Weekly Newsletter - September 30, 2019

Thursday, October 3 • 11:00 am
Webinar: Black Migrants Trapped in Mexico, with Special Guest Kendrick Sampson
Join Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) online to hear about conditions in Tapachula, Mexico, where hundreds of Black immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa have been protesting, trapped in southern Mexico by the U.S. ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. BAJI’s Executive Director, Nana Gyamfi, and Legal Manager, Tsion Gurmu, were joined on an emergency trip to Tapachula by actor/activist Kendrick Sampson, co-founder of BLD PWR. They’ll share their first-hand account of the denial of civil liberties they witnessed and share what the demands and needs are of the some 20,000 Black immigrants at our Southern border whose stories are untold and their plight overlooked. Click here for a link to the first video in a series of interviews. Register for the webinar here.

Thursday, October 3 • 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Community Town Hall on Policing and Military Equipment
Many communities are concerned about police departments’ acquisition and deployment of military-grade equipment in events ranging from public protests to parades and service of drug warrants. In Oakland, the use of grenade-like projectiles, armored vehicles, and military-grade assault weapons by OPD officers has resulted in harm to residents, controversy, and costly lawsuits. Come out to this event to hear those most impacted by this military equipment, learn about a proposed Oakland ordinance, and share what you want from OPD and the City.
Location: First Congregational Church, 2501 Harrison St. Oakland

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

Saturday, October 5 • 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Human Billboard - Get Loud About Closing The Camps
Join SURJ San Francisco and SURJ Bay Area in a human billboard demanding justice for immigrants and to close the camps. Bring your own signs or help make them at an art build earlier in the day, at 10:00 am, 1270 Sanchez St., San Francisco (more info here), from where folks will be traveling to the Ferry Building together. Or meet up in front of the Ferry Building.
Location: Ferry Building, San Francisco

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. There will also be a speaker from one of our partner organizations, Initiate Justice, that's 100% led by people impacted by mass incarceration. The group works to end mass incarceration and change California's criminal justice policy. Register today!
Location: Movement Strategy Center, 436 14th Street, Suite 500, Oakland

Friday, October 11, 2019 • 12 – 2:30 pm
Merge Left: Book Talk with Ian Haney Lopez
Acclaimed author Ian Haney López, a distinguished UC Berkeley professor, offers clear insights and a way forward in his highly anticipated new book, MERGE LEFT: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America. Endorsed by Robert Reich, Van Jones, and the leaders of the AFL-CIO, SEIU, Voto Latino, Color of Change, Equal Justice Society, among others, the book offers a powerful, truly original, and even hopeful new strategy for defeating the Right’s racial fear-mongering and achieving bold progressive goals. Free and open to the public. More details and RSVP here.
Location: David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley

Friday, October 11 • 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Report Back: K-12 Teacher Trip to Palestine
Teach Palestine, a project of the Middle East Children's Alliance, led a delegation of elementary, middle, and high school teachers to Palestine this summer. The goal was to learn about Palestine firsthand, explore connections to the lives of their students in the US, and bring those insights back to their classrooms. Come hear what they learned and experienced, and how it’s changing their teaching. Palestine food and crafts, too! Wheelchair accessible. Click here to RSVP on Facebook. For more information: jody@mecaforpeace.org
Location: 518 Valencia Street, San Francisco

Monday, October 14 • 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Free Them CA: Panel of Criminalized Survivors & Letter Writing
Join Survived & Punished (S&P) CA and TGI Justice Project (TGIJP) in conversation with a panel of criminalized survivors of gender-based violence. Moderated by S&P organizer Aminah Elster, the panel will share their experiences and analyses about criminalization and their fight for freedom. The evening will include letter writing to incarcerated survivors in California prisons. All letter writing materials provided. Refreshments will also be served. RSVP and more details here.
Location: East Side Art Alliance, 2277 International Boulevard, Oakland

Sunday, November 3, 2019 • 12:45 – 3:00 pm
Spill The Disabili-Tea™: A Disability Justice Workshop
What is Disability Justice? People often express feeling intimidated and ill-equipped to unpack what we've been taught about disability, and how to support and advocate for disabled people in our everyday lives. This workshop is a fabulous opportunity for you to dive into the magic of disability justice with SURJ and Alex Locust at the helm. Alex will facilitate an interactive discussion of disability justice for those committed to elevating their support for disabled folks in their community. Come join us for an afternoon of real talk, experiential exercises, group work, and lots of laughs as we all Spill the Disabili-Tea™.  Click here for tickets, sliding scale from $20-$80.
Location: Sierra Club, 2101 Webster Street, 13th floor, 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 Post
Read SURJ Bay Area member Mickey Luckey's summary of a Symposium on 400 Years of Resistance to Slavery and Injustice. The powerful 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.

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/orsigning Color of 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