Upcoming Actions to Get Involved With in Washington DC area:
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Remove the statue of Albert Pike (confederate general and KKK supporter): Rally, August 18th 5pm 3rd and D Streets NW; DC Councilmember David Grasso is working on this; He has written to National Park Service (it’s on federal land) and hasn’t heard back yet. His office says to contact the park service and ask them to take down the statue. Email: [email protected].
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Rally against Mass Incarceration. August 19th 11:30am Freedom Plaza to Lafayette Park.
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Black Workers Center Magazine release: Thursday, August 24th www.onedconline.org/blackworkerscenter
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Ibram Kendi speaking: professor from American University, wrote about anti-racism and identity, will be speaking. August 29th 6:30 pm Town Hall at Busboys and Poets, 14th street and V.
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Plymouth Board of Social Action: film showing and discussion Brother Outsider, Saturday September 6th 1-4, followed by Jam session.
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Interfaith rally on Sunday, August 20 at 3pm at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, 9601 Cedar Ln, Bethesda, MD
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Attend People’s Congress of Resistance, September 16-17, Howard University, Washington DC
- DC Mayor just acknowledged she supports taking down racist monuments. Hold mayor accountable to take away supremacist symbols next to police department, inside congress, and on national park service land. Write her to tell her to tell the park service that we want the statue removed:
John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 727-2643
Email: [email protected]
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Tours of the racists statues in Congress: We will organize a tour (or several tours) of the racist monuments in Congress. Want to go on the tour? Contact [email protected]
Outside DC:
- Islamic Relief USA is going down to NC to rebuild houses after hurricane in September: [email protected]
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Bring down racist monuments:
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Charlottesville: Call the office of Judge Richard Moore of the Charlottesville Circuit Court (434-970-3766) to urge him to dismiss an upcoming court case for which there is an August 30 hearing, disputing the ability of the City Council to remove the Robert E. Lee statue that white supremacists are defending. Here's a sample script: “I'm leaving a message for Judge Moore regarding the upcoming Monument Fund hearing, scheduled for August 30. As someone concerned about community safety, I strongly urge you to join the City of Charlottesville in dismissing this case, which will continue to sow violence in the community.
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Continuous Actions:
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Support local, people-of-color led groups (see list below)
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ACTOR: A Continuing Talk on Race at Busboys and Poets, once a month. Good place to continue discussion on white supremacy www.busboysandpoets.com/events/2017/8/17
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We Act Radio Bookstore: Meeting each Wednesday 5-8pm, bring/donate books and money. September is literacy month. [email protected]
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Join Reverend Hagler and Reverend Barber’s interfaith groups. Plymouth-ucc.org, www.facebook.com/faithstrategies/
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Buy from Black-owned businesses:Blackpages.com, shopblackbusiness.tumblr.com, letsbuyblack365.com
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Police and military accountability: FBI report affirms police officers and military personnel already racist going into these jobs. Police and military should be checked for their background on views regarding race. Demand investigation of white supremacy in the police department. Use the hashtag #GhostSkins and contact We Act Radio [email protected]
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Out White Supremacists: Using social media, identify people involved in white supremacy groups and actions, contact their places of work or schools demanding accountability. Check out Yes, You're Racist, which has been successfully outing racists online (and #GoodNightAltRight)
Proposed Actions/ideas:
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Moral Mondays (like Rev. Barber is doing in North Carolina); perhaps outside the Trump Hotel to bring all our issues together and have a regular, weekly time and place that people get together
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Flash Action at the Trump Hotel: Create a flash mob song/dance/visual inside the lobby of the hotel. Interested? Contact [email protected]
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Pop-ups for peace: Just a few people can do “pop-ups” on street corners or in parks to promote conversations about topics including racism and white supremacy.
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Documentary/story sharing: Share and document stories of people to share what is involved in raising your consciousness and being involved in justice causes. White supremacy is division, solution is unifying.
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National campaign to get white supremacists groups labeled as terrorist groups (as they once were)
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Work group is being developed to create a curriculum around educating young people about history of resistance. Contact [email protected]
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Demand from the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department that funds be restored to groups working against white supremacy and that the justice department its actions against affirmative action in the universities
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Police accountability/investigation into white supremacist police officers. Same with military.
Questions to Consider:
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How can we do a better job getting the different groups to work together?
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How do we educate our youngest people about the history of resistance?
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Regarding taking down racist monuments: How do it tie it to something related to systemic change?
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What methods of education can we use after the statue removals to center the history of slavery in the US?
Recommended Resources:
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WPFW radio, Democracy Now daily one hour show, BBC, Al Jazeera, RT (Russia Today), OnTheGroundShow.org, The Intercept, online CommonDreams, Alternet
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Book: The Invention of the White Race by Theodore W. Allen
Get Involved with Local Organizations:
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ONE DC: Organizing neighborhood equity. Fight for community control over land and labor. Support tenants fighting displacement and predatory developers (like at Brookland Manor by Rhode Island Ave). Starting a capital campaign to purchase a building for Black Worker’s Center. www.onedconline.org
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Black Worker’s Center: Project of One DC. Build racial economic justice through popular education and action. Help people in early phases of start-up businesses. Programs including time banking* (community where we share skills measured by time, ex: put hours in a bank, access to skills). Use time-banking folks to work on housing campaigns, safety net for people who are not/under-employed. Prison organizing, inmates can participate in work and conversations.
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Diverse City Fund: Grassroots grantmaker. Founded for giving grants by and to activists of color in DC. Two grant rounds yearly. Each round $50,000: $5,000 per group, increasing to $75,000 this year. Inviting people to apply in alliances/groups so efforts can be stronger. www.diversecityfund.org
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Free DC: Statehood for DC movement. Referendum came out with over 85% who voted for DC statehood. Go into communities and organizations to train and educate people about the necessity of statehood. Provides the why and how. www.Freedc.org
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Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): Group that talks about white supremacy and privilege in a deep way, organizes white people for justice. www.showingupforracialjustice.org
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Physicians for Social Responsibility: Addresses environmental racism, aftermath of racist terrorist act, environmental racism. Has been working for more than 50 years to create a healthy, just and peaceful world for both the present and future generations. www.psr.org
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CODEPINK for Peace: Addresses war, violence, militarism (eg. Israel/Palestine, Middle East, Korea); calls for resources to be taken from bloated Pentagon budget and put into domestic needs; allies with many groups working on racism, climate, immigration, etc. Has internships and an activist house in DC where people can stay to help with actions, lobbying Congress, etc. For DC info, contact [email protected]