SURJ Boston Actions & Updates

Public Education

📋 Please sign the Boston Education Justice Alliance BEJA pledge demanding that all Boston Public Schools have a baseline budget to assure funding for essentials such as clean water, libraries, teachers, counselors, nurses, etc. SURJ as an organization has signed on, but it will be helpful to have as many individuals sign on as we can!

Housing Justice

☎ KEEP CALLING FOR RENT CONTROL!

The committee vote on the Tenant Protection Act has been postponed until March 31st, so there are 7 weeks left to call your legislators! Read more from Right to the City Boston and find out more information about calling! Remember to report that you called to track our efforts.

📋 Let's Get 1,000 Signatures for #OurSuffolkDowns!

Sign PUEBLO East Boston’s petition demanding an emergency meeting with Mayor Walsh! The PUEBLO East Boston Coalition’s demands are for 50% of units at a truly affordable rate of 30% area median income (AMI) and a community benefits agreement that a portion of profits are used for affordable housing and environmental reparations. Sign the petition and share on social media! #OurSuffolkDowns #NuestroSuffolkDowns

📋 CHANGE THE INCLUSIONARY DEVELOPMENT POLICY (IDP) AND WIN TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Coalition for a Truly Affordable Boston is organizing to demand bold changes to the city's affordable housing policy to address the crisis of displacement faced by working class communities. 13% affordability is not enough. We need private developers to include 1/3 affordable housing to help our communities thrive, at lower rents & prices we can truly afford. Learn more about the coalition and sign up here for email updates on the campaign.

✊ Canvass Monthly with City Life/Vida Urbana

The SURJ Housing Justice Action Partnership is seeking canvassers to support City Life/Vida Urbana’s anti-displacement work on the third Saturday of every month. Canvassers help CLVU learn about what housing issues are happening locally, and spread the word about City Life so people can connect with housing justice organizing work and legal support. If you are interested in attending a canvass or if you'd like to learn more, please reach out to Brian at brian@mutualaid.info.

Prison Abolition

📋 FREE RAYMOND GAINES

Sign this petitition to demand a retrial for Raymond Gaines who was wrongfully convicted of 1st degree murder and armed robbery in 1975. He has been wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years, stolen from his family, loved ones, and community.

✊ COURT SUPPORT FOR SHERRIE ANDRE

Sherrie Andre, co-founder of FANG Collective, was arrested in 2018 for a nonviolent direct action held in solidarity with ICE detainees in Mass. Come pack the courtroom for Sherrie and show Bristol County that we will not be silent. Learn more and RSVP here.
Thursday, March 5, 8:30 AM
New Bedford District Court

☎ SUPPORT OUR INCARCERATED FAMILY

Community member calls and lobbying made a huge impact on bills we know will make life better for our people inside and their loved ones. Keep calling your legislators (who you can find by clicking here) to show your support for our incarcerated family.

Stronger Visits - this bill reported out positively in the Senate; in the House study is continued until May. Families need to have dignified visits, with no limits on number of visitors or number of people visited. Maintaining close connections with loved ones is key to successfully returning home and coping with incarceration.

Free Phone Calls - this bill would bring an end to the practice of robbing families in order to pay corporate kickbacks to huge prison services’ companies like Securus. Phone calls must be free! Let your legislators know we demand to stay connected to our people.

Dangerousness Hearings - Our legislators must not support this bill. H. 66/S. 933 expands the use of “dangerousness” hearings to hold more and more people in jail before they have been convicted of a crime. This has been disproportionately applied to people of color and further expansions of the practice are totally inappropriate. Our people need to be on the streets, fighting their cases!

💵 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.

Immigration Justice

✊ DRIVING LICENSES FOR ALL PHONE BANK

Sunday, March 8, 4:00 PM
Workbar Central Square, Cambridge MA

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 http://bit.ly/dff_signup so that we'll be able to contact you with more information.

💵 WELCOME THY HOME!

With support from his family and community, Thy Chea returned home last week after an 18-month fight against the Department of Homeland Security for a wrongful deportation. Support AARW in raising money for his resettlement back to the US! Learn more about his story and contribute here.

📖 Read BIJAN’s response to the news of CBP Tactical Units in Boston

News broke this past week about Customs and Border Protection’s deployment of tactical units across the states. Read Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network’s post for additional context about how this news relates to the highly militarized federal targeting of Muslim, Black, and Indigenous communities, and for more information about what steps we can all take in response.

💵 Support MJL’s 5th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser

Saturday, 2/29, 7:30-10PM
Chinatown

Celebrate Muslim Justice League’s 5 years of organizing and advocacy in Boston! Can’t attend the celebration? Make an anniversary gift here!

💵 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.

Childcare

✊ Volunteer with the Greater Boston Childcare Collective

GBCC supports local racial justice and intersectional organizing by providing free childcare during meetings, events, and actions so that caregivers and children can fully participate. We provide care for groups being led by folks most impacted by oppression and who are on the front lines of their movements. Find out more information about GBCC here and on Facebook.

The GBCC Planning Team is looking for people who want to volunteer as a carer and for those interested in volunteering as a member of the GBCC Planning Team. The Planning Team does all the behind-the-scenes work of partner relationship building, care coordinating, and future planning. As we enter our fourth year of existence, we want to grow our network, Planning Team, and sustainability. Join us if you are invested in racial justice and enjoy caring for kids!

Fill out our Volunteer Interest Form if you'd like to become a volunteer carer.

Contact Morgan at morganch93@gmail.com if you'd like to learn more about joining the GBCC Planning Team or with any questions.

Movement for Black Lives

✊ Monthly Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

Thursday, March 5, 5:30-6:30 PM
First Baptist JP, 633 Centre St, Jamaica Plain MA

Community Change, Inc.

Join Community Change, Inc. and Network for Social Justice for AROS 2.0

May 8th and 9th

Looking to build your anti-racist organizing skills?
Committed to working with white people on racial justice?
Want to take action towards racial justice but not sure how?
Want to learn how to talk with other white folks about racism?

This 2.5 day training program is designed to help you become a better organizer for racial and social justice in your community. For more information and to register, contact Fran at fran@communitychangeinc.org

Get Educated

Confronting Systemic Racism

Starting March 4th, this course will focus on bridging a deep understanding of personal and structural racism into commitments and a solid plan to move forward! Participants will examine their experiential roles in the dynamics of systemic racism and find the next step in framing their roles in social justice movements. The course is geared to talk openly about our lived experiences in a racist and oppressive society as well as move beyond words toward action to dismantle racism, whether in our own personal sphere or in our communities.

International Women's Day SURJ Brunch

Sunday, March 8, 12:30 PM

We'll engage with women from Grassroots International on women's leadership in grassroots movements across the global South. We'll hear about efforts to build an international feminist movement and how we can participate. Potluck; hot and cold beverages provided.

Contact Amelie Ratliff to RSVP and for location info at amelie.ratliff@gmail.com.

Anti-Oppression Meet up

Sunday, March 8, 2:30 - 5:00 PM
Democracy Center (Rosa Parks Room)
45 Mt Auburn St., Cambridge

This meetup is meant to hold space for anyone who wants to fight against oppression and discuss its effects on their lives in a community setting. Through the art of active listening in pairs, small, and whole group, we create a safe space and break down the oppressive system through our close-knit relationships. Our usual format for the meetings consists of share outs of our experiences, struggles, and successes, our reflections on our activist work, as well as the sharing of knowledge, resources, and theories. Main topics of the group meetings vary monthly and serve as a framework to expand the discussions of intersectionality of other oppressions. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Redistribution + Investment Study Group

Join a 4-week (Feb. 18-March 10) study group using a reparations lens to think about redistributing individual and collective wealth, with a focus on the Boston Ujima Project.

Understanding Islam Introductory Course

Wednesdays, March 18 - April 15 (4 sessions, no class April 8), 7:00-9:00 PM
Boston Workers Circle, 6 Webster St., Brookline

Understanding Islam: A Muslim Woman’s Perspective on the Essence of Islam, the Diversity of the Muslim World, and its Relationship with the West. This course is designed to bring an alternative voice, and a glimpse of the wider, sweeping, story of the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world.

Hayat will answer questions such as: Who are we? What do Muslims find so appealing in Islam? What do we believe? What underlies Islamic culture and community? What is our experience with non-Muslims?

Lecture and discussion based. Each session will include a presentation, interspersed with time for questions and answers.Find out more and register here.

SURJ Brunch with CCI trainer Donna Bivens on Desegregation and the Busing Crisis in Boston

Sunday, May 3, 12:30 PM

SAVE THE DATE! Community Change Inc. trainer Donna Bivens has been leading educational sessions on the history of racism in Boston for decades. She's looked particularly at the Busing Crisis and she'll engage with us in unpacking the history of that era and what it means for us today.