Weekly Newsletter - January 28, 2019

Monday, January 28th • 11:00 M - 12:00 pm
Free the Vote Press Conference
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! The statewide Free The Vote Coalition is announcing a bill, ACA 6, to restore voting rights to all people on parole in California. Initiate Justice Executive Director Taina Vargas-Edmond will speak along with several state legislators and representatives from other coalition members. You can watch it on live stream here.
Location: California State Capitol, West Side Steps, 10th & L, Sacramento

Monday, January 28 • 5:00 - 7:00 pm
National SURJ Webinar: History of Policing with Andrea Ritchie
Join SURJ for the first webinar in our 2019 online series, "Connecting the Dots: Border Militarism, US Domestic and Foreign Policy, and the Myriad of Connections to Racial Capitalism." Activist and author Andrea Ritchie will provide an overview of the history of policing in the US and how that history continues to impact policing today. Ritchie is a Black lesbian immigrant, police misconduct attorney, organizer, and the author of Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color. The webinar is free but please register here.
Location: Online

Saturday, February 2 • 2:00 - 4:15 pm
SURJ QT Committee Presents the Acclaimed Film, "Pride"
SURJ Bay Area's Queer and Trans (QT) Committee is hosting a screening of Pride, which highlights a true story of solidarity across identities for social and economic justice. The event is open to the public and will serve as a fundraiser for SURJ Bay Area. As a chapter, at least 50% of funds raised are sent directly to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led partner organizations, and other funds go toward making events like this more accessible. Please choose a ticket price from the sliding scale that is meaningful to you. Everyone is welcome to join us for an afternoon of film and snacks! More info/details.
Location: Sierra Club, 2101 Webster St. #1300, Oakland

Sunday, February 3 • 1:00 - 3:00 pm
SURJ Bay Area Lobby Visit Workshop
Join the Policy Working Group for part two of our legislative workshop series. In this workshop, we will learn about lobby visits and how they fit into SURJ's larger framework, practice speaking about policy to a legislative staffer, hear about new opportunities to engage in the legislative process with SURJ, and hear from Essie Justice Group on their 2019 policy priorities. Sliding scale tickets $0 - $10 to benifit Essie Justice Group. More info/tickets.
Location: Seneca Family of Agencies, 6925 Chabot Rd. Oakland

Tuesday, February 5 • 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Towards an Abolitionist Practice of Public Health
What does the fact that the American Public Health Association, a network of over 25,000 public health professionals, overwhelmingly adopted a policy statement that identifies the violence of policing as a public health issue? How can we use this statement and its recommendations for decriminalization, divestment from law enforcement, and alternatives to policing to strengthen our campaigns? Join Critical Resistance and Public Health Justice Collective at this learning and strategy session for ending the violence of policing in our communities.
Location: Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), 426 17th St. #500, Oakland

Thursday, February 6 • 6:45 - 9:00 pm
Intro to SURJ Meeting
SURJ moves white people to act for justice, with passion and accountability, as part of a multi-racial majority. Want to get involved? Come learn about our current work and activities. You'll hear about SURJ's pathways for entering the work, including committee work, upcoming workshops, and events. We'll answer your questions and share how you can get involved in the movement for racial justice. There will also be speakers from the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) which envisions powerful and liberated Arab communities living with dignity from here to Arab homelands and sees the liberation of Arab people inextricably tied to the liberation of all people of color. Please RSVP - space is limited.
Location: Sierra Club, 2101 Webster St. Suite 1300, Oakland

Tuesday, February 12 • 5:30 pm
Demand the Dixie School District Change the Name
The Dixie School District in San Rafael was named after the confederacy during the Civil War. It’s time to change the name! Come to this critical Dixie School Board meeting where they will be hearing public comments and voting on thirteen name change petitions. It's important to show up but if you can't, you can also submit a written comment by 3:00 pm on February 4 here. More info on actions you can take here.
Location: Miller Creek Middle School gymnasium, 2256 Las Gallinas Ave. San Rafael

Are you a Photograph Who Wants to Show Up for Racial Justice?
Are you an amateur or professional photographer in the Bay Area looking for a way to get involved with SURJ? Can't always attend meetings but want to help out? Do you enjoy taking photos of people in action, on the move for racial justice? We'd love to talk to you about our photography needs. Email info@surjbayarea.org for more information.
Show Up for Native Sovereignty and Against Settler Colonialism

The harassment that Omaha elder Nathan Phillips faced at the Indigenous People’s March in Washington DC on January 18 highlights the need for white people to do the work of addressing settler colonialism and working for native sovereignty. SURJ’s Indigenous Solidarity Working Group has been compiling resources to support this work. Here are some highlights on the most recent incident with the mostly young white men from Covington Catholic High School: more background and videos of the event, pieces that highlight Phillips’ voice are here and here. Donate to the Native Youth Alliance via PayPal at NativeYouthAlliance@gmail.com.

Support Immigrant Families Affected by Recent Fires
People who have suffered due to the most recent California fires still need our support, especially our most vulnerable neighbors - particularly immigrant community members, day laborers, and domestic workers. While others may be able to receive FEMA aid, undocumented status prevents many immigrants from getting the help they need when they're forced from their homes. Support immigrant families by making a donation to 805 UndocuFund Fire Relief.

Help Pass Key Legislation - Sign Up for Our Legislative Action List
One of the key ways that we support our People of Color-led partner organizations and the pieces of legislation they are working on is by getting SURJ members to flood their representatives with calls at key moments in the legislative cycle. Please sign up at this link to join our list to make phone calls during the most important weeks of the legislative year. By signing on to this list, you will get periodic action alerts asking you to make calls to your local legislators. We'll provide all the information--we just need your commitment and energy.

Solidarity with the Unist'ot'en Camp in British Columbia
International solidarity continues to grow for the Unist'ot'en Camp, north of Vancouver, British Columbia, where Coastal Gas Link/TransCanada hopes to construct a 670-kilometer fracked gas pipeline pipeline - without the permission of the Wet'suwet'en peoples. The courts are siding with big oil, going against Canada’s commitment to honor the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People. The Camp and their allies are asking supporters of Indigenous rights and climate justice to contact the political leaders of Canada and the province of British Columbia right now here. Get updates here.

Olympia WA SURJ: Lessons from Organizing Around Ballot Initiative 940
Sarah Stockholm of Olympia SURJ and the SURJ Coach for the state of Washington talks about organizing as part of the De-Escalate Washington Campaign to win the ballot initiative 940. Initiative 940 removed a 32-year-old barrier in Washington state law that made it virtually impossible to bring criminal charges against police officers believed to have wrongfully used deadly force. It also requires de-escalation and mental-health training for police; requires officers to administer first aid to a victim of deadly force; and requires independent investigations into the use of deadly force.

SURJ Nashville Helps Score a Victory for Holding Police Accountable
Activists from SURJ Nashville talk about organizing with the Community Oversight Now coalition whose grassroots campaign helped create a Civilian Oversight Board to hold Nashville police accountable. The push for community oversight intensified in recent years following fatal shootings by Nashville officers, and an extensive analysis that showed how aggressive traffic stop tactics were disproportionately impacting Black drivers.  

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.

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