Tuesday May 1, 2018 • 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Come march with SURJ Bay Area in this year's May Day rally and march!

​NO BAN. NO RAIDS. NO WALL.
Save the date and get ready! We’ll be marching again on May 1st, 2018.
This year and every year we fight for migrant and worker justice!

WHY ARE WE MARCHING?
​International Workers’ Day has been a time to uplift the struggles, honor the sacrifices, and celebrate the triumphs of working people across the world.  As we stand on Ohlone Indigenous land this May 1st, we march in celebration and in resistance with our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers in our communities, and in solidarity with working people across all borders, to continue the historic struggle against economic and social inequity. With a Trump administration in power, a rising fascist tendency, and growing economic and political oppression of people everywhere, this May Day we march in the spirit of ORGANIZING AND DEFENDING OUR COMMUNITIES from state violence and capitalist exploitation, and toward liberation and self-determination.

Monday April 30, 2018 • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Join SURJ in supporting the annual statewide lobby day in Sacramento sponsored by Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None (LSPC/AUON) for formerly-incarcerated people and family members with incarcerated loved ones.

Quest for Democracy Day supports pending legislation that affects people impacted by incarceration and this year, SURJ is being asked to lobby alongside LSPC/AUON members coming from all over California.

Wednesday April 25, 2018 • 6:45 PM - 9:00 PM

Want to get involved with SURJ Bay Area? Come learn about our current work and activities. SURJ moves white people to act for justice, with passion and accountability, as part of a multi-racial majority.

Featured Speaker: Sandra Johnson a Community Organizer for All of Us or None, a grassroots civil rights organization fighting for the rights of formerly- and currently-incarcerated people and their families, and a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children.

Tuesday April 10, 2018 • 7:00 PM - 9:00PM

Taina Vargas-Edmond​ and Dorsey Nunn in a Live Taping of the Podcast, Speak Out with Tim Wise

Taina Vargas-Edmond, Executive Director of Initiate Justice, and Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None, will be in conversation with Tim Wise at this live taping of his national podcast. These two leaders in the forefront of policy and advocacy work on behalf of incarcerated Californians, the formerly-incarcerated, and their families will look at recent victories and efforts currently underway.

Thursday April 05, 2018 • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

This free SURJ workshop, co-sponsored by Berkeley City Council member Cheryl Davila, will dive into the history of voter suppression and mass incarceration from slavery, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, into the present day of New Jim Crow, and discuss details around - and signature-gathering for The Voting Restoration and Democracy Act of 2018, a ballot initiative that will restore the right to vote to more than 162,000 incarcerated folks and those on parole in California, a disenfranchised group that is disproportionately Black, Brown, and poor. This ballot initiative is led by Initiate Justice. Free but please RSVP.

​This event has been cancelled. Please join us at the event on Thursday (April 5).

Saturday, March 31st, 2018 • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Come celebrate poetry for racial justice story time!  This month's story time will be led by Oakland poet and educator, Nancy Johnson James, along with SURJ Bay Area's Youth and Families Committee.  We will engage the whole family with poems, stories, activities and art.

Meets 6 Wednesdays: 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2

SURJ Bay Area Study & Action is a community of learners committed to examining the histories of white supremacy and resistance movements, and building our abilities to effectively take action in support of Black and people of color-led organizations fighting for racial justice.

Wednesday ​March 21, 2018 • 6:30 PM - 8:30PM

This free SURJ workshop will dive into the history of voter suppression and mass incarceration from slavery, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, into the present day of New Jim Crow, and discuss details around - and signature-gathering for The Voting Restoration and Democracy Act of 2018, a ballot initiative that will restore the right to vote to more than 162,000 incarcerated folks and those on parole in California, a disenfranchised group that is disproportionately Black, Brown, and poor. This ballot initiative is led by Initiate Justice. Free but please RSVP.

Saturday March 10, 2018 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Dive into the history of Voter Suppression and Mass Incarceration from slavery, through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, and into the present day of the "New Jim Crow".

Presented by SURJ Bay Area in collaboration with Indivisible SF, we will discuss "The Voting Restoration and Democracy Act of 2018", a ballot initiative that will restore the right to vote to more than 162,000 folks who are incarcerated and on parole in California, a disenfranchised group that is disproportionately Black, Brown, and poor. At the end, participants can be trained on signature gathering for this critical ballot initiative, led by ​ Initiate Justice. 

Wednesday March 07, 2018 • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

This workshop will provide the context for the Voting Restoration & Democracy Act of 2018, including essential understanding of voter suppression history in the United States and California.  Learn concrete actions you can take over the next several months to help restore voting rights to 162,000 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in California.  This effort is led by Initiate Justice.
ASL Interpretation provided by Terps for Bay Area Resistance (TBAR).

Sunday March 04, 2018 • 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

A fundraising party to celebrate, learn about, and support the work of Initiate Justice and their campaign to restore voting rights to people who are incarcerated or on parole in California. The party will include homemade appetizers, beverages, and a silent auction of artwork by incarcerated artists and others.

​Saturday February 24, 2018 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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This Critical Resistance workshop explores the role and history of policing in the U.S., the way it has impacted different communities, and how people have resisted and challenged its inherent violence. This workshop also goes over how we can reduce our reliance on policing by highlighting the various ways that building up community strength and practices lead to true safety that does not depend on law enforcement.

Wednesday February 21, 2018 from 6:45 PM to 8:45 PM

Want to get involved with SURJ Bay Area?  ​We'll answer your questions and share how you can get involved in the movement for racial justice. You'll also hear about SURJ's new pathways for entering the work, including Study and Action groups as well as committee work, upcoming workshops, and events.

Special Speaker: Janetta Johnson, Executive Director of TGIJP (Transgender Gender-variant and Intersex Justice Project). 

Thursday February 15, 2018 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

This workshop will provide the context for the Voting Restoration & Democracy Act of 2018, including essential understanding of voter suppression history in the United States and California.  Learn concrete actions you can take over the next several months to help restore voting rights to 162,000 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in California.  This effort is led by Initiate Justice.

Sunday February 11, 2018 • 10:15 AM - 1:00 AM

We've all been there. Someone in a public place says or does something to another person that makes us feel uncomfortable or even scared for that other person. Learn how to intervene in those situations, including tactics from de-escalation strategies to some basic self-defense. ​ edit.

Sunday February 11, 2018 • 1:15 PM - 4:00 PM

We've all been there. Someone in a public place says or does something to another person that makes us feel uncomfortable or even scared for that other person. Learn how to intervene in those situations, including tactics from de-escalation strategies to some basic self-defense. ​

Saturdays February 10, 2018 to March 10, 2017 • 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Join us as we examine white supremacy and resistance movements to build skills to challenge racism and take action in our communities. Through weekly reading and facilitated groups we study the histories and systems of that which we resist, we deepen our understanding of injustice, and learn to take strategic, effective action to dismantle white supremacy.

Saturday February 10, 2018 • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

SURJ Bay Area's Youth and Families Committee and Rice and Beans Cooperative will be leading this Racial Justice Story Time which will engage the whole family with books and activities to help start conversations about race and social justice issues. The event is best suited for kids ages 2-8, but all are welcome.

Thursday February 1, 2018 • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

This workshop will provide the context for the Voting Restoration & Democracy Act of 2018, including essential understanding of voter suppression history in the United States and California.  Learn concrete actions you can take over the next several months to help restore voting rights to 162,000 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in California.

Sunday January 28, 2018 from 10:00AM to 1:00PM

How do we approach the challenging conversations in our lives, whether it’s about confederate flags, Donald Trump, cultural appropriation, Palestine/Israel, or even just racism and racial justice in general?

Tuesday December 12, 2017 • 6:45 PM - 9:00PM

Gentrification comes up constantly in the Bay Area, but few of us feel equipped to take action against it. Is it inevitable? What can we do now to prevent displacement?