The Right To Breathe Association exists to ensure safety and respect for Black People through the development, implementation, and awareness of policies and actions consistent with RTB Core Principles:

• Abolishing systemic Anti-Blackness to ensure equal justice.  

• Oversight and accountability through equitable, shared decision-making – nothing about us without us.

• De-escalation of encounters with people enforcing laws and rules against Black people.

RTB Advisories apply RTB Core Principles to activities and events that have disproportionate effects on Black people. Following the guidance in this Advisory will help municipalities, school districts, employers, and others who plan and implement Black History Month events avoid perpetuating historical racial harm and increase safety and respect for Black people. 

Participants and attendees are encouraged to inquire whether the planning and implementation of events are consistent with guidance in this Advisory. The RTB Association advises everyone to be wary of attending or participating in events and activities that do not include the following guidance prioritizing Black people’s safety and respect. 

Event Guidance

• The event/activity planning committee is made up predominantly by Black people who have experience and/or expertise in Black History AND/OR the event/activity planning committee has partnered with a Black-led, Black-people-serving organization with experience and/or expertise in Black History.

• Black people participating in the planning and implementation of the event/activity are receiving meaningful payment to avoid perpetuating over-extraction of Black bodies. This includes additional pay for any employees who have “volunteered” to participate, if the planning and implementation of this event/activity is not explicitly indicated in their job description.

• The event/activity is connected to other meaningful efforts to identify the entity’s history of anti-Black systemic racism and meaningful steps are being taken to rectify practices that perpetuate historical racial harm. 

• The event/activity is connected to other meaningful efforts to build advisory and oversight functions that include Black people with experience and/or expertise in rectifying practices that perpetuate historical racial harm. 

• The event/activity has a written and implemented plan for de-escalating encounters with people enforcing laws and rules against Black people participating in the event/activity.

To indicate that your activity/event is committed to following these principles, send an email to RightToBreatheCommittee@gmail.com with event name, location, and sign-up/RSVP process so that RTB can appropriately communicate to interested people in our community.