How is it already the end of March? When this month began, I had every intention of reading a book by a nikkei author and writing my usual Book Spotlight post, but unfortunately that is not going to happen. Next month will be back to normal, fingers crossed.

I work in “essential services” (services considered too critical by local/state/federal governments to shut down during COVID-19, for anyone reading this many months later) and the last two weeks have been overwhelming. Every time we seem to be getting a grip on the situation, another change appears out of the blue and we have to adapt all over again. It certainly makes the time fly, but it also means there are no breaks. All this to say, unfortunately I’ve been too exhausted outside of work hours to finish reading a book this month, much less write about it.

I hope all my online friends and acquaintances are making it through this time. Below are a few ways to support marginalized/POC creators and communities. The list is not comprehensive by any means.

Ways to help for free (or by contributing other people’s dollars):

• Refer your family, friends, and acquaintances to the work of creators of color (book titles, online shops, social media pages, etc.) –> this is a great time for the people in your life to discover a new favorite POC author or artist, especially if they are spending hours at home every day
• Encourage your family, friends, and acquaintances to order takeout from your favorite POC-owned local restaurant
• Check in remotely with isolated POC residents (especially seniors) in your local community and if you are able to access the internet, research some resources for them (unemployment benefits, access to medical care, meal delivery, grocery pickup, social services, friendship lines, etc.) –> remember, systemic racism means outreach and support for people of color during this crisis may be less robust than support for white people, depending on the organization providing the help
• Donate blood (if your health allows and you can access a blood donation center)
• Volunteer your time at a local relief organization focused on assisting people of color (prep bags of groceries for pickup, deliver meals to homebound seniors, organize donation drives in your community or through a school network, etc.)

Ways to help if you have extra dollars:

• Buy from your favorite creators of color –> check their websites and social media pages to see who is offering free shipping or special deals
• Order takeout at least once a week from your favorite POC-owned local restaurant –> small businesses need sustained support in order to avoid closing their doors
• Order online from your local bookstore –> if they see high demand for books by POC authors, this may encourage them to stock more POC authors on their shelves when they eventually reopen
• Sew masks and donate them to organizations in need
• Buy needed items for isolated POC residents (especially seniors) in your local community –> consider how difficult it is for some individuals to get to the grocery store due to issues with health and/or transportation
• Buy high-need items for POC-focused relief organizations (hand sanitizer, isopropyl alcohol, aloe gel, masks, gloves, nonperishable foods, toilet paper, adult diapers, etc.)
• Donate money to POC-focused relief organizations (social services, senior services, immigration services, nonprofits, food assistance groups, etc.)