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Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) – Twin Cities

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SURJ-TC Newsletter 5/20/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

We are soon to commemorate the 5th Anniversary of George Floyd’s murder.  This newsletter contains several events directly offering space to remember.  Take time to reflect on what you recall from this day and the way in which your own racial justice journey has grown since then.  Where do you see continued places of growth for yourself as you continue in the work towards justice? 

You will also find information about the work of the St. Paul Reparations Commission and a petition to pardon Jason Sole. Each of these newsletter announcements are connected to the anti-Black racism that undergirds our country’s history and all offer opportunity for us to remember and act collectively! 

Keep going! 

In this issue:

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SURJ-TC Newsletter 4/27/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

We can barely keep track of all the acts of resistance to the illegal and immoral actions of the US Executive Branch: There’s the May 1st International Workers Day Rally and March at the MN Capitol (our SURJ-TC contingent will be there – details below) and in cities around the country. There are union strikes and newly unionized businesses…Encampments in defense of Migrants being snatched off the streets…Sanctuary churches…Harvard standing up in the face of funding cuts…challenges by lawyers, District and Federal judges…Governor Walz barnstorming in Republican districts against cutting the Education Department. As the suffering of the people of Gaza escalates, resistance on campuses and in the streets continue. 

Many people, communities and organizations are in grave danger. And the courage to resist is contagious, as the Nation Magazine headlined its April editorial. There is much to do, whether it is caring for neighbors who are at risk, protecting a family member, or joining a mass action, this is an excellent moment to show up for racial justice. Might some of us go out of our comfort zones? Maybe! Yet support of each other to be bold is inherent in each of the actions above, and in today’s newsletter. See you there!

In this issue:

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SURJ-TC Newsletter 3/26/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

As we enter into Spring, SURJ-TC is blooming with opportunities to support justice and find community with fellow activists. Whether it’s through attending rallies and signing petitions shared on the Action Alert Signal chat, or participating in the events shared in this newsletter, we have ways for you to spring into action this season. Join us in showing up for racial justice!

In this issue:

  1. BIG WIN at George Floyd Square! – Action requested by March 28
  2. Black Visions’ FREEDOM BALL – April 4
  3. Embodying Solidarity with Indigenous People by Becoming Kin – April 5
  4. SURJ-TC Welcome Gathering – April 21
  5. 4/24 First Amendment Rights Day at the Capitol – Register by April 1
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SURJ-TC Newsletter 2/27/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

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The February newsletter provides opportunities to stand up and resist the current administration’s term on a national level, and also to deepen our relationships, community and solidarity power on a local level. Our ongoing and collective action is needed to prevent previous redress from being rolled back and to continue the momentum towards racial justice.

In this issue:   

  1. Gear Up and 2/1 Day of Action Recap

  2. 3/16 Chapter Meeting Registration

  3. 3/18 Welcome Gathering Registration

  4. Update on George Floyd Square

  5. White Men for Racial Justice Open House 3/17

  6. Consent Decree Update
  7. Action to defend Social and Ethnic Studies standards

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SURJ-TC Newsletter 1/28/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

This newsletter shares updates and opportunities on action happening in our community over the coming weeks. January 20, 2025, ushered in our government’s transition of power. Our dedication and action for racial justice remains of utmost (and heightened) importance. Where do you see yourself involved in the below actions? We are ready to continue in this journey and welcome your presence and action to work for a more just world.

In this issue:

  1. SURJ National Day of Action to Protect and Resist: February 1
  2. Sign and share the Pledge to Protect and Resist
  3. SURJ TC General Meeting Recap
  4. Update on Federal Consent Decree and a MN Court Enforceable Agreement for MPD
  5. Good news at George Floyd Square!
  6. St. Paul Recovery Act
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SURJ-TC Newsletter 1/8/25

Posted on by SURJ TC

We are starting the year focused and steadfast in building a world that centers racial and economic justice and indigenous sovereignty. We are so excited to welcome so many new faces with shared values and can’t wait to see you at one of our upcoming events.

In this issue:

  1. SURJ TC General Meeting January 19
  2. SURJ National Day of Action February 1
  3. Gear Up Training Sign-up
  4. Progress on Mpls Police Consent Decree
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SURJ-TC Newsletter 11/25/24

Posted on by SURJ TC
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Newsletter 11/25/24

How are you holding up? I’ve been feeling sad since the election. Sometimes angry, too. I wanted to shut everything out and take care of myself. And, as I peek back out at what’s going on in the world, I feel worried. On the other hand, I have friends fueled into action, with renewed resolve to fight racism. I turned to the teachings of Anne Braden, an exemplary white ancestor who stood up, and spoke out, against racism in her lifetime. In the last published work of her lifetime (Jan – Feb 2006, Fellowship), Anne Braden said

If we are serious about the challenge of the unfinished business of racism, we must start by realizing that this is not a task we must complete. It is one we must begin.

It is certainly true that our society faces many life-and-death issues. But we can’t deal effectively with any of these problems until we mount an aggressive offense against racism. This is not only morally right; it’s a practical matter. As long as our society can dump its problems on people of color it will not seek or find real solutions. …

In every age, no matter how cruel the oppression carried on by those in power, there have been those who struggled for a different world. I believe this is the genius of humankind, the thing that makes us half divine: the fact that some human beings can envision a world that has never existed.

Below are ways to come together and plug in to this work no matter how you’re feeling. Coming together reminds us we are not alone in our feelings, rather we are surrounded by ‘half divine’ beings with a shared vision to dismantle white supremacy

In this issue:

  1. SURJ Gear Up Cohorts
  2. Welcome to SURJ-TC
  3. Action Alert Sign-up
  4. From Ally to Accomplice
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