We know that many people who believe in fighting racism do not always consider themselves “political” and may choose not to participate in the electoral process. While we agree that there are many reasons to be skeptical of electoral politics, SURJ NYC strongly encourages you to participate in the upcoming Democratic primary on June 22nd. If we want to secure true systemic change by forming a more racially just city, we have a responsibility as white people to show up and elect officials who are committed to fighting for those goals.
Throughout much of this primary race certain candidates have beaten the drum of being tough on crime, but we ask you to see that for what it is: propaganda intended to scare New Yorkers into going back to the eras of Bloomberg and Giuliani. Instead of moving backwards, we have an opportunity to help construct a more racially just city that is truly dedicated to helping communities in the most need. A city that knows that “tough on crime” does not equal “safety.”
Here’s how you can stay informed and get more involved:
Check out the Electoral Gains Group’s resources about the mayoral race (via infographic or detailed spreadsheet) and Manhattan DA election
Remember that it is also possible to rank council candidates
Join EGG’s final hyperlocal calls
Participate in anti-racist election phonebanking
Attend EGG’s June 2021 Election Crash Course this Thursday, June 17th
If you want to discuss the election with other SURJ members, join SURJ NYC”s campaign on the REACH app or email antiracistvoternyc@gmail.com
Sign the #AntiRacistVoterNYC Pledge
For more actions and resources, visit the EGG tab on the SURJ NYC website or check out the EGG linktree
While SURJ NYC isn’t endorsing any specific candidates, we have been specifically asked by our community partners to not rank Eric Adams or Andrew Yang for mayor or Tali Farhadian Weinstein for Manhattan DA.
Please join us in being an anti-racist voter and link-up with your friends, family, and neighbors too! These connections will be useful long after the June primaries.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC