Weekly Newsletter - September 28, 2020

Monday, September 28 and Friday, October 2 • 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. (Closed captioning will be available in the main room of Action Hour calls.) Register to reserve your spot! Register here for September 28. Register here for October 2.

Monday, September 28 • 6:00 am – 11:45 pm
Shutdown KKR Day of Action
Stand in solidarity with the hereditary Wet'suwet'en chiefs and land defenders to stop the funding of the Coastal GasLink pipeline. In June 2020, the investment company KKR closed a significant deal to purchase a 65% stake in Coastal GasLink’s pipeline project, becoming the new majority owner. This deal directly contradicts KKR’s partnership principles of socially responsible investing, clearly demonstrating how corporations use progressive-washing rhetoric purely for profits. This digital-first campaign has the rapid response goal of moving KKR as quickly as possible. Learn more and get the tools you need to join the communications blockade here.

Monday, September 28 - Thursday, October 1 • 5:00 – 7:30 pm
Volunteer for YES on Prop 15 / Schools & Communities First!
Phonebank with SF Rising and textbank with SURJ Bay Area this week! Passing Prop 15 will reclaim resources from corporations who haven't been paying their fair share of property taxes and move $12 Billion a year to schools and local community services, particularly impacting communities of color. SURJ is mobilizing to be part of this critical campaign, led by people of color, and we need you! Corporate special interests are fighting this hard. To pass Prop 15, we need to talk to as many voters as possible about why they should vote YES. No experience required, just sign up and you'll be trained and supported at each event.

Volunteer for YES on Prop 15:
Phonebank - Monday September 28 • 5:00 – 7:30 pm
Phonebank - Tuesday September 29 • 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Phonebank - Wednesday September 30 • 5:00 – 7:30 pm
Phonebank - Thursday October 1 • 5:00 –7:30 pm
More dates found here.

Tuesday, September 29
The BREATHE Act: A Day of Powerful Black Programming
Join The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) for Breathe Day, a time and place for discussing Black issues and the Breathe Act. This visionary bill divests taxpayer dollars from brutal and discriminatory policing and invests in a new vision of public safety—a vision that answers the call to defund the police and allows all communities to finally BREATHE free. On September 29, M4BL is unveiling its exclusive Breathe Act art, providing tools on how to have conversations about Defunding the Police, and collectively demanding Congress take action. Learn more and sign up for updates here.

Saturday, October 3 • 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
SpeakOut Youth Summit
Angela Davis, Winona LaDuke, Melina Abdullah, and Ericka Huggins will be among the activists and changemakers presenting at this virtual SpeakOut Youth Summit on racial justice, leadership development, and radical imagination. For young people in college, high school, and the community, the program will include intergenerational conversations, workshops, keynotes, and performances. See the full program here. Tickets are $20 - $30, with group rates available. More info and tickets here. Donate to support scholarships here.

Saturday, October 3 • 10:00 – 11:30 am
SURJ Contra Costa Meeting with Guest Speaker Tamisha Walker
The Executive Director of Safe Return Project (SRP), Tamisha Walker, will be the guest speaker at SURJ Contra Costa's next virtual meeting. SRP works to empower and increase the visibility of all those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, addressing the root causes of poverty and the impact that the criminal justice system has had on Black people and communities of color. Free but please register here.

Saturday, October 10 • 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Difficult Conversations About Race and White SupremacyHow do we approach difficult conversations around racism and other systems of oppression, especially those related to the upcoming elections and this political moment? Using small and large group discussion, body-based awareness practices, and role play, we will practice together to build frameworks, tools, and interventions that support us in staying grounded as we connect with friends, family, and others about challenging topics. This SURJ workshop is facilitated by White Noise Collective. Donation sliding scale $15 - $85 to benefit Sogorea Te Land Trust, Community Ready Corps, and Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective. More info and register here.

Saturday, October 10, 17, 24 • 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Racial Justice In MotionEmotions live in our bodies. Join SURJ Marin for a three-session series for SURJ members and allies who want to deepen their personal exploration of racism and allyship through movement. The series will begin by connecting with the body, sensations, and emotions. The second session will explore the personal stories and patterns we hold in our bodies around race. The third session will integrate the work by exploring how to take everything you've learned into the world to create the change you want, maintain a commitment to racial justice, and create balance with the rest of your personal life. Sessions are facilitated by Sylvie Minot. No dance experience is required. Participants are asked to commit to all three sessions. Suggested Donation: $5 - $500. Learn more and register here.

Thursday, October 22 • 6:45 – 9:00 pm
Intro to SURJ Virtual Meeting
Are you feeling angry by the continued killings of Black people by the police and vigilantes and want to do something about it? Come learn about SURJ Bay Area 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 here.


Actions You Can Take This Week!

SHARE THE MESSAGE:

Put Up a Black Lives Matter Sign – SURJ has Black Lives Matter lawn and window signs and postcards available for easy pickup in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro. These are free but if you want to help cover costs, you can donate here. Grab some for friends and family too! Pickup locations are listed here.

LISTEN TO A PODCAST:

The Word is Resistance: a SURJ Faith Podcast – For the next several months on the podcast, we’re thinking with you about freedom. We are asking: What does it mean to be free? What does it even take to be free? Is freedom individual or collective? What do we need to be free *from*? What do we need to be free *for*? Listen here and subscribe through your podcast platform.

SIGN A PETITION:

Justice for Daniel Prude - Recently-released police bodycam footage shows Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man in need of mental health assistance, being murdered by police in Rochester, NY, in March. Color of Change is demanding Rochester DA Sandra Doorley arrest and charge the recently-suspended police officers who murdered Daniel. Trained medical and mental health professionals—not cops—should respond to medical calls. Learn more and sign the petition here. The SURJ Rochester chapter is also asking for support in their efforts to get justice for Daniel Prude. Learn more on their Facebook page and website.

National Call to Action for Jacob Blake – On August 23, Jacob Blake was shot by Kenosha, WI, police officers at least seven times at close range—as his three sons watched. The 29-year-old father is now paralyzed from the waist down and doctors do not yet know if the injury is permanent. Sign the petition calling on the Kenosha mayor, district attorney, and Wisconsin attorney general to hold the police officers who shot Jacob Blake accountable. Write and call local and state officials--scripts and contact information are linked here. Donate to the gofundme here.

Sign the 'Listen to Black Women' Letter for Justice for Breonna Taylor – White women in Louisville are calling on Mayor Greg Fischer to listen to Black women and fire the officers who killed Breonna Taylor, and they are asking white women everywhere to join them. Read and sign the letter here.

Pressure UPS, Ford, and Humana to support Justice for Breonna – Three companies with large Louisville offices—UPS, Ford Motor Company, and Humana—employ more than 50,000 area residents. Each company's executives have expressed some support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but have stopped short of demanding justice for Breonna. These companies have a lot of power over public life in Louisville. Sign this petition to demand that their executives take a stand and push for the firing, arrest, and charging of the LMPD officers who murdered Breonna Taylor.

SUPPORT LEGISLATION:Advocate for the End of Life Without Parole Sentencing - SURJ Bay Area is a part of the Drop LWOP (Life Without Parole) Coalition which is working to end special circumstances sentencing and towards ending death by incarceration. This Fall, we're gearing up to educate our legislators and the public on a specific form of LWOP sentencing called felony murder special circumstances. Join us to attend virtual meetings between constituents and legislators by filling out this form.

Support the BREATHE Act on Social Media – The Movement for Black Lives and allies nationwide have 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.

DONATE:Support Rematriation by Paying Your Shuumi Land Tax – As the stolen lands around us smolder, the urgency of rematriation—returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people—cannot be understated. Our partners at Sogorea Te’ Land Trust are healing and transforming legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy through vital practices of rematriation, cultural revitalization, and land restoration. Visit their beautiful new website to learn more—and support their essential work by paying your Shuumi Land Tax today.

Support Individuals Impacted by Wildfires and COVID-19 – UndocuFund was launched by a coalition of immigrant service providers and advocates to provide direct assistance to undocumented victims of the Northern California fires. Donate today to help assist those impacted by the LNU Complex fires and by COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders in Sonoma County.

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 SURJ Bay Area through Benevity and DOUBLING the amount of the donation!

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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