February 24, 11 AM at the State House & 2:30 PM on Zoom
Join us to learn more about how you can take action to support legislative advocacy across issues like youth jobs, education, housing, juvenile justice and more. Youth, young adults, and leaders across Massachusetts will present their perspectives on how to shift disparities young people experience across these issues and share demands that improve mental health, create safer environments, and uplift resources (both in our schools and in our communities). Lastly, we will dream forward to the other side of a carceral state as we pose vision and strategies for community-rooted collaboration.
We invite you to join us and take action with us! Register here!
February 21, 6:30 PM
What’s going on with Black teachers? Join the discussion with Black Teachers Matter on Monday, 2/21. Register by completing the google form.
Every Wednesday 12-1 PM, as well as every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 7 PM, SURJ Boston members will guide you through actions curated from our BIPOC-led partners' priorities for that week! We also offer training in how to host action hours for your own community from 1-1:30 PM on the last Wednesday of the month. Action hours are open to all! Bring friends! :) Register here!
The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Boston has decided to host a talk by Jordan Peterson, a transphobic and misogynist academic popular among the Alt-Right, on Feb 24. Take action with us and tell the Orpheum management: No Platform for Hate!
Read and share the New England White Supremacists website.
No fault evictions should never happen, especially during a pandemic. Mutual aid is standing with neighbors facing evictions — join us to stand in solidarity with neighbors across the city.
Three important bills—which if passed could be major wins for housing justice—are still on the table at the state house. Call and email your legislators today to voice your support for 1) The COVID Housing Equity Bill 2) lifting the ban on rent control and 3) the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) Act.
After 4 years of organizing, the residents of 6 Humphrey’s Place in Dorchester won a huge victory: their building was bought by the Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust, ensuring permanent affordability and community control. Read City Life/Vida Urbana’s year end recap to learn about other updates.
February 24, 7:00-8:30 PM
Prof. Mays is Afro-Indigenous (Saginaw Anishnaabe) and is an Assistant Professor at UCLA. Join for this event, part of UAINE and NAICOB’s 2022 Indigenous Liberation speaker series.
February 27, 5:00 PM
Come listen to, learn from, and be inspired by visionaries who have been organizing at the forefront of movements from the Philippines, to Minnesota, to Palestine. Register here.
Contact us with any questions. See our document for further ways to take action.
Can’t make meetings, but still want to hear about just-in-time actions you can take to support public education? Fill out our interest survey!
March 12, 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Are you a BPS educator or caregiver/parent? Join the Family2Family Conference to support family engagement, promote family advocacy, and strengthen family and educator collaboration. Interpretation available, can join in person or on zoom. Register here.
Boston Public Schools will publish an "Emergency School Review" of Mission Hill School very soon, and they need to hear from you. Join Boston Education Justice Alliance and Boston Teachers Union: fill out this form and add your own comments, which will be sent to key administrators and local elected officials.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed the Work & Family Mobility Act, moving Massachusetts closer to becoming the 17th state to allow undocumented community members to access driver’s licenses! The next step is for the bill to get passed by the state senate. Keep up with the campaign through the Driving Families Forward page and Cosecha Massachusetts, and send a thank you to your house representative!
⭐️ 🔥 ABOLITION ACTION HOUR
February 28, 6:00 PM on Zoom
The next monthly abolition action hour will be hosted by SURJ Boston! Join us to support incredible abolitionist campaigns from stopping prison construction to creating community alternatives to policing. Register here!
Phone bank Thursdays 5-7 PM or canvass on weekends 12-2:30 PM to help pass the Prison and Jail Construction Moratorium Bill and stop the new women's prison! More details here.
March 1, 7-8:30 PM, RSVP and Donate here.
After months of work, The Black Response is ready to launch Cambridge HEART, a new alternative public safety program. Support by attending a virtual fundraiser on March 1st - or just donate online! (And help SURJB track our donations by filling out this form!)
On 1/10, #DeeperThanWater organizers broke the news of a rampant rodent infestation at MCI Shirley. Since then, the administration has taken minimal action to stop the health risks and loss of food rodents cause incarcerated people. Share the post and help #DeeperThanWater pay for a year’s worth of sanitary food for lead organizer, Wayland Coleman.
While many of us have had our lives return to “normal,” this pandemic is still negatively impacting our neighbors, particularly those of color, more than ever. Please lend support where you can!
We have porches set up as donation drop-off sites please email us to get the address for a drop-off site of your choice: Belmont, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain, Medford, Somerville, and West Roxbury.
Donations have been extremely low as of late. Please help us pick it up if you can!
Urgent needs:
If you would like to donate funds to our partners as well/instead: (We’d appreciate an email at surjbmutualaid@gmail.com to let us know you donated!)
Join community members from across Massachusetts at Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council's Racial Justice solidarity study group Tuesdays at 6pm followed by action circle at 7pm, both virtual. We will push for reparations for slavery and racial equity from the War on Drugs municipality by municipality across Massachusetts Learn and apply with community standing in solidarity for racial justice for cities across Massachusetts today. Change can't wait. Register today!
The New Democracy Coalition and Massachusetts Peace Action are hosting a discussion of "How the Word is Passed" by Clint Smith and what actions anti-racist activists can take in response.
Engage with us as we discuss: Whiteness Hurts (study group), books, and more. See our upcoming Zoom discussions / meetings; RSVP if you can attend.
Knapsack Facebook discussions are an
alternative to the Knapsack Meetup group; it is not required to join this FB group to join/attend the Meetup group.
Moving From Talk to Action: Find workshops and sign up on the WPCR website.
Sign up to receive communications directly from SURJ Boston groups around political education opportunities and ways to take action.
SURJ Boston is a project of Community Change Inc (CCI), a Boston-based organization promoting racial justice and equity by challenging systemic racism and acting as a catalyst for anti-racist
learning and action.
In 1968, as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and in response to the Kerner Commission which named racism as "a white problem”, CCI was birthed. CCI promotes racial justice and equity by challenging systemic racism and acting as a catalyst for anti-racist learning and action. CCI accomplishes its mission through education, advocacy and working in solidarity with others to organize for change.
Feeling overwhelmed?
Commit to doing just one thing this week.
We can do this.
Read more about SURJ Boston and ways to get involved on our website.