SURJ Mid Michigan

Black Lives Matter, and Yes, You are Racist: The Parallelism of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

Protests May Prompt Dialogue On Racism, But 'It's Going To Be Uncomfortable' Protests across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd amplified racial divisiveness and prejudice, but that pushed some to try and have hard conversations.

WHAT NOW: AN ANTIRACIST TEACH-IN is coming! I’ll be conversing virtually every night for a whole week with one of America’s leading authors and thought leaders, plus special guests from the well of activism within the WNBA and NBA. I can’t wait for these convos with Brit Bennett, Isabel Wilkerson, Angie Thomas, Bryan Stevenson, Robin DiAngelo, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., and folks in the WNBA and NBA.

It is a week of charting an antiracist path forward. It is a week of supporting Black-owned bookstores. Stay tuned for more details, including tickets.

How 'good White people' derail racial progress Any attack against entrenched racism will run into a formidable barrier: White people who support progressive causes yet oppose efforts to make their schools and neighborhoods more diverse.

The difference between being "not racist" and antiracist There is no such thing as being "not racist," says author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces and personal bel...

Tonight!

Ibram X. Kendi on "How to Be an Antiracist" National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi discusses "How to Be an Antiracist."

White Folks: It’s Too Late for 'Allies' [Op-Ed] In this moment, moving to abolish racism calls for you to be an accomplice or to completely get out of the way.

Police brutality in America: Teach-out encourages learners to get informed, involved As Black Lives Matter protests continue throughout the nation and deadly run-ins with police repeatedly make headlines, the University of Michigan explores the topic with a "Police Brutality in America Teach-Out." Online now, the self-guided learning event on Coursera explores the history of poli

The BREATHE Act Unveiling For decades, the federal government has incentivized mass criminalization through policies and funding programs that increase arrests, prison construction, h...

The Breathe Act This visionary bill divests our taxpayer dollars from brutal and discriminatory policing and invests in a new vision of public safety—a vision that answers the call to defund the police and allows all communities to finally BREATHE free.

"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

VIDEO: Frederick Douglass' Descendants Deliver His 'Fourth Of July' Speech The U.S. celebrates this Independence Day amid calls for systemic reform. In this film, five descendants of Frederick Douglass read excerpts of his speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

Ally or co-conspirator?: What it means to act #InSolidarity - Move to End Violence Back in June, Black Lives Matter co-founder and Special Projects Director for National Domestic Workers Alliance, Alicia Garza sat down with NoVo Foundation Program Officer Jesenia Santana for a conversation about what is needed to end violence against girls and women. From discussing the practice o...

Anti-racism resources for white people This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues. Here is a shorte...

Study says Michigan among the worst in racial equality in the country FILE - In this June 6, 2020, file photo, demonstrators protest near the White House in Washington over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. In just about any other year, Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved black people lea...

Take an hour out of your Sunday to watch.

Soul Issue | Special Edition: Black Lives Matter and Police Reform | Season 19 | Episode 3 We examine the protests and calls for reform following the death of George Floyd.

This link will bring up an already crafted email that you just need to add your name (in 2 places) and your city/state. Demand Justice for Breonna...we can all do our part.

http://tinyurl.com/ycha6nuu/

Why Not Being Racist is Not Enough We live in a society where it's no longer enough to simply not be racist—we must proactively choose to be antiracist. And that choice means ...

10 Ways Orgs Can Show Up for Black Lives Without Exploiting 'Black Lives Matter' Solidarity is more than a written statement.

Soul Issue | Special Edition: Black Lives Matter and Police Reform | Season 19 | Episode 3 We examine the protests and calls for reform following the death of George Floyd.

100+ Free Anti-Racism Resources for Children and Adults It's important to educate yourself to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Here are over a hundred anti-racism resources to get you started.

For those social workers in the group, read and sign.

"As a profession, we have not yet reckoned with the racism and anti-Blackness that exists among ourselves and our key social welfare institutions, including public benefits and child welfare. We absolutely cannot situate ourselves as the magic ingredient to eradicating racism in law enforcement — an institution directly tied to the legacy of American slavery — if we cannot dismantle racism within our own systems of care."

An Open Letter to NASW and Allied Organizations on Social Work’s Relationship with Law Enforcement As social workers, we are encouraged by the recent attention our profession has received in the press and in public conversation. This…

This Year's Juneteenth Serves as Teaching Moment Observe the holiday by learning more about its history, teaching the next generation.

Know and understand historical context

JUNETEENTH WORLD WIDE CELEBRATION Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. June 19thMajor General Gordon GrangerGalveston, Texasenslaved were now freetwo and a half years afterEmancipation Proclamationbecome official January 1, 1863Executive Ordersurrender of Genera...

Abolishing Policing Also Means Abolishing Family Regulation Dorothy Roberts argues that any attempt to substitute police with family service workers is a shift from one racist institution to another

Final: SURJ Defund the Police Resource Guide SURJ Defund the Police Resource Guide Living in a world without police is possible and is on its way. Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led movements and organizations have been dreaming of, planning for, and working towards a world without police for generations. Minneapolis is showin...

SURJ’s Call to White People Withdraw your Consent: Defund the Police

Black Businesses Matter billboards in Saginaw to feature over 100 businesses “I was inspired by the black lives matter protests and thought a lot of times our businesses don’t receive the exposure and recognition that they deserve,” Keisha Taylor said.

Stories We Tell Ourselves: Changing the White Narrative of Policing SURJ-TC is a local Minnesota Chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice.

Code of Ethics for White Anti-Racists 10 suggestions for stronger solidarity

I am Black. This is what I Need (& what I Don’t) from White Allies. What I am shocked about is how fervently all the white allies showed up on social media this week. And how their response to George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter protests sent me deeper into the

Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility (06/12/20) Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility (06/12/20)

For all those in book clubs right now, consider purchasing from one of these Black-owned independent book shops. We have the privilege of learning about racism rather than experiencing it everyday, so the very least we can do is support Black businesses while engaging in our education.

You can order today from these black-owned independent bookstores. Across the country, black-owned bookstores have served as community gathering spaces, support for emerging authors, and educational resources. Those listed below are open and ready for online order…

A New World Is Possible: Defund Police And Fund Black Lives The Movement for Black Lives calls for defunding the police to release urgently-needed community resources to realize real public safety.

‎The Daily: The Case For Defunding the Police on Apple Podcasts ‎Show The Daily, Ep The Case For Defunding the Police - Jun 9, 2020

To White Parents Who Want To Be Allies At This Time What an ally looks like to me is someone who is aware that our kids will walk through life differently.

What Does It Mean to Defund or Abolish the Police? | The Daily Social Distancing Show Trevor talks to Patrisse Cullors, Josie Duffy Rice, Sam Sinyangwe, Mychal Denzel Smith and Alex S. Vitale about the recent progress of the Black Lives Matter...