovative content to reshape the narrative of Black Chicago. Our original works in journalism and documentary, alongside creative writing and video, capture the multifaceted essence of our communities. As an independent, alternative news source, we hope to unify Black Chicago in the common purpose to create a safer, more vibrant Chicago.”

National Donation Resources

  • Black Disability Coalition : “NBDC is the nation’s organization for all Black disabled people.  Membership and partners includes Black disabled organizations, disabled people, parents, family members, faith based, non-profits, and academic and policy leaders.”

  • Reclaim the Block : “Reclaim the Block began in 2018 and organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. We believe health, safety and resiliency exist without police of any kind.”

  • National Bail Fund Network : “The National Bail Fund Network is made up of over sixty community bail and bond funds across the country. We regularly update this listing of community bail funds that are freeing people by paying bail/bond and are also fighting to abolish the money bail system and pretrial detention.”

  • Communities United Against Police Brutality : “CUAPB is an all-volunteer organization that was formed in December 2000 in the aftermath of the shooting death of Charles "Abuka" Sanders by Minneapolis police.  As we worked to try to achieve justice for Abuka's family, we came to the realization that while many people respond in powerful ways to brutal police killings and other egregious incidents, handling each case separately is not an effective way to deal with police brutality.”

  • Know Your Rights Camp : “Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”

  • The Loveland Foundation : “Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Our resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing. We are becoming the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Petitions

Chicago Protests

Chicago Relief Efforts

Food

Mental Health Resources

Informational Videos

Reading List