Black people can now mark themselves ‘unsafe’ in America

Thanks to a tool started by the Black Lives Matter movement, black people can now mark themselves as "unsafe" in America.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Thanks to a tool started by the Black Lives Matter movement, black people can now mark themselves as “unsafe” in America.

During the week-long initiative, which is a play on Facebook’s safety check, black people can log in and mark themselves as being unsafe simply because of the color of their skin.

“Being Black in America is a national emergency. Black people are being attacked and murdered while doing day-to-day activities. This week, it’s important to let the world know how you feel, to come together, and resist. Log in to mark yourself unsafe or to show your support,” the website reads

The website has too options. You can either mark yourself as safe, or you can check a second option: “I’m not Black, but I support Black lives.”

The event is not meant to replace Facebook’s already existing safety check, which allows users to mark themselves as safe following a natural disaster or other such event.

“From slavery to Jim Crow to prejudicial and deadly policing, America has never been a safe place for black people,” BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors told Mic. “We need to take action to continue to raise awareness about how racism impacts our families and communities.”

“We know that social media is only one way to take action on behalf of the Movement for Black Lives,” Cullors added. “After marking yourself unsafe, we ask that people take additional action by joining local organizers in demanding justice in the streets.”

 

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