Weekly Newsletter - August 3, 2020

Monday, August 3 & Friday, August 7 • 12:00 – 1:00 pm
SURJ Action Hour
Feeling rage and deep sadness about racism and white supremacy, but not sure what to do? Join SURJ for an hour of action! We'll meet over Zoom on Mondays and Fridays at noon to provide concrete steps you can take—calling elected officials, signing petitions, etc.—to combat racism against Black and Indigenous people and communities of color. Register to reserve your spot! Register here for August 3. Register here for August 7.

Thursday, August 6 • 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and Social Transformation
In our era of mass incarceration, gun violence, and Black Lives Matter, Dr. Fania Davis offers a way forward to transform U.S. society. In this SpeakOut virtual event, Davis examines racial inequity and highlights the healing offered by restorative justice practices. Addressing the intersectionality of race and the U.S. criminal justice system, she explores how restorative justice has he capacity to disrupt patterns of mass incarceration. She looks at Truth and Reconciliation Commissions from South Africa to North Carolina as models for how we might begin to address police violence against Black people as we learn to work together to repair damage and reimagine U.S. society. Tickets sliding scale $5 - $25 to watch live or later. More info and tickets here.

Saturday, August 8 • 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Statewide Day of Action for Immigrant Justice
Join people from all over California on this day of action, to shut down California concentration camps and abolish ICE. In the Bay Area, the march will go from Justin Herman Plaza to the ICE building, demanding Gov. Newsom end the state’s cooperation with ICE, support the demands of detained immigrants, and hold detention centers accountable for putting lives at risk during the pandemic, among others. See list of demands here.
Location: Justin Herman Plaza, 1 Market St. to ICE Bldg. 630 Sansome, San Francisco
Wednesday, August 12 • 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Virtual Film Screening: MAJOR!
Join SURJ’s Queer and Trans (QT) Committee for a virtual screening of MAJOR!, a documentary about the life and activism of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a formerly incarcerated Black transgender elder and activist. She is a veteran of the Stonewall Rebellion and a survivor of Attica State Prison, a former sex worker, an elder, and a community leader and human rights activist. This is the story of one woman’s journey, a community’s history, and how caring for each other can be a revolutionary act. This event is free and we will also be fundraising for the Transgender, Gender-Varient and Intersex Justice Project. Learn more and register here.

Thursday, August 13 • 1:45 – 8:45 pm
Sacramento Caravan: #SayTheirNames & Bring Our Loved Ones Home
Join the Ella Baker Center, Initiate Justice, Essie Justice, CURB, and others for an action at the State Capitol Building followed by a car caravan to the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and a candlelight vigil at night to honor lives lost to COVID-19 behind bars. We demand that Governor Newsom, CDCR, and the CA State Legislature take emergency action to decarcerate and save lives NOW! This event is FREE. More info - register here.
Location: CA State Capitol, 1315 10th St. Sacramento

Saturday, August 22 • 2:45 – 5:00 pm
Intro to SURJ Virtual Meeting
Here's another opportunity to learn about SURJ Bay Area at a virtual introductory meeting and find out how SURJ moves white people to act for justice, with passion and accountability, as part of a multi-racial majority. Hear about our current work and activities including SURJ's pathways for engaging in the work such as Study & Action, committee work, upcoming workshops, and events. We'll answer your questions and share how you can get involved in the movement for racial justice. Register today!

Actions You Can Take This Week!

Read the Latest SURJ Blog Post: Stop Evictions in CA, Help Pass AB 1436
The moratoriums on evictions in California will end soon, and renters across California who were unable to pay rent during the COVID-19 emergency will suddenly face months of back rent and the possibility of homelessness. SURJ Bay Area's Policy Committee is urging people to pitch in and promote AB 1436, an important piece of State housing legislation aimed at protecting renters against eviction. Read more!

SIGN A PETITION:

Support the BREATHE Act on Social Media – In early July, the Electoral Project of the Movement for Black Lives introduced a visionary bill, the BREATHE Act, which will divest our taxpayer dollars from brutal, discriminatory policing and invest in a new vision of safety and justice: a vision that allows all people to thrive and be represented and free. Publicly support the BREATHE Act today by posting on your social media platforms. You can find examples and graphics in this toolkit.

Justice for Breonna – Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman and award-winning EMT was in her home in Louisville, KY, on March 13th when Louisville Metro Police officers barged in without a warning, fired off more than 20 bullets, and ultimately took Breonna’s life. To date, only 1 of the 3 officers who killed Breonna has been fired. Sign this petition to demand that ALL the officers responsible are not only fired, but arrested and charged for her murder.

Amazon: Cut Ties with Police & ICE – Amazon's anti-Black practices span its entire corporate empire, with inequity and oppression at the core of their business model. Demand that they cut ties with ICE and police today, and review this toolkit for more information.

JOIN OUR LEGISLATIVE ACTION LIST:

Join SURJ Bay Area's Legislative Action List to receive alerts to call your policymakers! You'll receive your policymaker's contact info and a script when we need to advocate for racial justice bills for things like police brutality, mass incarceration, and housing justice. All you will have to do is make a phone call—it'll just take 5 minutes!

DONATE:

Support SURJ - Do you work in a major corporation or know someone who does? Many big companies participate in the Benevity giving program. Employees can donate to SURJ Bay Area and the company will match the donation. Call in your friends and colleagues to show up for racial justice by donating to SU J Bay Area through Benevity and DOUBLING the amount of the donation!

Support the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper – The SF Bay View is a historic Black-led and prisoner-led newspaper that covers worldwide racial inequality and political repression. This valuable resource, published daily online and monthly in print, is the only newspaper read widely both inside and outside prison. All donations will be used to keep the paper in print.

PUT UP A BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN:

SURJ has Black Lives Matter lawn and window signs and postcards available for pickup. These are free but if you want to help cover costs, donate here. Grab some for friends and family, too! Pick them up at one of these locations:
• Marcus Books, 3900 Martin Luther King Way, Oakland, Monday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Sundays 12:00 – 4:00 pm (window signs and postcards only)
• World Grounds, 3726 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, 7:00 am - 2:00 pm, 7 days a week
• Spectator Books, 4163 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, Monday - Friday 12:00 - 5:00 pm (window signs only)
• If you are in Berkeley area and want signs, please email fundraising@surjbayarea.org to make arrangements to pick-up.
• Zocalo Coffeehouse, 645 Bancroft Ave, San Leandro, 8:00 am -1:00 pm, 7 days a week (window signs and postcards only)
• ¡NEW! Cafe Zoe, 1929 Menalto Ave, Menlo Park (intersection of Menalto and Gilbert), Monday - Saturday 8:00 am - 1:30 pm (window signs only)

SURJ Bay Area Chapter - Join us! Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability. Learn more at www.surjbayarea.org. SURJ Bay Area is one of 150 chapters and affiliates nationwide. Learn about SURJ National and our mission, vision, and values HERE.

Want to support our work? You can make a donation for SURJ's organizing and educational efforts with over half of what we raise going to Black and people of color-led partner organizations. Make a one-time donation or become a monthly sustainer HERE. Contributions are tax-deductible.

Follow SURJ Bay Area on Social Media: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Bay Area c/o PO Box 22748, Oakland CA 94609