SURJ Boston

Housing Justice

PETITION and VIGIL to stop 11/30 evictions in Dorchester

Ms. Rosa Poincy is a Dorchester grandmother who is disabled and living on a fixed income. Rosa received a letter notifying her that her lease would be terminated on November 30, 2018. WE WON'T STAND BY while Chartwell Holdings LLC, Rosa's landlord, pushes her out of her home. ALL OUT to support Rosa in fighting for her home this holiday season! TWO ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE to help Rosa: 1. Sign the petition (so we can reach our goal of 250 signatures). 2. TURN OUT for the vigil on Friday evening, 11/30!

Support NEW ENGLAND UNITED 4 JUSTICE, Right to the City Boston, and City Life/Vida Urbana this #GivingTuesday

For #GivingTuesday on 11/27, please consider donating to support New England United 4 Justice, Right to the City Boston, and City Life/Vida Urbana. For the City Life/Vida Urbana fundraiser on Facebook, wait to donate until 8 AM on Tuesday 11/27 so that Facebook will match your donation! For the others, donate anytime!

Friday 11/30 Meeting #2: Changing the Zoning Code to Protect Residents and Create Affordability

Action for Regional Equity (a Right to the City coalition member) is hosting a meeting on Friday, November 30, from 5:30-7:30pm at City Life/Vida Urbana headquarters (284 Amory St in Jamaica Plain). We are focusing on creating a change to the city’s zoning code to protect current residents and create affordability. Residents from across the city are invited. If you want to continue building a movement grounded in the leadership and solutions of people most impacted, you are welcome to come and help shape this demand! Light snacks provided with Spanish/English interpretation and childcare provided upon request. Please email marvinaction@hotmail.com if you are planning to come.

Saturday 12/1 Meeting #3: Inclusive & Democratic Neighborhood Governance Over Development

Reclaim Roxbury (anther RtC coalition member) is hosting a meeting on Saturday December 1 from 11am-1pm at Alternatives for Community and Environment (2201 Washington Street #302, Roxbury (enter off Ruggles #3)). The meeting will focus on Inclusive and Democratic Neighborhood Governance Over Development.  Residents from across the city are invited. If you want to continue building a movement grounded in the leadership and solutions of people most impacted, you are welcome to come and help shape this demand! Light snacks provided with Spanish/English interpretation and childcare provided upon request. Please email reclaimroxbury@gmail.com if you are planning to come.

Immigration Justice

Caravan support network

‼️URGENT SUPPORT NEEDED ‼️ Our sisters and brothers in the Central American Caravan have been resisting the violence they face in their country and have arrived in Tijuana. We have been actively engaging in supporting the #refugee#caravan #exodus but we need YOUR support! They are currently in need of food, sleeping bags, and blankets! Any #donation helps in making it possible to bring volunteers to the #border to support the #dignity, #respect, and permanent #protection of our migrant families!

Please share the GoFundMe among your networks. Donation link here. If you are interested in supporting directly, sign our volunteer pledge here.

SPONSOR: JOBS WITH JUSTICE

ICE is denying bond to people who have pending charges on the grounds that they are "dangerous," and then does not cooperate with local courts to allow people to defend themselves and clear their name because they are in detention. The charge is also used against them in immigration proceedings. This is an egregious undermining of due process that must end.

We are currently taking action to support our neighbor, Julio. Please help us get 1000 signatures on this petition that calls on the Middlesex and Suffolk DAs, and the Suffolk Sheriff to coordinate with ICE to make sure that Julio is transported to Cambridge District Court for his pre-trial hearings. And please support the fundraiser set up for Julio.

JOBS WITH JUSTICE END OF YEAR HOLIDAY PARTY

Friday 12/14, 6:00 PM, at 375 Centre St in Jamaica Plain. Celebrate the end of the year with us and the holiday/winter/snowy season!

SIM HOLIDAY PARTY 2018

Friday 12/14, 5:30 PM. Come enjoy good food, company, and learn about Student Immigrant Movement! This is open to the general public! RSVP for location here.

MJL WORKSHOP FOR MUSLIMS

Workshops on Islamophobia for Muslims are few and far between, with most of them catered for non-Muslim audiences. On Dec. 16th at 3:00 PM, join the Muslim Justice League for a workshop on anti-Muslim racism, for Muslims, by Muslims. We will be unpacking what anti-Muslim racism is, how it functions, and we will be sharing a timeline of surveillance and policing of Muslims in the US. There will also be a screening of a short film and activities where we’ll build practices together to resist! When we say for Muslims - we welcome folks who identify regardless of practice! The workshop is free for members. For non-members, we suggest a donation of $10! The workshop will be held in downtown Boston, accessible by the T. Please RSVP here for the exact address and other details.

#ICEOUTOFSUFFOLK CALL-IN CAMPAIGN TO SHERIFF TOMPKINS

On Tuesdays, call Sheriff Tompkins 617-704-6655 or Tweet @stevenwtompkins.

As part of Suffolk County’s contract with ICE, there are about 190 immigrants jailed in the South Bay Detention Center. Yet Boston has a city ordinance for sanctuary protections of undocumented immigrants. Tell the sheriff’s office that they have the ability to cancel the contract and the responsibility to ensure that all detainees are promptly released.

STOP CVE BOSTON - SIGN THE PETITION

The Youth and Police Initiative Plus (YPIP) is a CVE (Countering Violent Extremism) program funded by the Department of Homeland Security that targets Somali youth (age 13-17) in Boston, unfairly viewing and treating them as susceptible to “extremism.” Targeting Somali youth is racist, anti-Muslim, and must end! Read more at the link above.

Jericho walks in burlington mA

Burlington Area Clergy 4 Justice(BAC4Justice) organizers Jericho Walks, silent interfaith prayers and acts of solidarity. The walks draw inspiration from the Battle of Jericho, in which the community marched around the city of Jericho seven times, causing the city walls to fall. Join them on these Tuesday afternoons outside the ICE Field Office in Burlington, MA:

• December 18

Contact Laura Wagner at lwagner@uumassaction.org for more information.

NO BUSINESS WITH ICE - SIGN THE PLEDGE

ICE is terrorizing immigrants at the border and in our communities. We can fight back by refusing to be complicit with institutions that cooperate with ICE.

Centro Presente: Volunteer ESL & CitizenSHIP Teachers

Email Meredith Gamble at mgamble@cpresente.org to volunteer!

Boston Immigrant Justice Accompaniment Network

• Sign up to support those caught up in the harm of our racist immigration system.
• Donate and share this fundraiser to help our community members fight their deportations and stay connected to their families.

Public Education

Take action against BPS school closures!

• Community discussion on the Build BPS plan, which prioritizes land values over education. Click here for the schedule and show up to defend public schools!
• Read School Yard News' coverage of school closures
• Read Bay State Banner's coverage of BuildBPS discussions

Petition to demand PILOT Payments

A petition calling for our mayor and city councilors to demand our institutional neighbors contribute to the future of ours schools and community. Institutions such as Harvard, Northeastern, BC, BU which together neglected to pay $36 million in PILOT payments and continue to underpay. Sign the petition!

Prison Abolition

FIRST 100 DAYS COURT WATCH

Court Watch to ensure District Attorneys implement the progressive policies they promised during their campaigns, starting on January 3, 2019 at Boston Municipal Court, Roxbury District Court, Dorchester District Court, Cambridge District Court, Lowell District Court. Contact Mallory Hanora at mhanora@justiceashealing.org for more information.

Justice for Roger Herbert #DeeperthanWater

Roger Herbert, a Black West Indian immigrant, died of cancer contracted at MCI Norfolk on October 19. He endured medical neglect and abuse, and his niece, Sophia, was repeatedly denied multiple visits in the weeks preceding his death. His loved ones inside prison, in a staggering show of solidarity, raised $2000 to cover his funeral costs - when they themselves make at most $3/day. His family still needs about $400 to cover the cost of his funeral. Click here to donate.

• Read and share Roger Herbert's story on facebook.
• Check out and share the Boston Globe coverage of #DeeperThanWater's action in Roger's memory.

CALL: DEMAND THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION REINSTATE VISIT DAYS TO MCI-NORFOLK PRISONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

#HowTheDOCStoleChristmas call-in campaign script and Facebook event.

The Baker administration and staff at MCI-Norfolk have canceled 10 visit days between now and the end of December, just as many major holidays are coming up for folks of faith. We can fight this -but we need your help!

Organizers at the Emancipation Initiative have kicked off their #HowTheDOCStoleChristmas call-in campaign. To support this effort we ask that you make three calls at least once a week to Governor Baker, Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett, and DOC Commisioner Thomas Turco. We all know how important family visitation is, especially around this time of year, and we’re hoping that we can put the pressure on to reinstate these visiting days so that people can see their loved ones.

You can read more about this campaign and call script here and follow the campaign on Facebook here.

HOST A BLACK & PINK HOLIDAY CARD PARTY

Every year, Black & Pink volunteers send thousands of holiday cards to our incarcerated LGBTQ family. Host a card party for your friends, family, congregation, workplace, or community! "Most importantly, the holiday card party you are organizing is about planting a seed of hope. There is strength in hope, and when we fight together, we can win."

BLACK & PINK VOLUNTEER DROP IN

Times are drop in/drop out, so come for as long or little as you'd like. You will need a laptop. Come read prisoners' letters, learn about their struggles, and help out the Black and Pink family!

• Saturdays in Lower Allston: from 12 noon - 3 PM at Swissbäkers. Contact Eli at eli@newgreyhair.com or Facebook page
• Wednesdays in JP: 7PM-9PM at First Baptist Church, 633 Centre Street Jamaica Plain, MA.  Contact Annie at Annieatwater@gmail.com

Movement for Black Lives

BLM Boston Giving Campaign

PAYPAL for donations is m4blmboston@gmail.com. For longer range, recurring support join Campaign21 which moves us from emergency, crises driven giving to solidarity sustained giving.