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June 29, 2018

Our occasional e-newsletter, usually published once or twice a month, with links to events, articles, videos, websites, & more relating to racism & racial justice.

JOIN US for our free July program 

The Road South:  A Spiritual Pilgrimage to the South
with Kate Stevens

Saturday, July 7, 10:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
First Congregational Church of Greenfield
43 Silver St, Greenfield MA

Though this country prides itself on principles of democracy and justice for all, in actuality the U.S. was founded on the practices of genocide and slavery. Stevens, who recently undertook a three-month, 6,000 mile pilgrimage to the Southern states to better understand our racial history, uses pictures and words to follow the history of Africans brought to this land by force – a history of slavery, war, racial violence, segregation, and now mass incarceration.

This history, while devastating, is also a story of resistance and determination. Please join us, and share in this conversation.

Questions or to reserve childcare: email@racialjusticerising.org

 No program in August.


FOCUS ON IMMIGRATION 

Activism & Resources
Families Belong Together – Protests on June 30 and more
  Western MA: 
   – Greenfield: Families Belong Together Action 
   – Springfield: Liberate All Families/Liberar Todos Las Familias
   – Pittsfield:  Families Belong Together Standout

Pioneer Valley Workers Center, western MA

ACLU Immigrant Protection Project of Western MA

Immigration Law Help, a national directory of free or low-cost immigration legal services   

Informed immigrant, a constantly updated resource for immigrants & allies

Know Your Rights wallet card – many languages available. From the National Immigration Law Center

History

So we’re gonna pretend these refugees aren’t a result of our actions in Central America? by Patience John at Daily Kos 

Think your ancestors came here legally and waited their turn? Think again, by Sheila Langan at IrishCentral

How the U.S. expelled over half a million U.S. citizens to Mexico in the 1930s, from Democracy Now

The racist history of illegal immigration, from Splinter

The violence migrants are fleeing was stoked by the U.S., by Cole Kazdin at VICE

Current events

Abolish ICE is becoming more than just a protest cry, by Jen Kirby at Vox

Taking migrant children from parents is illegal, U.N. tells U.S., by Nick Cummings-Bruce at the New York Times

Almost 600 arrested at Washington protest over Trump immigration policy, by Ed Pilkington at The Guardian

Separated immigrant children are all over the U.S. now, by Maria Sacchetti, Kevin Sieff, & Marc Fisher at the Washington Post

Where migrant children are being held, by Sarah Almukhtar, Jugal K. Patel, Derek Watkins, and Karen Yourish at the New York Times

Boston ICE officials to arrest undocumented immigrants outside government offices in reversal of previous directive,, by Jacqueline Tempera at MassLive.com

Some of Trump’s biggest donors are profiting big time on immigration detention centers, by Jen Hayden at Daily Kos

Is there a law that requires families to be separated at the border? by Salvador Rizzo at the Washington Post


OTHER GROUPS’ EVENTS

Saturday June 30, nationally: Families Belong Together protests
Here are a few closest to RJR:
  – Greenfield MA: Families Belong Together Action 
  – Springfield & Boston MA: Liberate All Families/Liberar Todos Las Familias
  – Brattleboro VT: Not In Our Name

Tuesday, July 3, Springfield MA:  Interfaith Jericho Walk for Immigrant Justice

Saturday, July 7, Florence MA: African American History Walking Tour

August 2-16, online: Why Color Matters, A Consciousness Raising Workshop, with the Center for the Study of White American Culture

Saturday, August 4, Turners Falls MA: Pocumtuck Homelands Festivalorganized by the Nolumbeka Project

Saturday, August 11, Florence MA: African American History Walking Tour

Saturday, September 8, Florence MA: African American History Walking Tour

Saturday, October 13, Florence MA: African American History Walking Tour

November 8-10, Detroit MI: Facing Race, A National Conference, from ColorLines

Email us your announcements of racial justice-related events and we will include in our listings if possible. Events from across the country and beyond are welcome!


The members of Racial Justice Rising are ordinary people who are troubled by the persistent racism that plagues this country. Believing that the damage caused by racism must be repaired before our society can be whole, we work for just and respectful treatment for all. We share a vision of a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-faith community.

 Our mission is to:

  • Help build the movement for racial justice by contributing to a deeper understanding of systemic racism and racial justice.
  • Engage in restorative activities that help to heal the racial divide and bring justice for people targeted by racism.

While much of our work is focused in our local area, Franklin County, MA, we reach out to and are connected with the broader movements in our region and the nation.

Thank you, readers who send us information for these newsletters!  We welcome links to articles, videos, event listings, and other resources.
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– Please share with others who might be interested.
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