Looking Back at SURJ-TC’s Organizing
Below is a brief glimpse into some of the work our chapter has been involved with over the years:
Learning Circles
- Wages of Whiteness Learning Circles (2022, 2023)
- Abolition Learning Circles (2017, 2020-2022)
- Reparations Circle (2017-2019)
- Study/practice circle for My Grandmother’s Hands
2024 Elections (Block & Build / defending against MAGA)
- Defending Ilhan Omar’s seat
- Harris/Walz doorknocking: trying to flip River Falls, WI district to blue
Action Mobilization
- Created Abolition Action Hours– taking a specific action together over zoom (writing legislators etc)
- Abolition Accountability group: meeting every other week to read and discuss work of BIPOC abolitionist Activists
- Created Signal Action Alert Tree to spread the word about direct actions and show up together
Education into Action activities
- The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy Book Study 2024
- Embodying Care Series (Soup Sing, Courageous Conversations, Yoga) 2024
- Workshop about Anne Braden 2024
- Sing with Ceasefire Choir 2024
Makoce Ikikcupi / Twin Cities Repair Community
- Fundraised and acquired land for its first three villages
- Built 5 Dakota Earth lodges
Gear Up Circles 2024-2025
- 12 circles hosted across the metro, and providing coaching to hosts
Movement for Black Lives / Police Murders of Black lives
- attended marches and protests
- Jamar Clarke: raised money for porta potties for people camped outside the police station; deep canvassing about his death
- Philando Castile: supported demonstrators who were outside the Governor’s mansion (provided supplies, food, milk to neutralize pepper spray), deep canvassed
- George Floyd & 2020 Uprisings: support at GFS, monitoring at 3rd precinct police station, helped with food distributions at Pimento and defense of Pimento restaurant, housing homeless in hotels, medic work
- Amir Locke: participation in a demonstration
Campaign to reduce Minneapolis Police Budget
- Testified at city council meetings about reducing police budget
- Worked in coalition with Black Visions, Reclaim the Block, MPD 150 Report
Campaign to pass Minneapolis City Charter Amendment to create Department of Public Safety (Yes on 2), 2021
- Coalition partner
- Deep canvassing, door knocking, phone banking
Fundraisers
- Supported Makoce Ikikcupi fundraiser to buy land back (2024)
- Institute of Aspiring Abolitionists (2024)
- Sky Without Limits Cooperative (Cielo Sin Limites) / Inquilinxs Unidxs (2023)
- Black Visions (2018)
- Hosted house parties
ABEP: The Village Credit Union
- Supported Association of Black Economic Power (formerly Blexit) in their efforts to create The Village Credit Union
- Organized people to pledge support/to move dollars into the credit union, in order to gain credit union status
Standing Rock (2016)
- Organized and sent carloads of people there with supplies for the occupation and supported fundraising efforts