Looking for ways to advocate for Black lives? Check out this list of resources by our sister site Lifehacker for ways to get involved.
The protests sparked by the killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, among countless others, have only just begun to inspire change. While the police involved in the killing of Floyd had their charges upgraded, and Minneapolis has vowed to disband its police force, these are drops in a much larger bucket; in order for us to effect real change, the work must continue. For white allies, part of that work requires the amplification of Black voices—and that’s the idea at the heart of the new #ShareTheMicNow campaign, in which white actresses, celebrities, and activists are literally handing their Instagram platforms (and sizable followings) over to Black women in an effort to raise their voices and promote intersectional activism. On Wednesday, June 10, over 40 Black women—including Angelica Ross and Tarana Burke—will take over the Instagram accounts of white celebrities like Julia Roberts and super model Ashley Graham, to highlight “Black women and the important work they’re doing in order to catalyze the change that will only come when we truly hear each other’s voices.”
Bozoma Saint John, the Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor, organized the event alongside alice + olivia founder Stacey Bendet, and authors Glennon Doyle and Luvvie Ajayi Jones. “When the world listens to women, it listens to white women,” reads the #ShareTheMicNow mission statement obtained by Deadline. “For far too long, Black women’s voices have gone unheard, even though they’ve been using their voices loudly for centuries to enact change. Today, more than ever, it is NECESSARY that we create a unifying action to center Black women’s lives, stories, and calls to action. We need to listen to Black women.” Below is a list of the Black women participating in the event, which aims to encourage “Black and white women in relationship to recreate this action in their own spaces”—an alliance that must continue and transcend social media if we hope to effect lasting change.
1. Alencia Johnson
2. Alexa Idama
3. Angelica Ross
4. Austin Channing Brown
5. Bozoma Saint John
6. Brittney Cooper
7. Candace Marie
8. Cari Champion
9. Christina Rice
10. Deesha Dyer
11. Devi Brown
12. Elaine Welteroth
13. Elle Hearns
14. Eunique Jones Gibson
15. Fresco Steez
16. Gia Peppers
17. Ibtihaj Muhammad
18. Jessica O. Matthews
19. Jovian Zayne
20. Julee Wilson
21. Justina Omokhua
22. Kahlana Barfield Brown
23. Keah Brown
24. Kimberly Blackwell
25. Latham Thomas
26. Lauren Wesley Wilson
27. Lindsay Peoples Wagner
28. Luvvie Ajayi Jones
29. Melina Abdullah
30. Miatta Johnson
31. Monique Melton
32. Myleik Teele
33. Naima Cochrane
34. Nikki Ogunnaike
35. Nimotalai Ganiyu
36. Opal Tometi
37. Rachel Cargle, Activist
38. Seun Adigun
39. Stephanie Thomas
40. Stephanie Young
41. Tai Beauchamp
42. Tarana Burke
43. Thasunda Brown Duckett
44. Tiffany Aliche
45. Yaba Blay
46. Yvette Noel Schure
And here is the list of white celebrities handing their platforms over to amplify Black female voices:
1. Abby Wambach
2. Ali Krieger
3. Arianna Huffington
4. Ashley Graham
5. Ashley Judd
6. Ashlyn Harris
7. Barb Schmidt
8. Brandi Carlile
9. Brené Brown
10. Busy Philipps
11. Cameron Esposito
12. Chelsea Handler
13. Cheryl Strayed
14. Chrissy Metz
15. Debra Messing
16. Diane von Furstenberg
17. Elizabeth Gilbert
18. Esther Perel
19. Glennon Doyle
20. Gwyneth Paltrow
21. Hilary Swank
22. Jen Hatmaker
23. Jenny Mollen
24. Jessica Seinfeld
25. Julia Roberts
26. Julianne Hough
27. Kathryn Budig
28. Katie Couric
39. Kimberly Williams-Paisley
30. Kourtney Kardashian
31. Liz Plank
32. Mandy Moore
33. Megan Rapinoe
34. Melissa Urban
35. Michelle Monaghan
36. Nina Tame
37. Sara Bareilles
38. Sarah McBride
39. Sarah Paulson
40. Sarah Sophie Flicker
41. Seane Corn
42. Selma Blair
43. Sophia Bush
44. Stacey Bendet
45. Sue Bird