At least 10 members of the KC Defender Mutual Aid Team met up at Southeast Community Center for a briefing, which 10 of our Mutual Aid Team members old and new attended.
Shortly after, we made our way to Sunfresh on 31st & Prospect with $5000 cash to give directly to our people.
Our act says yes, all of our people deserve to be loved and supported in this city that has done so much to eradicate the possibility of our thriving.
We distribute the money not only to customers but to cashiers and all employees in the store (whom are also all Black). This no-strings-attached method differs from programs where you must drug test, provide id or some other method of restricting and moralizing whether or not our people deserve aid.
Our act also exemplifies our belief that our people need resources, not cages. Particularly in this moment when gun violence is used by white media and politicians to push for more surveillance, more drones, more private police, and more cages—we choose to give our people life-affirming resources. We choose to feed us. To affirm us. To remind us we are worthy.
And what happened when we did?
Our people lit up with joy. A Black elder teared up as she spoke to us and said that seeing so many young Black people coming together simply to show love brought her hope. She asked if she could pray with and for us. And we all did.
The store manager, a joyous, kind Black woman—instantly became friends with us all…