SURJ Boston

Immigration Justice

Asian American Resource Workshop

For Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AARW is partnering with other organizations to host a series of events:

May 29: Screening of Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community - locally made, community-driven short films about the Asian American experience and community. 6:30-8:30 at the Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany Street, Boston.

May 31: Screening of The Hungry Tide, about efforts to protect the central Pacific nation of Kiribati from sea level rise. 6-9 pm at AARW, 42 Charles St., Suite D, Dorchester. Supporting donations of $3-5. Learn more here: http://thehungrytide.com.au/kiribati-history/

No Displacement of Residents

Sunday, June 2, 12-4
Dorchester Not for Sale is marching in the Dorchester Day Parade. Join us to say no displacement of residents, including our immigrant neighbors!  The parade starts at 1PM from Richmond St and Dorchester Ave. (the closest T stop is Butler on the Red Line). When we get our parade line-up position we will update the event info. Sign up to volunteer here. SURJ Partner: Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).

The Lobster Feed

Saturday, June 22, 12-9 at Haymarket People’s Fund, 42 Seaverns Ave, Boston

A celebration of organizations doing grassroots organizing in Boston, including:
Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)
Muslim Justice League
Student Immigrant Movement (SIM)
Families for Justice as Healing (FJAH)

Tickets $25-100. For more detailed information, the menu, and tickets see the Eventbrite: bit.ly/2019LobsterFeed

Muslim Justice League

We continue to urge the Boston Police Department to end its involvement in CVE, including the Youth and Police Initiative Plus (YPIP) program that treats Somali Diaspora youth as potential "extremists." Raise Your Voice: (1) sign the petition at tinyurl.com/StopYPIP and (2) Tweet or post a facebook message -- using #StopYPIP -- if you believe Boston should not treat our communities as national security threats based on religion, race, or where we're from.  

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.

Vigil In Support of Black Lives Matter

Thursday, June 6th at 5:30 PM in front of First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St in Jamaica Plain. Karlene Griffiths Sekou from Black Lives Matter Boston will be the speaker.

Prison Abolition

SEND POSTCARDS FOR CLEMENCY!

The first phase of the Clemency Campaign is now until July 31. It's not too late to sign up! We will be mobilizing our communities to send 1 postcard per week asking Governor Baker to release women who:

• are elderly
• have a long-term illness
• are enduring a long bid (more than 10 years)
• are criminalized survivors of violence

We are also sending postcards to the parole board since they have decision making power. If you commit to do this PLEASE email Ruckus (enviropacifibinarchafeminist@gmail.com) and Ashley (ashley.tartarilla@gmail.com) so they can keep track.

Call for Quilters!

Are you a quilter? A later phase of the clemency campaign above will need many quilters to support making giant quilt with patches for each women enduring incarceration. If you’re interested, email Ashley (ashley.tartarilla@gmail.com)

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!

BLACK & PINK VOLUNTEER DROP IN

Black and Pink’s mission is to abolish the criminal punishment system and to liberate LGBTQIA2S+ people/people living with HIV who are affected by that system, through advocacy, support, and organizing.

These drop ins welcome any kind of abolitionist energy, whether reading and entering mail into the database, writing letters, playing cards, or just chatting. Formerly incarcerated and court involved people especially encouraged to attend. Cis, straight and/or free world allies are welcome!

• 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

RALLY!: SOLIDARITY WITH RENTERS AT STONY BROOK VILLAGE

Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 to 4 PM, 140-145 Navarre St & 150 Clare Ave, Hyde Park
The Stony Brook Tenants Union formed in November 2018 to fight against the unhealthy housing conditions, rent increases, and evictions at Stony Brook Village in Hyde Park, a subsidized apartment complex. The landlord (Lincoln Ave Capital) and building management (Sawyer Realty Holdings) have not addressed SBTU’s complaints or engaged in any way. Come show up for Stony Brook tenants and tell Lincoln Ave Capital: meet with the union and meet our demands!

Plan JP/Rox Ongoing Work

As a part of ongoing work coming out of resistance to the Boston Planning and Development Agency’s Plan JP/Rox, we have engaged in a series of opportunities at a project by project basis to demand development without displacement, specifically with a large developer and management company, City Realty. Please stay tuned with how to support this ongoing work!

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        

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 Education

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.