SURJ Boston

Prison Abolition

MASS POWER SUFFOLK COUNTY FALL KICKOFF!

September 9, 2019, 6:30pm
Connolly Branch of the Boston Public Library 433 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130
Mass POWER - Massachusetts Prisoners and Organizers Working for Enfranchisement and Restoration - is gearing up to restore the #right2vote to everyone incarcerated throughout our state by collecting 80,000+ signatures this fall! Please come out to our kick-off event, this September 9th, to learn a quick history of the right to vote for people ensnared in our criminal punishment system, the process to restore the right to vote and how we are collectively going to do it! #cjreform#votingrights #mapoli

SUPPORT NEW BEGINNINGS!

New Beginnings Reentry Services is a Boston-based nonprofit that supports and empowers formerly incarcerated women and non-binary individuals as they navigate the challenges of reentering their communities. New Beginnings is starting a Women’s Voices Project/Movement that will focus on barriers women face once released. This fundraiser would allow New Beginnings to begin this program and further serve their community via counseling and support services. As they grow, they hope to establish a house for an 18 month residential program. Donate today to help us reach $1000 this month!

Donate Retired Cellphones!

Our friend Jude Glaubman is collecting retired cell phones for women leaving incarceration. If you have phones in usable condition to donate, get in touch with Jude at jglaubman@thecouncil.us

Call for Quilters!

Are you a quilter? We need quilter to support the national, state-by-state effort for women to receive clemency. The quilts will need to be completed by the end of September. Each quilt will feature the names of women seeking clemency in their state. If you’re interested, email Ashley (ashley.tartarilla@gmail.com).

SIGN UP TO BE A MEAL CAPTAIN FOR FJAH PARTICIPATORY DEFENSE!

Looking to feed the movement? Families for Justice As Healing is asking allies to provide meals to support their participatory defense meetings, where people fighting cases get together to plan their legal defenses and find community support. These meetings are based on the model of Mothers in Charge, a Black woman-led organization in PA.

SURJB is seeking meal captains to:

• coordinate a meal happening every 2 months (doesn't mean you DO everything, but you make sure everything HAPPENS)
• get groceries, cook for 15, deliver to FJAH in Roxbury

Interested? Fill out the form and if you have questions email Ray at rachelbish91@gmail.com.

BLACK & PINK VOLUNTEER DROP IN

Black and Pink’s mission is to abolish the criminal punishment system and to liberate LGBTQ+/HIV+ people 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 chatting. Formerly incarcerated and court involved people especially encouraged to attend. Cis, straight and/or free world allies are welcome!

• 2nd/4th 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.

Puerto Rican Solidarity

LOLITA: UN MONÓLOGO SOBRE LA VIDA DE LOLITA LEBRÓN

Saturday, 9/21, 7pm
Snowden Auditorium University Dr N, Boston, Massachusetts 02122

The monologue "Lolita" is a posthumous tribute to the revolutionary leader and former political prisoner Lolita Lebrón. Even though Lolita passed away only about three years ago, there are still many young people and adults who are unfamiliar with the revolutionary legacy this famous Puerto Rican and independence leader left us.  

Housing Justice

RENTERS RISING! A TWO-WEEKEND LONG SERIES OF EVENTS TO BUILD BOSTON'S PEOPLE-POWERED MOVEMENT FOR RENT CONTROL!

A Farm-to-Table Dinner by Onsite Organics with a Performance by David Rovics Benefit Dinner and Music

Saturday, September 21st from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM - JP First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
Tickets between $100 to $250 (includes admission to afterparty & annual CL/VU membership)

Renters Rising! Benefit concert ft. Foundation Movement, David Rovics, Ghetto People Band & Uhynoo

Saturday, September 21st from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM - Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St, Jamaica Plain
$25 Suggested Donation

Renters Rising! Block Party

Saturday, September 28th from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM - The Brewery (upper parking lot), 284 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain
Free and open to all!

DONATE TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT AGAINST EVICTIONS

We are continuing to raise funds for the Grahams, who have been organizing with City Life/Vida Urbana to fight an unjust eviction. Our goal is now to raise a total of $10,000 to cover their attorney fees (which were higher than originally expected) as well as a donation they plan to make to City Life/Vida Urbana to support other families who are fighting displacement in Boston. We still need to raise around $2,600 for the Grahams' fundraiser, and your support is greatly appreciated! Please donate here if you can. Thank you!

Immigration Justice

Driving Licenses for All Phone Bank

TODAY, September 8 at 4 PM, come phonebank with us at Activist Afternoons to help all Massachusetts residents, regardless of immigration status, access the basic right of a driver's license! Please bring a laptop/tablet/other Internet device, and sign up here: https://forms.gle/Dk3ScWK751zpRp3N9 so that we'll be able to contact you with more information.

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: 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.

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 BIJAN | Donate to BIJAN | Share BIJAN| Host someone thru BIJAN

Public Education

make calls for the promise and cherish Acts

SURJ Public Ed's partner BEJA (Boston Education Justice Alliance) is requesting that folks call these reps to support the Promise and the Cherish Act if they live in their district. We need to fund our public schools and colleges by passing these bills this spring – in time for local communities to include the funding in the next academic year’s budget and in time for public college students to avoid tuition and fee hikes this fall. Students can’t afford to wait. More information is here and a phone script for calling is here.

Chyna Tyler of South End/Lower Roxbury
Chynah.Tyler@mahouse.gov (617) 722-2450

Michael Moran of Allston/Brighton/parts of Brookline
Michael.Moran@mahouse.gov  (617) 722-2014

Aaron Michlewitz of Back Bay, Downtown Crossing, parts of Chinatown
Aaron.M.Michlewitz@mahouse.gov  (617) 722-2990

Liz Miranda of Dorchester, Uphams Corner, Fields Corner  
liz.miranda@mahouse.gov (617) 722-2430
*supports the Promise Act (k-12) but not the Cherish Act (higher-ed)  

Kevin Honan, parts of Brighton
Kevin.Honan@mahouse.gov (617) 722-2470
*supports the Promise Act (k-12) but not the Cherish Act (higher-ed)

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.

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.

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.