SHOWING UP FOR
RACIAL JUSTICE
WHOWEARE
SURJ SAN MATEO is a group of people who organize, mobilize and educate white folks and other folks with privilege for racial justice in San Mateo County.
We are part of a multiracial movement and the SURJ National Network with over 200 chapters and affiliates in 46 states.
We work with accountability partners led by People of Color to show up in the ways they request and are supporting issues such as housing justice, immigration rights and reimagining public safety.
Read more about what SURJ San Mateo
has done in our community in the
May 2021 Advocate Newsletter.
SURJ San Mateo in Action
RWC City Hall
RWC City Hall
Millbrae City Hall
RWC City Hall
Educational Opportunities
SURJ National Meetings
ABOLITION ACTION HOUR
October 20 @ 12:00 PM
November 17 @ 12:00 PM
December 15 @ 12:00 PM
Join SURJ's monthly Abolition Action Hour to come together to take collective action with our partners in the fight for racial and economic justice. In our one-hour gatherings, we make calls, sign petitions, send emails, and take online action to close jails, defund police, invest in communities, protect Indigenous rights to land and water, and more! You’ll receive training and support throughout the session as well as a community of fellow SURJ members to take action with. ALL are welcome whether you’re a long-time member or are just hearing about SURJ for the first time!
Anti-Harassment Training
Anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment have been on the rise across the U.S. In these one-hour interactive workshops, co-sponsored by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) and Right To Be, you’ll learn methodology for responding to harassment by (1) trusting your instincts, (2) reclaiming your space, and (3) practicing resilience. They also offer Bystander Intervention Training for various real-life situations. Click below for more information on these free workshops.
Creating Change Without Cancel Culture
Course Lectures
FOUR Tuesdays | 4:00-6:00 pm
October 18, 25, November 1, 8
Learning Lab with Q&A
FOUR Thursdays | 4:00-6:00 pm
October 20, 27, November 3, 7
Calling In: Creating Change Without Cancel Culture is a transformative four-week course with Loretta J. Ross and Loan Tran which will share practical, immediately applicable ways to build towards a Calling In culture where each of us is more equipped to tackle the problems of our times head-on with more love, compassion, and joy.
Community Foundation of San Carlos
21-DAY SOCIAL & RACIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE
September 28 @ 7:00-8:00 PM
Kick-off Meeting
November 1 @ 7:00-8:30 PM
Community Conversation
Offered by the Community Foundation of San Carlos, this challenge was created as an educational and self-reflection tool by Eddie Moore Jr. and Debby Irving, renowned diversity and equity professionals. During the 21 days, participants will take a self-guided learning journey that examines the history and impacts of racism, power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity. Each day's content includes an introduction on a particular topic, followed by several resources such as podcasts, articles, or videos. You choose which links you'd like to explore ~ aim for at least 10-15 minutes each day of learning or reflection. The challenge can be taken individually, as a group within an organization or as a group of friends. Join us in listening, learning, and coming together to build a more equitable and inclusive community!
SURJ Bay Area
STUDY & ACTION: 11-WEEK SERIES
September 6 – November 17 @ 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Are you looking for a learning community to challenge racism? Do you want to learn more so that you can become a resource for your community? Would you like to find out how to take action locally? Join SURJ Bay Area as they examine white supremacy and resistance movements to build skills and take action in our communities. Through weekly readings and facilitated groups over Zoom, we will study the histories and systems that we resist, deepen our understanding of injustice, and learn to take strategic, effective action to dismantle white supremacy and support Black, Indigenous and People of Color–led organizations fighting for racial justice. Indicate your preferred evening when you register for this 11-week series. FREE but space is limited!
Book Discussion
ON TYRANNY: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century
October 24, 2022 @ 7:00 PM via Zoom
Timothy Snyder is a History Professor at Yale University whose particular field of interest is in the conflicts of the most recent century. His slim and easily accessible book is a study on the ways in which tyrants and dictators gain and manipulate power and, more importantly, how to identify and thwart those ways. With mid-term elections in early November at a time when democracy in the United States is under direct threat, Snyder's book has never been more timely.
Snyder draws from the darkest hours of the twentieth century to provide hope for the twenty-first. As he writes, “Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism and communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”
On Tyranny is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come. Join us and invite a friend to discuss this important book!