October 10th, 2020

Oh how I missed you all. Let's update.

I firstly want to say that we stand in solidarity completely with Indonesian students and works who are participating in uprisings against neoliberalism and the government especially the omnibus law. We also stand in solidarity with our siblings in Bangladesh who have taken to the streets in response to the sexual violence they are facing. You can read more in bite-sized pieces over on redfish's Instagram.

I have some personal updates as well. I have taken a position with MOSES, Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength as a voter protection organizer. While I am personally disillusioned with voting and believe more in community and mutual aid than anything else, I also believe that people who do believe in voting should get to do so without being physically threatened. In this position, I promise you all to push community accountability, education, and mutual aid as well as fighting for folks' rights to exist at the polls safely.

Over the next few days I will be updating our resource list, including the quietly-released CDC declaration halting evictions which can be enacted at any time. You can find more on this here and fill out the declaration to serve your landlord and halt your eviction here.

Some of the reading I have been doing includes:

• This report from the Building Movement Project regarding Nonprofits Led by People of Color Confront COVID-19 and Structural Racism

• Detroit Water Equity Report

• Finally got my hard copy of Disability Visibility and am ready to re-read a markup

Oh yeah and also... WE MET OUR GOAL ON OUR COVID-19 SUPPORT PAGE!! More on this soon.

Glad to be back and in the swing of things

September 4th, 2020

Hi family.

Welcome to September! I have been doing some reading and working and reading and working. I have not been very tapped in lately, so I have very few new resources to highlight. Balancing my own self-education and providing the resources I find or know are available is difficult for me. I have also suffered the loss of a familial elder so I will be taking some time off. Unfortunately, there is no one here at Metro Detroit Mutual Aid emotionally or logistically equipped to take my place doing the work I do here. I might post some time-sensitive resources; however, my focus will be me and taking care of myself and my puppies (I have puppies!).

Some of the reading I have been doing includes:

• Letter: Assisted suicide is not the answer as long as racial disparities in care, disability bias go on by Anita Cameron

• Twitter: The Red Nation's List of Broader Positions in the Current Positions

• Books: Disability Visibility by Alice Wong here is great list of 5 books by disabled authors

• Article: Black Isn't Optional by Julia Craven Re: Jessica Krug's Betrayal of the Black communities she aligned herself with

• Informational: White Supremacy Culture in Daily Life (Individualism, Power Hoarding, Sense of Urgency, etc.) and a Zine Version

Did you know there is a lawsuit against the City of Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan, and Police Chief James Craig? It also names individual police officers Stephen Anouti, Timothy Barr, David Hornshaw and Mariah Erard. You can read more about the lawsuit here.

There's a film showing of Dagmar Schultz's "Audre Lorde-The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992" that you can find here. This will only be available for another day. There is also a unique creative opportunity for disabled folks of all kinds and regardless of diagnosis status that you can find here.

August 29th, 2020

Quick notes today. We have accumulated some resources on how you can help out those affected by Hurricane Laura on a Carrd here. Please consider donating supplies or monies as they are available to you.

Did you know we have job positions listed in our Google Drive? We have company philosophy and open positions listed in the google document you can find here. We also have a list of opportunities for creatives you can find here.

August 22nd, 2020

Hey y'all

There is an exciting community opportunity! LGBT Detroit's The Council 2020 Education Summit is coming on Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 and 27 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. You can find the details and registration link here. The speakers have some interesting topics in store for us. I hope to see you there.

This is a reminder that this landing page works best in conjunction with our Google Drive. We have recently added a shortcut to an excellent document which details resources by and for disability communities in the time of COVID-19. Our in our Google Drive linked here as well as always linked in the menu bar.

Considering the conversations currently surrounding misogynoir and women in the music industry, particularly rap/hip-hop, I wanted to implore you all to watch a panel discussion regarding the topic by Black folks and tailored to the Black youth experience with the music. You can find this video here. Be free to email us if you want to chat about the topic!

August 19th, 2020

A few updates on the site. There is an exciting training series through Detroit Disability Power on disability justice. This is a two-part training series that looks like it will be super helpful. You can find it here. The infographics have also been updated to include some great stuff. We are trying to figure out a better way to organize and archive the infographics to accommodate the tens of stuff we'd like to add daily.

In solidarity.

August 17th, 2020

Hey there!

Elliot has completed a syllabus to further explain and breakdown the Manifesto by Marx and Engels and the History of Communism from Wikipedia. This will be an ongoing project from them that will be updated as they continue their personal studies. You can find it here. Go forth and do good.

August 6th, 2020

Hi.

Tonight, I have updated the infographics, have updated resources to include the steps for the eviction diversion program in Michigan on our financial resources page and have changed the banner to emphasize the need for aid in response to the destruction of Lebanon. You can find those ways to help here.

There are also more opportunities to receive financial help from different grassroots organizations that you can find on our financial resources page. We are currently in consideration of removing our application as funds directed to the mutual aid fund have pretty much ceased.

We want to actively celebrate the straight 70 days of demonstrations which have led to, amongst other things, a racist mayor gone and the release of teenager Grace, who was arrested for not doing her homework.

We move.

July 28th, 2020

Yesterday, we really showed up for our folks! Within the day, protestors who had their vehicles taken by police were able to raise the funds to get them out! Thank you thank you thank you for showing up and showing out!

We have updated the Reading List and the Full texts to include several more essays and shorter books especially on transgender identity politics and the intersections with other identities. You can check out the whole list here. Personally, I am reading “Black Feminist Theory for the Dead and Dying” By Patrice D. Douglass.

Did you know we have info on grants and opportunities for creatives? You check it out here.

Love you

July 27th, 2020

Hi! We have an immediate need from protestors on the ground in Detroit to help with car impound fees. You can find the gofundme here *.

*This GoFundMe reached its goal within a day. We are leaving the link if you're interested in updates.

July 25th, 2020

I have been reading and updating and crying and reading and updating and crying so. Let's talk highlights. We have not done enough here nor are we seeing enough elsewhere acknowledging the experiences and complexities of our disabled siblings so I have been doing quite a bit of reading. I would definitely suggest reading this article curated by Jillian Mercado and written by Wendy Lu about disabled folks in Los Angeles. Here is another article by the New York Times. If you are looking for a book, I would suggest this one which emphasizes first-person perspectives of disabled folks. If money is more your thing, then this is an excellent collection of organizations to redistribute your money to. We promise to demonstrate a full and total commitment to our disabled communities through educating ourselves, others, and, most importantly, listening.

In other highlights, I will be updating the reading resources to include some super important texts in Black studies later this week, however; I will first start with this link to Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: An American Grammar Book. Excellent read. You can find a link here until we save it in our Google Drive.

Go forth in solidarity.

July 20th, 2020

Hey all. There have been some changes around the site. Highlights include information regarding access to free mental health resources, updates to infographics, and Albania banning intersex surgery! We are also working on a few more syllabi for publication in August. Stay tuned!

July 16th, 2020

Hi hi hi. I am just popping in to mention that our imprisoned/incarcerated siblings need us! Folks on Rikers have little to no access to A/C and are in need of lightweight clothing. You can donate here and see where your donation is going here.

July 15th, 2020

Well. We are indeed at the end of the eviction moratorium in Michigan. I know you may be worried but there are several different options for you during this time. I will have these resources posted under the "Financial & Medical" page; however, I will also list them here. First, I would check out the Eviction Diversion Program that will be starting tomorrow, July 16th, 2020. You can find more details here. It is also crucial to know your rights during this time especially in regards to court processes and timing. You can find more information on that in our Google Drive folder "Rent/Housing." I would suggest our "Your Rights in Photos" publication. You can find that here.

Discussions around my personal (this is Myaia) aspiring figure, Dr. Angela Davis, are swirling around on social media. I do not particularly advocate for the election of any presidential candidate as our systems stand now. That being said, we do not advocate for the disrespect of Dr. Angela Davis and her tremendous palpable work. One of The Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund's key tenants is accountability and we stand by that! We also believe in criticism, especially of those who are centered in social justice/leftist movements, but frankly, this conversation is for Black folks and should be done with consideration and respect for her work.

We will be including articles on how voting is not harm reduction on our "Reading and Infographics" page you can find here.

"I sank deep into the moment, husbanding this delight, hoarding it. For I knew it would be short-lived. Work. Struggle. Confrontation lay before us like a rock-strewn road. We would walk it … But first the grass, the sun…and the people."

Angela Davis

July 14th, 2020

Family, please consider registering for the Allied Media Conference that will be happening July 23rd- 26th. This is an unprecedented to time to acquire media and social justice skills. You can check out the schedule here and on our "Around Detroit" page here. Hope to see you all there!

July 10th, 2020

Hey y'all. The depression is kind of popping out right now so I'm here spending a little time with you just to let you know what has been updated over the last couple of days. There is a new medical and disability section under Financial Resources, now retitled "Financial & Medical Resources." Eventually, these things will have their own home, we are just waiting on some more resources to post. I also want to articulate again that this site works in conjunction with our Google Drive. There, we have sections regarding schooling, rent/housing, and undocumented folks here in Metro Detroit. For instance if you or anyone you know are undocumented, there is a fund that can be tapped in to to help you make ends meet during the pandemic. You can find more information here. If you are a homeowner in Detroit, there is some relief on your property tax "obligations." You can find more information about that here. If you or anyone you know is a DPS student, you likely have a free device to keep with your name on it waiting for you at school! You can find more information on that here.

Did you know that we published a syllabus on Decolonizing your Visual Art? It can be found here; however, we will also be sure to keep it updated. This is our second document published through the Mutual Aid Fund and we hope to have several more coming soon. You can find our first guide on Black gun ownership/gun defense here.

Hope you all are keeping your heads above water.

"It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism."

Angela Davis

July 8th, 2020

Hello hello hello! I hope you all are hanging in there! We wanted to pop in and mention some of the things added to the site today. Namely, we added a new syllabus on Decolonizing your Visual Art which you can find here. We also added some additional events, news, and added a webinar section to our "Around Detroit" page. We will try to stay on top of updating these pages as we come across new resources and events that can be helpful to our community. Hang in there, dearest siblings!

We love you we love you we love you.

“If Black people had simply accepted a status of economic and political inferiority, the mob murders would probably have subsided. But because vast numbers of ex-slaves refused to discard their dreams of progress, more than ten thousand lynchings occurred during the three decades following the war.”

― Angela Y. Davis, Women, Race, & Class

July 7th, 2020

Well well well. Here we are! Despite having little experience with organizing, we have continued to commit ourselves to the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund. What started as a response to the novel coronavirus continues to be a place where we can care for one another through assistance, education, and accountability. Here, we will be posting resources to be able to progress ourselves and our communities' education through the creation of guides, the spread of resources, and attentive care for each other's specific needs. We hope that this will be a platform free of policing, bullying, or disposability.

We want to reiterate that we here are not immune to mistakes and we want to be called out on them. We may forget a poignant trigger warning or create something that is not accessible. If you see any of these things, we ask you to hold us accountable to our mission and our relationship to our community by calling our attention to it via email. Please email us at feedback@detmutualaid.com. We are so excited to launch what we hope to be a demonstration of love for Detroit.

July 4th, 2020

We do not advocate the intentional celebration of the fourth of July ever, but as we have our Native siblings fighting for the rights to land they never lost and some cities hit day 30 of protests, this 4th of July appears particularly grotesque. On this day in 1776, the greatest human rights abuses the world has ever seen were taking place, normalized, and would merely change form into 2020. This day is reminder not only to hold hope for the future we are trying to build but also a reminder of from whence we have come.

On the note of ancestry, the Detroit Public Library has included Ancestry Library edition which will make available census records from 1790 to 1940 and a variety of blank forms used to record findings available to members. This tool can be (seemingly) used without tracking or keeping any of your data and is completely free with a library card. You can find this database here and sign up for a temporary library card here.

June 22nd, 2020*/**

Hi all! We have met over half of our requests for aid in full! We have also begun to make partial payments and hope to fulfill those completely as well. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all an additional resource for aid during this time. This will also be found in the campaign description where there is a running list.

The Detroit Phoenix Center RISE Relief & Recovery Program Application can be found here.

During this time, I would also urge you to educate yourself, especially as a collective. Please remember that mutual aid is about community, accountability, and education just as much as it is about caring for one another’s material needs! As we have mentioned here before, “Are Prisons Obsolete?” By Dr. Angela Davis is a fundamental abolitionist text *** and luckily one of our favorite tik tokers and social media personalities is hosting a weekly study hall! You can find them on twitter here: https://twitter.com/urdoingreat/status/1272949896136609795?s=20 and Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgTtj_FHCe/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet ***

Lastly, we have published the very first document through the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund. For now, we have one document that focuses on Black gun ownership in Metro Detroit and Metro Atlanta. The document includes a summation of laws, step by step self-arming and self-defense tasks, and some historical context on what it means to be Black and armed. Please send an email to info@detmutualaid.com to receive a link to the document. It will be available to Black folks only for now. Eventually, we hope that these documents will be available in a public Google Drive folder and accessible to all.

As always in greatest solidarity

Myaia

“To reiterate, rather than try to imagine one single alternative to the existing system of incarceration, we might envision an array of alternatives that will require radical transformations of many aspects of our society. Alternatives that fail to address racism, male dominance, homophobia, class bias, and other structures of domination will not, in the final analysis, lead to decarceration and will not advance the goal of abolition.”

― Angela Y. Davis, Are Prisons Obsolete?

June 12th, 2020

The eviction moratorium has ended today in Michigan and thousands of individuals and families will soon be faced with housing insecurities. Donations have been slowing down to a crawl and we have only $510 coming in without further donations before we are out of funds with $10,000 in new requests. We are feeling frustrated and stressed. When we said that we would like to meet everyone’s need, we meant it and it is wildly upsetting to see that might not be the case. We have not forgotten you. Please consider checking out the other resources listed in this comment section and the campaign description.

I would (as always) be remiss to not mention that today is the anniversary of the Pulse Massacre. We were all horrified to witness the slaughter of BLGTQIA+ siblings who were trying to partake in revolutionary joy. We have also witnessed t*ump pass legislation that narrows the definition of sex discrimination so it does not include our transgender siblings. You can read more about this legislation here.

That same politician (the racist one in the White House) is holding a rally... in Tulsa... on Juneteenth. Tulsa is the sight of the “Black Wall Street” Massacre and Juneteeth is a special holiday for Black folks in the United States. You can read about Juneteenth here and the Tulsa Massacre here.

Honestly, I am tired.

Go forth with greatest love and in greatest solidarity.

Myaia

“The roots of sexism and homophobia are found in the same economic and political institutions that serve as the foundation of racism in this country and, more often than not, the same extremist circles that inflict violence on people of color are responsible for the eruptions of violence inspired by sexist and homophobic biases. Our political activism must clearly manifest our understanding of these connections.”

― Angela Y. Davis, Women, Culture, and Politics

June 8th, 2020

Welcome to another week! I just wanted to comment on the almost $7,800 raised to distribute to Metro Detroiters! When we started the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund, we weren’t sure if people would care, but so far, they have shown up for some of the country’s most vulnerable and forgotten. Folks care and we thank you.

I also wanted to share some additional resources for financial aid here.

Wayne Metro CARES Act: https://www.waynemetro.org/cares/

The Minority Freedom Community Fund (Rapid funds, small amounts): https://www.mifreedomcf.org/covid19.html

I would be remiss to not acknowledge that, in response to rebellion and outcry from the people, the Minneapolis City Council announced their intention to disband the Police Department. This is an unprecedented and hopefully a meaningful change in what it means to keep each other safe. You can read about this change here: https://theappeal.org/minneapolis-city-council-members-announce-intent-to-disband-the-police-department-invest-in-proven-community-led-public-safety/

If you’d like to read more about why abolition is the way to go and reimagine your futures then considering visiting https://abolitionistfutures.com/uk-prison-abolition-resources where there are some fun photos/posters, a reading list, and latest news.

Go forth and do good!

“I don't think we have any alternative other than remaining optimistic. Optimism is an absolute necessity, even if it's only optimism of the will, as Gramsci said, and pessimism of the intellect.”

― Angela Y. Davis, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle

June 4th, 2020 *

Hello all,

It's late. I have been losing sleep harassing folks on social media and screaming for folks to care. I can say that I am proud of how far we have come in our fundraising efforts! I continue to believe that all of the requests will be fulfilled. I wanted to be sure to share with you both some financial and educational resources.

We started the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund because there was not a fund in existence; however, I failed to mention that there is a Google Sheet where you can advocate for yourselves at the will of strangers as well as offer any resources you may have. This method is not the most efficient for financial requests, but if you are in need in other ways, this may be very helpful. You can find the link below.

Mutual aid is largely about the exchange of radical information alongside monetary and material aid. I will include some links on excellent, fundamental texts on liberation and an abolition of policing workshop below. These texts, which include Hood Feminism, How To Be An Anti-Racist, Medical Apartheid, Are Prisons Obsolete?, A Queer History of the United States, etc. may offer some new perspective as things outside of our screens continue to change. Consider doing some reading! I continue to thank you all for your prior donations and urge you to continue sharing. We currently have over $14,000 in requests!

You can find the individual/material Detroit Mutual Aid Fund here.

Abolition of policing workshop here.

Full texts here and here.

In solidarity,

Myaia

“It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”

― Angela Y. Davis, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle

June 2nd, 2020 *

I hope you all are doing well! I am checking in to report that we have surpassed the $1,000 mark! I know many of you have requests equal to or less than that amount; however, I continue to stand by our ideology behind distributing funds on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please be patient as we have monies coming from PayPal and wire transfer, and I have to get them into the appropriate accounts before I am able to send money to your preferred accounts. It will take valuable time but I promise to keep you updated every step of the way. I also want to wish you a happy Pride Month. The demonstration we associate with Pride, the Stonewall rebellions, were acts of righteous violence perpetrated by Black and Brown trans women and butch lesbians.

While protests and righteous violence continues around the world, I want to point out that one of the ways we tend to treat each other like 12 is when we decide who is and is not worthy of love, compassion, and yes, monetary gain. The hoops and investigating many require to receive... well anything, is also treating each other like 12. This includes punishment practices and disposability culture. As we continue to care for ourselves, consider the ways in which you treat the people around you like 12, who that actually benefits, and how that prevents our ability to create meaningful community. Who benefits from a culture of distrust?

If you would like to read more about disposability culture here are some readings:

In the context of Qu**r relationships

In the context of prison abolition

In the context of biopolitics

“We know the road to freedom has always been stalked by death.”

― Angela Davis

We love you all.

May 31st, 2020

Today was a rough one. As we all reel from the rightful frustration in our communities and across the nation, I hope you will continue moving forward in processes to take care of yourself. That being said, I hope you also continue moving forward with standing and acting with grassroots organizations like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, Atlanta Solidarity Fund, Philadelphia Bail Fund, Louisville Community Bail Fund, and direct donation to the appropriate families on GoFundMe. I will include links to a master list of bail funds for several cities below including assistance and information for protestors. We have only raised $182 over the past 2 days; however, I have tremendous hope in the coming days. Slow and steady wins the race. Continue to share and donate every single day and as much as possible. I have also updated the list of alternate organizations to apply for direct, rapid cash and material assistance.

You can find Freedom Funds, Bail Funds, and Protestor Information here

“Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible.”

― Angela Y. Davis

May 28th, 2020

Wow! Wow! Wow! Thanks to you all, we have almost $17,000 in requests for aid! I plan to get each and every one of these requests at least partially filled. We believe that we can do this with determination and appealing to the desire we all have to form community. We have some folks who are in desperate need and in precarious situations. Let’s take care of our own as much as possible. Thank you thank you thank you. We love you Metro Detroit.

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”

― Angela Davis

May 27th, 2020

Well well well. It is the end of Day 1. Do not worry, I will not be sending you emails daily, I just want to celebrate the milestones with you. We have made it past our first 5 donations and our campaign is now public! Thank you thank you thank you!

Your individual contributions have not only legitimized our cause but have also allowed us to begin resolving the $3,000+ need that we currently have waiting. Your contribution has helped us get there and we thank you; however, I urge you all to continue sharing with your networks via social media, email, or carrier pigeon, and please do not forget those who need assistance themselves. Links to the application and the Mutual Fund donation landing page will be below. Thank you again from all of us here at the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

― Angela Y. Davis

In greatest love and solidarity.

***: Gem, who was the owner of this TikTok and Instagram, was confronted/outed of their history of r*pe and ass*ult a few days after we decided to repost some of their resources. We do not support those who commit these acts especially when Gem originally denied their survivor their asks and dodged accountability. While we believe in Transformative justice, we at the Metro Detroit Mutual Aid Fund do not support Gem who continued to center themself in the abolition and accountability communities while not taking accountability for their brutalizing acts. The request of their survivor was for them to de-platform and they did not do this instead putting their energy toward centering themself as the face of the abolition. We sincerely apologize for any harm caused by perpetuating their platform here. If you would like to talk, please email us at help@detmutualaid.com.

** This update was emailed to applicants via Gmail

* This update was emailed to supporters via Chuffed