The precarity of Black girls’ lives in school have been made visible by Dr. Monique Morris. Through her writing, advocacy, and now film, PUSHOUT, we now have the language to describe and understand what we see happening to Black girls in schools. Morris’ work has inspired debate and legislation with the recent sponsoring of the Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-based Harm that is Overt and Unresponsive to Trauma (P.U.S.H.O.U.T) Act,” by representatives Ayanna Pressley (D- MA), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.). The law identifies the many students made vulnerable by race, gender, and disability positionality and outlines resources and policy recommendations to secure educational spaces for children.

Join Mills College, School of Education for its culminating Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action event: a screening of PUSHOUT and townhall panel discussion moderated by Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey. Dr. Monique Morris will provide opening remarks. In collaboration with the Mills College Black History Month programming and Ethnic Studies Department, we are proud to host this screening of PUSHOUT.

Join Catalyst for a day-long workshop on understanding race and the 2020 elections – what’s at stake and what we can do about it.

* Are you struggling to figure out how to engage in the 2020 elections?
* Are you wanting to understand the importance of the 2020 election, rooted in longer-term racial justice movements?
* Are you looking to connect with local organizations and other people doing electoral work with a long-term vision?
* Do you want to feel inspired to go out and beat white supremacy at the ballot box and beyond?

Co-hosted by Bay Resistance, San Francisco Rising Action Fund, and The Center for Political Education

Monthly interfaith prayer meeting, held on second Sundays, dedicated to healing.

The Bahá’í community of Oakland is organizing this gathering for the community to connect, share prayers, writings and poems from all spiritual traditions, reflect and recharge and build coalitions interested in healing.

Come share prayers, quotes, poems, and favorite passages from your scriptures with us. Refreshments will be served.

Doors open: 10:00 AM
Prayers: 10:30-11:30 AM
Refreshments and socializing: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Sun, Jan 19, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Group Reading: Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence. In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, we will discuss what many believe is the greatest speech by America’s greatest spiritual leader, a speech that cost him his life. It is not widely recognized that Dr. King was an open socialist who stated that: “There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism.” Reading the speech will take about an hour, leaving time for open discussion.

Sun, Jan 26, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
India:  Modi in his Second Term takes a Hard Right Turn
Modi’s BJP won 303 seats in the Parliament of 545 seats in the 2019 General Elections, after completing his first term of 5 years, in which BJP did not have majority, so it was more dependent on its allied regional parties. Modi has undertaken bold move within the first year of his Second term: Removal of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted Jammu & Kashmir state substantial autonomy; Outlawing of the Triple Talaq practice (thrice repeated word divorce by which men could divorce their wives) among Muslims; Threatened to carry out National Registration of Citizens (NRC); and enactment of Citizens Amendment Act (CAA), which permits granting of citizenship to refugees of Hindu, Christian & Sikh faiths from three countries, but not Muslims: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Each of these moves go against the spirit of the staunchly secular Indian Constitution. Students and Muslims, joined by secular persons of Hindu, Christian and Sikh faiths, have begun strong opposition to these moves of the government, and now the Left Parties are organizing workers to oppose government’s Neo-Liberal policies. The latest incident of goons attacking and injuring Left Students and Faculty members at the prestigious Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) has added to the tension in society already tense. What is in store for India the years ahead with Modi at the helm? Raj Sahai who closely monitors the political and economic affairs in India will present his views. Q/A will follow his 50 minute talk.

Sun, Feb 2, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
The Haitian Revolution of 1804.
The imp-act of the Haitian revolution was immeasurable – to the slave system, anti-imperial struggles, France and the US. To other slave societies it became an example of what could be accomplished and a source of hope.

Speakers will be Pierre Labossiere and Gerald Smith.

Sun, Feb 9, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Revolt of the Dispossessed against Neoliberalism in Latin America and the Caribbean
With the Trump administration’s renewed emphasis on imposing the Monroe Doctrine to the Empire’s so-called “backyard,” the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean resist in a revolt of the dispossessed against neoliberalism. In this year in review, hear about the struggles in Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Bolivia, Haiti, and elsewhere along with the solidarity actions by North Americans in support of the social justice movements. The presenters are activists with the 34-year old human rights organization, Task Force on the Americas (https://taskforceamericas.org/).  The presenters are Alice Loaiza, Alicia Jrapko, David Paul, Marilyn Langlois, Bill Hackwell, Roger Harris.

With our new regular schedule, member-submitted resolutions will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please email them to resolutions@eastbaydsa.org. The submissions deadline for each meeting is three weeks before the meeting.

Want to make sure our meeting runs smoothly? Sign up to volunteer with the meetings committee. This is a great, low-commitment role for new and experienced members alike. Please use the same form if you have child supervision or accessibility needs, including the need for an ASL interpreter.

For questions or comments please contact meetings@eastbaydsa.org.

The full agenda can be found here.

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 3 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall.  If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph.  If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 3:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland.  (Note: we meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months,  once Daylight Savings Time springs forward we tend to assemble at 4 PM).

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 2 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over five years! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
3. Announcements
4. (Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

St Peter Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and Health Care for All – Contra Costa County will show The Power to Heal Medicare And The Civil rights Revolution, a 56-minutes long public television documentary that tells a poignant chapter in the historic struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all.

This talk will deal with the campaign launched by the Ella Baker Center, and also involving a variety of organizations, to audit the sheriff’s budget and hold him (in this case Sheriff Ahern) accountable for using taxpayer dollars for long-term public safety solutions that can improve the health and well-being of all people. Demanding transparency with this budget can uncover potential savings to be reinvested directly into our communities.

Jose Bernal is the Organizing Manager at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Jose comes from a family of first generation immigrants. He grew up in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. In late 2016, Jose was  unanimously appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to serve on the San Francisco Reentry Council. While on the council, Jose has been a very active force in advocating for local restorative justice policies. Currently, he serves as Co-chair of the Reentry Council’s Policy & Operational Practices Subcommittee. Through grass-roots community work, Jose has previously spearheaded initiatives and campaigns to de-privatize reentry services, and to call for an end to gang injunctions. Prior to joining Ella Baker Center, Jose was charged with overseeing a shelter program for men of various diverse backgrounds who were experiencing homelessness. Jose is the lead organizer for the Audit Ahern campaign. The campaign is comprised of a broad coalition of various groups and organizations demanding an independent financial and performance audit of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Jose is a graduate of Stanford University’s Project ReMade program, an extensive business and entrepreneurship course aimed at empowering formerly incarcerated men and women.

Doors open at 7. We start promptly at 7:30.

Questions? Email info@indivisibleberkeley.org.

ADA Accessibility: The Finnish Hall has stairs leading up to the entrance so is not ADA accessible.

Indivisible Berkeley brings the Trump Resistance to 4000+ of our closest neighbors in Berkeley and surrounding communities.

Our mission is to resist the Trump agenda by engaging our elected officials at all levels of government and promote progressive and democratic values. Read our entire mission statement here.

Participation in Indivisible Berkeley activities constitutes agreement with our terms of participation.

A public forum on People’s Park. Mayor Arreguin and UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Christ are hosting a public forum to rally support for the final devastation of People’s Park. Along with the development plan, they will discuss what the mayor calls “the displacement plan”.

Attend this meeting to challenge their narrative. There is no particular reason why the dorm must be built on People’s Park. UC Berkeley does have other locations to build a dorm.

The Chancellor and the Mayor will describe a 3 part development plan: a dorm, a separate building for very-low income residents, and park space. People’s Park is big, but it’s not that big. After the buildings are established, there won’t be much room left for open space. Any remaining park will be a trivial afterthought.

There are no plans for a replacement park. Despite owning several empty lots in Berkeley, the UC has not offered one to be a replacement user-developed, community open space. Such an issue circles back to the question: if there are empty lots, why not build there instead?

POSTPONED. NOT HAPPENING ON THIS DATE.

San Francisco is supposed to be a sanctuary city for immigrants; but it also gives sanctuary to corporations that have contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Corporations like Salesforce, Amazon and Google profit from deportation and detention; yet City Hall continues to give them contracts while mouthing support for immigrants. Fortunately, the Immigrants’ Rights Commission is taking the first step to ending these contracts and has asked the City Controller to issue a report highlighting which companies that have City contracts continue to profit off detention and deportation.

Come join us as we highlight this Corporate Hall of Shame and demand that the City stop doing business with deportation and detention profiteers!

If you would like to come early and get an introduction to the concepts of public banking, or more locally to who we are and what we do, please email us and someone will come meet you at 5:30.

Working Group Meetings:

Some of our working groups meet between organizers’ meetings, and others just confer by phone and email. You can plug into any one of these:

• Outreach to Organizations
• Outreach to Individuals
• Digital Outreach
• Advocacy (working with politicians)
• Governance
• California Public Banking Alliance
• Fundraising
• Operations

Just send us a note and we’ll help you get connected to the work you want to do.

OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.

Every Tuesday at 5pm from February 11th to March 3rd, we have an opportunity to learn from impacted communities all along the Trans Mountain pipeline route.  Click here to RSVP for the free webinar series, “From Wellhead to Tidewater.”

On March 3rd, Isabella Zizi of Idle No More SF,  Stand.Earth, and the Protect the Bay Coalition will speaking about the impacts of the Trans Mountain pipeline and tankers in California: the plan to dredge San Francisco Bay to make room for more fully loaded tankers, the impacts of the refinery expansion, and what resistance looks like where she lives.

OPEN is supporting SEIU 1021 in calling for a community mobilization to stop the school board from cutting at least $6.27M from our schools and firing at least 68 vital employees.

When Oaklamd’s school board proposed $30 million in cuts that led to the teacher’s strike he posted evidence that there has actually been about a $70 million SURPLUS being illegally “put aside” (presumably to be given to the charter schools bought by the supporters of the real estate developer controlled school board but that’s what I deduced from what I have seen and not an official union position that I am aware of). I am clear that this money is supposed to be spent on students and their classroom needs (I think that includes food but that’s another issue for another day) in the current year not held back “just in case we need it” (and laying off 68 essential personnel seems a reason to spend it, doesn’t it?)

Help launch the campaign for a sustainable and accountable electricity system in California. The Utility Justice Campaign is leading a movement to Reclaim Our Power, demanding that front-line communities have a seat at the table in designing a blueprint for restructuring PG&E.

The campaign sent a  letter to Governor Newsom outlining the principles that should govern a new California electricity system:
1. Distributed energy
2. Worker and community control
3. Clean renewable energy for all
4. Corporate accountability
5. Frontline leadership
6. Indigenous sovereignty and land stewardship
7. Environmental justice
8. Equitable emergency planning
9. Protection for workers
10. Investment in climate resilience

RSVP

The Utility Justice Campaign is led by the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, California Environmental Justice Network, Local Clean Energy Alliance, Movement Generation, North Bay Organizing Project, and People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER)