Actions this week from SURJ-Showing Up for Racial Justice

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By Coy •

Here are materials and information to help you engage more white people in local actions in support of Mike Brown, the people of Ferguson and the ongoing fight against systemic racism by the good people of SURJ.
 

Friend —

Thanks to so many of you who joined us for the SURJ call  on Ferguson this weekend. We got a great response from the 1,100 people   who registered, more then 500 people who were on the call and many others who  were unable to join.  You can find notes, additional resources and an audio link to the call here.
As promised, here are materials and information to help you engage more white   people in local actions in support of Mike Brown, the people of Ferguson and   the ongoing fight against systemic racism.

Actions

  • Monday:   #HandsUpWalkOut –#FergusonAction is asking you and your organizations to   support a mass walk out on Monday at 1:01pm   ET / 12:01pm CT / 11:01am MT / 10:01am PT —the time that Mike   Brown was murdered. Folks can put their hands up as they leave their job,   schools or wherever they are and gather together. Please share widely on   social media using #HandsUpWalkOut.  Click here for an image to   share.
  • Street action: The   request from Ferguson is for ongoing actions at the Department of   Justice and US Attorneys Offices this   week to demand that civil rights charges be brought against Officer   Darren Wilson AND that federal agencies work harder to push racial justice   reforms within police departments – ideally between Tuesday, 12/2 and Friday,   12/5. Click here to add your   action to list from across the country.
  • Sign on to the Ferguson Action National Vision   as an individual or an organization.
  • Join Ferguson Actions national text network. Text “HANDSUP” to 90975.
  • Build a local legal   support team. Get the basics on our conference call this Wednesday, December   3rd at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT. Register here.

We want you! 

SURJ was created to engage more   white people in action for racial justice.  Please take a minute to make sure we   have the best information for you so we can connect you to others in your   area and support your work on the ground.  You can also find   us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or check out our website for more on   SURJ.
 

Key Messages
Here are the main ideas we, as white people should communicate at actions and   in public as we stand with #Ferguson:

  1. CONTEXT:  What happened        in Ferguson is not the exception but the rule in a system based on white        supremacy.  People of Color have endured hundreds of years of        systemic racism and oppression. Today one of the main sources of        oppression is the mass incarceration system that disproportionately        targets People of Color, and a judicial system that does not offer all of        us equal protection under the law. At SURJ, we believe that the level of        anti-black racism and violence endemic in our system didn’t allow for a        fair grand jury hearing in Ferguson.
  2. SOLIDARITY: What is happening        in Ferguson and around the country through an increase in police        violence impacts all our struggles.  When government (via the        police) is allowed to kill without consequence, People of Color carry        the brunt and all our civil liberties are at risk.  This puts a        chill on all activism.  White people need to identify our mutual        interest with People of Color and what our stake is to make deep and        systemic change.
  3. WHITE SILENCE: White silence        stokes the racism that divides People of Color and White working class        people, who have every reason to stand together for better wages, better        air, affordable housing, and an end to war.  We need to stand        together with communities targeted for police abuse, because otherwise,        we cannot build the unity we need to move forward.  It is in the        interest of white people to stand against this repression for our own        lives and those of people we love.
  4. NATIONAL CRISIS: People of        Color have called for White people to act.  People of Color are        putting their bodies on the line and it is time for White people of        conscience to do the same. White people need to make a choice, right        now. All over the country, White people are already taking nonviolent        action, from marching in the streets to creating legal defense        funds.  These issues affect us all.

Our commitment is to take action   now to raise the tension and support Ferguson, and we will be organizing with   you to engage more white people in the future to address the root causes of   this state violence.

Yours in Struggle,

 

 

Dara, Carla, Sam,   Meta, Sean, Lisa, Murphy, Pam and JLove

SURJ Leadership   Team 

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
http://showingupforracialjustice.nationbuilder.com/
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Showing Up for Racial Justice   (SURJ) · United States
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