SURJ Boston
Actions & Updates
May 5, 2019
SUPPORT THE STUDENT IMMIGRANT MOVEMENT!
Student Immigrant Movement (SIM), a grassroots organization of young folks fighting for immigrant rights and currently working with Movimiento Cosecha to get driver's licenses for all, is being targeted by right wing trolls posting hateful comments and reviews on their Facebook page. Here’s what you can do to support them:
1. "Like" the SIM Facebook page.
2. Don't fight with the haters directly. NOT worth it.
3. "Like" or "Love" the videos on SIM's page, especially the ones with many negative comments. Post your own positive comments on the videos.
4. Post a positive review of SIM by clicking on Reviews on the sidebar and then saying "Yes" to recommending SIM and then write something positive
ATTEND HEARING FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY IN MASSACHUSETTS
On Tuesday, May 7, there will be a hearing at the State House in Boston on a bill for a statewide Indigenous Peoples Day in Massachusetts. If you are able, show up to show your support! If you can't attend, please send written testimony. Testimony from people of Italian descent is especially helpful!
SURJ BOSTON 2019 BUDGET FUNDRAISER
We are now fundraising to cover our 2019 internal expenses (meeting space, accessibility, childcare, etc.). Donations can be made through Network for Good and our parent organization CCI. Be sure to write “SURJ” in the “purpose of donation” box so that funds can be properly attributed to SURJ. Please donate to SURJB out of funds separate from what you would give to POC-led partner organizations and campaigns or CCI; we don't want to take any resources away from these groups!
Prison Abolition
Support Sisters Unchained
Sisters Unchained is a program
dedicated to the collective leadership, healing, and creative expression
of women and non-gender conforming people of color who are impacted by
incarceration. They currently have people on the waiting list for their
programs, so give today so they can bring more women and GNC folks into
their work!
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! Note your donation is for Participatory Defense in the "additional info" line. Ongoing need is $75 per week, and any amount helps! Donate here.
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. Note: this drop in's last day will be May 25.
- Wednesdays in JP: 7-9pm at First Baptist Church, 633 Centre Street Jamaica Plain, MA. Contact Annie at annieatwater@gmail.com; wheelchair accessible.
- Sundays in Cambridge: 3-6pm at Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn St in Cambridge; partially wheelchair accessible, no accessible bathroom.
Housing Justice
CanvasS with City Life/Vida Urbana
Saturday May 18th. @10:00 for Tenant Organizing Meeting, @11:30 am for the canvass until 1:30 pm for debrief and lunch. The Housing Justice group is recruiting volunteers to join City Life/Vida Urbana’s canvassing work to help City Life learn about what housing issues are happening locally and spread the word about City Life so people can connect with organizing work and legal support at City Life's weekly meetings. If you are interested in getting involved with canvassing, email Hannah at hannah.poor143@gmail.com.
Petition for Brent Street families facing building-wide eviction
Fernando Dalfior and Brad Cangiamila bought 18 Brent Street in Dorchester this past March. They immediately issued eviction notices to EVERYONE in the building. Clearly, they're trying to flip this whole apartment building just to maximize their own profit. And we won't stand for it. Please sign this petition to help the Brent Street families save their homes!
Solidarity and Reparations
Ujima, Solidarity Economics, & Reparations 101
Workshop - Saturday, May 11, 1-4pm
Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont St, Floor 5 in the Blue Room
Ujima is an ecosystem-based approach to community economic development. Our model democratically centers control with Boston’s working class communities and communities of color - those most impacted by and least consulted with about economic development projects in our city. Ujima uses a democratic process to invest in and shift resources toward businesses that meet our collective community standards as part of a reparations framework of wealth and power redistribution.
- Invest in Ujima today: find instructions in this pdf file.
- RSVP for the workshop through this google form.
DONATE: WESTERN MASS SURJ REPARATIONS CAMPAIGN
Western Mass SURJ has been working on a cross-class reparations campaign in close partnership with a multiracial coalition of grassroots organizers. They are collecting reparations payments on behalf of and in coalition with Stickii Quest and ShaeShae Quest, who are Black queer and trans organizers living in Springfield. These payments will go towards the purchase of a house in Springfield in late 2019. Read more about this exciting campaign and DONATE.
Public Ed
Fund Our Future Day of Action
Thursday, May 16
Lobby Day: 1-5pm
Rally: 5pm
Massachusetts State House
This is a critical event as the State House has three bills pending to address education funding and ONLY the Promise Act includes funding for low income students. Members of SURJB Public Ed Action Partnership will be there. Look for more info soon on how to find us.
Organize for the Promise Act
Know anyone in Wellesley, Weston, or Wayland that is interested in equity in Public Education?
Please have them contact Tonya Tedesco (tonyatedesco@gmail.com). In conjunction with BEJA & MEJA, we are doing suburban outreach to win support for the Promise Act.
Immigration Justice
Golden Stairs Immigration Center
Support the GoFundMe campaign of activist attorneys who are building a nonprofit to centralize their pro bono legal services for vulnerable, low-income immigrants and asylum seekers. Their missions is to assist asylum seekers, stop deportations and family separation, and provide access to counsel for non-citizens who would never otherwise be able to afford these vital services.
CALL-IN TO SUPPORT ICE DETAINEES
While February's 70 person strong hunger strike has ended, we must continue the pressure for better
conditions at the facility and for all detainees to be immediately
released. Please read the full list of grievances sent from the detainees
and
call Sheriff Tompkins @ (617-704-6655), Suffolk County DA Rollins
(617-619-4000), and Governor Baker (617-725-4005) to demand humane
conditions and the shutdown of the ICE facility.
Boston Immigrant Justice Accompaniment Network
Join our network of members fighting the injustice of our racist immigration system of detention and deportation through rides, donations, letters, advocacy, home hospitality, and much more.
Join: bit.ly/joinBIJAN | Donate: beyondbondboston.org
Share: bit.ly/BIJANflyer | Host: bit.ly/BIJANhousing
Movement for Black Lives
BLM Boston Campaign 21
BLM Boston regularly works to coordinate financial support for Black women and children fleeing abuse and/or experiencing housing insecurity. Become a monthly donor to BLMB to help them create a pool of resources for urgent needs! PAYPAL for one-time donations is m4blmboston@gmail.com.
Community Change Inc.
SURJ Boston is a project of Community Change Inc (CCI), a Boston-based organization shining a spotlight on the roots of racism in white culture with the intention of dealing with racism at its source.
Knapsack Anti-Racism Group
Knapsack is a multiracial group hosted by Community Change Inc that is committed to challenging the system of racism in the United States and the world. We engage in dialogue, build community, and support the efforts of racial justice leaders and organizations. We are dedicated to the struggle for shared liberation.
White People Challenging Racism
Moving From Talk to Action: Find classes and Sign up on the WPCR website
Feeling overwhelmed?
Commit to doing just one thing this week.
We can do this.