Two times this week, My girlfriend and I tried to get take out from a black owned restaurant near us,The Neighborhood Kitchen and both times this week they were so flooded with orders we weren’t even able to put in an order. We didn’t even know this restaurant existed until the recent protests inspired us to seek out black owned restaurants. And it seems like many people are doing the same.

People are enraged right now for good reason, and there has been a flurry to support Black Lives Matter Organizations, shop at Black owned stores and eat at Black owned restaurants, which are all important things to do to support the black community in the Boston Area.

However, and I am just as guilty of this as many people, after the initial rage dies down many people don’t think to continue shopping at these stores, eating at these restaurants or donating to these charities and this just leads many of us white folk shift back to our old habits, Ordering at the places nearest to us, watching the same shows, shopping at the same places.

And this is an issue, we don’t consider going outside of what we know to support the black community until we have an event so enraging that it finally stirs us to action.

We go back to our old habits, however thabits can be changed and we have a valuable tool to do so with.

I live off my google calendar, every appointment, working hour, writing time, and date with my girlfriend goes on it and a lot of people are the same. We’re adults, we need a schedule and that’s fine. But let's use this to try and make sure our support of the black community doesn’t wane.

Right now, put a weekly reminder on your phone to look up and order from a black-owned restaurant once a week. Schedule a time every day to research what is affecting the black community both locally and nationally, If you and your partner have a scheduled date night every week add a note to patronize a black owned business, see a play or movie that features black performers, go to an exhibit that features pieces by black artists, anything to break the habit of going to your default and, let's be honest, white owned businesses.

And I realize that using your google calendar to help overcome apathy to the black community is the most honky-ass thing that I can suggest but like with exercise, writing, or meditation it's a habit that needs to be formed. Why not use the tools that you have to help overcome it?

Also set up recurring donations, many charities use the recurring donations to help set their budgets for the year and having predictable income makes it so they are able to invest in larger, longer term projects, rather than having to live off the feast or famine income fluctuations they normally go through. Or again set a calendar reminder to donate, so you’ll visit their website and see what news they have posted.

The past couple of weeks after George Floyd’s murder has woken up something in a lot of us white folks and many of us are trying to do the work now. But we need to keep doing the work otherwise this is going to keep happening.

Resources:

Boston Black Biz

https://www.bostonblackbiz.com/location/

Boston Black Theater Collective:

http://www.coloroffilm.com/boston-black-theater-collective/

IMDB list of Films with POC leads

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls023317261/

National Center for Afro-American Artists (Roxbury)

http://www.ncaaa.org/

Black Economic Council of MA

https://www.becma.org/

60+ Black Owned Restaurants to Support: