Welcome to Day 3 in our week of action, a campaign created in solidarity with communities around the globe seeking justice for black lives cut short by atrocious acts of hate.

Today’s prompt focuses on the power of snail mail! Yup, that’s right. Old fashioned letters in an envelope sent out to your local lawmakers and representatives. For the cost of just fifty five cents, you can put your feelings on paper and send them off into the world to help enact change. Ain’t that just the coolest thing?

This activity is the perfect opportunity to re-learn or teach your kiddos about the branches of government and how laws are made. Need a hand? Check out Three Branches of Government and I’m Just a Bill by our favorite, classic educational TV show Schoolhouse Rock.

Now that you’ve got some civics 101 under your belt, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Step 1: Find out who your local, county and state representatives are here!

Step 2: Write a letter or draw a picture of how you feel. Need some help? Below is a template that was inspired by https://how-can-i-help.github.io./ Feel free to edit and add your own beliefs.

Template:

Dear _______,

I am a resident of_________ and I am ____ years old. I’m getting in touch because it makes me sad and angry to learn about the treatment of black Americans by police departments in this country. I would like to know what steps our ______ [town, city, county, state] has taken to prevent racist acts by police.

If there are not safeguards in place, there certainly should be, and I do not support my (or my parents’) local taxes paying to fund a police department that treats people of color with prejudice. Services I would rather see funded include: _____________.

Thank you for paying attention to my concerns. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Signed,

_________

Step 3: Address your letter! Never done it before? It’s easy! Write your address in the upper left hand corner of the envelope and the address of the person you're sending it to in the middle of the envelope. Then place a stamp in the upper right corner. (Tip: you may need more than one stamp depending on the size of the envelope you’re sending and where you’re sending it to - if you’re a kid, ask a grownup for help!)

Step 6: Want to share your letter or drawing? Take a photo and share on Instagram with the hashtag #illustoriaweekofaction, then pop it in the mailbox. Give yourself a pat on the back for being an engaged citizen. That’s democracy in action!

This project is part of our campaign #illustoriaweekofaction. This campaign was created in solidarity with communities around the globe seeking justice for black lives cut short by atrocious acts of hate. Illustoria is committed to fighting racism and listening to the unheard. We hope you will join us in remembering the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Tony McDade and all of the black lives we’ve lost. Thank you.