Protect Black Bodies - Equip Our Women - Help Dez

Protect Black Bodies had an amazing launch and I am grateful for our communities support. But the launch is only the beginning of the work we need to do.

 

I started Protect Black Bodies in 2018 to align with my album Cadena 77 which mainly dealt with my thoughts of suicide. The original goal was to create a mental health resource database for my Black Friends in order to help them seek therapy and resources that would assist with their healing and wellbeing while existing in a system of oppression. Unfortunately, the trajectory at which current events are escalating has caused me to change directions and reach out to make things happen a bit faster.

 

As the state of our country has rapidly moved in a direction of overt racism and violence, I’ve realized that disproportionately a lot of women, especially Black Women, in my life never learned how to properly use a firearm. For some of us, guns are taboo. Many of my Black Friends and I have lost people to gun violence and thought to shun guns completely. At this point that is not wise.

 
As it stands right now Black Women are the most vulnerable in our society. Some of my Black Women friends are targeted daily by their own neighbors, persecuted with racially fueled threats and light stalking. If these behaviors were to escalate it would pain me if these women (among others) could not keep themselves safe inside their own homes. With that being said, I want to train, educate 20 Black Women in my immediate community. So, I’m asking for a few things:

 

Currently a full “course” cost $480. A license in California along with a test is $25. A full safety course is $160 and additional one-on-one trainings are $75. It would cost roughly $710 to properly train and educate Each Black Woman.  I would like to do this for 20 Black Women. $710 x 20 = $14,200. Including rough taxes adds another $1400. That’s $15,600 total.


 EDIT: I WAS GIFTED A WHOLE A** 2020 MACBOOK. NEEDED A FEW THINGS TO GET IT RUNNING RIGHT. EVERYTHING TO OUR BLACK WOMEN. 

Thus far any protection I’ve helped people procure has been completely financially fueled by my merch and music, a majority of which has been designed and created by me on my laptop. Unfortunately, that laptop has started to fail. The issue specifically being the ram ports failing, which I’ve learned is common issue on all 2012 to 2017 MacBooks. In order to secure a new laptop and avoid this issue I’d have to purchase a 2018 model or later. Furthermore, a few years ago Apple made sure that people couldn’t upgrade their products without ordering official Apple products by hardwiring essential often modular parts into their laptops, and then...they upped the price on those parts. As a result, in order for me to match the SAME specs I have on my current MacBook I’d have to spend $3200 all at once, as opposed to slowly upgrading when I could afford it like I’d done previously.

 

So, in complete transparency, I am adding this cost to this GoFundMe campaign. If you do not feel comfortable with any of your funds going toward my technology costs, simply leave a note clarifying your funds are for Protect Black Bodies, and I will apply your funds to PBB only.
 

I thank everyone who has stepped up in my community thus far and I am highly appreciative. I haven’t quite found the way to express my gratitude, but I am trying, and this is my way to give back. Especially to the Black Women who have held me down fearlessly for my entire life. Thank you for reading and thank you for your donation. Protect Black Bodies, protect each other.




Edit: I am aware that there are people do not believe in the use of guns. My goal is to create a familiarity between Black Women and firearms so that they at least can experience training and education before deciding if they would like to follow through with becoming an owner.