Rapid Response: Practice Self-Care and Take Action Amid Mass Shootings and Police Violence

Date Published: April 16, 2021

Under the weight of COVID-19, our lives this past year have already been filled with grief and loss. It makes it especially devastating that now, just as vaccinations are growing our hope for an end to the pandemic, we continue to see tragedy in the news, on our timelines, and in our communities at the hands of human beings.

This spring, we continue to mourn. Eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, were lost during the Atlanta spa shootings in late March, before 10 were lost the following week during the Colorado grocery store shooting. Then this Sunday, 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by police, just miles from where Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for the murder of George Floyd.

Now, we’ve woken up to the death of at least 8 more individuals in yet another high-profile mass shooting in Indianapolis. At the same time, newly released body cam footage is sparking widespread outrage for the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago in late March.

The national trauma we’re experiencing as a nation -- especially for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and the Black community -- is compounded by repeated instances of police violence and the hypervisibility of gun violence this past month. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 147 mass shootings in the US in 2021, as of April 17.

Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all those affected by police brutality and gun violence.

This last month especially has been devastating and relentless. Here at DoSomething, we’re feeling a lot of things: overwhelmed, heartbroken, frustrated and, frankly, exhausted. (We imagine you are too.)

In moments like these, it’s important to do the things that foster your own mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Let’s acknowledge the burden that we’ve all been under for so long, and understand that it’s okay to take a step back and care for yourself first. Then, when you’re ready, remember that you’ve also got the power to do something about it. Here are some tools to help you get started.

Mental Health

• Crisis Text Line (CTL). Text DS to 741-741 to connect with a CTL trained crisis counselor via text, 24/7.
• Practice self-care. Learn what to do when the news feels overwhelming, access mental health resources for BIPOC, and make a self-care plan.
• Gun violence resources. Learn more about trauma and gun violence, and how to cope after a mass shooting.

Take Action

Gun Violence

Because real change and saving lives takes #morethanthoughtsandprayers.

• Demand lawmakers to support background checks. Tell your representatives to support gun safety and enact legislation requiring background checks for gun owners. (You can also text CHECKS to 644-33.)
• Demand a ban on assault weapons. Demand your senators co-sponsor and support legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
• Disarm domestic abusers. Tell your US representative to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and close the loopholes that allow stalkers and domestic abusers to buy firearms.

Police Accountability

• Call for police accountability. Ask Congress to end qualified immunity and make it easier to hold police accountable when they violate a person’s civil rights.
• Demand justice for Daunte Wright. Sign this petition to demand police accountability.
• Demand justice for Adam Toledo. Add your name to demand that the police who killed Adam Toledo get fired and charged, immediately.
• Know your rights. If you’re protesting, use this guide from the ACLU.

Anti-AAPI Racism

• Listen to and support Asian-led groups and initiatives. You can follow organizations like AAPI Women Lead, Stop AAPI Hate, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and #HATEISAVIRUS on social media to keep up with the latest news and actions to help AAPI communities.
• Report anti-Asian hate and harassment when you see it. Stop AAPI Hate and Stand Against Hatred have reporting tools in several different languages.
• Fight misinformation about Asian-Americans. Sign this petition telling platforms to stop the spread of hate and disinformation that fuel anti-Asian violence. Educate yourself on the contributions and challenges of Asian-Americans (and why they matter today) through this PBS film series.