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:
- BIG WIN at George Floyd Square! – Action requested by March 28
- Black Visions’ FREEDOM BALL – April 4
- Embodying Solidarity with Indigenous People by Becoming Kin – April 5
- SURJ-TC Welcome Gathering – April 21
- 4/24 First Amendment Rights Day at the Capitol – Register by April 1
SURJ EVENTS |
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SURJ-TC Welcome Gathering |
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Being in community is a powerful support and antidote to disruptions and changes all around us. This Welcome Gathering is an opportunity for you to learn more about us and see if we could be a potential community ~ a political home ~ for you. We are offering a Welcome Gathering on Monday, April 21 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm over Zoom. We will share stories about anti-racism in our lives and then talk about how you can get more involved with SURJ-TC and how we can support you in deepening your commitment to racial justice work. Please register if you would like to attend. We will send the Zoom link, along with a reminder a few days before. We offer Welcome Gatherings regularly, so if you are interested and can’t make this one, keep an eye on the newsletter for future dates. |
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COMMUNITY EVENTS OF INTEREST |
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BIG WIN at George Floyd Square! Action requested by 3/28 |
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On 2/27/25, the Minneapolis City Council overrode the Mayor’s 2/19/25 veto of the resolution passed by the CC that favored community engagement in the future of George Floyd Square (GFS)! This took a lot of activism, and WE DID IT!! Now the city is looking for input on 4 proposals for how the People’s Way (former gas station) on the northwest corner of the Square will be developed. By filling out this survey (click on this blue link) by Friday, 3/28, all Minneapolis residents can help decide. There are 4 proposals for making something good out of the People’s Way site at George Floyd Square.The Rise & Remember proposal appears to be most-aligned with SURJ-TC values. Rise & Remember is made up of the people who have been Square Keepers for nearly 5 years, day in and day out, volunteering to make the space as beautiful, meaningful, and safe as possible. Their proposal aligns with the CVC (Community Visions Council), which was affirmed twice by the Mpls City Council to be central to GFS plans. SURJ-active and SURJ-adjacent people participate in the CVC. If Rise & Remember’s proposal is selected, it would support the Square Keepers’ already-steadfast presence, and finally yield an intersection that includes a pedestrian walkway, gardens, a Memorial, curation and display of the abundant art already on site. Their proposal is most suitable to this sacred and inspirational ground, which is also a city-wide, national and international site for justice seekers. Three of the proposals feature big, new buildings & a museum. These visions may be impractical for the site, and would require approximately $200,000,000 to be raised. Is that the best use of a huge sum of money for this neighborhood that’s been under-resourced for decades? Please do vote for the proposal of your choice, at the link above, by 3/28/25. Thank you! Contact SURJ-TC member Erika Thorne with questions at showingupforracialjusticemn@gmail.com. |
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Black Visions’ FREEDOM BALL |
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This Burlesque and Drag Show is titled Freedom Ball-Liberation in Motion It is a Queer-inspired fundraiser for SURJ-TC’s long-time coalition partner, Black Visions! April 4, doors open at 9PM & show starts at 9:30PM LUSH Lounge & Theater, 990 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. Tickets are available at bit.ly/BVFreedomBall All proceeds raised will go towards Black Vision’s leadership development funds. Please contact Camika Hurdle (any pronouns) <camika@blackvisionsmn.org> with questions. See you there!! |
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Help Build the Movement for Indigenous Justice |
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You are invited on April 4 at 7 PM to this powerful event with Sarah Augustine (Tewa / Pueblo), Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Augustine leads a national and international movement for justice for Indigenous peoples. She is also an author, scholar, mother, teacher, and conflict mediator. Augustine challenges communities to take heart and take action: “We must have the courage to join together to imagine, create, and construct, with hope and humility, systems that pursue life.” Register HERE to attend in-person or online. (Registration is required for those attending online, and appreciated but not required for those attending in person.)The flyer below provides the details. The event is free of charge. |
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First Amendment Rights Day at the Capitol |
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Join us on April 24th for First Amendment Rights Day at the Capitol. Members of Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities and a statewide coalition will meet with legislators to Repeal the Anti-Boycott Law! MN Statutes 3.226 and 16C.053, deny state contracts to MN companies from exercising their First Amendment rights by boycotting Israel. This is a requirement of allegiance to a foreign country in order for Minnesotans to do business with their own state! It violates all Minnesotans’ their free speech rights and is also being used as a template for newly proposed law (SF 851) to penalize boycotting fossil fuels in Minnesota and will likely serve as precedent for even more violations of our First Amendment Rights. Our First Amendment rights are in ever more danger, even here in Minnesota. It is crucial to pressure our legislators to stand up for our rights now! 30 organizations that promote and advocate for human rights, civil rights, labor rights, religious freedom for all, and environmental and climate justice will come together to tell our stories to legislators and advocate for freedom of speech Full schedule to be released, but plan to be with us all day if you’re registering! The deadline to register for the First Amendment Rights Day at the Capitol is April 1st.
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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 tasks and areas of interest. If you’d like to find out more or are interested in other ways to get involved, email showingupforracialjusticemn@gmail.com. |
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SURJ-TC is now able to accept online donations via PayPal! Visit our donate page and click the “donate” button to set up your one-time or recurring donation! How will your donation be used? We are an all-volunteer group, and your donations will be put to good use, to help our chapter cover things like:
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