Weekly Newsletter - September 16, 2019

Monday, September 16 • 11 am – 8:00 pm
Free The Children, Close the Camps: A Day Of Action
Join this Day of Action to protest the caging of children and migrant families. Protest the crisis at the border and the detention of young children and adults in a inhumane conditions! Close the Camps! Free the Children! Amnesty Now! The day kicks off with an 11:00 am rally, a noon march to S.F. City Hall, a 3:00 pm protest at ICE, then back to 24th & Mission for a closing celebration and protest. Sponsors include A Day Without Immigrants San Francisco and other Mission organizations.
Location: 24th Street BART Station, City Hall, ICE building, San Francisco

Tuesday, September 17 • Morning, exact time TBD
Trump is Coming to Town - Action
Trump is making his first Bay Area appearance as president next week (to raise money from his corporate cronies). We want to send the message loud and clear that our movements are more powerful than his dollars, and we will defeat his racist, misogynistic, xenophobic agenda. Join Bay Resistance to take action on Tuesday morning (low-risk). If you sign up for either option we will send you more info soon! But in the meantime feel free to email info@bayresistance.org with questions.
Location: Provided upon registration

September 20 – 27
Strike for Climate Justice Week of Action
Join young people across the U.S. and the world as they demand transformative action to address our climate crisis. Their call for a global strike and a week of action will include hundreds of events globally and across the United States. Millions of children, Indigenous people, people of color, rural and urban frontline communities, and citizens are rising up around the world to ensure a safe, healthy, and sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come. Bay Area activities include:
September 20 • 10:00 am – 1:00 pm • SF Bay Area Youth And Allies Climate Strike March Starts at the San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th St. San Francisco and goes to different government, finance, and energy targets that are contributing to climate breakdown.
September 25 • 7:00 am – 5:00 pm • Strike for Climate Justice Meet at Market and Montgomery, San Francisco. Organized by Extinction Rebellion, Idle No More, Diablo Rising Tide, among others.

Monday, September 23 • 7:00 – 9:00 pm
An Evening with Land & Water Protectors
Join Climate Justice SF and Intertribal Friendship House for an evening of conversation with Anne White Hat, Cherri Foytlin, and Mark Tilsen to hear firsthand accounts from years of Indigenous led resistance to pipelines. Come hear from three of the most effective organizers on Turtle Island about ongoing work fighting back against Energy Transfer Partners, community resiliency in the Gulf South and visions and plans for how to fight back. We will be touring with Mutual Aid Media’s film “L’eau Est La Vie From Standing Rock to the Swamp.” There is no charge for this event. Donations for the speakers are appreciated.
Location: Intertribal Friendship House, 523 International Blvd, Oakland

Wednesday, September 25 • 5:00 – 6:30 pm
SURJ National Webinar: 10 Years of Racial Justice
Join SURJ National for a webinar with Patrisse Cullors, Makani Themba, Carla Wallace, and Pam McMichael to discuss the past, present, and future of SURJ as it relates to the broader movement for racial, economic, social, and environmental justice. Pam McMichael and Carla Wallace are long time movement organizers and co-founders of SURJ. Patrisse Cullors and Makani Themba are revered movement leaders who will share their perspective of how SURJ's work fits in a broader context and what is needed moving forward. This is a public call, open to all. Register today.
Location: Online webinar

Saturday, September 28 • 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Stop Massacres in Haiti! Stand with Lasalin!
Join Haiti Action Committee and the National Lawyers Guild SF-Bay Area for the release of a new report, The Lasalin Massacre and the Human Rights Crisis in Haiti. The event kicks off a week of action to support the call by Haiti’s grassroots movement to terminate the presidency of US-imposed kleptocrat Jovenel Moise. The event also commemorates the 1991 coup against the democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as well as the September 11, 1988 massacre at Father Aristide's church, located in Lasalin, a Port-au-Prince neighborhood with a centuries-long history of resistance to enslavement and empire. Donations $10 - 20 - no one turned away for lack of funds.
Location: Eastside Arts Alliance, 2277 International Blvd., Oakland

September 16 – October 31 • Weekly Meetings • Choice of Days
SURJ Study & Action 6-Week Series
Are you looking for a learning community to challenge racism? Do you want to learn more so that you can become a resource for your community? Would you like to find out how to take action locally and be accountable? 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 and support Black and people of color-led organizations fighting for racial justice. Study & Action is free, but you must RSVP for your choice of 1 of 4 days.
Location: Provided upon registration

Saturday, October 5 • 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
SURJ Workshop - What White People Don't See: Applying the Lens of Privilege
You believe in making a difference, but when it comes to racial justice, are your actions aligned with your beliefs? The work begins with looking in the mirror. Without intentional learning and reflection, white people may uphold beliefs and systems that perpetuate injustice. Join SURJ for an intimate and interactive workshop in which we will unpack how whiteness has shaped our lives and discuss how white people who care can take action for racial justice. Sliding Scale $15-$65. No one turned away for lack of funds. Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Learn more and get tickets.
Location: Movement Strategy Center, 436 14th Street, Suite 500, Oakland

Wednesday, October 9 • 6:45 – 9:00 pm
Intro to SURJ Meeting
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. You will 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. Register today!
Location: Movement Strategy Center, 436 14th Street, Suite 500, Oakland

Support Abundant Beginnings!
SURJ Bay Area partner organization Abundant Beginnings needs our financial support to continue their programs and to eventually purchase land. Please donate and/or share their donation page widely with the greater community. Abundant Beginnings is a community education and empowerment initiative that is re-imagining how communities can grow learners who think critically, live responsibly, and create meaningful change. They center the needs of those who are currently marginalized from meaningful educational experiences, with emphases on students of color, gender expansive and queer students, and differently-abled learners. Check out this adorable video and then donate HERE.

Read the Latest SURJ Blog
Read a SURJ Bay Area member's summary of a Symposium on 400 Years of Resistance. The event, which was held at UC Berkeley at the end of August, was filled with many memorable stories shared by an impressive group of Black scholars and performers to commemorate 400 years of resistance to slavery and injustice.

AUON Organizer Ali Birts Needs Your Help!
All of Us or None Organizer Willard "Ali" Birts is facing serious legal trouble. After dismissing old charges on the grounds of "insufficient evidence," the San Mateo County District Attorney decided to refile. The case will be going to trial mid-September. Learn more and support Ali by signing the petition, which will be delivered to the District Attorney and to the judge presiding over the case, calling on them to drop all charges and allow Ali to continue to enrich our community unfettered from the criminal justice system.

Support ACA 6 and Voting Rights for Formally Incarcerated Californians
Nearly 50,000 California voters are barred from voting every year because they are on parole. ACA 6 would restore voting rights to these individuals. If the bill passes the California Senate, it will be on the 2020 ballot. Democracy needs everyone, including people on parole who are reentering our communities. You can show your support for ACA 6 by signing this petition and sharing it with family and friends.

Support Eric Garner's Family and those fighting for police accountability in NYC
While the the firing of Officer Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD cop who killed Eric Garner in July 2014, is a small victory for the Garner family and those working to hold NYPD accountable, there is still much work to be done. You can help by reading and signing this letter of support for Ramsey Orta, the person who filmed the incident and has been imprisoned since 2016; calling Mayor de Blasio (212-639-9675) and demanding that all officers involved in misconduct and the ensuing cover-up be fired; making a donation to Justice Committee and/or Communities United for Police Reform who will continue supporting the Garner family and demanding transparency; reporting the Pantaleo GoFundMe to support Pantaleo post-firing by calling GoFundMe and/or signing Color for Change's petition.

Fire LAPD Officers Lee and Robles for the Murder of Grechario Mack
Sign and share the petition to fire the Los Angeles police officers who murdered 30 year old Grechario Mack, father of two daughters. On April 10, 2018, Mack was in the midst of a mental health challenge inside the the Crenshaw-Baldwin Hills Mall when LAPD Officers Ryan Lee and Martin Robles shot him and then stood over him – he was still alive – and fired two more rounds into his body, killing him. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles is calling on LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore to fire the two police. Learn more about the case and sign the petition here.

Support Central Maine SURJ's Know Your Rights Working Group
Central Maine SURJ has started a new Know Your Rights working group focusing on getting Know Your Rights education in the community. Their first training, in partnership with Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, drew a record turnout of 40 people. Translations in French, Portuguese, Somali, Lingala, and Swahili were provided given that many refugees and asylum seekers there are from African countries. Central Maine SURJ is raising funds to support their efforts. Learn more about their plans and make a donation here.

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