Racial Justice Upcoming Events

This Tuesday, August 10, thousands of people across the country will attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally in their community to demand Senate action on the For the People Act, a once in a lifetime bill that will ensure fair districting, make voting easier and more accessible, and take on dark money in politics. Now is the time to show up, loudly and relentlessly, to fight for our democracy. Will you? Despite some positive signs (as reported by The Washington Post), we’re at a make it or break it moment in the fight to defend our democracy, and we cannot afford to wait any longer for Senate action: → Next Thursday, August 12, the census data will be released, allowing states to begin drawing new maps for state and federal districts. If passed before the deadline, the For the People Act will ensure fair districting and ensure our communities can thrive for the next 10 years and beyond. When it comes to our districts, we draw the line. And the stakes have never been higher. → The freedom to vote is under attack by extremist state lawmakers across the country who want to put up deliberate barriers to make it harder to vote -- especially for people of color. In response to this urgent threat to our democracy, people all across the country have been raising their voices and showing up every day to fight for the passage of this bill, on the streets and through phone banking, writing letters to the editor, and organizing actions. Now the Senate needs to step up, do their job, and pass the For the People Act to protect our votes and our democracy before the August 12 deadline. That’s why on August 10, local rallies across the country will take place, joining in power for one massive national day of action to send a strong and clear message: democracy CAN’T wait. We need the Senate to stop stalling and take decisive action now. Check out the map of dozens of rallies across the country and sign up to attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally in your community! Every single fight for the advancement of civil rights in our nation’s history has been met with resistance and required Americans to rise up to demand change. We must do our part to make our message impossible to ignore. Sign up now to attend a Democracy Can’t Wait rally near you. And, if for some reason you can’t attend a rally, we still have other ways for you to take action:

1. Call your senators and keep calling every single day demanding that they get this done.
2. Check to see if your state legislators are signed onto this letter. If they are, thank them. And if they’re not, ask them why the hell they’re on the sidelines.
3. Record a video asking your senators to eliminate the filibuster and stop voter suppression. And urge your friends, family, and colleagues to get involved in this fight.

It Starts With Faith: Organizing School for Teams? There’s still time. Complete the brief application by July 30th! Organizing School will support  20-30 teams with the goal of aligning all of our faith organizing to build power and impact in 2022. The teams will have access to organizing coaches and be invited to participate in national leadership roles in our upcoming Side With Love Action Center. If you are looking for ways to advance racial justice through your congregation or social justice teams, this year’s Organizing School is for you! 

At General Assembly 2020, Unitarian Universalists just like you, voted to pass an Action of Immediate Witness called "Amen to Uprising" This AIW draws UUs into supporting the Movement for Black Lives and their call to Defund the Police. Now, Phoenix-organizers Poder in Action, White PAWS, and UUJAZ invite us to join them in calling 24,000 neighbors to talk about community safety, policing, and the city budget. We are talking to white, high propensity voters, 55+ who lean liberal and score high in "compassion" with the goal of moving them to take action. Poder is specifically asking UUs to get involved, because they know we show up. This is the time for us to gather our neighbors, have values based conversations, and to invite folks into this struggle. Joining in the fight against police violence in Phoenix, will give you the strategy and skills it takes to fight fascist police tactics when they come for your city. Help us build power, and be ready when it happens near you. We've been doing this phonebank for weeks, and it's so much fun! If you've been nervous to try phonebanking... we are calling neighbors who are eager to have this convo, and already probably agree, and we are asking them to take action. Find the joy that being in movement can bring. If you've been wanting to act for racial justice, in deep partnership with a Black and brown led, frontline grassroots coalition, this is an opportunity.  

Hollaback Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian Harassment and Xenophobia

See webpage for training dates and to register for free online.

One-hour, interactive training will teach Hollaback!’s 5D’s of bystander intervention strategy: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct.  Learn about the “spectrum of disrespect” and types of disrespect that Asian and Asian American folks face (i.e. microaggressions to violence).  Learn what to look for and the positive impact that bystander intervention has on individuals and communities.

Saturday, February 27 9am-6pm PT/10-7 MT/11-8 CT/12-9 ET, With plenty of breaks Is your congregation ready to take a new step in changing white supremacy culture? Want to learn what your fellow congregations are working on, and how you might apply it at home? Join a continent of UUs as we explore next steps in creating Beloved UU Communities. On your own: Watch compelling video TED-talk style testimonials from selected congregations around the continent sharing their learnings, hopes and next steps in their quest for racial equity in their congregations. Together on February 27 Worship ~ Workshops ~ Caucusing. Be sure not to miss the worshop "Congregational paths to address both Climate Crisis and Systemic Oppression" with Rev. Karen Brammer!

The Interrupting the School or Prison Pipeline group is exploring bystander intervention training opportunities that JUUstice Washington might offer to congregations.  We are checking various options and there are a couple of training opportunities coming up in February that help this exploration. Bystander intervention training opportunities.  One is coming up on February 13^th.  Some key providers include Cortney Wooten, Seattle 350, Peace Keepers, and Poor People’s Campaign. The first, on February 13, is by a training team out of DC.  They describe it as "an interactive, participatory, beginner’s workshop designed for those that may have none to little prior studies of bystander intervention."  Payment is on a sliding fee scale.  The two times listed are two sections of the same training. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUlPNGG7coDk5dQPYW-nbntdz08_iEr2Blj4-07g5SOp4N-Q/viewform Edmonds United Methodist Church is offering a related workshop "Stepping into Allyship" workshop will be on February 9 from 6-8 pm. As we seek to create beloved community and dismantle racism, we are intentionally making the workshop free for all participants. The workshop will be led by local equity consultant and organizer, Courtney Wooten, who has collaborated with Edmonds UMC over the last three years. We hope that this offering will bless your communities as we work to together dismantle racism and white supremacy.  Registration information is available at Stepping into Allyship (google.com)  The presenter also does bystander intervention training. The Interrupting the School or Prison Pipeline (post-Summit) group is exploring potential ways to find and boost existing programs that directly interrupt the school to prison pipeline.  Two programs that we are looking into are Speaking Justice and Community Passageways.  If you already work with either of these programs or have insights about their work, please let us know by contacting John Hilke at jhilke@juustwa.org. The Interrupting the School or Prison Pipeline (post-Summit) group is monitoring and encouraging your engagement with the following legislative proposals dealing the police reforms and racial justice improvements.  We welcome additional assistance in monitoring and insights about these bills.  Please contact John Hilke at jhilke@juustwa.org, if you would like to help.   HB 1054 (Johnson) banning choke holds etc. HB 1092 (Lovick) database of police use of force HB 1089 (Ramos) compliance with I-940 on independent investigations of police violence HB 1082 (Goodman) reform process of decertification and sanctions for police misconduct HB 1088 (Lovick) standardizing reporting of police misconduct and impeaching office testimony SHB 1044 educational opportunities in prisons HB 1078/SB 5086  restoration of voting rights when persons leave prison HB 1090  ban on private prisons HB 1282/SB 5285 reduced prison terms for participating in educational programs HB 1310  statewide de-escalation standard and limits on use of force SB 5226  end debt-based suspensions of driver licenses HB 1186 youth alternative corrections SB? 5228 Antibias curriculum development SB 5229 continuing education regarding antibias practices

Climate change promises not to be kind on anyone, least of all on us in the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Time and time again, we have witnessed the disproportionate and disastrous impacts of climate change on communities of color – whether it is from storms, floods, heat waves, or the everyday injustices, amplified by the challenges faced by people of color and exacerbated by unique circumstances of marginalization or pandemics such as Covid.

A small group of us, working collaboratively with the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, are moved to form a new community: A BIPOC caucus focused on the intersections of racial, environmental and climate injustices.  Our thinking is inspired by the UU Seventh Principle (respect for the interdependent web of all existence) and the Eight Principle (accountably dismantle racism and all other oppressions).

This is a call to invite all people who identify as belonging to any of the communities of color to join hands and gather to reflect on the current moment of climate emergency, exchange our aspirations and learn how our UU values can strengthen our commitments. Paula Cole Jones and Rashid Shaikh are honored to take on the inaugural planning of this caucus (see bios below).  The dates and proposed topics for discussion of the initial meetings are given below. If you fill out this form, we will gladly send you details about how to join the meetings on Zoom. The BIPOC Caucus will feature presentations and opportunities to work in small groups.

Session 1:

Thursday, February 18 at 5pm PT/ 6 MT/ 7CT/ 8ET Connecting with the UU 7th and 8th Principals

Session 2:

Thursday, March 18 at  5pm PT/ 6 MT/ 7CT/ 8ET Lessons from the book Justice on Earth Session 3:

April – Date TBD The Green New Deal and the Biden Plan on Climate

What's Next: Moving Into the Great Turning WWFOR Fall Retreat, November 21, 2020

Register Here

We want every member of CARW’s base to be meaningfully engaged in the fight for collective liberation and to have a growing sense of political home. After the election, we’ll be launching neighborhood-based cohorts all over Seattle and south King County. 

If you’ve been looking for a way to deepen your involvement with CARW and build a community of shared values, this is your opportunity.

We’ll connect you with a group of your neighbors for a series of facilitated conversations to excavate internalized white supremacy, grapple with core tensions of white anti-racist practice, and build a shared political analysis. These cohorts will run loosely from Election Day to Inauguration Day and will meet twice a month from mid-November through late January for a total of six sessions. All sessions will include an action component, aligned with the latest demands from King County Equity Now and Decriminalize Seattle. If you’re interested in participating, please sign up through this form by Sunday, Nov 8. 

We want abolition now. We want every member of CARW’s base engaged in the struggle for Black liberation, indigenous sovereignty, migrant justice and a more equitable world in a way that stretches them, teaches them, and feeds them. We’re grateful to be in community with you all.

In Solidarity, CARW

PeaceKeeper Training: Sun, Nov 1, 2-4pm Join CARW and others for a peacekeeper training ahead of the election. If you would like to be trained, or freshen up your skills, please join us! We’ll meet at Pratt Park basketball court (201 20th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144). This training is hosted by CARW,  Washington Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, Valley and Mountain and 350 Seattle. The training will be facilitated by Rev Sekou of Valley and Mountain (militant non-violent civil disobedience) and Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites (de-escalation). Sponsored by WA PPC, this will be similar to previous trainings with new information regarding de-escalation. Topics covered will include: know your rights, safety tactics at a protest, and a mix of strategic and tactical info. Mask up! Bring water, a snack, and anything else you may need. Wear comfortable clothes (lots of movement). Prepare for rain!

We are proud of the ways our Faith continues to #SideWithLove and be present to the World. We are in the final days before a historic election and we want to offer you an opportunity to provide Faithful Witness at The Polls. Whether your congregation is a polling site or is interested in offering some warmth and kindness at undoubtedly tense polling stations, we have ideas for how we can offer faithful responses that are at the heart of Side With Love. You can view the 30 minute webinar here. What does it mean to continue to “harvest our power” when we are tired or overwhelmed? There's no magical fix, but knowing you are NOT alone and that others can help find the answers helps. Join Side With Love on Monday Movement Moments for a 30-minute check-in and highlights of what’s happening across the country and ways you can get involved. Monday Movement Moment Nov. 2,9 at 9:30am PT. You can watch past episodes here.

Documenting the Struggle:  A Conversation with Filmmaker Stanley Nelson

Recording Available now – go to online link to view.

Conversation with filmmaker Stanley Nelson on his acclaimed Civil Rights films.  American Experience and WORLD Channel tonight for a conversation with filmmaker Stanley Nelson and American Experience Executive Producer Cameo George on the ongoing struggle for civil rights in America. The discussion includes clips from three of Nelson's films— The Murder of Emmett Till, Freedom Riders, and Freedom Summer — as well as Q&A from audience.

• The Murder of Emmett Till - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/till/
• Freedom Riders - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/freedomriders/
• Freedom Summer - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/freedomsummer/

How can organizers of nonviolent mass protest actions help ensure those actions won't be "hijacked", and thus made less effective, by violent flanks, outside groups, and covert provocateurs?  How can we help ensure that health guidelines are followed during protests, to minimize the risk of harm from a deadly virus? Basic Training for Peace Teams: Keeping Non-Violent Discipline October 25, 6:30 to 8:30 pm     Dr. Tom Hastings, of Portland State University Conflict Studies Program and Adam Vogal of Portland Peace Team will provide a Zoom training on basic peacekeeping and de-escalation theory and skills to keep mass protests nonviolent. This training is designed for those who want to be trained to serve in a "peace team."

This Saturday, September 26th from 5-8pm, Sunrise Seattle will be holding a hub strategy session. If you have an interest in helping our hub to craft a strategy for the months leading up to January 2021, we would love for you to join us! You can register here.

Why: We’ve done amazing work since Sunrise Seattle began, especially in the last few months. In order to continue showing up for the uprising for Black Lives and other movements across the city and organizing our generation, and do it even bigger and better over time; we need to unify our work around a long-term strategy.  We need a clearer vision for how the Seattle hub will work towards building people power, political power, and the people’s alignment for a Green New Deal this fall, and Sunrise National just released a toolkit to help us do just that.

How: We'll be having a participatory session open to our entire hub, and we're also setting up systems for everyone to give input without having to make the meeting. To facilitate that, we're sharing the agenda for the strategy session, a shorter version of the Sunrise National Fall Strategy Guide, and an example strategy so every member can be involved and propose strategies. 

There will be 3 more days for people to develop proposals for strategies or specific goals. These proposals will be discussed in the first strategy session to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and develop our hub strategy and goals.

Once we have a first draft of our hub's strategy, it will be posted in the #strategic_planning_session channel on our Slack, and hub members will have a week to provide feedback in that Slack channel before our second strategy session, where we'll incorporate any feedback and come up with a final strategy. (Slack is a messaging tool we use to share ideas and collaborate - everyone is welcome to join.)

Please join the #strategic_planning_session channel on our Slack! The channel will be a place where people can discuss strategy, view other proposals, and build off each others’ ideas. Even if you can't come to the strategy session, you can develop proposals or explain your vision for our hub this fall in that channel, and your contributions will be taken into consideration during our planning session.

Excited but unsure of how to draft your own strategy proposal?: The Sunrise National fall strategy guide is a great resource for drafting your own proposals. In addition, our Trainings Team put together a document explaining the Act-Recruit-Train cycle that Sunrise uses, our theory of change, and key questions to keep in mind when drafting a proposal for a strategy or goal. 

On September 30th, Demos and Boston University Center for Antiracist Research will host The Other Swing Voter: Visioning Forward virtual convening from 8 am to noon PT. THE OTHER SWING VOTER is defined as voters who oscillate between voting and not voting (or voting third party). These voters are predominantly young, Black and Latinx, and they must be at the center of antiracist electoral organizing strategies, power-building, and policy analyses. During this afternoon of political education, Black and Latinx grassroots political organizers, as well as researchers and policymakers, will detail how to build cross-sectoral relationships that allow knowledge sharing, analysis, and the development of freedom-forward strategies for organizing and sustaining this voting bloc. More information and program.

REGISTER TO JOIN