SURJ Boston

Prison Abolition

COLLECT SIGNATURES FOR MASS POWER CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE #Right2Vote

The signature collecting for the Mass POWER campaign has begun! We have 100,000 signatures to get by November 20th, so we need all hands on deck. To sign up to canvas, please fill out this form.

Mass POWER Signature Captain Training: Sunday, November 3, 2:30-4:30 PM at the Democracy Center, 45 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge (partially wheelchair accessible, on site bathroom is not ADA compliance). Please RSVP by Saturday, November 2!

This training will equip you to lead signature gathering events in your community, sign up here!

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 who would:

• coordinate a meal happening every 2 months (doesn't mean you DO everything, but you make sure everything HAPPENS)
• get groceries, cook for 20-25, deliver to FJAH in Roxbury

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

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.

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!

• 1st/3rd 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.

SURJ Fundraiser for CCI

DONATE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY CHANGE INC.!

SURJ Boston is kicking off an end-of-year fundraiser to support CCI, our local parent organization, which has been doing the work of organizing white people against white supremacy since 1968, linking us to over 50 years of liberation work! Our goal is to raise $8,500 to support CCI’s work to dismantle systemic racism through education and action. Donate and learn more about CCI's work.

Movement for Black Lives

Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

First Thursday of each month, 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Lawn of First Baptist Church, 633 Centre St, Jamaica Plain. Guest Speaker, Reading of Names, Silent Vigil, Announcements. Continuing every month since December 2015.

Confronting White Supremacy

Ongoing Solidarity with Victims of Operation Clean Sweep

Check out Boston Users Union's demands on Twitter, and contribute material aid - arrange pick up/drop off by direct messaging @classymscassie on Twitter

• Gift cards: Dunkin' Donuts, 7-11, McDonalds, Panera, CVS, Target
• Backpacks
• duffel bags
• sleeping bags
• adult sized hoodies
• new socks

Housing Justice

Rally for Rent Control and Tenant Protections!

Tuesday, October 29, 12-1:30 PM

"On October 29, housing justice advocates and elected officials are coming together to build the movement for tenant protections and to put local options for rent control back on the table in Massachusetts!" Join City Life/Vida Urbana, Dorchester Not For Sale, the Chinese Progressive Association, Right to the City Boston, and many others to rally for rent control, tenant protections, and bill H.3924, "An Act Enabling Local Options for Tenant Protections."

TAKE THE RENT CONTROL PLEDGE - WE CAN BRING RENT CONTROL BACK TO BOSTON!

• Communities of color, immigrants, working families - we all deserve affordable, healthy housing.
• Renters, homeowners and small landlords across the country are rising up and winning rent regulation.
• In Boston, real estate giants and their friends at the state house banned rent control 25 years ago. Rents - and property taxes - have spiraled out of control ever since, pushing families and whole communities out of our city.
• We need to place limits on big corporate greed in order to protect our neighborhoods.
• Sign the pledge here.

Immigration Justice

Driving Licenses for All Phone Banks

October 30, 6-9 PM, 145 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111

Come phonebank with us in downtown Boston 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: http://bit.ly/dff_signup so that we'll be able to contact you with more information.

SIM DACA Renewal Fund

The SIM DACA fund is being created to provide economic support to DACA recipients in MA. Applicants have to pay $495 in fees for their renewal application. Many members of our community, including DACA folks, live paycheck to paycheck and often are not able to pay for the application fees. We are asking our community to help the DACA recipients here in MA who are part of our community with any monetary support for their DACA renewal application.

SUFFOLK COUNTY to terminate Ice CONtract

With the recent news of Suffolk County terminating its contract with ICE, please read a statement from BIJAN to better understand the complexity and impacts of this decision (excerpt below):

"Any time a contract with ICE is ended, that is a win for people power. But we can’t fully celebrate the decision of Suffolk County to end its contract with ICE. We can’t celebrate because we fear our community members will be moved to other ICE jails instead of being set free. We can’t celebrate because the space that has caged these members of our community will simply be used to cage different members of our community." Read the rest of their statement.