SURJ Boston

Public Education

✉️ 🔥 Take Action Now to Keep Schools Safe from COVID!

Urge Mayor Wu & BPS to keep the mask requirement and improve ventilation. Here are 3 steps you can take:

1. Send emails to city officials in a few clicks here
2. Join BPS Families for COVID Safety - we meet weekly on Fridays. For more info & Zoom link, go to: https://bit.ly/FamCOSaSignup
   

💵 Donate to Boston Youth Organizing Project (BYOP)

BYOP is committed to building youth power by creating youth-led spaces, with membership made of 60% of immigrant families and 45% young people who have been in and out of the system. The leadership team is currently made up of all Black women living in the very communities our base is coming from, and facing some of the challenges we are uplifting. We are currently raising funds to support membership and the “Neighbor to Neighbor” mutual aid program. Please contribute through Paypal.

⭐️ 🔥 Speak out for BPS!

There are two major changes on the horizon: possible state takeover (receivership) and fighting for an elected school committee! Please attend and give testimony for:

• Hearing on Receivership, April 11 at 10 AM: Sign up for testimony by emailing JUAN.LOPEZ@BOSTON.GOV
• Hearing on Elected School Committee, April 11 at 4 PM: Sign up for testimony by emailing CHRISTINE.ODONNELL@BOSTON.GOV

⭐️ 🔥 Provide input on the Elected School Committee!

Join Elect the BSC on Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30 pm via Zoom for a town hall on the structure of an elected Boston School Committee. Register at https://bit.ly/ElectTheBSCTownHall to join the discussion.

Mutual Aid

🔥 💵 Help us redistribute resources to our neighbors!

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:

• The Cape Verdean Association of Boston (CVAB): Food & essential supplies are still GREATLY needed, please give what you can: See the full updated list of needs here. Food and supplies to stay safe from COVID-19 are in the greatest demand.
• Volunteers to help with the food pantry on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. More information here.

💵 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!)

• Cape Verdean Association of Boston
• Community For Us By Us
• VietAID

Confronting White Supremacists

⭐️ 🍎 WHY WE CAN’T ALLOW THE FAR-RIGHT TO HOLD PUBLIC SPACE

A new article from “It’s Going Down” analyzes recent trends in fascist organizing and anti-fascist responses in Boston. Read more about our local far-right groups on the New England White Supremacists website.

Prison Abolition

✉️ 🔥 LETTER CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT MELISSA LUCIO

Stop the state of Texas from murdering Melissa Lucio for her child’s accidental death: Write physical letters to support her. Details here; more on Youtube.

☎️ 🔥 RALLY, PHONE BANK, CANVASS FOR PRISON MORATORIUM BILL (NEW LINK!)

Join us for a rally on 4/9 (Framingham) to help get the bill to stop the new women’s prison out of committee before 4/15! Other ways to help: Phone bank Thursdays 5-7pm, or join a weekend canvass to ask constituents to call their legislators. Sign up here (even if you already have—new link!)

⭐️ 💵 Tax Refund Re-distribution for Cambridge HEART!

If you got a tax refund and it is surplus for you, please consider redistributing toward Cambridge HEART, a Black-led, community-based alternative public safety program that is being built from the ground up right now. Cambridge HEART is raising $550,000 to hire 10 community members as first responders at a living wage of $50,000/year plus benefits. The SURJB HEART support team has set a goal of raising $50,000 through our SURJ community and networks. Use this form to pledge some (or all!) of your tax return.

Job opportunity: Co-director at Cambridge HEART

Cambridge HEART is hiring a Co-Director of Administration, Programs, & Operations (Full-time). Could this be you? Check it out and share, especially with folks from Cambridge and members of communities most impacted by current carceral systems.

Indigenous Solidarity

⭐️ 🔥 2022 UU Mass Action Advocacy Day

Tues. April 12, 11am-4pm

Lobby MA legislators about the MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda with UU Mass Action!

⭐️ 🍎 WATCH: A conversation with Indigenous Women Leaders

Check out this recording of last week’s event from the UAINE and NAICOB 2022 Indigenous Liberation Speaker Series.

✉️ ☎️ IMPORTANT AND EXCITING UPDATE: THE MA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY BILL has been extended in committee until April 14!!

That means the bill is still alive and there is hope for it this legislative session. Please EMAIL and CALL the State Admin and Regulatory Oversight Committee and tell them you want the IPD bill voted out favorably. Use this link to send an automated email to Committee members. Click here to get the script and phone numbers.

📋 PROTECT THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT

Native children are under legal attack in Brackeen v. Haaland. If their attempt to have a conservative-majority Supreme Court overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act is successful, the door will be open to the total elimination of tribal sovereignty. Take action now to stop this horrific attack on Native rights!

📋 SAVE THE PINE BARRENS

Sign the petition for a statewide moratorium on state subsidies for destructive ground mounted solar.

Contact us with any questions and for more info on the #FreeLeonardPeltier petition and other related actions.

Housing Justice

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.

📋 PETITION: DORCHESTER BAY CITY SHOULD BE FOR US!

Join Dot Not 4 Sale in pushing back on a multi-billion-dollar private development on public land. Sign the petition.

☎️ CALL LEGISLATORS: SAVE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING IN BOSTON LONG TERM WITH H.4229

Help save affordable housing at the Forbes building in JP, the Babcock Towers, and other subsidized housing in Boston long term. Ask legislators to co-sponsor State House bill H.4229.

☎️ ✉️ PUSH A HOUSING JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

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.

Immigration Justice

✉️ BECOME A PEN PAL FOR BIJAN MEMBER IN ICE JAIL

The Boston Immigration Accompaniment Network is looking for pen pals to serve as a form of emotional support, outreach, and connection to the outside world to their members in ICE detention. Sign up to become a pen pal here–they are particularly looking for folks who speak Spanish.