During this year’s Black History Month, our Program joins organizations and individuals across the country in uplifting the Black Immigrant Advocacy Day of Action on Thursday, February 17th. This day of action aims to celebrate the leadership of Black immigrants as they fight to expose and eradicate racism in the U.S. immigration system. There are many ways to support this important work and we hope you will join us in taking action this Thursday to show your solidarity with Black immigrants. Here are some ways to get involved:
Sign the petition for the #TPS4CameroonNOW Campaign
Cameroon is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis and internal armed conflict characterized by massive internal displacement, state-sponsored violence, war crimes, and critical shortages of essentials including water, food, housing, and healthcare. These conditions make safe return to Cameroon impossible and the government must act immediately to extend protection from deportation to Cameroonians living in the U.S. Please sign the petition to designate TPS for Cameroon.
Call on the Biden administration to welcome Black asylum seekers with dignity
The Welcome With Dignity campaign seeks to reimagine our asylum system and defend the rights of those seeking protection, including Black immigrants. Take action by sending a letter to President Biden demanding we welcome Black asylum seekers with dignity.
Amplify the call to action on Twitter
As part of the day of action, advocates are asking supporters to use their social media platforms to raise awareness about issues affecting Black immigrants. Throughout the day, you can use #Act4BlackImms to promote the Black Immigrant Advocacy Day. Please use #Act4Mauritania on Twitter between 12 pm and 1 pm (ET) to call for justice for Black Mauritanians in both domestic and foreign policy and use #TPS4BlackImms at 3 pm to call on the Biden administration to use TPS broadly and boldly to protect Black immigrants. You can check out this social media toolkit for sample tweets.
Donate to the Black Immigrants Bail Fund
The Black Immigrants Bail Fund is a national project of the Haitian Bridge Alliance and African Bureau for Immigration and Social Affairs with support from other Black-led organizations. The Fund provides free assistance and relief to Black immigrants in pursuit of liberation and justice. Please donate to help eradicate the mass incarceration of Black immigrants and level the playing field of equity in due process by transforming one life at a time
Support Black immigrant-led immigrants’ rights organizations
There are many Black-led immigrants’ rights organizations across the country that need your support. Please learn about these organizations, follow them on social media, and donate to help support this important work. Here is a list of just some of the many organizations that advocate for the rights of Black immigrants:
African Bureau of Immigration & Social Affairs
African Communities Together
Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Black Immigrant Collective
Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project
Cameroon Advocacy Network
Dream Defenders
Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc.
Family Action Network Movement
Haitian Bridge Alliance
Mauritanian Network for Human Rights in the US
UndocuBlack Network
We hope our alumni and supporters will not only take part in Black Immigrants Advocacy Day, but that they will continue to fight for the rights of Black immigrants throughout the year.