indivisibleebadmin Actions, Events, Get Involved, Meetings, newsletter action, Our Impact, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

Come Rock the Congress With Us!

Deadline: register now for the Sept. 7 conference –

“Strength in Diversity, Power in Unity” — that’s the theme for the East Bay Rock the Congress conference, Saturday, September 7 at Berkeley City College, 2050 Center Street, Berkeley.

Join hundreds of local progressives, including Indivisible East Bay members — new and experienced, of all backgrounds and ages — for a day of thoughtful, challenging presentations and discussion about 2020’s crucial elections. IEB’s Nancy and Andrea will present a workshop to share lessons learned from the IEB Governance Committee June retreat — all are welcome!

Here’s what the RTC-EB organizers want to accomplish:

  • Engage new activists in an array of choices to become involved, tailored to individual interests, skills, and experience
  • Recharge seasoned activists, event organizers, and group leaders with opportunities to broaden the movement’s collective impact in 2020
  • Reinforce the importance of activism grounded in the strength of our diversity and the power of our unity

And here’s how they plan to do it:

Keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive breakouts featuring recognized leaders in electoral politics and issue-based advocacy; attendees will be able to:

  • Dive into activist groups’ national strategies to achieve victory in 2020
  • Explore regional and local grassroots initiatives: coalition-building to flip districts and protect them, updates on collaborative work in progress, youth activism, the latest technology for organizing, anti-oppression organizing, and more

 

Panelists and presenters from diverse organizations include the following leaders, and many more:

  • Aimee Allison, Founder and President of She the People
  • Kathryn Durham-Hammer, President, Diablo Valley Democratic Club and Lead, Indivisible ReSisters Walnut Creek
  • Demnlus Johnson, Councilmember, City of Richmond, CA
  • Shawn Kumagai, City Council Member, City of Dublin
  • Donald Lathbury, Communications Director and Strategist, Flip the West
  • Mallory Long, Training Director, All On The Line
  • Colleen McCarthy, Northern California Regional Field Director, Swing Left
  • Shawna McKnight, Public Affairs Officer, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
  • Raquel Ortega, Organizer, ACLU of Northern California
  • Tamisha Walker, Executive Director, Safe Return Project

Interactive breakouts include the following, and more:

  • <30, Leading Change
  • Adventures in Building and Sustaining Grassroots Groups
  • Border Crisis, Immigration Policy, and the 2020 Elections
  • Census 2020: Everyone Counts
  • Centering Community Care in Social and Racial Justice Advocacy
  • Exploring the Relationship between Grassroots Activism and the Democratic Party
  • Keeping Central Valley Blue
  • Out-of-State Electoral Strategies

Register here for the conference. A sliding scale donation of $25-$100 is requested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. If the ticket fee represents a hardship, you can submit a request for sponsorship here.

Graphic by East Bay Rock the Congress

 

indivisibleebadmin Actions, Fundraiser, Get Involved, Meetings, newsletter action, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity, Who We Are

It’s rain(bow)ing IEB t-shirts!

Resistance is beautiful! Celebrate Indivisible and the East Bay with our fabulous new rainbow logo t-shirt! Come get one (or more!) of the new t-shirts AND learn how to phone bank for Virginia at the Sunday, August 25 All Members Meeting.

Our glamorous U.S.-made shirts, produced by local union printer Alliance Graphics, come in two t-shirt colors, blue and black: both with the rainbow logo, both shirt colors available in unisex or women’s/fitted sizes from small to XXL. Of your suggested minimum $25 donation each, IEB will get around $5 — which we’ll use for meeting and event expenses, informational flyers, and more.

The AMM will be packed with presentations about how you can take action while wearing your new shirt:

  • Leanne Karns from Swing Left East Bay will talk about their strategy and how we can support them (hint: it involves Arizona and North Carolina). 
  • You’ll also learn about our “VA 2019” project, which has the goal to flip both of Virginia’s legislative houses to blue this November (we’re just a few seats away!) And our East Bay Activist Alliance allies will lead us in phone banking to flip Virginia’s houses. Don’t worry — we’ll show you what to do! Bring your phone, earbuds, laptop, ipad or other device, and we’ll practice calling friendly Dems around the Virginia Beach area to remind them to register to vote this November.  

But back to the the t-shirts! We’ll have limited quantities of each size and color, so to make sure you get the shirt you want, come to the Sunday August 25 AMM and donate using cash or online via our ActBlue fundraising page or by using the Cash app to $IndivisibleEB. If you need, we’ll walk you through the easy process to donate online using your phone.

We’ll also hold a breakout on impeachment, to bring you the latest information and highlight the national impeachment advocacy coalition’s calls to action, which include urging our Members of Congress to hold dedicated public hearings, to make sure investigations and potential articles of impeachment include high crimes and misdemeanors beyond the Mueller findings, to obtain a date certain before Thanksgiving for recorded votes on articles, and more. And speaking of Mueller — last but not least, get your Mueller (mis)fortune cookie (while they last) at the AMM!

We’re set to be in the upstairs mezzanine at the Berkeley Sports Basement (take stairs or elevator up), but if there’s a last minute change of room check for Indivisible East Bay or IEB on the chalk board at the entrance. Can’t make the AMM? Join us online where we do our planning and organizing— ask  info@indivisibleeb.org for an invite.

And mark your calendar for September 29, when we’ll hold the next AMM in Dublin! Special guests, tasty treats and saving democracy are on the menu–RSVP and info here!

anngdaniels Actions, Fundraiser, Get Involved, ICE, newsletter action, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

How to Support Asylum Seekers – Locally

We’ve heard much about the pressing needs of asylum seekers in places where they cross the border into the U.S. But there are less known needs that exist elsewhere – including in our own communities.

Indivisible East Bay recently heard from Theresa Gonzales, Executive Director of Centro Legal de la Raza, and Carolina Martin Ramos, Director of Programs and Advocacy, about the organization’s work and the immigration crisis that rarely makes the headlines. According to Carolina, the situation (like all politics) is local. Many detained children separated from their parents and asylum seekers traveling with caravans may present themselves to immigration officials at the border, and are initially processed at or near the border, but they don’t stay there. After they’re released to sponsors, bond out, or are paroled into the US, they’re most likely to travel to other parts of the country to reunite with family members or sponsors. 

And Oakland – and the San Francisco Bay Area generally – are destinations for many unaccompanied children and asylum seekers. In fact, according to Carolina, they’re more likely to have family members and sponsors here than in border cities like San Diego or El Paso. 

The heavy lifting in many migrants’ immigration cases or deportation proceedings thus happens not at the border but where they settle. They need long-term legal representation and resources there – and the burden of helping them falls on local organizations in those locations. Unfortunately, these local groups have limited resources to respond to the recent arrivals’ needs – they’ve already stretched their scant budgets working with long-time resident immigrant populations facing deportation. 

As Centro Legal de la Raza also points out: Because immigration proceedings are administrative and not criminal proceedings, asylum seekers are not guaranteed legal representation or other due process safeguards. Most, in fact, don’t have legal representation; in 2017, only about 30% were represented. Being without legal representation drastically lowers an asylum seeker’s chances of success: for example, 5% of those who won relief between 2007-2012 were without an attorney. Studies find that asylum seekers are anywhere from 24% more likely to 10.5 times more likely to be successful if they have legal representation. Very few organizations are prepared to offer legal representation to asylum seekers once they arrive at their destinations.

What you can do:

Local organizations helping asylum seekers need your support!

  • Centro Legal de la Raza is the leader in removal defense in California and is in the heart of the Fruitvale District of Oakland, where many asylum seekers and unaccompanied children are arriving. 
  • ACILEP, the Alameda County Rapid Response partnership, is a partnership of Centro Legal, Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance, Causa Justa/Just Cause, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Street Level Health Project, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Oakland Community Organizations (OCO), and Vietnamese Community Center of the East Bay. All ACILEP organizational partners are doing critical work and responding to immigration emergencies. 
  • Stand Together Contra Costa is a rapid response, legal services, and community education project supporting CoCo County immigrant families. It offers free legal clinics to provide immigrants with individualized legal consultations, advice on legal rights, and arranging referrals for pro-bono or low-cost legal services. Individuals who have been detained may be eligible to receive free legal representation to pursue bond or release, and more. Find out how to get involved.
  • In San Francisco, organizations like CARECEN, Catholic Charities, ICWC and Dolores Street Community Services are also responding to the needs of noncitizens.
  • Another way to help is to support local bond funds.
  • Cookies Not Cages! El Cerrito Progressives is raising funds to support the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC), which provides legal support for local immigrant minors here without their families. Thousands of unaccompanied minors are living in California, and hundreds attend local area schools. ECP is holding monthly bake sales at El Cerrito Plaza (near Trader Joe’s) during August, September, and October, on the third Saturday of the month; and at Kensington Farmers Market on the third Sunday of the month. If you’re interested in baking or staffing the table please contact Ada Fung at as.fung@gmail.com  Can’t make it? You can also donate at this gofundme fundraiser.
  • See more in our recent article, Show UP for Immigrant Justice.
indivisibleebadmin Events, Get Involved, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

IEB Comes Out for Pride 2019!

By Elizabeth Douglas

Indivisible East Bay proudly joined Indivisible San Francisco to march with the Resistance Contingent in the June 30 SF Pride Parade. Pride’s 2019 theme, “Generations of Resistance,” honors the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; our contingent was dedicated to honoring these revolutionary renegades for civil rights and justice for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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Many of your fave Bay Area resistance groups came out, including Alameda4Impeachment (A4I), and we all pushed the “Justice is Coming” message with calls for impeachment. The crowd was super eager to repeat our message throughout the whole long parade – we got loud enough that even Speaker Pelosi couldn’t deny the public groundswell!

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Whether you joined us or not, don’t miss more wonderful photos than we could fit into this article, all taken by Mary DeShaw, a volunteer photographer with Pro Bono Photography; and videographer Lis Cox’s videos, here and here.

This beautiful and joyful day was a welcome reminder that even in tumultuous times, if we come together as a community to fight injustice, love has the power to triumph and unify all.

Elizabeth Douglas is a mom, runner, and activist from Alameda. She is also a Climate Reality Leader (Seattle 2017) with a strong interest in protecting our ocean and corals.

All photographs by Mary Martin DeShaw, Pro Bono Photo

Heidi Rand Actions, Events, Get Involved, ICE, newsletter action, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Volunteer Opportunity

Show UP for immigrant justice!

Updated July 3, 2019: We had a great, spirited protest in El Cerrito on June 29 – nearly 200 people showed up to chant, sing, hold signs and banners, and take direct action to fight for immigrant justice. El Cerrito mayor Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto also spoke about El Cerrito’s Sanctuary City status, reaffirming that “families belong together.”

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There are many ways you can keep fighting — see the section below, “More Ways You Can Help.” 

Deadline: ongoing – Raise your voice LOUD AND CLEAR for immigrant justice! Join members of Indivisible East Bay, El Cerrito Shows Up, El Cerrito Progressives (ECP), and many others, from noon to 2 PM on Saturday June 29, 2019, at our protest in El Cerrito – part of the nationwide call for events by Immigrant Justice Now (formerly Families Belong Together). RSVP here, and please spread the link!

From “zero tolerance” to the detention of over 15,000 refugee children, current immigration policies are cruel, inhumane, and unjustified, and we MUST reject them. Families and individuals fleeing dangerous conditions have the right to seek asylum in our country. It has been nearly a year since we rallied and marched in over 60 cities to protest family separation, and things have only gotten worse. We have to keep the pressure up!

We’ll gather at the west entrance to El Cerrito Plaza, outside the Daiso Store at the busy intersection of San Pablo Ave. and Carlson Ave. Join us in songs, slogans, and solidarity! We’ll hold a peaceful, family-friendly, visible direct action, with signs and banners to bring this issue to life for passersby and drivers. We’ll also hand out info on actions people can take. Bring a sign – check out this chant list for ideas.

More ways you can help:

Read our recent articles about immigration:

anngdaniels Actions, Contact, Events, Get Involved, newsletter action, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

IEB needs YOU to volunteer!

Updated June 20

Everything got you down? Join the club. No, literally – join us! Come on out and spend some quality time with your fellow ticked-off resisters. We are terrific company, and together we make a difference!

Here are a couple of FUN opportunities in early summer 2019:

Pride!

This is the real thing, folks, SF Pride Parade! June 30 in, of course, San Francisco. We’re joining forces with other Indivisibles, to make it even greater. Join our contingent at 10 AM, at the intersection of Steuart St. and Don Chee Way. Wear your Indivisible East Bay t-shirts if you’ve got ’em! Here’s the Eventbrite page with the info – and watch the IEB newsletter and our facebook page for more details as we get them.

We need people to:

  • Hold the Indivisible banner in shifts
  • Carry Justice Is Coming banners in shifts
  • Act as monitors
  • Bring signs!

To help out, or for more info, email us at info@indivisibleeb.org and/or join the #ieb-pride-2019 channel on Slack.

Celebrate the Fourth the IEB way!

Show your resistance colors by volunteering at Indivisible East Bay’s booth at the fun-tastic City of El Cerrito/worldOne Fourth of July Festival on Thursday, July 4, 2019, 10 AM to 6 PM. All you need is a basic familiarity with Indivisible and a friendly smile, and our experienced IEB members will help you with anything else. Non-El Cerrito folks welcome, kids welcome, friends welcome, folks with disabilities welcome (the event is wheelchair accessible) – you get the idea, everyone is welcome. We especially need volunteers between noon and 4 PM. To sign up for shifts or if you have questions, email Outreach co-lead Toni at tonihenle@gmail.com or message her on IEB’s Slack: @toni_henle. Read more (and see great photos from last year!) at our article.

 

Summer Impeachment Pop-Up [see our article about this great event!]

Pitch in to help IEB and co-hosts Alameda4Impeachment at our Impeach Trump event in Oakland on Sat. June 15, 1-3 PM, on the plaza outside 1301 Clay St., Oakland. We’re planning a fun, creative and family-friendly event to inspire, inform, and activate people to urge the House to open an impeachment inquiry.

  • Help us unload and set up in 30-minute shifts from 11 am until 1 pm; and clean up & tear down at 3 pm.
  • Spread the word on social media – follow IEB on facebook and share our event. On twitter, follow A4I and IEB — and RT our posts. At the event, post your great photos of the activities with the hashtag #ImpeachTrump. Also tag @IndivisibleEB 
  • Feed the resistance: bring some peaches to share as snacks! 

To help out, or for more info, email us at alameda4impeachment@gmail.com and/or join the #impeachment channel on Slack.

Photograph of IEB’s July 4th booth by Heidi Rand

Heidi Rand Actions, Events, Get Involved, Our Impact, Volunteer Opportunity, Who We Are

Resistance is patriotic!

Meet new people and show your red, white and blue resistance colors by volunteering for an hour or two at Indivisible East Bay’s booth at the fun-tastic City of El Cerrito/worldOne Fourth of July Festival on Thursday, July 4, 2019, 10 AM to 6 PM.    

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You don’t have to be an expert! All you need is a basic familiarity with Indivisible and a friendly smile. There’ll be experienced members at every shift, so if you’re unsure what to say you can listen for a bit to get into the swing. Got an hour? Perfect! Got two? Even better! Don’t live in El Cerrito? No worries, everyone is welcome! Bring a friend or three, and children are more than welcome too. We especially need volunteers between noon and 4 pm. To sign up for shifts or if you have questions, email Outreach co-lead Toni at tonihenle@gmail.com or message her on IEB’s Slack: @toni_henle.

At last year’s booth we spoke to many people eager to learn about Indivisible and hungry for suggestions about how they could take action against the Trump agenda. We’ll engage fair-goers with fun activities like taking their picture in a resistance-themed frame that they can post to social media or by sending a message to their representatives. Before or after your shift, you can explore other booths, check out the music, and of course eat corn dogs and other yummy food at the Food Court, only steps away from our booth.  

We welcome volunteers with disabilities – the event is wheelchair accessible, and our booth will accommodate wheelchairs.

Photos of IEB’s 2018 July 4th booth by Heidi Rand

clumston Actions, Get Involved, newsletter action, Our Impact, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

We Love Virginia Voters

Deadline: Tuesday, June 11 –

As you know, Indivisible East Bay has committed to help flip four seats in the Virginia state legislature from Republican to Democratic this fall. Before we get there, though, there’s a critical Democratic primary next Tuesday, June 11 in Virginia’s 35th Senate district, where newcomer Yasmine Taeb is taking on party leader Dick Saslaw. Among other major issues: the influence of Dominion Energy, with which Saslaw has ties, and the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines, which Saslaw supports and Taeb opposes. Reclaim Our Vote has asked for our help in turning out the vote.

In partnership with the NAACP, Black Voters Matter, Mi Familia Vota and other organizations, ROV specifically reaches out to voters of color. For this phone bank campaign, the goal is to call this heavily Democratic non-white Hispanic and Asian district and encourage them to vote next Tuesday. In the last state election, fewer than 25,000 people voted out of more than 200,000 residents.

ROV is non-partisan and the calls to the Latino and Asian voters will inform them of the upcoming vote and let them know how the two candidates differ. No persuasion, just information.

What you can do:

This year, it’s crucial to remind Virginians that the SD-35 seat is worth voting for. ROV is asking you to commit to a total of 50 phone calls between today and next Tuesday’s election.  For more information and to get started, email rov@peopledemandingaction.org

And to receive latest updates on ROV postcard parties and phonebanking events, email andrea@indivisibleeb.org.

 

 

Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.

P.S. #44 was actually phonebanking in Virginia for this excellent photo!

 

tedlamuscg Election results, Events, Get Involved, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

Jumpstart Election 2020 in CA-21

Indivisible East Bay members worked along with East Bay for TJ and many others in 2018 to flip California Congressional District 21 from Republican to Democrat, and TJ Cox won by approximately 900 votes due to these extensive outreach efforts. East Bay for TJ isn’t resting on its laurels; they’re now establishing partnerships with groups in CA-21 to help them build the progressive base for 2020 and beyond.

You can help! Join East Bay for TJ’s June 7-9 weekend organizing canvass.

    • What: one of the first priorities is the Kings County Voter Engagement Project, with the objective of building the progressive base in Hanford and the rest of Kings County.
    • When: from 6 PM on Friday, June 7​​ to 1 PM on Sunday, June 9  — come for all or any part of the weekend.
    • ​Where: the canvass kickoff site will be in Hanford, at a location to be determined.
    • Housing: East Bay for TJ anticipates that there will be some free or very low cost housing with local supporters. 

To get more info about the location and housing option, or if you have any questions, or to sign up, contact the East Bay for TJ organizers via email to Mary Boergers or to Jim Roberts.

Photograph: IEB members Carl, Fiona and Ted canvassing in Sanger for TJ Cox – that’s TJ between Ted and Fiona!

indivisibleebadmin Contact, Get Involved, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

Help asylum seekers stranded at the border

By Erica Etelson

Do you want to help the asylum seekers at the U.S. border? Al Otro Lado (“On the Other Side”) wants YOU to spend a work week volunteering to help asylum seekers at the border in Tijuana. People with legal or medical skills or who speak Spanish are particularly needed, but ANYONE who wants to lend a hand is welcome, and there are a number of English-speaking asylum seekers in addition to those who speak Spanish. Tens of thousands of refugees from all around the world pass through Tijuana, and volunteers are needed to inform people of their legal rights (don’t worry, you’ll get trained in how to do this) and in helping them prepare for their asylum interview, as well as helping with child care, food preparation, data entry, and working in the medical clinic.

Volunteers are asked to arrive on a Sunday afternoon and stay through the following Friday. If you want more information or a first-hand account of what volunteering is like, please contact ericaetelson@gmail.com and/or visit alotrolado.org and fill out the volunteer application with your available dates.