On June 6th, The Black Surfing Association of Rockaway organized a memorial paddle out for George Floyd. Hundreds of New York Surfers came out to show support for African American community and fight systemic racism. Swell Season was on hand to cover the paddle out and talk to some of the attendees and organizers. What follows are some of the interviews from the paddle out. In order we talk to Lou Harris, Paul Vitale, McHale Anderson, Chad Chadderton & Eric Stafford. We were lucky enough to get a few moments with the founder of the Black Surfing Association Rockaway Chapter, Lou Harris, about organizing the event and his thoughts on the events that lead to George Floyds death. It was a very emotional paddle out but also very heartening. Many of us left with a sense of hope and inspiration.

We just want to thank all of our guests and everyone who came out for the memorial paddle out. This has ignited something for many of us and now we need to put our words and stances into action. We’ve put together a list of some charities you can donate to and some you can volunteer.

For those of you in the NYC area you can volunteer with Lou and the Black Surfing Associations Rockaway chapter. Just got follow them on Instagram @black_surfing_rockaway.

List of organizations to donate to:

- George Floyd Memorial Fund
- Donations will go toward supporting the families of George Floyd
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

-The Bail Project
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-bail-project
The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund is on a mission to combat mass incarceration and reshape the pretrial system in the United States.

-American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Donations will go toward legislative efforts to overturn systemically racist policies at either national, state, or local levels.
https://www.aclu.org/issues/racial-justice

-Black Lives Matter Global Network
Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

-The National Police Accountability Project
The central mission of NPAP is to promote the accountability of law enforcement officers and their employers for violations of the Constitution and the laws of the United States.
https://www.nlg-npap.org/donate/

-Campaign Zero
Campaign Zero’s mission is by limiting police interventions, improving community interactions, and ensuring accountability. Funds donated to Campaign Zero support the analysis of policing practices across the country, research to identify effective solutions to end police violence, technical assistance to organizers leading police accountability campaigns and the development of model legislation and advocacy to end police violence nationwide.
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision

-NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.187165864.1602954306.1591044385-2004584457.1591044385

-The Transgendered Law Center
We build and center the power of Black LGBTQIA+ migrants to ensure the liberation of all Black people through community-building, political education, creating access to direct services, and organizing across borders.
https://transgenderlawcenter.org/programs/blmp

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