How To Support Daunte Wright's Family And Show Solidarity With Anti-Racism Protestors

Photo credit: Anadolu Agency - Getty Images
Photo credit: Anadolu Agency - Getty Images
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On Sunday, April 11th, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was pulled over for a traffic violation by police in Brooklyn Center, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis. Officers determined there was a warrant out for Wright's arrest. While trying to detain him, officer Kim Potter fatally shot him. Though Wright drove away—hitting another car—he soon died at the scene.

Brooklyn Center officials say that Potter mistakenly fired at Wright, and instead meant to reach for her Taser, per the New York Times. She is heard on the video saying, "Holy shit, I just shot him."

Daunte's mother, Katie Wright, told reporters that her son was pulled over for having "air fresheners" blocking his rearview mirror. She told the Star Tribune: "He got out of the car, and his girlfriend said they shot him. He got back in the car, and he drove away and crashed and now he's dead on the ground since 1:47 ... Nobody will tell us anything. Nobody will talk to us... I said please take my son off the ground."

Wright's mother said that he called her when police approached the car, asking her for the car insurance information. "I said okay, when the police officer comes back to the window, put him on the phone, and I can give him all our insurance information," she said, per CNN. "A second goes by, and I hear the police officer come back up to the window and ask Daunte to get out of the car. Daunte asked, 'For what?' The police officer said, 'I'll explain to you when you get out of the car.'"

"I know my son. He was scared. He still [had] the mind of a 17-year-old because we babied him. If he was resisting an arrest, you could Tase him. I don’t understand it," Wright's father, Aubrey Wright, told the Washington Post. "He was a great kid. He was a normal kid. He was never in serious trouble. He enjoyed spending time with his 2-year-old son. He loved his son."

Since the police shooting, thousands of people have gathered outside the Brooklyn Center police station to show solidarity for Wright and his family and demand justice. The station is less than 10 miles away from the courtroom where the Derek Chauvin trial is unfolding. (Last year, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd's neck, obstructing his airway until Floyd died.) Both Potter and the local police chief Tim Gannon have resigned from their posts, per the Times.

Police brutality can make people feel powerless because it happens so frequently, but that doesn’t mean you should give up hope. Everyone can do something. Even if you can’t protest or donate, you can still lend your voice by starting conversations with friends and family members about how to become more anti-racist. Here are some ways to show your solidarity and support those affected by police violence:

1. Donate funds to Daunte Wright's family.

Wright's aunt, Kelly Bryant, created a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs and assist Wright's son and his son's mother.

The Minneapolis-based business Holistic Heaux has been in touch with the mother of Daunte's 2-year-old son, Chyna. (The account also said they're the only person who has been in touch with her and Wright's family, and anyone else claiming to collect donations is a scam.) Chyna's direct Cash App handle is "$hubby98."

"We are collecting community support for the mother of Daunte's son. She has personally requested this help and we are here to amplify her needs," Holistic Heaux owners Zora and Zede wrote. "Please share and spread the word for those who want to help. May Daunte Rest In Love. Let's come together to help who he's left behind. 🧡"

2. Donate supplies to the Brooklyn Center community.

Community organizer Paige Ingram set up a GoFundMe for the Brooklyn Center Mutual Aid Fund, to provide protesters with personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies for medics, safety supplies for protestors, and food for the families in the apartment complexes surrounding the police station since they're blocked into their homes by the protests.

Local teachers in the area have also set up a food distribution project to make sure that students and their families still have access to free food.

In the immediate Brooklyn Center area in Minnesota, there is a collection drive at Brooklyn Center High School for supplies for Wright's family, per Minnesota Monthly. Items requested include:

  • Milk, baby formula, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, Gatorade, ramen, eggs, clementines, granola bars, juice boxes, boxed dinners, canned foods, hot chocolate, cereal, apple sauce, beans, tortillas

  • Water

  • Medical supplies: Gauze and gauze tape; ointments; first aid kits

  • Masks

  • Feminine hygiene products

  • Diapers

  • Umbrellas

  • Portable chargers

There is also a drive collecting supplies for protestors, like eye goggles, hand sanitizer, and pop-up tents, according to organizer Cindy Yang's Facebook post.

3. Support national anti-racism and police accountability funds.

If you prefer to donate to a national bail fund, which gets protestors out of jail, the Bail Project National Revolving Bail Fund is a very good one. The NAACP, Equal Justice Initiative, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, Unicorn Riot, LGBTQ Fund, Emergency Release Fund, and Trans Justice Funding Project all support the fight for equality at a national level.

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