“Study, Support & Action” Participant Page

Welcome! This page is for registrants in our Summer, 2020 Study, Support & Action caucus. Please do not share this page with anyone who is not registered for the caucus. You are welcome to share specific study materials, but not the link to the page – which will include links to recordings as these come available.

Study Materials: Study materials for June 21, June 28 and July 5 are posted below. Our goal is to limit expected study to 30-60 minutes, while sharing a few related resources for those of you who would like to take a deeper dive.

Recordings: We will post links to recordings of each meeting at the top of the list of study materials for that meeting by middle-of-the-day Monday after that Sunday’s session. Recordings will be available for one week only (through the end of the day of the following Sunday), and then taken down.

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PARTICIPANT DIRECTORY 

You can find links to download your Participant Directory as a pdf or excel file here.

FACEBOOK GROUP – request to join here

  • Write us at info@whiteawake.org if your FB profile name is different from the name you used to register. We cross check FB requests with the participant list.
  • FB Group norms: Please review the guidelines for engagement on the page and ensure that we approach one another online with the same respect, curiosity and care that we are bringing to our caucus meetings.

COURSE SURVEY – please share about your experience with us!

We learn so much for our participants. If you can help us grow by filling out our online survey, we would appreciate that greatly. 🙂 Entries are anonymous unless you choose to share your name. You can access the survey here.


Study Materials for June 21

Theme: Basic concepts

Recording of video conference is no longer available

Archived chat log can be found here

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Please spend some time with these three resources before our June 21 call:

Deeper study on related themes, for now or later:


Study Materials for June 28

Theme: Defund the Police (inc getting involved and taking action)

Recording of video conference is no longer available

Archived chat log can be found here

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This is a longer study assignment (likely 60 minutes total)

Please spend time with the following four resources before our June 28 call:

  • Defund Police: Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Says Budgets Wrongly Prioritize Cops Over Schools, Hospitals – Democracy Now! (listen to all of what Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor shares, about 6 min in total; alternatively, you can read the transcript)
  • Ep. 90: No More Police State (feat. Alex S. Vitale) – Michael Moore’s Podcast Rumble (start at 19 min into the audio, listen for about 14 minutes, stopping at 33:30 mark)
    • Activity: when you stop the audio make a list of the concrete types of activities Vitale just described, and do a some research into who, in your city or region, is already doing this work; consider what you can do to plug in and organize your friends, neighbors, etc
  • Shahid Buttar on Useful Idiots – watch about 5 minutes starting from the point the link takes you to (starting at 45 min in and watching through 50 min)
  • Building Accountable Relationships with Communities of Color: Some Lessons Learned15-20 min read
    • This Pax Christi resource is specific in its focus (it is written for other Pax Christi groups), however we feel that the information in it can be translated to your situation as a white (or non-black) person who has ties and networks with other folks who may want to build relationship and join with (or lend support to) local, POC-led initiatives around policing in your area.
    • We hope you will not see anything written in this resources as a hard and fast “rule”, but rather consider the elements of the resource that might be useful for you as you plug into local organizing for the long haul

Deeper study on related themes, for now or later:


Study Materials for July 5

Theme: Political Analysis & Communicating with Others

Recording of video conference no longer available.

Archived chat log can be found here

Mentioned during call:

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Please spend time with the following four resources before our July 5 call:

Deeper Study, for now or later:


Study Materials for July 12

Theme: Organizing for the Long Haul

Recording of video conference no longer available.

Archived chat log can be found here

Mentioned during call:

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Please spend time with the following four resources before our July 12 call:

Deeper Study for now or later:


Resources for Action

We will add to this section of the participant page over the next few weeks, while the caucus meets. If you have suggestions, feel free to pass them along via info@whiteawake.org

For educators of youth and children:

Zinn Project “Teaching the Roots of the Rebellion” | Resources for youth & child educators

Donations that can make a difference now:

Support Minneapolis Racial Justice Organizations | Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective are encouraging donations to these lesser known Minneapolis racial justice organizations

List of Bail Funds for Protestors across the Country | including: National Bail Fund Network & The Bail Project

National Lawyers Guild | “Human rights over property interests”

Supporting Local Demands:

Support the Breathe Act – Movement for Black Lives / M4BL

Email your local SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice) Chapter and ask how you can join the fight to defund the police in your area | SURJ (sign up for their mailing list for updates from national organizers)

Movement for Black Lives Local Demands in Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Louisville, Tallahassee, Minneapolis, and Atlanta | M4BL 

Take Action to Defund the Police in Los Angeles | People’s Budget LA

Resources for Accountability & Action for Black Lives | Carlisa of Atlanta Resistance Revival

How to talk about this movement:

Defund the Police Messaging Guidance | The Movement for Black Lives

Protesting Police Violence: A Race-Class Messaging Guide | Ian Haney López

Long-term engagement in positive social change:

People’s Action is a national network of state & local grassroots power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. Check out their website for way to get involved where you live!

Down Home North Carolina (a People’s Action member organization) is a fabulous example of what multiracial, working class organizing looks like in practice – and potential outlet for folks who live in the mountains of Western NC

How to get involved in an activist organization and become a valuable volunteer––starting today – Business Insider

Also consider: Our Revolution, the Sunrise Movement, Showing Up for Racial Justice and other progressive networks with local chapters