Thursday, October 3: SURJ NYC Monthly Chapter Meeting: The 1619 Project
At this month's chapter meeting, we did some political education and dug into (parts of) The 1619 Project: "The 1619 Project is a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding, and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are." You can read the project here.
Wednesday, October 9: American Indian Community House Meeting / Strategy Session
SURJ members joined the Friends of AICH meeting / strategy session, while AICH still has space on the Lower East Side. Info was shared on upcoming events, political directions & ways to get involved. This meeting was welcome to all who want to support AICH & build community as/with local indigenous folks.
Additionally, please consider donating to the Manna-hatta Fund which is an ongoing source of financial support for the American Indian Community House, NYC’s Indigenous hub. For 50 years, AICH has been a space of Indigenous sovereignty, culture, community, activism, arts, and wellness services. This is an opportunity for us to directly support Indigenous Peoples. All funds go directly to AICH.
Sunday, October 13 and Monday, October 14: 5th Annual Indigenous People's Day Celebration and Columbus Day protest on Randall’s Island.
SURJ members attended the protest, described as: “FREE and open to all, the two-day event dedicated to Indigenous cultural preservation, spiritual resistance and the celebration of over 527 years of survival since Columbus made landfall, serves as a supportive space for those looking to stand in solidarity, learn and find belonging.”
Wednesday, October 16: Rally to repeal 50-a
On Thursday, Oct 17th, the Senate had a hearing regarding the law known as 50-a, which covers up NYPD misconduct. SURJ members showed up for a rally the day before to demand a full repeal. 50-a is a law that the de Blasio administration has interpreted very conservatively, claiming that the public doesn’t have the right to know when cops break the rules. SURJ members mobilized to fight for this crucial change to police transparency.
Friday, October 18: Justice State of Mind, 90s Hip Hop Party to benefit Justice Committee
SURJ members joined our partners at Justice Committee (JC) for a night of great music, food, dancing, and company. Funds from this event helped JC support and organize families who have lost loved ones to the police, empower low-income New Yorkers of color to hold the police accountable, and build safe, healthy communities without relying on law enforcement.
Sunday, October 20: SURJ Upper Manhattan Community Potluck w/ RAPP
For this gathering, we were joined by members of the RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison) Campaign, who shared with us their work around parole justice and ending life imprisonment. RAPP is one of SURJ NYC's Accountability Partners, and members of SURJ NYC have been in relationship with them since the beginning of the campaign several years ago. Folks learned about their work, and the various ways SURJ members can be supporting it with our time, labor, and/or money!
Tuesday, October 22: National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality
Folks stepped out for the 24th National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation! This coalition has been mobilizing every year since 1996 for a National Day of Protest on October 22nd to expose the epidemic of police brutality. There was a rally at 3:00pm at Union Square, and a march to Times Square at 5:00pm.