Today’s Local Actions – Thurs 7/16 – “Thank you!” Edition
It’s done and it’s just begun! The Ventura City Council approved a “Black Lives Matter” resolution on Monday evening and last night, dedicated, knowledgeable and articulate community members were finally rewarded for their peaceful campaign to move the statues of Father Serra from city-owned property to a more appropriate location with a unanimous decision.
Check out all our “Watch Party” videos here.
- Recently added: The Leesburg Stockade Girls
- Recently added: “What defund the police” really means.
- Recently added: Suppressed: The Fight to Vote – Full Film
Events happening today!
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; It must be demanded by the oppressed.” ~ MLK
- We’re putting up information on local protests and actions by others we’re finding from informal sources. These listings are not endorsements nor guarantees as to time/place/type of protest or participant safety. Events can and have already been cancelled without notice.
- Protest safely in the time of pandemic and police overreaction: Go here for resources on camera apps, equipment, what to know if you’re stopped by police.
TODAY! – Fight environmental racism. Send a message or call-in to Ventura Co. decision makers about oil & gas wells next to homes and schools. (VC Planning Commission meeting is happening now!
Go here to learn more!
(Food & Water Watch – California) The Planning Commission meeting starts this morning at 8:30 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ hearing room at the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.
On the agenda – new oil and gas regulations that would put children and vulnerable communities at risk of cancer, asthma and pre-term births. Instead of enforcing a minimum setback of 2,500 feet from oil and gas wells, like scientists and health professionals recommend, they are caving to the oil industry and lowering it to 1,500 feet. Being forced to live next door to these industries create chronic health issues for the poor and communities of color. In a pandemic, it creates a higher risk of deat
Send a message to your county supervisor and the Planning Commission with this nifty template here that the data is in, and we’re not putting up with environmental racism anymore. Tell them to enforce at least 2,500-foot oil well setbacks from schools and homes. Then do more. Here’s help on making comments at the meeting.
What do I do? How can I participate? 350 VC Climate Hub has created a great explainer here, with deadlines, procedures, tips, and references to help you participate in this fight against environmental injustice.
Something doesn’t seem right here…
Breonna’s killers still haven’t been arrested but her supporters have. And charged with felonies.
You know who hasn’t been charged with a felony? ANY OF THE OFFICERS WHO KILLED A WOMAN IN HER BED!!! One of the officers involved in Taylor’s death, was fired on June 23, more than three months after Taylor was killed and two other officers have been placed on administrative leave. Between our posts and Facebook and twitter, we have thousands of readers. Let’s help out these arrested and overcharged. Make a call today!
Thurs –7/16 – ONLINE – End For-Profit Prison Industry Press Conference and Hearing (*8:15am – 12pm/ see details)
Note: The video below is from 2018. Rachel Gilmer of dreamdefenders.org is an inspirational speaker, and because of activists like her, there’s been huge progress in the fight against this immoral industry. Which is why we’re here.
In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 32, which phases out the use of all private, for-profit prisons, including both prisons and immigration detention facilities, in our state. GEO is now striking back, suing us to continue an operation that even its own shareholders call out human rights violations.
Facebook link here. Save the date for a day of virtual advocacy. At 9:00am, State Attorney General will defend AB32 in California, against the GEO Group Corporation, that is aggressively trying to expand the amount of cages in CA.
This is an important day to say #CommunityNotCages and an opportunity to take out the financial incentive of migrant detention. Stay posted for more updates!
* Details: livestream event via this link.
- 8:15 – 8:45am: Virtual Press Conference
- 9:00am: AB32 Court Hearing
- 11:00am: Community Debrief
DnD Coalition: Immigrant Defense Advocates (IDA), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), Freedom for Immigrant (FFI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA), Kern Youth Abolitionist (KYA), Inland Empire Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ), Resilience Orange County (ROC), Interfaith for Human Integrity (IM4HI), Immigrant Defense Project (IDP), Human Impact Partners (HIP),Detention Watch Network (DWN),Pangea Legal Services,Centro Legal De La Raza
ACLU, AFSC – San Diego, SIREN, Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD)
Thurs –7/16 – ONLINE – ACLU Power Lunch Series for Prop. 15 – (11:30am every other Thursday)
Register here to receive the Zoom link. “You’re a crucial part of the people-powered effort to pass (Prop. 15) Schools and Communities First so we can reclaim $12 billion every year for our schools and critical local services by closing corporate property tax loopholes, all while protecting residential property owners and implementing new small business tax relief.
Each Power Lunch will provide a space for activists to participate in conversations and hands-on trainings to practice core strategies and tactics to engage your community and voters.With the power of we, we can ensure that our schools and communities come first. We look forward to having you join us for our Power Lunch series!”
All seminars start at 11:30 am
Part 1 (Jul 16): Our Voice = Our Power
Part 2 (Jul 30): Powering Up Supporters, Endorsements, & Community Outreach!
Part 3 (Aug 13): Campaign Organizing While Physical Distancing: An Intro to Digital Organizing & Voter Engagement Tactics
Part 4 (Aug 27): Nuts & Bolts to Making Voting (during a pandemic!) Safe and Inclusive for All
Part 5 (Sept. 10): Virtual Parties: Phones & Postcards
Thurs –7/16 – ONLINE – Policing & Racial Justice” A community Dialogue for Ventura County- (6 pm)
Time to tune in! I will be speaking on the panel sharing my personal experiences with racism, and bias in my community as well as how we are tackling these issues on a grassroots level! We present:
Community Dialogue on Policing & Racial Justice, with responses from law enforcement,
805Resistance
Time to tune in! I will be speaking on the panel sharing my personal experiences with racism, and bias in my community as well as how we are tackling these issues on a grassroots level! We present:
Community Dialogue on Policing & Racial Justice, with responses from law enforcement,
A coalition of social-justice organizationsfrom across Ventura County today announced plans for a virtual forum offering community members an opportunity to voice their perspectives, concerns and fears about policing in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter protests locally and nationwide.
“Policing and Racial Justice: A Community Dialogue for Ventura County” will be hosted on Indivisible: Conejo’s YouTube channel beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 16.
The event will feature Black residents and area students addressing topics including racial profiling, resource officers in schools, the effect of recent events on young people’s attitudes toward policing, the real meaning of “defund the police,” and suggestions for reforms in law enforcement and other public agencies.
Ventura County Sheriff William Ayub, or a command-level deputy within the Sheriff’s Department, is expected to participate and offer responses to the presentations by community members. Nick Odenath, President of the Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, also is scheduled to participate.Sponsors of the forum include the Ventura County chapter of the NAACP, the Ventura County chapter of Black Lives Matter, the LULAC chapters in Camarillo and the Conejo Valley, the student advocacy group Justice in the Classroom, 805 Resistance, Buen Vecino, Adelante, and the Lucstrong Foundation, as well as Indivisible: Conejo. The event is being organized with support from AD-44 Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin.
Thurs –7/16 – PHONEBANKING – SURJ Racial Justice Phonebank- (6 pm)
From SURJ National:” We are building a bigger, more skillful WE to take on white supremacy. Join us Thursdays at 6PM EST to phonebank for racial justice!
What you need:
- Internet connected computer, laptop or desktop is fine (tablets do not work)
- Chrome or Firefox browser (system does not support Safari or Explorer)
- Cell phone or landline
How the 3 hour phonebank works:
1. Up to 1000 of us get info on who we’re calling and why
2. practice the script with other phone bankers
3. returners start calls, (new folks get tech training first)
4. debrief on how it went
5. grab your friends and return next week
How we decide who we’re calling:
- work with leaders in M4BL, Latinx and Indigenous communities to identify the most timely issue (past topics have been progressive candidates in GA, defund the police in PA, and Charles Booker support in KY)
- prioritize white voters who have historically been ignored in elections
- build a script that focuses on shared stake in racial justice
SURJ Facebook event page for upcoming phonebanks. Register for Thursday’s Call Here
UUtheVote page here.
Thurs –7/16: ONLINE – East Ventura Community Council meeting (7-9pm)
Facebook link here. We have a great lineup for our July 16 meeting! Joining us for our monthly Zoom is Ventura’s new Chief of Police Darin Schindler and the County of Ventura’s new Public Information Officer Ashley Bautista. These two skilled professionals both started their jobs in the middle of a pandemic and social upheaval. What has that been like and what can we expect? We’ll have time for plenty of questions. The meeting will be held online via the Zoom application. Go here to view: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88448837277
Sign this local petition to stop VUSD from opening campuses!
UPDATE: Arizona: Three teachers who shared a summer classroom at a school in Arizona all contracted coronavirus last month. One died.
UPDATE: from the CDC – “If children meet in groups, it can put everyone at risk. Children can pass this virus onto others who have an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”
Sign the petition here!: Let’s tell the district that public health needs to be their first priority.”
Good News to share!
Monday 7/13: This resolution, presented by City Councilmember Lorrie Brown and Deputy Mayor Sofia Rubalcava passed unanimously:
“A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA, CALIFORNIA, DECLARING RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND CONDEMNING POLICE BRUTALITY”
There are 12 points but here are the top four.
- Declares that racism is a public health crisis;
- Declares that Black lives do matter;
- Condemns any and all forms of police brutality—whenever and wherever it occurs;
- Adopts the Mayor’s statement regarding the “#8CANTWAIT,” attached hereto and incorporated herein by this reference as Exhibit “A;”
Read the entire document here: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22228/12B
Actions happening soon!
Friday –7/17 – ONLINE – Unite We Dream: Fight Back and Win in Your Local Community (2pm EST)
Link here: “Local government has power to influence our daily lives. But we have the power to influence their decisions.
It is time that local governments TRULY recognize the undocumented communities in a holistic way, not just for our labor. We deserve real protections not empty statements, and we deserve real allocation of resources for all of our needs, such as housing, healthcare, education, and more.
RSVP and join us for an interactive webinar with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center to learn about the three clear ways local governments can protect our undocumented community and how YOU can take action to pressure local government to protect us.”
Friday –7/17 – ONLINE – Meet & Greet with 805Resistance (6pm)
This is an opportunity to talk about what our goals are and what we have planned. This will also be a time for those of you who want to be involved with doing the work can identify your strengths and where you feel you are more likely to serve. Make sure to take notes and bring your questions as well as problem solving skills to the table. Here is the zoom link: La Shaun Aaron is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: La Shaun Aaron’s Zoom Meeting
Time: Jul 17, 2020 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting with this link. For additional meeting/sign in information, go here.
Tuesday –7/18 – ONLINE – Community Virtual Extravaganza (3:00-4:30pm)
Saturday –7/18 – CAMARILLO – Call to Action/Peaceful Protest for Vanessa and Breonna!! (3pm at Constitution Park, 1287 Paseo Camarillo)
Facebook link here. “DON’T THINK THEY HEAR US !!!! Camarillo City Council voted 3-2 “NO” on a resolution stating Black Lives Matter, even after we sent in over 700 emails for BLM. Saturday, July 18th we’re taking on the streets of Camarillo once again. Join us in protesting these injustices!! We’re also dedicating this protest to BREONNA TAYLOR & VANESSA GUILLEN, the system failed them both!! & we must continue to fight for them! Protest starts at 3:00pm @ Constitution Park, where we will march through the streets of Camarillo and end up at Constitution Park where we will have speakers. Thank you guys for your continued support!
We aren’t asking for anything unattainable. We are asking them to acknowledge that BLACK LIVES MATTER. This is the bare minimum. Let’s also make sure we acknowledge Susan Santangelo & Shawn Mulchay who have been fighting for this simple proclamation to be passed despite their racist colleagues. BLACK LIVES MATTER HERE IN CAMARILLO !!!!!! See you guys Saturday @ 3pm”
Sunday –7/19 – ONLINE – CADEM Virtual Day of Action for Christy Smith for Congress, CA-25 (1 – 4pm)
Link here. Democrats in California like YOU energized the nation in 2018 by flipping seven Congressional districts from red to blue! But sadly, one of these districts flipped back to the GOP earlier this year — CD-25 in Southern California. We cannot let this stand.
— CD-25 in Southern California. We cannot let this stand.
Monday –7/20 – EVERYWHERE – Strike for Black Lives
Labor unions and activist groups plan nationwide “Strike for Black Lives” on July 20. Website here. Read more here.
“JULY 20TH is a day of reckoning. Across the country, workers will rise up to strike for Black lives. Together, we will withhold our most valuable asset — our labor — in support of dismantling racism and white supremacy to bring about fundamental changes in our society, economy and workplaces. Join us in walking out for justice. #StrikeForBlackLives
We demand:
- Justice for Black communities.
- Elected officials and candidates at every level use their authority to rewrite and reimagine the rules so that Black communities can thrive.
- Corporations take immediate action to dismantle racism, white supremacy and economic exploitation wherever it exists, including in our workplaces.
- Every worker has the opportunity to form a union, no matter where they work.“
Monday –7/20 – THOUSAND OAKS – March for Black Lives (6pm) Oaks Mall.
Monday –7/20 – ONLINE – Ibram X. Kendi “How to be an Anti-Racist (7-8 pm EDT)
Free online event. Register here.
2019 Guggenheim Fellow and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi will discuss his renowned book “How to Be an Antiracist” on Monday, July 20 at 7:00 p.m. with Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, president of Prince George’s Community College. Dr. Dukes is the first African-American woman to serve as president of the College and has 30 years of progressive leadership experience and administrative responsibility in higher education. The conversation will be streamed live online on Crowdcast, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/Periscope, and will air on PGCC TV on a later date.Praised as “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind” (New York Times), Kendi’s groundbreaking work has provided a major new counterpoint in the national conversation about race in America and resonates in this, our collective moment of reckoning.
Tuesday –7/21 – ONLINE – Ventura Co. Board of Supervisors Meeting (9am)
Our community’s farmworkers are at risk for the coronavirus at work in the fields. They are testing positive at a higher rate than the rest of the community. The recent outbreak of COVID19 at Villa las Brisas in Oxnard, where over 80% of farmworkers who lived and worked together tested positive, is a wake up call.
Join MICOP and CAUSE in asking the Ventura and Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to take the following actions to protect the health and safety of these hardworking farmworkers!
Please study and sign this petition. It provides clear and detailed requests tailored for the Ventura and Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, the employers of farmworkers, and Reiter Affliliated Companies. They encompass the wide range of issues that have made farmworkers so vulnerable to this disease, including access to health care, sanitation, fair pay, protective equipment, working conditions, informational outreach, and housing.
We are asking community partners to attend the next BOS meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 21st at 9am to voice our concerns and demand accountability.
Tuesday –7/21 – ONLINE – Therapists, not Cops in Ventura Schools (7pm)
(From CAUSE🙂 Facebook link here. “Police-free schools helps us dismantle the “school to prison pipeline.” We need to invest in mental health services instead of criminalizing our youth! Ventura CAUSE Youth want “Therapists Not Cops” and are calling for the School Board to stand with the BLM movement to defund the police by ending contracts with Ventura PD SRO’s and reallocate those funds to preventative Mental Health services for youth on-campus.
Join us by submitting a public comment by emailing public.comment@venturausd.org between 5- 5:30 PM on Tuesday, July 21.
Add “READ OUT LOUD DURING MEETING” to the beginning of your comment so it can be part of the video transcript.
VUSD doesn’t have a way to call in or join via internet which is really unfortunate since it limits the way that our message will be delivered. At this meeting, folks interested can also address that as a barrier to public participation.”
Watch the livestream of the meeting .
Tuesday –7/21 – ONLINE – National Webinar on the Breathe Act (8pm EST)
Read about this bill to radically transform the criminal justice system here. It originates from the work of activists at the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives. The bill has four sections: divesting funds from federal incarceration systems and police, and ending criminal-legal system harms; investing in community safety through funding incentives; investing in healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities; and, holding officials accountable and enhancing self-determination of Black people.
The bill tackles criminal justice reform from several angles. Learn more through this informative bill summary. Summary of the act by Movement for Black Lives here. This bill was introduced by Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib and it’s discussed in the video below of the bill unveiling. Join in the national webinar here.
CALL Action! Urge your legislators to vote “YES” on the “Breathe Act”
“For decades, the federal government has incentivized mass criminalization through policies and funding programs that increase arrests, prison construction, hiring of police officers, and the militarization of police. This funding has fueled the violent over-policing of Black people, while leaving social services and basic infrastructure that actually keep people safe woefully underfunded.
The BREATHE Act proposes policy and funding that upends this violent reality. Policy is one of many tools at our disposal, and with this bill, we are creating a national standard of civil rights that will bring our demands into reality. We are not interested in someone else’s version of what is politically possible. We are interested in defending Black lives.”
The bill doesn’t appear to have a number yet. Minimal script for representatives/senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep./Sen [___] to vote “YES” on Rep. Pressley and Tlaib’s BREATHE Act.
Contact
Rep. Julia Brownley: email, (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: email.(CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
and Senator Harris: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (310) 231-4494, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884
Who is my representative/senator?:https://whoismyrepresentative.com
Thurs –7/23 – Call-In day for the USPS!
Thurs –7/23 – PHONEBANKING – SURJ Racial Justice Phonebank- (6 pm)
From SURJ National:” We are building a bigger, more skillful WE to take on white supremacy. Join us Thursdays at 6PM EST to phonebank for racial justice!
What you need:
- Internet connected computer, laptop or desktop is fine (tablets do not work)
- Chrome or Firefox browser (system does not support Safari or Explorer)
- Cell phone or landline
How the 3 hour phonebank works:
1. Up to 1000 of us get info on who we’re calling and why
2. practice the script with other phone bankers
3. returners start calls, (new folks get tech training first)
4. debrief on how it went
5. grab your friends and return next week
How we decide who we’re calling:
- work with leaders in M4BL, Latinx and Indigenous communities to identify the most timely issue (past topics have been progressive candidates in GA, defund the police in PA, and Charles Booker support in KY)
- prioritize white voters who have historically been ignored in elections
- build a script that focuses on shared stake in racial justice
SURJ Facebook event page for upcoming phonebanks. Register for Thursday’s Call Here
UUtheVote page here.
Saturday –7/25 – OXNARD – 1st Outdoor Social – Oxnard LGBTQ Community (3pm)
Facebook link here.
Thurs –7/30 – ONLINE – ACLU Power Lunch Series for Prop. 15 – (11:30am every other Thursday)
Register here to receive the Zoom link. “You’re a crucial part of the people-powered effort to pass (Prop. 15) Schools and Communities First so we can reclaim $12 billion every year for our schools and critical local services by closing corporate property tax loopholes, all while protecting residential property owners and implementing new small business tax relief.
Each Power Lunch will provide a space for activists to participate in conversations and hands-on trainings to practice core strategies and tactics to engage your community and voters.With the power of we, we can ensure that our schools and communities come first. We look forward to having you join us for our Power Lunch series!”
All seminars start at 11:30 amPart 1 (Jul 16): Our Voice = Our Power
Part 2 (Jul 30): Powering Up Supporters, Endorsements, & Community Outreach!
Part 3 (Aug 13): Campaign Organizing While Physical Distancing: An Intro to Digital Organizing & Voter Engagement Tactics
Part 4 (Aug 27): Nuts & Bolts to Making Voting (during a pandemic!) Safe and Inclusive for All
August 2-6 – ONLINE – 11th NAACP Virtual National Convention
In the wake of a COVID-19 reality and the aftermath of global uprisings against racism in our country, it is more important than ever that the 111th National Convention takes place, and in a manner that safely empowers and equips our network of activists for the work we need to do during this critical election year.
Over the course of two weeks, the NAACP Virtual Convention will provide two modules, one tailored to our members, and another open to our supporters and activists at large to convene critical discussions and programs concerning the most pressing issues in our communities today. Sign up for updates for the convention here.
The 111th National Convention will include enriching sessions such as:
- Coronavirus and Our Community: Health and Wealth in our new normal
- Election 2020: Mobilizing the Black Vote
- State of the NAACP Address
- Hollywood Bureau Screening Series
- ACT-SO Presentations and Awards
- And more!
Petitions/Funding
Additional petitions here.
Not everyone has a president to help them – Equalize access to justice!
We have two justice systems in our country.
Roger Stone: Found GUILTY by jury on 7 federal criminal counts. Original jail time of 9 years revised by presidential intervention to ±3. No jail time.
Kalief Browder: ACCUSED of stealing a backpack. Couldn’t post bail. Spent 3 years at Riker’s awaiting trial. Due to the trauma of brutality he experienced in solitary confinement and being imprisoned he ultimately died of suicide shortly after being released.
Kristen Clarke, JD Exec Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. We fight for racial justice. You can donate here to help give regular people a chance.
Ventura, CA: Freedom of Speech!
Petition here. The city of Ventura, Ca requires “Free Speech Permits”. It cost $25 to apply and the website states any event, “that impact City streets, sidewalks, parking lots, public property, airways, public buildings, and traffic require a City permit. Many private properties also require City permits for special activities that have the potential to impact the public-right-of-way.”
The right to free speech and the right to assemble is protected by the United States Constitution under the first amendment. The first amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Notice how it says “free exercise thereof”? How is a $25 fee to apply for a free speech permit constitutional?
Tell ICE: #FreeTheFamilies
Sign this petition to demand you comply with Judge Dolly Gee’s order to release all children who have been detained for more than 20 days by July 17th and that all family members and guardians of detained children be released as well with their children. Not ONE child should be separated from their families!
Amnesty International and RAICES petitions here.
HOLD THE US ARMY ACCOUNTABLE: Justice for Vanessa Guillen
Sign the petition here.
A gofundme has been organized for the the farm workers now in quarantine.
“An outbreak of COVID-19 has left at least 176 residents and staff members infected at a farmworker housing facility in Ventura County. Of the 216 tests administered to people affiliated with the facility, more than 80% returned positive.” (LATimes)
Proceeds will be used to aid the farm workers who are now unemployed & receive no benefits. They will have medical expenses and bills to pay. They have picked the food that sits on our tables, now we can help put food on theirs.
OUR GENTE NEEDS US!!! SIEMPRE UNIDOS!!! Link here.
Cut Ties with the Fraternal Order of Police
Read/sign the petition here.
(Color of Change) TO: All elected officials and candidates for office
“The continued violence against Black, brown, and Native communities at the hands of ‘law enforcement’ is disgraceful. Police unions are in the business of defending the most consistent murderers and abusers and creating obstructions to justice.
We are urging you to stand on the right side of history: refuse to take any political donations from police unions or sheriff associations and donate any contributions you have taken in the last year to Black-led community-strengthening initiatives.”
Calls for Justice!
For more information and scripts, go here.
Contact information for officials, from city to the feds, here.
- Join in the boycott of Goya Foods!
- Make discriminatory 911 Calls in CA a hate crime – “YES” on AB1550
- Call your legislators about the ICE “Citizen Academy” boondoggle.
- Make DC a state: Call your Senators and demand they cosponsor S.631 – Washington DC Admission Act
- Send some postcards to ICE! – Stop these crimes against humanity now.
- “NO” on throwing more money at the military: Call your senators and demand vote “NO” on S.4049 – the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
- Bounty-Hunting: What are they going to do about reports that Trump ignored or dismissed Putin-funded Taliban bounty-hunting?
- Rent is due on July 1st, and millions won’t be able to pay. Pass “HR 7301″ – Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020”. UPDATE: [H.R.7301 which waspassed by the House this week] CALL YOUR SENATORS!
- Stop Water Shutoffs!: Send a letter to your Senators today demanding a nationwide moratorium on water shutoffs.
- No more Tear Gas!: Call your legislators to make one’s right to protest safe from chemical warfare.”YES” on H.R. 7221 – “To prohibit law enforcement officers from using chemical weapons in the course of policing activities, and for other purposes.”
- Poor People’s Campaign: Call your legislators to enact the planks of the Poor People’s Campaign
- #Juneteenth – No more Excuses – Time to make Juneteenth a nation holiday. “YES” on HR 7232!
- Yes on Reparations study: CALL ACTION #2: It’s past time to make amends! “YES” on HR 40/S.1038 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act.
- No more contributions from law enforcement unions
Featured Resources
A free face mask for everyone who needs one.
The Activ(ist)Wear brand DHVANI is giving a free mask to anyone in the United States who requests one. All masks are 100% free and paid for by donations. Learn more here. https://www.gofundme.com/f/MasksForAll
If you’d like a free mask, go here: https://DHVANI.com/FreeMasks
If you can pay $10 for a mask to help fund others, go here. All proceeds go to helping provide masks for others.
The pandemic has left millions hungry. This group helps people get food benefits fast, by text.
In the past six years, this nonprofit has helped more than 700,000 people across the country connect to potentially lifesaving benefits by texting the word “food” to the number 74544. Their website is here. WAPO article here.
Resource: Kids and Trauma/ Race Trauma/ COVID-19 Isolation
Read here.
FYI: Outside rallies, with masks, are “moderate-low” risk.
July 6-10th TRAINING – High School Students to work for youth voter participation.
The Civic Center’s Future Voters Action Week (FVAW) is a 5-day, virtual workshop that trains a select group of dedicated high school students and 2020 graduates to lead efforts to improve youth voter participation. Participants from around the country develop personalized Public Narratives and action plans to lead drives during High School Voter Registration Week. Applications are now open for the next session: July 6-10th from 12:00 – 1:30pm PT / 3:00 – 4:30pm ET. FVAW takes place entirely over Zoom. There is no cost to apply or to participate, and required program materials will be available online. Let’s make sure this information gets to those who can use it: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtsf4AyMPVWq2BaHljDazgXRX3jTay35uBF2prTR_lp0en5A/viewform
Aid for those impacted by COVID-19
Facebook photo here. Website here.
Have you been laid off or have your work hours been impacted due to COVID-19? You may be eligible to receive up to $800 in supportive services assistance for housing, utilities, childcare, transportation, and telework equipment, such as a computer or internet. For more information and to apply for the COVID-19 Support Services Program, visit venturacountyajcc.org or call 805-204-5186.
Ethnic Studies Webinar starts July 7!
UPDATE: Our series of virtual ethnic studies webinars and lessons will launch July 7, and more special guests have been announced!
This series of webinars will feature the four foundational groups of ethnic studies: Africana Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicano Latino Studies, and Native American Studies. The series will feature prominent leaders and educators from each discipline to provide lectures during the webinars.
More details will be announced in the coming days! In the meantime, you can read more here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel52.asp
So far, confirmed special guests include:
- Assemblymember James C. Ramos, co-founder of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians’ Cultural Awareness Program and director of the California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference at California State University, San Bernardino
- Civil rights activist Dolores Huerta
- Dr. Karen Korematsu, educator, civil rights advocate, and daughter of late civil rights icon Fred Korematsu
- Assemblymember Jose Medina, who drafted legislation to make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement
- Assemblymember Shirley Weber, a professor emeritus and co-founder of Africana Studies at San Diego State University
Read and consider how this can apply here.
Poor People’s Campaign
Read the Poor People’s Campaign platform here.
More Racial Justice resources here. Extensive BLM resources, including donation sites, onlines classes, Black-owned businesses, reading/watching lists and more.
COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Plan for Black America
“For too long, Black people have had to work twice as hard to barely get half as far in America. The rules of the economy, our democracy, and our society are rigged — and as a result, Black communities are falling farther behind.
COVID-19 has exposed the connection between rigged rules and their impacts on our families: Black people are infected at higher rates, and comprise the majority of deaths from the disease in many cities across America.We need a plan for Black communities that protects our families, provides access to the care we need, and that builds new infrastructure to address the crises facing us. It’s time to change the rules, and make new ones that protect and strengthen our communities. The Black Agenda 2020 is a roadmap for making Black people powerful in all aspects of our lives.To flatten the curve and level the playing field, Congress must adopt the following Black Agenda2020 priorities immediately.”
SIGN UP YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE – Color of Change
Additional Petitions
(6/9 – Update) TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Sign this petition for Victoria, one of our own! Call our senators!
(6/9 – Update): According to Victoria’s attorney, your messages of love and support you’ve added along with your names on the petition site mean the world to Victoria and her family. Thank you for your kindness, Ventura County! America is happy to extract the labor of immigrants, but we won’t give the hardworking essential workers who make our lives more comfortable the basic dignity and security they need. LA Times article here.
- Sign the petition for Victoria here. All actions to help her here.
- Make a call/email:
- Minimal script: Please grant Victoria Galindo’s June 1st stay of removal application. Allowing her to remain with her family. She is an essential worker who is valued by her community.
Contacts:
Senator Kamala Harris: (310) 231-4494
Senator Dianne Feinstein (310) 914-7300
Results – You make things change!
A RUNNING CROWDSOURCED LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY 2020 UPRISING SINCE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD
5/26 – 4 officers fired for murdering George Floyd – Minneapolis, MN
5/28 – Univ of Minn cancels contract, including commercial and research contracts, with police – Minneapolis, MN
5/28 – 3rd Precinct Police station neutralized by protestors – Minneapolis, MN
5/28 – ATU Local 1005 refuses to bring police officers to the protests, or transport arrested protesters, Minneapolis, MN
5/29 – Activists commandeer hotel to provide shelter to homeless – Minneapolis, MN
5/29 – Officer Chauvin who killed George Floyd arrested – Minneapolis, MN
5/29 – Louisville Mayor suspends “no-knock” warrants in response to police’s 3/12 #BreonnaTaylor killing and subsequent protests – Louisville, KY……(List continues here.)
Upping our power – Voting/Census
Phone Bank with SURJ
Will you sign up to phone bank white voters on June 4th? The head of the Minneapolis Police Union sells “Cops for Trump” t-shirts, has been applauded by the President on Twitter, and spoke at a Trump rally. The violence people face will be worse, and the possibility to make the changes needed will only be harder, under another 4 years of the Trump administration. We need to show up big this election year to ensure white voters don’t re-elect Trump.
Be sure your power level is set to maximum by filling out your census form!
Current stats as of 7/2/20 –
National 61.8%
California 63.0%
Ventura County 70.7%
Camarillo 77.9%
Fillmore 66.3%
Moorpark 77.9%
Ojai 68.1%
Oxnard 62.7%
Port Hueneme 62.6%
Santa Paula 67.9%
Simi Valley 75.9%
Thousand Oaks 77.1%
Westlake Village 76.3%
Ventura 70.3%
The most powerful political action you can take today is to fill in your census form online. #shapeyourfuture. If you haven’t filled yours out (busy!!!) or you know someone who may have questions, or is having trouble finishing it, check out our site or the official site here.
Maximum power level – Register to vote by mail and then…DO IT!
“The bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both.” – President Obama
(Read“Trump made Florida his official residence. He may have also made a legal mess.)
Here’s the easy way. Here’s the official state site. You need to re-register to vote when:
- You change your name, or
- You change your political party choice or
- You change your address.
To register to vote in California, you must be:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California (for information on voters in the military or overseas, please see Military and Overseas Voters),
- 18 years old or older on Election Day,
- Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons with a Criminal History), and
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).
To pre-register to vote in California, you must:
- Be 16 or 17 years old, and
- Meet all of the other eligibility requirements to vote.
- You will automatically be registered to vote on your 18th birthday.
Resources
- Racial Justice resources here. Extensive BLM resources, including donation sites, onlines classes, Black-owned businesses, reading/watching lists and more.
- DACA: Go here for more information on latest ruling and what to do now. Free Citizenship fair on 7/26 an OXNARD COLLEGE.
- Community resources here. Volunteer opportunities, donations, food banks.
- County information here: Free antibody testing info., safety net resources, mortgage/rent assistance, etc..
- Emergency information: Emergency Preparedness Guide,
- Coronavirus : information, stats, tracker: here.
- Advisory: Masks are required in CA. Specific instructions here.
- Help us update info: Send “EVENT” in email header here.
Independence Day reading:
- Read the full text of the Declaration of Independence. There’s are some astonishing, wonderful and terrible phrases contained in the parts beyond “We hold these truths to be self-evident.“
- “The right wraps itself in the flag, but this year the left are the Fourth of July patriots.” (Salon)
- “Pulling down statues? It’s a tradition that dates back to U.S. independence” (National Geographic)
- “Colonists drove the revolution from the bottom up, and they challenged power structures of every sort.” (Washington Post)
- “You Want a Confederate Monument? My Body Is a Confederate Monument.” (NYTimes)
- “On the Fourth of July, ask when patriotism became synonymous with selfishness” (NBC)
