BLM Uses Facebook's 'Safety Check' To Declare That We're In A State Of Crisis

Black Lives Matter launched a website that allows social media users to mark themselves unsafe for being black in America. Referred to as the “Unsafety Check,” Tuesday’s initiative is part of #Reclaim&Resist, the movement’s week of action which spans from Martin Luther King Jr. Day to Inauguration Day.

Facebook safety checks are typically used to ensure friends that you’re alive and well after a potentially dangerous nearby incident has occurred. But BLM created its own take on the check to symbolize the general sense of fear plaguing black Americans in the present political atmosphere.

In a statement about the website, BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors said, “From slavery to Jim Crow to prejudicial and deadly policing, America has never been a safe place for black people. We need to take action to continue to raise awareness about how racism impacts our families and communities.”

Facebook and Twitter users can log-in to their accounts through MarkYourselfUnsafe.com where they’re given the option to select “I’m unsafe” or “I’m not black, but I support black lives” to post to their accounts.

“Being Black in America is a national emergency,” the website’s homepage states. “Black people are being attacked and murdered while doing day-to-day activities. This week, it’s important to let the world know how you feel, to come together, and resist. Log in to mark yourself unsafe or to show your support.”

So far, at least 1,365 people have marked themselves unsafe through the website.