I am continuing to work with SURJ Santa Cruz County and here are some resources to engage with, stay informed, and share with your community:
When SURJ was involved in the Abolition Fair last fall, the Abolitious organizers shared this study guide with us, and it is truly a gem. Check it out here and let us know if anyone might like to form an abolition study group this year. Email us at info@surjsantacruz.com with any thoughts or impressions. It is all good practice to be talking about the alternatives to policing and prisons. Another world is possible!
Let’s continue to deepen our learning during Black History Month by signing up to experience a virtual exhibition of 28 works that celebrate Black legacy in the US: 28 Days of Black History. They also offer an Anti-Racism Daily newsletter of daily actions to dismantle white supremacy. The more of us doing this work, in whatever form suits you, the more likely it is that we will have lasting change in our lifetimes.
Revolutionary Love is another path to the just world we all deserve. Learn more about Valarie Kaur’s learning hub here.
Pre-order Mariame Kaba’s new book on bookshop, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us.
Watch Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO Max.
Check out this newsclip about a new mural in West Oakland to honor the women of the Black Panther Party and to follow the mural and related projects on their website.
And I will be part of this embodied workshop about Calling In instead of Calling Out:
March 6, 2021, 11:00am – 1:00pm SURJ SCC & SCCCCOR (Santa Cruz County Community Coalition on Overcoming Race) will be hosting a workshop: Calling People In: Having Difficult Conversations About Race. Register here.
Join us to learn and practice some tools for having difficult conversations around racism with family, friends, and even strangers. Calling People In is a term used to engage in these conversations with others while respecting that we all have beliefs that are derived from our own experiences. Calling people in vs. calling them out asks us to approach a challenging conversation with curiosity and an authentic desire to learn about another’s beliefs. Prof. Loretta J. Ross explains more here.
I would also like to wish you all a HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR OF THE YIN, METAL OX. Read about what to pay attention to in the coming year here.
In continued spacious solidarity and love, Erin
Erin Wood, Licensed Acupuncturist 