Showing Up for Racial Justice organizes white people to build the political will needed to end white supremacy. We do this through political education, direct action, self reflection, and community-building, and by following the example and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) partners.
First steps
Join our email list
Stay up to date about what our chapter is working on and how you can get involved. Fill out this form to sign up.
Welcome gatherings
Small group conversations with new and existing members (6-10 people) to welcome you into our chapter. We 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. Fill out this form to sign up for a welcome gathering.
Learning more together
Police Abolition Learning Circles
Three months of deep learning about community safety and police abolition with a small group. Circles run about twice a year. Keep an eye on our newsletter for the next cycle of recruitment.
Anti-Racist Learning Circles
Small groups of 3-5 people learning together, often guided by books. Our circle process encourages taking in information slowly, with close attention to our embodied experience of learning about white supremacy. Keep an eye on our newsletter for the next cycle!
Taking collective action
Action Alerts
When a request is made for white people to be at a racial justice protest or to take action for racial justice we’ll let you know through our action alerts, which include an invitation to show up together, to be in community while taking action.
We are currently pausing new sign-ups to the action alert tree while we develop our plans for post-covid operations.If you would like to be contacted once we restructure and start accepting sign-ups again this summer, please fill out this form!
Action Hours
A one hour meeting, on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, at which we’ll learn about an issue and take action together (e.g. writing emails to elected officials about stopping Line 3). Keep an eye on our Facebook and email newsletter to sign up!
General Meetings
Longer meetings, usually 2 hours, which gives us time to learn more about issues our chapter is prioritizing (e.g. police abolition). We usually spend around half of the time in these meetings in smaller breakout groups so that everyone can get to know each other better and support each other in finding ways to take meaningful action. We will share dates for upcoming General Meetings via our email newsletter.
Why become a member of SURJ-TC?
Being a part of an anti-racist community is a powerful experience that can help us deepen our commitments to anti-racism, build relationships and connections that sustain us, and resource us for the long-haul work of ending white supremacy.
Becoming a member of SURJ-TC benefits you, our chapter, and our BIPOC-led partner organizations:
- It means you will be accompanied by other white people in your anti-racist work.
- It means that our chapter will expand its collective capacity to take action.
- It means that SURJ-TC has a dedicated group of members ready to activate when our BIPOC partners need allies.
Membership provides clear, yet flexible pathways for each of us to contribute our time, energy, and talents to the work of dismantling white supremacy. We encourage you to choose which steps to take and how quickly based on what fits in your life right now.
Getting involved before becoming a member
The first step is getting to know our chapter by getting involved! Several SURJ-TC activities are open to the public: welcome gatherings, anti-racism learning circles, general meetings, action hours, and going to protests and actions together. Find our more on our Get Involved page
Becoming a member
Once you’ve decided that you’d like to become a member, we invite you to get more familiar with our chapter by taking part in three gatherings offered regularly and then to make a one year commitment.
1. Attend a welcome gathering
At a welcome gathering, you’ll meet new and existing members and learn about the many options for getting involved. Sign up here.
2. Attend a chapter orientation
At a chapter orientation, you’ll learn about the history of our chapter, our theory of change, our BIPOC partners, our emphasis on somatic foundations for reflection and action, and the benefits of membership.
3. Attend a reflection session
At a reflection session, you’ll join new and existing members as we self-assess our understanding and practice of anti-racism. The purpose is to celebrate what you’ve accomplished, notice ways you’d like to change, and set intentions for the future.
4. Join our chapter
At the end of the reflection session, you will have the opportunity to formally join our chapter. We ask that you commit to being a member for one year. What exactly your involvement looks like is up to you, but might include:
- Hosting welcome gatherings
- Planning and leading action hours
- Facilitating anti-racism learning circles
- Leading reflection sessions
- Coordinating action alerts
- Leading subgroups (and starting new ones)
- Serving on the Leadership Council