Calendar
ll are welcome to join East Bay DSA’s ongoing Socialist Night School for this special evening on housing politics, in connection with our chapter’s campaign to repeal Costa-Hawkins and win universal rent control & social housing in California.
READINGS HERE: https://www.eastbaydsa.org/resources-readings-socialist-school-2018-summer-session-1
Aside from a short opening lecture, the bulk of class time will be spent in small group discussions where we’ll talk the housing crisis in the East Bay from a socialist perspective, the goal of social housing, and how fighting for Costa-Hawkins can help us unite a mass working-class tenant movement able to systemically kick landlord butt.
All participants are asked to read the readings before class. East Bay DSA members and non-members of any experience/knowledge level on housing politics are all warmly invited.
>>ABOUT SOCIALIST NIGHT SCHOOL<<
Socialist Night School is a rolling open course that provides opportunities for East Bay DSA members to ground their political work in the rich theoretical and historical traditions of the socialist left.
Classes are down-to-earth, inclusive spaces that give East Bay comrades a chance to grow their politics together, regardless of background knowledge or affiliation. You don’t have to have been to a night school before and you don’t have to RSVP to join us! You don’t even have to be a member of East Bay DSA — everyone is welcome.
>>ABOUT EAST BAY DSA’S SOCIAL HOUSING CAMPAIGN<<
Join your neighbors in the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America as we organize to win the Affordable Housing Act, universal rent control, and beautiful social housing for everyone.
Our homes should be homes, not investments for Wall Street and corporate landlords. By organizing our neighbors, standing up to prevent evictions, and winning elections, we are building a mass movement for a housing system that puts people over profit.
Nearly two years after Election Day 2016, Americans’ rights are under siege across the nation, from voter suppression and gerrymandering to police violence and attacks on immigrants. Yet there has also been a surge in civic action to protect these rights, and it is gathering dramatic momentum as we near the midterm elections.
Join America’s preeminent civil rights leader Reverend William J. Barber, architect of North Carolina’s Moral Monday movement and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, and Mother Jones’ senior reporter Ari Berman for an in-depth discussion about the current state of civil rights and democracy, and how we can energize both.
Books will be available for sale; book signing to follow the main program.
Sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s, the San Francisco Foundation, and FreeSpeechTV.
Timothy Faust is a single-payer activist with the Democratic Socialists of America. Over the past year, he has driven 10,000 miles to speak about single-payer to groups of activists, medical students, law students, and general assemblies—32 states so far. With his partner, he hosts HEAVYxMEDICAL, a podcast about health policy and metal music. His book Health Justice Now: Single Payer and What Comes Next will be published by Melville House in 2019.
Join us for a discussion about the need for single-payer healthcare, why this issue is a fight critical for democratic socialists, and what the political landscape looks like.
RSVP
Join a live Q&A via Skype with Ken Ward, one of the valve turners who shut off oil pipelines in October 2016. This discussion of the valve turners’ multi-state civil disobedience action will follow a screening of the documentary film “The Reluctant Radical.” The film follows Ward as he confronts his fears and puts himself in the direct path of the fossil fuel industry to combat climate change.
Join Sunflower Alliance for two fundraisers for the valve turners’ legal defense fund.
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BROWN PAPER TICKETS (sliding scale)
Richmond: https://bpt.me/3483033;
Oakland: https://bpt.me/3489485
Check out “The Reluctant Radical” trailer here
A climate change film like no other, THE RELUCTANT RADICAL is an intimate character portrait of valve turner Ken Ward, who puts everything on the line in his fight to stave off climate change. Using cinéma vérité storytelling, the film reveals both the personal costs and also the fulfillment that comes from following ones moral callingeven if that means breaking the law.
The film follows Ken for a year and a half, culminating with his participation in the coordinated action that shut down all the U.S. tar sands oil pipelines on October 11, 2016 and the ensuing trial that threatened to put him behind bars for twenty years.
There are many fronts in the vast climate fight; this film highlights the personal struggles and victories of one daring path. -Bill McKibben, Climate Advocate and Founder of 350.org
He was told he was crazy, but crazy is sitting idly by as disaster for young people is knowingly locked in. -Dr. James Hansen, Climate Scientist
Friday July 13th 2018 will mark three turbulent years since our sister Sandra Bland was found dead in a Texas Jail cell. We all know the brutal details of her story and thousands of our fellow Americans have suffered her fate since that mournful day. We will be commemorating Sandra’s life with a silent candlelight vigil this Friday evening in Oakland, gathering at 7:30 pm, followed by a criminal justice reform rally at 8pm. Please take a moment out of your busy schedules to join community activists and leaders, who will be addressing the state of the the movement and a vision for the future.
All criminal justice reform advocates are welcome to attend. Please bring a candle for yourself and bring a friend. California Assembly Candidates Jovanka Beckles, Maria Estrada and James Ellia will be speaking out on why we need to lead a Progressive platform with criminal justice reform. They will be joined by local CJR activists and community leaders. They will be sharing their perspectives on the issues and their vision for the future.
Many allies have become awakened to the suffering our black and brown brothers and sisters face on a daily basis as members of “The Other America” where the simple act of walking with color has grave consequences under the oppressive boot of a corrupt criminal justice system. Many of those Allies have stepped up to become accomplices in the moral awakening of a nation, split into Two Americas.
This issue has galvanized millions across our country to stand up and be counted on the right side of history. This is the Civil Rights issue of our generation. This is our Edmund Pettus Bridge. Do your part by showing up for racial justice. Many hands make light work. This is what Democracy looks like.
Join us as we talk to residents and ask for their support for SB 562, the bill that would establish a single payer, Medicare-for-All healthcare system in California.
We’re turning up the heat across the state to educate the public and continue to build the powerful grassroots support for SB 562. Join us on Saturday July 14 at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland to talk to our neighbors about what Medicare-for-All could do for their lives and ask for their support.
Thanks for joining us in this fight for justice!
Come get trained by Silicon Valley Debug on how you can show up at court in support of those facing a bail hearing. You’ll learn about the bail system in California, how to provide court support, and concrete ways that you can help expose how exploitative money bail is in our state.
Everyday, in county courts across the state, decisions are made that dictate the size, scope, and demographic make up of incarceration in California. It’s at first court appearances where one of the most important decisions is rendered — whether someone will be released while going through the court process or asked to pay bail for their freedom. Because bail amounts are often impossible to reach for many, over 60% of our county jail beds in California are occupied by those who haven’t been convicted of a crime, but rather are there simply because they could not afford the bail amount.
Silicon Valley Debug has been at the forefront of the fight to end money bail in California. One tactic is by witnessing, documenting, and sharing stories about the bail system in our state as part of a statewide campaign called “A Day in Court”.
Observing Arraignments and Bail Hearings can be extremely useful for two key reasons:
1. The courtroom dynamics change and is more accountable when community is present.
2. Monitoring and sharing the activities of court actors across the state can give the public an informed snapshot of the California Court System.
Childcare is available during this event. For those in need of childcare services please email policy@surjbayarea.org for more information.
Silicon Valley De-Bug is a community organizing, advocacy, and a multimedia storytelling organization based out of San José, California. Since its’ inception in 2001, De-Bug has been a platform for Silicon Valley’s diverse communities to impact the political, cultural, and social landscape of the region, while also becoming a nationally recognized model for community-based justice work.
We are meeting at the Lake Merritt Pergola. We are joining in a circle of compassion and clarity to announce that FAMILIES BELONG TOGETHER! #endICE
Co-Sponsors/Endorsers Include:
Anti Police-Terror Project
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice
SURJ – Oakland/Bay Area
The East Oakland Collective
Youth Together
Spectrum Queer Media
The Center for Political Education
There will be non-violent direct action training in West Oakland.
This training will take participants through the strategies and tools used in non-violent direct action. It will include a a know your rights training.
This training will be an important place to get plugged into for upcoming street actions around the Global Climate Action Summit in September.
Diablo Rising Tide calendar of events for summer and fall 2018: http://diablorisingtide.org/take-action-diablo-rising-tide-calendar-of-direct-action-events-and-trainings/
For more information, email diablorisingtide@riseup.net
Join the African American Museum & Library at Oakland for a screening of Stanley Nelson’s inspirational documentary, Freedom Riders, the first feature-length film about this courageous band of civil rights activists.
UnB2 Launch Party
California Progressives, this is how we do it!
Join us and hundreds of our closest friends for the official launch party for
Unbought – Unbossed (UnB2):
an incubator for the next generation of political disruptors.
It’s time to bring a few more folding chairs to the decision-making tables!
We will hold a vigil outside the camps, and sing Spanish lullabies.
If you arrive early there will be a potluck and non-denominational service in honor of immigrants.
Please join in solidarity with the kids!
For years, many thousands of Haitians have protested peacefully month after month against foreign occupation, stolen elections, government corruption, poverty, land grabs, and rising prices. The international media has ignored their struggle and helped stifle their voices. Foreign investors and Haitian elite have continued to amass enormous wealth while popular resistance has been met with bullets, teargas, imprisonment and even death at the hands of Haitian police and paramilitary forces.
The current crisis kicked off when the Haitian government raised the price of gasoline, diesel and kerosene — which were already high and out of reach for most. It has been building as numerous arson fires over the past months have targeted Haitian market women, wiping out dozens of public markets which sustain women’s economic activity, upon which the livelihood of so many Haitian families depends.
Faced with deepening misery and unbearable living conditions, the Haitian people have no choice but to resist. Fanmi Lavalas, the party of Haiti’s poor majority, has supported the courage and determination of the Haitian people in the face of dictatorship and oppression:
“The cauldron of corruption and lies has been boiling non-stop 24 hours a day. The time has come to overturn it for Haitians to begin to see the light of peace. Haiti is for all Haitians.” – Fanmi Lavalas, July 8, 2018
This is a time for solidarity. A time to stand with Haiti.
http://www.haitisolidarity.net
EAST OAKLAND ENCAMPMENT REMOVAL ALERT + CALL TO ACTION:
There are two encampment closures happening tomorrow, Tuesday, July 17 in East Oakland:
– 45th Ave between E.12th and E.14th (3-4 people, seniors, with A LOT of belongings).
– 45th and Bond Ave./Foothill (approximately 10 people people + belongings).
WHAT’S NEEDED:
– trash bags
– gloves (gardening or plastic)
– moving carts, hand trucks, etc.
– coffee, pastries (for 30 people)
– your compassion and calm spirit
TIME: 8-9 AM arrival for volunteers. Police usually show up between 8-9 AM. Public Works shows up around 9 AM.
To confirm assistance, please email us at info@eastoaklandcollective.com.
PLEASE READ the guidelines for handling encampment removals produced by The East Oakland Collective and The Village in Oakland
This week, the East Bay Express published the results of a review of civil rights settlements for police misconduct by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. Not surprisingly, they found that Alameda County leads the region in civil rights payouts. The article describes the brutal and often fatal lawless behavior that has cost us millions of dollars in just the last 3 years.
We know that the Alameda County Sheriff and deputies invested heavily in the re-election of incumbent District Attorney Nancy O’Malley to protect and preserve the status quo. We also know that O’Malley has publically stated that she will NOT swiftly, thoroughly and transparently investigate officer-involved shootings and police brutality and make her findings publicly available. Without that check, lawlessness rules the day and the taxpayers will continue to pay.
We cannot give up the fight! We have to continue the political fight to hold all law enforcement agencies and public officials in Alameda County accountable. Civil rights attorney Glenn Katon (quoted in the East Bay Express article) says it best:
“Apart from the obscene amount Alameda County taxpayers are paying for the sheriff’s incompetence and/or malice, more disturbing is the emotional trauma that has been inflicted behind those numbers, . . . The dead and maimed bodies, grieving families, and emotional trauma people will live with for the rest of their lives.”
I invite you to join us for the first organizing meeting of local activists by the Real Justice Political Action Committee. The public is welcome to attend and help us plan the way forward. I hope to see you there. Bring a friend.
Thank you in advance for your courage and continued support,
Pamela Price
Safety Is… Rethinking Violence Using a Restorative Justice Lens
The Ella Baker Center will host a panel discussion and planning session where community members can engage with advocates on how we can re-envision safety. The panel discussion will be followed by small group facilitated action planning. Dinner will be provided.
Moderated by Payal Patel of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.
Panelists include:
Tamisha Walker (Safe Return Project), John Jones III (East Oakland Black Cultural Zone) and Kim Carter (Time for Change Foundation).
With Harvey Smith
This walk will explore the “New Deal nexus” in Berkeley that includes Berkeley High School, the Community Theater, Civic Center Park, Post Office art, the old UC Press Building (now being repurposed as the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive), and the old Farm Credit Building. The tour will also include the incredible mosaic mural on the UC Berkeley campus, photographs of the California Folk Music Project, Western Museum Laboratory, WPA prints at the Berkeley Public Library, and WPA projects on the UC Berkeley campus.
For more info: 510-684-0414
The one thing that everyone working towards justice can agree on is that kids are the future. As youth living in the Bay Area we demand that adults treat kids better- no border cruelty, no climate chaos.
On July 21st, young people will march in San Francisco and demand climate change legislation. We march to protect the rights of the youth: we demand an end to border cruelty and greenhouse gas emissions. While this is a youth-led movement, the march is open to all people passionate about defending the safety and prosperity of future generations. Our movement is called This is Zero Hour.
We say:
Dear Decision-Makers (Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom, and our Senators)
-Replace all Fossil Fuel extraction with renewable energy sources and sustainable jobs!
-Stop the Delta Tunnels!
-Get Fossil Fuel money out of politics! Don’t accept money from the Fossil Fuel industry!
-A liveable planet means climate justice– we need justice for youth from our climate policy to our immigration policy.
Can your group help us by spreading the word and inviting participants, especially youth?
Where: ICE Headquarters, 230 Sansome Street, San Francisco, marching to Aquatic Park, Beach Street, SF
What: Our event will include drumming, chanting, a speak-out, and a live mural painting project that anyone can participate in.
Who: Zero Hour is organized by youth ages 11-18. Youth and allies encouraged to participate!
Why: My generation did not create climate change, but as the climate crisis unfolds and elected officials fail to take meaningful action, young people are standing up to defend our planet. We cannot afford to wait any longer: we must ensure that our elected officials stop ignoring the needs of young people and their right to a safe, healthy, and clean environment.
How you can help:
1. Sign up to co-sponsor!
2. Spread the word and encourage your member/contacts to attend!
3. Are you in touch with youth (or adult allies) who could help with tasks like planning, art-making, chant-leading, and social media? Please put them in touch with us by messaging Youth Vs. Apocalypse on Facebook, or email <lpaczkowski20@sandomenico.org>
4. Please share our event page widely!
#zerohour #justice #environment #familiesbelongtogether#youthvsapocalypse
Freedom Summer recalls the events of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer, when more than 700 student activists worked together to register African-American voters in violently segregationist Mississippi and shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation’s most segregated state. Fifty years later, Stanley Nelson’s documentary film takes a look back at the epochal campaign.
Our generation is creating change in this country.
Join us for a special event. We’re having a barbecue and registering people to vote!
