We get people all the time coming to SURJ saying “Can you just tell me what to do?” Most of the time, we don’t have a simple answer. We say “there are lots of ways to plug in”, “what skills do you have?”, “what are you fired up about?” All of that is true and important.
But right now, we have one very simple answer: Get trained in community and action safety.
If we want a world where everyone is free, from Palestine to NYC, learning how to keep ourselves safe is important for everybody. But it’s a different kind of “important” for white folks.
First, because white people’s fear is the justification for policing. Police departments convince wealthy and middle class white people that they’re in danger—and that policing is the only thing that will protect them—to get more and more budget money. (They churn out propaganda to make it happen.)
If we learn ways to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe, we will be less afraid and won’t rely on cops for safety.
Second, because cops are less likely to get violent with white people. As action security, we form a physical barrier between cops and protestors, using our white bodies to help decrease the risk of violent police interaction.
Volunteering as action security is a way our whiteness can be useful.
As white people, practicing community safety is a tangible way we can protect ourselves and our neighbors from violent policing. To do it well, we need to work on skills like de-escalation, assessing risk, managing our own fear response, and more.
Our Community & Action Safety 101 training will teach you essential tactics for action security and how those tactics can be used in our daily lives.
To get involved, sign up for the next three part training on Thursdays, July 11, 18, and 25, 2pm-4pm.
We’re excited to continue growing this collective practice with you.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC