SURJ Boston

Housing Justice

JUSTICE RIDE: DEFEND HOMES ON THE FAIRMOUNT LINE!

Saturday, January 26, 10am -12pm. Meet at 1037 River St. Hyde Park

GET ROLLING FOR HOUSING JUSTICE and CLVU this winter! Large corporate landlords such as Advanced Property Management along the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line are pushing low-income families, longtime older residents, and Section 8 tenants out of their homes! We will defend our neighbors and demand special protections from eviction in the Fairmount Corridor.

DORCHESTER NOT FOR SALE: COMMUNITY DINNER AND OUR FIGHT TO STAY

Thursday, January 17, 6pm - 8pm ~ Vietnamese American Community Center, 42 Charles St.

DORCHESTER RESIDENTS: We are Dorchester residents worried about our community’s future. REAL community process that centers Dorchester residents most at risk of displacement in decision making. We will build together and fight for a vision of what we want and need in our community and seek unity as tenants, homeowners, and small landlords. Make a donation to help support food, childcare, and interpretation.

SIGN A CLVU PETITION FOR MS. JULIANA WILLIAMS, AN APM TENANT

Ms. Williams has lived in her Mattapan apartment for 40 years, and her rent was raised by $400. We will fight alongside Ms. Williams and other CLVU members and take direct action if necessary because she has a right to remain!

Movement for Black Lives

BLM BosTon Campaign 21

At the end of 2018 BLM Boston, SURJ Boston, and other local organizations raised $2,500 to support a Black woman and child fleeing domestic violence getting settled in a safe situation. Start the new year by being a monthly donor to BLMB to help them create a pool of resources! PAYPAL for one-time donations is m4blmboston@gmail.com.

Immigration Justice

MIGRATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT: FUNDRAISER

January 26, 7 pm. $5-$25 sliding scale
The Democracy Center, 45 Mt Auburn St in Cambridge (partially wheelchair accessible, no accessible bathroom)

Join us for an evening of food, live music, raffles, and testimony from our Cosecha Volunteer Organizers returning from the US/Mexico border where we have been providing direct support to migrants of the caravan, including delivering donations and needed supplies, preparing meals, providing legal and healing supports, and coordinating volunteer activities. Funds will be directed to Pueblos Sin Fronteras and to the San Diego Rapid Response Network.

COSECHA BENEFIT CONCERT

On Saturday February 2nd come on out to hear some great music and support Cosecha, a nonviolent movement fighting for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. We will have speakers from Cosecha, merch that you can purchase, and Aeronaut is a great place to hang out!

COMMUNITY FORUM ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN DEPORTATION

January 21, 11 am, Vietnamese American Community Center, 42 Charles St

Since 1998, more than 16,000 of Southeast Asian American community members from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have been issued orders of deportation, and 14,000 more are living in a state of limbo, uncertain of when ICE will try to detain them. This aggression follows the biggest Cambodian and Vietnamese detention round up in 2017, and the biggest deportation of Cambodian immigrants in 2018. In response, we are joining a National Week of Action against Southeast Asian Deportation to build power in our communities and denounce the unjust detention and deportations terrorizing our communities.

Solidarity with the Central American Exodus

‼️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 make 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.

Resources and Education About the Migrant Exodus

The Immigration Justice AP has compiled some resources to help you talk with others and build solidarity with the families and individuals migrating from Central America.

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 support the fundraiser set up for Julio!

RESIST YPIP - SIGN THE PETITION!

The Boston Police Dept. is engaged in a Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program called Youth and Police Initiative Plus (YPIP) that targets Somali youth ages 13-17, getting them to talk to BPD officers under the indefensible assumption that they are inherently violent. More than 25 organizations signed our letter demanding BPD pull out of YPIP, yet they've continued. Sign the petition above!

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

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! There is one more hearing in January: January 17th in Allston-Brighton.
• 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

SUPPORT PARTICIPATORY DEFENSE

SURJB is working to partially fund meals for Families for Justice as Healing's Participatory Defense weekly sessions. At these sessions, court-involved community members work together to defend themselves against the racist court system! Please note your donation is for Participatory Defense in the "additional info" line. Ongoing need is $75 per week, and any amount helps!

PRIMARY CARETAKERS ADVOCACY WEBINAR

Tuesday, January 22, 1-3pm

Learn more about the strategies and tactics that worked in MA to pass community-based sentencing for primary caretakers of dependent children. This webinar is part of the Reimagining Communities Initiative sponsored by The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

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 LGBTQ/HIV+ prisoners' letters, learn about their struggles, and help out the Black and Pink family!

• Saturdays in Lower Allston: from 12 -3pm at Swissbäkers. Contact Eli at eli@newgreyhair.com or Facebook page; wheelchair accessible
• Wednesdays in JP: 7-9pm at First Baptist Church, 633 Centre Street Jamaica Plain, MA.  Contact Annie at Annieatwater@gmail.com; wheelchair accessible
• *NEW* Sundays in Cambridge: 3-6pm at Democracy Center, 45 Mt Auburn St in Cambridge; partially wheelchair accessible, no accessible bathroom