Right now and always, we should all be amplifying and fighting for the voices of the Black community.

With that on her mind, Trinity Tran, 15 and a rising high school sophomore, began to brainstorm what she could do to help.

It all started with a Google Doc.

“I wanted to make a resource that would have links and other information that would remain active longer than a 24 hour Instagram story,” Trinity said. “I also saw all the spreadsheets being made for donating to organizations, so I thought: what if I made a big spreadsheet for all kinds of resources, and not just donations? That thought eventually led to me making my website (Not A Trend), but I wasn’t sure when that would be published, so I decided to make a Google Doc for the time being and it proved to be very resourceful and comprehensive.”

After creating the document, Trinity began putting her coding skills to use to create a convenient, organized, and easy to navigate website completely from scratch that contains every resource from the document.

“I wanted to make a difference and play a role in this movement to hopefully also inspire others to do the same,” Trinity said. “I wanted to make this website because I had been sharing resources on my Instagram story, and I knew they were temporary: They would delete after 24 hours, making it hard for people to refer to those resources again. Also, since every resource would be from a different post, I thought it would be convenient for people if they had all the links in one place.”

Trinity also realizes the importance of this project and the impact that can be made with it.

“Being actively engaged with the news while working on this project during this time makes me feel disappointed that I even have to be making a website like this, but I also know that it is important to recognize and use my platform & privilege to educate myself and others,” Trinity said. “Many of my peers are not sure how to speak up against racism or how to support, so I wanted to create a resource to help.”

She continued, “The name of my website, Not A Trend, represents how this movement is beyond an Instagram story and a Twitter retweet. It represents how institutionalized racism has been an ongoing problem and needs to be addressed immediately so that it can be solved. Many of my peers were not sure how to speak up against racism or how to support, so I wanted to create a resource to help. I know that I have to keep the momentum going so change can be created. Working on this project has given me the energy and motivation to educate my peers and me on how we can be better people and support the Black community during this overwhelming time.”

Additionally, she hopes that people who visit the website will recognize the immense ways they can help.

“I hope people understand that there are a lot of ways to help out during this movement,” Trinity said. “Whether it’s donating, protesting, or even supporting a local Black business! I also hope that people in America try to educate themselves more on the subject of racism, as it is a complex and multifaceted issue that has deep roots in American history that people need to be exposed to.”

She also encourages anyone who is interested in helping to do so.

“For someone who wants to help out during this time, I definitely encourage them to get involved in any way they can which can include donating, protesting, signing petitions, or even just taking the time to educate themselves, their families, and the people around them on the subject of systemic racism. I really think it is important for people to be active during this time because this isn’t a new issue; it traces back to over 400 years. Now that we have more resources and technology to spread awareness, now is the time to really step up and take a stand.”

To view all the ways you can help right now, visit notatrend.site.