Weekly Newsletter - March 19, 2018

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Tuesday, March 20 • 8:30 - 9:30 am
Equinox Prayer Ceremony and Save the Shellmound

The campaign to #SaveTheShellmound is escalating and your support is needed. Come out on the Equinox to join Ohlone leader Corrina Gould and others defending the West Berkeley Shellmound burial ground and sacred site. Cynical developers are looking to buy and build on this priceless land using legal loopholes and we must send a strong message that this land is sacred and off-limits for their development.
Location: Parking lot at 1900 4th St. Berkeley
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Tuesday, March 20 • 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Demand OPD Charge Mateu for Sahleem's Murder

Sahleem Tindle was murdered by BART Police Officer Joseph Mateu on January 3, 2018, across from West Oakland BART. Join Sahleem’s family and community to demand that OPD fire, arrest, charge, and prosecute Joseph Mateu.
Location: Oakland Police Department, Broadway and 7th St. Oakland

Wednesday, March 21 • 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Restore the Vote: Overturning Voter Suppression Workshop

This engaging SURJ workshop will provide the context for the Voting Restoration and Democracy Act of 2018, including essential understanding of voter suppression history in the United States and California. Learn concrete actions you can take to help restore voting rights to 162,000 incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated individuals in California. This effort is led by Initiate Justice. Free but please RSVP. ASL Interpretation provided by Terps for Bay Area Resistance (TBAR).
Location: Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Ave. Piedmont

NOTE: This workshop will be offered again on Tuesday April 3 • 6:30 - 8:30 pm in Oakland and on Thursday, April 5 • 6:30 - 8:30 in Berkeley, co-sponsored by Berkeley City Council member Cheryl Davila. These will be the last opportunities to attend this free workshop.

Saturday, March 24 • 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
SURJ Difficult Dialogues Workshop

How do we approach challenging conversations, whether it’s about confederate flags, Donald Trump, cultural appropriation, Palestine/Israel, or even just racism and racial justice in general? Members of the White Noise Collective will facilitate this workshop exploring the difficult conversations in our lives around race and power. Tickets are sliding scale $15 - $25. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Location: Sierra Club, 2201 Webster St. Suite 1300 Oakland

Saturday, March 24 • 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Drop LWOP Town Hall

California Coalition for Women Prisoners is sponsoring this panel of formerly incarcerated women describing the injustice of the Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) sentence, which condemns over 5,000 people in California prisons to a living death sentence. This event will feature food from Mamacitas Cafe, a raffle, and items for sale made by people incarcerated in the women's prisons. Donations requested: $5-20. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Location: Red Bay Coffee Roastery, Bar & Garden, 3098 E. 10th St. Oakland

Monday, March 26 (call in all day) & Tuesday, March 27 • 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
We Can End Urban Shield! 

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors will be voting on the Sheriff's request to fund Urban Shield 2018, the SWAT team training and weapons expo that brings together local, regional, and international police-military units. A broad coalition of groups is organizing to ensure they vote NO! We want real, community-based preparedness for emergencies. Police militarization is not the answer.
Monday 3/26, all day: call the Supervisors - more info and sample script here.
Tuesday, 3/27, 10 am: rally and press conference followed by Board of Supervisors meeting.
Location: Alameda County Admin Building, 1221 Oak St. 5th Floor Oakland

Thursday, March 29 • 5:00 - 6:30 pm PST
When They Call You a Terrorist: Facebook Live with Patrisse Cullors
One of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter and the author of the new book, When They Call You a Terrorist, Patrisse Cullors will respond to your questions and comments during a Facebook Live Book Club. If you missed her during her nationwide book tour, here's your chance to still be part of the conversation on Facebook.

Saturday, March 31 • 3:00 - 4:00 pm
SURJ Racial Justice Story Time

Come celebrate poetry with 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. This free event is best suited for kids ages 2-8, but all are welcome.
Location: Rockridge Branch, Oakland Public Library, 5366 College Ave. Oakland

Saturday, April 7 • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Joining Forces Against Policing and Jails in San Francisco 
A Half Day Summit Against the Prison Industrial Complex

This Summit will bring together organizations and community activists working to stop the violence of the prison industrial complex. Interactive workshops, trainings, and panel discussions will focus on topics like jail construction, gang injunctions, justice for community members murdered by police, tasers, bail reform, increased policing on our streets, and more. The goal is to strengthen work to address the impacts of imprisonment, policing, surveillance, courts, and prosecution in San Francisco.
Location: Mission Center, City College of SF, 1125 Valencia St. San Francisco

Tuesday, April 10 • 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Victories from Inside Out: Dismantling the Prison Industrial Complex
Taina Vargas-Edmond and Dorsey Nunn in a Live Taping of the Podcast, "Speak Out with Tim Wise"
Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None and Taina Vargas-Edmond, Executive Director of Initiate Justice, will be in conversation with Tim Wise at this live taping of his national podcast. As leaders in the forefront of policy and advocacy work on behalf of incarcerated Californians, the formerly-incarcerated, and their families, Taina and Dorsey will look at recent victories and efforts currently underway. Tickets sliding scale $5 - $25. All proceeds go to LSPC/AUON and Initiate Justice.  
Location: 1st Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison, Oakland

Tuesday, April 17 • 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Kayla’s Birthday Celebration at Provo Park

This year marks the five year anniversary of Kayla Moore’s death at the hands of Berkeley police, so the community is throwing Kayla a great big party to keep her memory alive! There will be food, music and art in celebration of her life. Note: There will be an art build for this event on Sun. April 15 • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.
Location: Provo Park, 1901 Allston Way, Berkeley

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! WE'RE GOING TO SACRAMENTO!

Monday, April 30 • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Quest For Democracy Day 2018
Every Spring, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None organizes a large-scale statewide lobby day for formerly-incarcerated people, family members with incarcerated loved ones, and allied community activists. Last year, SURJ mobilized dozens of members and friends to the Capitol, supporting the lobbying efforts by those most affected by pending legislation. We also raised thousands of dollars to help rent buses to bring people to Sacramento from all over the state. Let's do it again — join us in Sacramento and help us raise funds to support this massive mobilization!    
RSVP here    Donate here
Location: State Capitol, N Street at 12th, Sacramento

Campaign to Restore Voting Rights to People in State Prisons and On Parole
SURJ is supporting the work of Initiate Justice and their Voting Restoration and Democracy Act (VRDA) campaign. The VRDA would restore the right to vote to approximately 160,000 people in state prisons and on parole in California. Sign up to help gather signatures, make a donation to support this critical work, and come to a workshop and training. Read the 2-page talking points and signature-gathering instructions here.

Stop ICE and Deportations! Defend Immigrants!
As ICE continues to terrorize immigrant communities through raids, it’s important to remain on alert. Here’s how:
• Add these rapid response hotline numbers to your phone: 510-241-4011 (Alameda County) and 415-200-1548 (San Francisco).
• Here are 5 ways to respond with power, not panic from the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance.
• Share Know Your Rights information like this from the ACLU.
• Sign up to receive Bay Resistance action alerts by texting RESIST to 41411.
• Find more resources at the SURJ website.

Take Action: Reform Money Bail in California!

Our state's current money bail system is broken. Tens of thousands of Californians, who are legally presumed innocent and have not been convicted of a crime, are behind bars simply because they can't afford bail. The money bail system preys on low-income families and people of color, who are most often targeted for arrest and incarceration. Call your legislator and ask them to vote for the California Money Bail Reform Act (SB 10 and AB 42). Find more details here, including sample scripts and letters.

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
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