We've committed to volunteering our team's time to activism. Each employee gets paid to spend a minimum of two hours per week on activism.
Many of the issues we addresses last week are making some progress so we're continuing to take action on them.
Below is a list of what we're doing this week - it's organized so you can easily join us in enacting change.
At the bottom of this post, you can find some thoughts from us about the activism work we did this week.
Black Trans lives
write affirming letters to trans folks
→ Write 10 affirming letters to trans folks.
Examples and details here.
Oluwatoyin Salau
(tallahasee, fl)
→ Call and e-mail Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and demand a full investigation into Toyin's death.
GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com
(850) 717-9337
donations to support black trans people
Direct giving is the most available and requested option to support Black Trans people. Here are some resources to donate to.
→ Black Trans Travel Fund (East Coast)
→ The Okra Project's Nina Pop and Tony McDade mental health fund (provides Black male or female therapists to Trans people)
Nina Pop Fund (For female therapists)
Tony McDade Fund (For male therapists)
→ For the Gworls Covid Medical Fund (pays for travel for medical appointments)
→ Free Covid care packages including safe sex kit
→ Free one year supply of HRT needles
GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com
(850) 717-9337
ACLU Volunteer Calling
We've signed up for the ACLU's Volunteer Call Team. They make it very easy - they provide a call training guide and call scripts.
Nationwide
→ Call your State Representative and demand the House pass a moratorium on big corporate mergers during the coronavirus crisis (phone number lookup and script provided).
→ Call your Senator and demand they pass the HEROES act to provide specific protections and grants for Black-owned businesses (phone number lookup and script provided).
Elijah mcclain
(aurora, co)
→ Contact these government officials (script provided)
CLIFTON WHITE
(Albuquerque, nm)
→ Call these government officials to demand the release of Clifton Brown
Use this phone script and instructions
Breonna Taylor
(lousville, ky)
→ Contact these government officials (script provided)
California
→ E-mail your state, county and city officials demanding they reform policing.
Find out who represents you and how to contact them
Use this script
→ Call your State Senator and tell them to vote yes on AB 1460 to make Ethnic Studies a California State University Requirement.
Find your State Senator and how to contact them
Bay area (east bay)
→ Alameda County Residents
Call and e-mail County Supervisors to pass a budget that divests from incarceration and instead invests in community based mental health services and alternatives to incarceration.
Use this e-mail script and phone call instructions
Minneapolis
→ Call 844-970-3144 (City Council members) and demand they place a charter referendum on the November 2020 ballot to defund the Minneapolis Police Department and establish a new department for community safety and violence prevention.
NEW YORK
→ Contact NYC government officials to demand actions to end solitary confinement, justice related to Layleen Polanco's death in solitary confinement, repeal the Walking While Trans Ban and stop bail reform rollbacks.
→ Mayor Bill de Blasio
Demand the end of solitary confinement in City jails.
Demand the public release of the names of and immediately fire correction officers involved in Layleen Polanco's death in solitary confinement at Rikers Island.
Contact form
212-639-9675
→ Bronx DA Darcel Clark
Demand she issue an apology for dead-naming Layleen Polanco in a press release announcing her decision not to pursue criminal charges of officers in connection with Layleen Polanco's death.
718-590-2000 or @BronxDAClark on twitter
→ NY State Senators and Assembly Members (NY state residents)
Urge your NY State Senator and Assembler Member to pass the HALT Solitary Act to restrict solitary confinement in New York State and stop implementation of 2020 bail reform rollbacks.
Urge them to repeal the Walking While Trans Ban (A654/S2253)
Find your NY State Senator's contact info
Find your NY State Assembly Member's contact info
Contact info for all New York State Senators
Contact info for all New York State Assembly Members
→ NYC City Council members (NYC residents)
Demand the end solitary confinement in City jails.
Find your NYC City Council member
Contact info for all NYC City Council Members
Board of Corrections 212-669-7900
thoughts from Team S&S about our activism this week
James:
This week activism meant persistence for me. Continuing to make calls and send emails to NM, CA, NY, CA, FL, KY and not losing momentum due to email, bouncebacks, full inboxes, etc. With the hate crime committed to our neighbors at India Palace here in Santa Fe, knowing that this racism is out there only reinforced this work for me.
I spent a good portion of my two hours of activism for S&S working for justice for Elijah McClain. In addition I continued my donations to Western Family Farm, continued work on amending neighborhood covenants, helping with a fundraiser to end police brutality. Some weeks are going to feel like repeat work but until justice and change are met I will continue to work.
Krista:
My heart is heavy. Elijah McClain’s tragic death hit me hard and there hasn’t been one day that has passed by that I have not wept for him and his family. But tears are not enough. And we can’t stop because our hearts are broken… We have to keep going. He isn’t the first to be killed in such a brutal and racist-fueled way, and he won’t be the last, unless we keep fighting and hold the people responsible for his death accountable for their horrific actions. I also wanted to write notes to Trans folks as requested by Point of Pride. I struggle with self worth myself sometimes, and I want them to know they are loved, beautiful, supported, and strong! I want them to know they CAN get through anything. Beautiful Humans!! In addition to the notes I wrote I will be donating to help buy each person I send a note to either femme shapewear or binders.
Neil:
Writing affirming letters to trans people was very powerful for me. Doing this activism work can sometimes feel like shouting into a void, but this was a way for me to create positivity and share it with someone whom is likely having a very, very difficult time right now.
Gen:
Being able to send my support, my love and admiration to the trans community through my handwriting really moved me. To think that someone will touch and read the red ink of my sincerest words possibly across the country is such a beautiful thing.
