We the people are recognizing our power and getting organized in our fights to resist corporate control of our government, replace an environmental waste site in the Phillips neighborhood with a community run urban farm, fundraise for land reparations to Indigenous people and liberate Jason Sole, and others, from the overreaching thumb of the criminal justice system. There are four calls to action below– how many will you do?
We Ain’t Buying It! Nov 27-Dec 1
Corporations have an outsized influence on our government, and unfortunately they’re using it to prop up the Trump regime and enable his inhumane mass crackdown on immigrants.
SURJ is joining forces with the We Ain’t Buying It! Campaign national boycott to send a clear message to corporate America and the Trump administration: you can’t continue to profit off of us while catering to MAGA’s racism. SURJ Ain’t Buying It.
White folks are the largest consumer base in the US and spend almost double that of Black households. Our outsized wealth drives the economy, and when we take ownership of what and how we spend, we can drive change. Join the multiracial coalition of this boycott, and bring your people!
We are fighting in solidarity with the existing local boycott of Target over their DEI rollback and with our partner at Unidos MN fighting for immigrant protection and rights.
Join us and hit pause on shopping at Target, Home Depot, and Amazon during the biggest shopping days of the year—from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday 2025.
Here at SURJ-Twin Cities, we’ve put together some local Twin Cities shopping recommendations as alternatives to Target, Home Depot, and Amazon this holiday season! We’re also planning creative demonstrations around the Twin Cities metro– email showingupforracialjusticemn@gmail.com if you want more info on getting involved.
Urge Minneapolis to make a deal on the Roof Depot
After more than a decade of grassroots advocacy and over $12.5 million raised by the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to build an indoor Urban Farm at the Roof Depot building, the City of Minneapolis is nearing a final deadline on the land transfer for the site. Without City action, the deal is at risk, so community members and allies are stepping up to let the City know there remains strong public support for the Urban Farm. Please contact Mayor Frey, City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and the legislators listed below.. Let them know, in your own words, that you care, and that you encourage and expect them to come to a fair and just agreement with EPNI to move this amazing project forward as soon as possible. For more about this project, contact-info, and sample communications: Urban Farm Toolkit
Matching Grant – Landback and Systemic Change
Great news from the Minnesota Repair Communities for Makoce Ikikcupi (Land Recovery in Dakota). A generous Minnesotan has come forward to make a Matching Grant of $40,000 ($30,000 for Landback in Minnesota through Makoce Ikikcupi, and $10,000 for systemic change in US laws and policies through the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery).
As SURJ folks know, systemic racism has two sides. One side is oppression for people of color. In this case the land was stolen from the Indigenous peoples. The other side is unjust benefit for white people. In this case white settlers and their descendants have benefited tremendously from land theft. It’s past time to make reparations.
The Repair Communities launched the financial reparations campaign at their meeting on Tuesday evening November 18. The commitments and contributions are coming in fast. So far we’ve raised $24,950 toward matching the $30,000 for Makoce Ikikcupi, and $7,220 toward matching the $10,000 for the Coalition.
We’re getting close. Help put us over the top. When we reach our goal, we’ll have raised $80,000 for Land Justice!
Donate in the amount that is right for you. For contributions to Makoce Ikikcupi see their webpage at makoceikikcupi.com/contribute/. For contributions to the Coalition see their webpage at dismantlediscovery.org/donate/.
Makoce Ikikcupi has already posted a Thank You on their Facebook page. “Hello my relatives. The wood pile is stocked. The stove is warming the lodge and the coffee pot is on. Makoce Ikikcupi would like to thank our allies for their support. Pidamaya.”
For more information please contact John Stoesz at johnstoesz1@gmail.com.
Update on Jason Sole’s Pardon Process
Good news: Jason finally got a letter putting him on the docket for the Dec 17th Board of Pardons hearing! After an 8-0 recommendation from the Clemency Review Commission (and 6-2 recommending he receive pardon without having to appear for another hearing), we were hoping this news would have come sooner, or that he be directly pardoned by mail instead of having to state his case again in front of the pardon board. Why are they stringing him along? (His crimes from over 20 years ago have no victim).
Save the date for the afternoon of Wed Dec 17th, if you can show up in St. Paul for in person support at the pardon hearing! The massive turnout of community supporters impressed the Clemency Review Commission on 8/1 (they’d never seen anything like it!) and was a large part of why he received a unanimous recommendation for pardon! Now let’s make sure the Board of Pardons sees all our support, too, and finally grants Jason Sole his pardon!
| GET INVOLVED WITH SURJ-TC! |
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| SURJ-TC is a local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national organization organizing white people to build the political will to end white supremacy. White people have been told for years by Black, Indigenous, and people of color that we need to educate and organize our own people. So that’s what we try to do. Learn more at www.surjtc.org. SURJ-TC is one of 150 chapters and affiliates nationwide. Learn about SURJ National at surj.org. Our work is local and so are our volunteers. Within this volunteer-driven culture, we strive always to make our work as transparent and non-hierarchical as we know how while holding ourselves accountable to our mission of ending white supremacy and implementing our theory of change (i.e., self-education, action, and calling in more white people). We welcome volunteers in our working groups and teams and can offer a variety of ways to get involved. If you’d like to find out more or are interested in other ways to get involved, email showingupforracialjusticemn@gmail.com. |