Welcome to Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Bay Area. If you're looking to learn more about what we do or get involved in the movement to promote racial justice and end white supremacy, you've come to the right place.
Getting started
To get started please email basebuilding@surjbayarea.org. You don't need to say much — just let us know you're interested and we'll take it from there by helping you learn more about SURJ, answering all your questions (if you have them) and helping you figure out the best way to get involved.
Volunteers are working on even more resources for new members with more details coming soon. In the meantime, send us that quick email so you can join the movement and start making a difference today.
Getting started
To get started please email basebuilding@surjbayarea.org. You don't need to say much — just let us know you're interested and we'll take it from there by helping you learn more about SURJ, answering all your questions (if you have them) and helping you figure out the best way to get involved.
Volunteers are working on even more resources for new members with more details coming soon. In the meantime, send us that quick email so you can join the movement and start making a difference today.
Frequently asked questions
WHAT IS SURJ?
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work for racial justice. 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.
Through its local chapters — including ours — SURJ works to connect people across the country while supporting and collaborating with local and national racial justice organizing efforts. SURJ also provides a space to build relationships, skills and political analysis to act for change. Learn more at ShowingUpforRacialJustice.org
Through its local chapters — including ours — SURJ works to connect people across the country while supporting and collaborating with local and national racial justice organizing efforts. SURJ also provides a space to build relationships, skills and political analysis to act for change. Learn more at ShowingUpforRacialJustice.org
Are there other Bay Area chapters of SURJ?
Yes — SURJ Bay Area is primarily focused on Alameda County, but there are other Bay Area chapters focused on San Francisco, Marin, Contra Costa County and more. Learn about other chapters
WHO CAN GET INVOLVED IN SURJ BAY AREA?
The short answer is everyone! While our mission specifically focuses on organizing white people for racial justice, members of all races and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to join. To make everyone feel welcome, we also follow best practices around making space for people to share their pronouns as well as their accessibility needs, and we regularly solicit feedback about inclusivity and reassess our processes to ensure we're meeting our inclusivity goals.
my friend is also interested. CAN we get started together?
Yes, absolutely. Joining with a friend is awesome because you can support each other in your racial justice journey. Plus, every new supporter makes the movement stronger. To get started with your friend, simply include them/mention them in your email to basebuilding@surjbayarea.org.
CAN I PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND ACTIONS REMOTELY?
Yes, you can. Some SURJ Bay Area events, such as protests and demonstrations, are understandably in-person only, but many of our meetings, Action Hours and educational events are virtual or include a virtual option.
Recently some events have been transitioning to in-person, but we will continue to offer options to attend meetings and events remotely, as we know virtual attendance is necessary, or simply preferred, for many people.
Recently some events have been transitioning to in-person, but we will continue to offer options to attend meetings and events remotely, as we know virtual attendance is necessary, or simply preferred, for many people.
I HAVE ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS. WILL THEY BE MET?
We work hard to meet all accessibility needs and to be an organization that is inclusive of all people and all ability levels. We make space for everyone to let us know if their accessibility needs are being met (which you can share publicly or privately, as you prefer), and we typically are able to support several common accessibility requests such as Closed Captioning and virtual event attendance.
If you have a specific accessibility need for your initial chat, please mention it in your email to basebuilding@surjbayarea.org.
If you have a specific accessibility need for your initial chat, please mention it in your email to basebuilding@surjbayarea.org.
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
Emailing basebuilding@surjbayarea.org really is the best way to learn what we're about and start the path to involvement, but if you want to dive deeper before shooting that email, then we invite you to browse our website. Here are a few pages you may find particularly helpful:
- About Us - Learn who we are, our mission, vision and values
- Take Action - Explore levels and ways to get involved through action
- Get Educated - See how you can deepen your understanding of racial injustice and white supremacy or build a strong foundation to support a lifetime of learning
I'VE ATTENDED AN INTRO ALREADY, WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?
First, thank you for attending an intro! Now that you've learned more about SURJ Bay Area and what we do, there are two key next steps: taking action and getting educated. Action and education are both key to the movement and equally important. For an overview of each, please check out Take Action and Get Educated.
Or, if you're looking for a committee to join, you can find a list of committees and their contact information here.
Or, if you're looking for a committee to join, you can find a list of committees and their contact information here.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S NOT ANSWERED HERE. HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU?
Email us! Base Building is ready answer any questions you've got at basebuilding@surjbayarea.org.
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