6/18/20 newsletter

Dear Greylock Together,

There are big events happening this weekend in both Williamstown (on Friday) and North Adams (on Saturday).  Now is the time when you might decide that you did enough — you went to a protest and made some calls, and now there’s other stuff going on in your life.  But justice doesn’t happen overnight.  This is the slow drilling of hard boards.  Go to one of the events this weekend or volunteer for another cause (like phonebanking for Gideon — see below).  Be an activist every week!
 


North Adams BLM March & Protest.  This Saturday (June 20th) there will be a march and a rally in support of Black Lives Matter in North Adams.  The march will begin at the MoCA overflow lot (where the farmer’s market is held) at 2:00 pm.  The march will be 2.3 miles in length.  For those who are unable to march, there will also be a stationary rally at the same time on the lawn in front of First Congregational Church of North Adams.  At both events, please wear masks and maintain social distancing; hand sanitizer and water will be available.  Facebook event here.

Williamstown Juneteenth Event and BLM Vigil.  First Congregational Church of Williamstown and Greylock Together are hosting an event tomorrow afternoon (June 19th) in celebration of Juneteenth.  The weekly BLM vigil will take place as usual at 5:00 pm at Field Park, but will be followed at 5:30 pm by an evening of music, movement, resistance, and joy.  Juneteenth is a day that honors Black freedom and Black resistance and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S. This Juneteenth is a rare moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all Black people.  Otha Day, a renowned educator, facilitator, and musician, will share reflections on Juneteenth and lead us in rhythm, dancing, chanting, reflecting, and connecting with ourselves and one another.  Contact Rachel Payne with questions at rachel.r.payne@gmail.com or 617-309-0186.  Remember to wear masks and keep your distance!  Facebook event here.

Indivisible Markey.  Indivisible has totaled up your votes and those of other Bay Staters, and they have endorsed Sen. Ed Markey for reelection: “Sen. Markey is a leader of the climate movement and a progressive champion for a more just, sustainable, and livable future. He consistently demonstrates progressive leadership and vision by prioritizing working people and marginalized communities.”  There’s almost unanimous GT support for Markey, but you can also join the Berkshires 4 Markey group if you want to work on this specifically.

Boot Susan Collins Out. This past weekend, 10 mighty phone bankers joined Maddy Art (Intern for ME’s Sara Gideon campaign to defeat Susan Collins!). They were trained virtually (bravo!) and made a collective 415 phone calls! That’s how you flip the Senate: one outreach at a time, folks! Maddy is building a team of committed folks who can commit to this work on a regular basis. Please contact her at maddyzart@gmail.com to join in! This is something we can do Together! 

Elect Alex Morse.  We have a team leader for this effort in the person of Ed S, who is looking to build a small team of people to elect a progressive here in MA-1. More details to follow, but if this is something that interests you, reply to this email and let us know! 

HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST RESOURCES

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LISTEN 

WATCH

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  • To demonstrate Black power and clout in the publishing industry, Sunday June 14 – Saturday June 20, we encourage you to purchase any two books by Black writers. Our goal is to Blackout bestseller lists with Black voices. Better yet, buy those books at a black owned bookstore: Black Owned Bookstores in the US

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  •  Code Switch newsletter from NPR — See what news, politics and culture say about race and identity, sent weekly.


Black Lives Matter Signs.  These are still available.  Thank you to Julia Bowen, Janine Hetherington, Liza Barrett and Janie Strachan! They’ve loved delivering but it may be harder to continue to deliver to all. If someone is housebound or immunology compromised, they will certainly make arrangements. Signs are $10 each with $2 going to  NAACP – Berkshire Country.  Contact lizabarrett6@gmail.com to order.Signs are $10 each with $2 going to NAACP – Berkshire Country. Double-sided and they come with stakes for those who need them. People can Venmo @jeanette-strachan or pay cash at pickup/delivery.

Reminder: Food Resources.  If you live up here and you’re food insecure, you should be checking the NBCC Facebook page daily.  Pittsfield and south county will find the Greylock Glass food resource map very useful, especially the calendar at the bottom, as well as the invaluable Berkshire Mutual Aid Facebook group.

Resist and persist!
    Alexander

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