Weekly Newsletter - June 15, 2020

​Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays all month • 12:00 – 1:00 pm
SURJ Action Hour
Feeling rage and deep sadness about police brutality but not sure what to do? Join us at lunchtime any Monday or Friday in June to take immediate action and build community. We’ll meet over Zoom to provide concrete steps you can take — calling elected officials, signing petitions, etc. — to demand an end to police violence against Black people and other communities of color. Sessions fill quickly, so register here to reserve your spot!

Tuesday, June 16 • 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Defund the Police: What it Means & What Must be Done
How can we transform our communities and end a policing institution born out of the system of chattel slavery and fueled by white supremacy? Join this timely SpeakOut webinar with Black Lives Matter leader Dr. Melina Abdullah, also a professor of Pan-African studies at Cal State Los Angeles. She'll provide a context to the current demands to defund police and look at the history of policing in the U.S. Dr. Abdullah will show how the militarization of police drains resources away from community needs like health care, education, and housing, and offer solutions on how we can truly make our communities safe. Tickets sliding scale $5 - $25 to benefit Black Lives Matter L.A. All who register will receive a link to watch live or later at their own convenience. Learn more and register here.

Wednesday, June 17 • 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Virtual Film Screening: We Cried Power
Join SURJ’s Queer and Trans (QT) Committee for a virtual screening and discussion of the short film We Cried Power, which tells the story of a bold new social movement to end poverty in the United States, led by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis. The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival joins people to confront the interlocking evils of systemic racism, poverty, climate change and ecological devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. Registration and more info here.

Thursday, June 18 • 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Understanding and Undoing Unconscious Bias
How can we interrupt implicit bias and create conditions for equity? We now know that in addition to police shootings, implicit bias plays a role in job interviews, hiring, suspensions from school, jury verdicts, sentencing to prison, and policies influencing housing, health care, and more. This interactive SpeakOut event with leading equity and diversity educator Hugh Vasquez will increase your understanding of how implicit bias manifests, how it perpetuates, and what you can do to interrupt it with a vision for changing both individuals and systems. Sliding scale $5 - 25. Learn more and register here to watch live or later.

Saturday, June 20 • 10:00 – 11:30 am
Reimagining Police and Public Safety with SURJ Contra Costa
Across the country, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color) are calling to defund, downsize, or abolish police departments. We may be feeling trepidation about what this means. As white people, we need to listen and understand the impact of hundreds of years of police brutality on BIPOC. Calls to defund the police don't mean there should be no public safety, but different public safety. We must support their leadership and explain this to other white people so everyone, including BIPOC, can feel safe. Just as we’ve had to explain “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t mean white lives don’t matter, we can change the conversation around policing. Let’s learn, discuss, and hold each other accountable. Event is free but registration is required.

Saturday, June 20 • 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Virtual CRCAA Workshop: 5 Methods to Weaponize White Privilege
Across the United States, majority-Black counties have three times the COVID-19 infection rates of majority-white counties. CRC Allies & Accomplices (CRCAA) is calling on white folks to join us to talk about how to effectively fight against the persistent re-establishment of white supremacy in this moment by incorporating the 5 methods in your life, work, and organizing. We know that white supremacy is the status quo, and that if we do not actively combat it, white supremacy will persistently re-establish itself – no matter where we are. We believe that to effectively combat white supremacy, white people must divest of our power and weaponize our privilege. Learn more and register.

Tuesday, July 7 • 6:45 – 9:00 pm
Intro to SURJ Virtual Meeting
Feeling anger and sadness about the continued killings of Black people by the police and vigilantes and don't know what to do? Come 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!

Support these key actions this week!

SIGN A PETITION:
Demand Peralta Community College District terminate its contract with the Sheriff's Office – Students and faculty wrote this petition to demand our Chancellor and Board of Trustees take actions to terminate the contract with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department and invest in our Black and Brown students.
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.
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. Sign this petition to demand that the officers responsible are arrested and charged for her murder.

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!

CATCH UP ON WEBINARS:
Justice Teams Network launched a webinar series called "We Take Care of Us: Community Crisis Response," and each week they will showcase an innovative model from across the state of how communities are stepping up to address crises themselves without relying on the police. Catch up here and sign up for their listserv to learn about upcoming webinars.

PUT UP A BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN:
SURJ has Black Lives Matter lawn and window signs and postcards available for pickup. We are asking for a $10 donation, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. Pick them up at one of these locations. Grab some for friends and family, too!
*Marcus Books, 3900 Martin Luther King Way, Oakland, Monday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Sundays 12:00 – 4:00 pm
*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

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