Baltimore Activist Alert -- October 11 - 12, 2021

25] Make calls for the Freedom to Vote Act.  – Oct. 11 & 12

26] Get with the West Virginia Poor People's Campaign – Oct. 11

27] Meet India Walton – Oct. 11

28] Maryland Statewide Kickoff Text Bank – Oct. 12

29] Say No to weapons research at JHU – Oct. 12

30] Make calls for the Freedom to Vote Act. – Oct. 12

31] Families Belong Together -- Oct. 12

32] McCarthyism, New and Old – Oct. 12

33] Get ready to lobby – Oct. 12

34] Together Towards Justice -- Oct. 12

35] Conversation on Racism, Colonialism, and Black-Palestinian Solidarity – Oct. 12

36] Hear from Rep. Pramila Jayapal – Oct. 12

37] No Way to Treat a Child – Oct. 12

38] Want to text with Fair Fight? – Oct. 12

39] Early voting – Oct. 12

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25] –Join activists around the country at a virtual phone bank to urge voters in key states to demand their senators’ support of the Freedom to Vote Act! Our democracy is in crisis: with redistricting around the corner and hundreds of voter suppression laws being introduced in states across the country, we do not have time to wait. Every day we’re getting closer to a very real deadline to take action. If the Senate does not overcome the filibuster and pass this legislation, states may not have enough time to implement the legislation’s regulations before the 2022 midterm elections! Join activists around the country at a Common Cause virtual phone bank to urge voters in key states to demand their senators’ support the vote! RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/376178/ to call on Mon., Oct. 11 from 4 to 6 PM & 6 to 8 PM ET and Tues., Oct. 12 from 4 to 6 PM ET.

26] – The West Virginia Poor People's Campaign [westvirginia@poorpeoplescampaign.org] wants your help in the struggle on Mon., Oct. 11 from 6:30 to 8 PM ET. The group will be hosting a virtual Moral Monday Open House, and you can join in as they work to organize and mobilize to lift West Virginia from the bottom up!  Learn about exciting upcoming actions and plans! Get involved and be a part of this new unsettling force! Register at  https://actionnetwork.org/events/wv-poor-peoples-campaign-open-house?source=direct_link&&link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&email_referrer=email_1307293&email_subject=join-us-on-oct11-for-a-wv-poor-peoples-campaign-open-house.

27] – On Mon., Oct. 11 at 8:30 PM ET, meet India Walton plus Nina Turner and John Nichols, hosted by RootsAction. This will be a live online dialogue with the socialist Democratic Party nominee for mayor of Buffalo, NY, India Walton. As a nontraditional candidate, Walton is a woman who has defied the odds. She dropped out of school after becoming pregnant with her first child at 14. She ultimately became a public-school nurse and a union activist, and then a leader in last year’s Black Lives Matter protests in Buffalo.    

In her victory speech after shocking the political establishment with a primary win over Buffalo's corporate incumbent mayor, Walton said: “Today is only the beginning. This is about building the infrastructure to challenge every damn seat -- I’m talking about committee seats, school board, and common council. All that we are doing is claiming what is rightfully ours. We are the workers, we do the work. We deserve a government that works with and for us.” Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqceGurjgpHNOO8oK0ipTpQCgpoESCiSqY.

28] – Maryland Statewide Kickoff Text Bank will happen on Tues., Oct. 12 from noon until 7:30 PM ET. Reach out to the Jews United for Justice Community about an upcoming Kickoff event in preparation of the next legislative session! The more participants at this text bank, the more people which can be reached. A training will be done at the start of the text bank for anyone who has not yet done texting.  There are two time blocks for the text bank: The first is from noon to 1 PM, and the second option is from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. You will receive call-in instructions via email after you RSVP at https://jufj.org/event/md-kickoff-textbank/?sourceid=1020679&emci=281029b0-b626-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=376db707-d226-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&ceid=3403859.

29] – Join us in challenging Johns Hopkins University -- Say No to Weapons Contracts at 33rd and N. Charles Sts. on Tues., Oct. 5 from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. Contact Max at mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net or 410-323-1607.  You may consider contacting President Ron Daniels and telling him that the university should reject all military contracts, including those for killer drone and nuclear weapons research.  The president’s mailing address is Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, and 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  You can also reach his office by Phone: (410) 516-8068, Fax: (410) 516-6097 or email: president@jhu.edu.

30] – James Jameson, RepresentUs [hq@represent.us] wants you to join a phone bank on Tues., Oct. 12 from 5:30 to 8 PM ET. Make calls for the Freedom to Vote Act.  Sign up at https://vol.represent.us/a/pb_092121?akid=150392.680940.rFfsIK&ms=ak-em-pdf-20210917&rd=1&t=9&utm_campaign=pdf&utm_content=20210917&utm_medium=em&utm_source=ak&utm_term=.  Senator Manchin just released the groundbreaking Freedom to Vote Act this week. It would make Election Day a federal holiday, ban gerrymandering, and put an end to dark money. But with the Senate vote coming in a matter of days, not enough senators have heard from their constituents pushing them to pass the bill. The Freedom to Vote Act is brand new, so there’s a lack of awareness by both constituents and senators about this legislation – and if we don't demonstrate massive support for it, the bill could fail.

31] – Families Belong Together [info@email.domesticworkers.org] are doing a Rapid Response Call for Haitian and Afghan Families on Tues., Oct. 12 at 7 PM ET. Unfair policies are hurting Haitian and Afghan families. Join this call to learn more about what you can do to support children and families seeking safety. Also on the call will be the Haitian Bridge Alliance and the Welcome with Dignity Campaign. Share key updates about the converging needs from our southern border to Afghanistan. You will hear from experts on these issues, including Taisha Saintil, a Haitian-American activist who was on the ground in Del Río, and Halema Wali, Afghan-American activist and community organizer. RSVP at https://domesticworkers.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ahfHwbeoSkGVy-h52SKIRA?ms=octobercallA&emci=7d82242b-1829-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=7e82242b-1829-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&ceid=204641.

32] – Cole Harrison, Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] hopes you can join in on Tues., Oct. 12 from 7 to 8 PM ET -- McCarthyism, New and Old: Today’s Culture Wars in Historical Context with historian Ellen Schrecker.  State legislatures prohibiting “anti-American” teaching. Vigilante groups publishing lists of “unpatriotic teachers.” Committees investigating who teaches what and where. Books banned. Paranoid rumors about brainwashing vulnerable youth. All of the above is happening right now, affecting thousands of teachers. Rightwing politicians and cynical operators are whipping up public sentiment about “Critical Race Theory” as a subversive plot against America.

 We have been here before. From the 1940s through the 1960s, reactionaries used anti-Communism as a weapon to attack educators at every level. Thousands were investigated, many jobs were lost, and “loyalty oaths” were required for decades. Textbooks were sanitized as patriotic myths took the place of careful analyses of evidence.  McCarthyism expert Ellen Schrecker looks at how the current assault on teaching the truth reprises the outrages of the Cold War red scare, while the activist educators, Jennifer Ruth and Jesse Hagopian, describe what’s happening today and how teachers at every level are combatting it. Historian Van Gosse moderates the discussion. Register at http://masspeaceaction.org/event/mccarthyism-new-and-old/.

33] – The Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session is fast approaching! Join Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility on Tues., Oct. 12 at 7 PM ET as we equip ourselves with the skills and strategies to make an effective impact.  Many Maryland citizens have compelling concerns and a vision for change but despite the democratic importance of adding their voices, people often remain outside the gates of the intimidating lawmaking process. Or people remain simply unaware of how momentous state law can be, not realizing that it has an immediate and essential impact on voting rights, housing, environment, policing, healthcare, and more. This webinar is aimed at understanding in what ways you can access the process and bring your interests, lived experience, and expertise to the public conversation with lawmakers. Newcomers are welcome, while those with lobbying experience will gain new insider tips from our two leading speakers. Dr. Dan Morhaim will layout the process and elaborate on the do's and don’ts based on his experience both as a long-serving Maryland delegate and as a citizen lobbyist with a background as an Emergency Medicine physician. Darrell Carrington will share his knowledge and skills as a professional lobbying expert focused on the Maryland General Assembly, and he will answer questions tailored to participants' specific levels of experience and policy goals.  Sign up at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsfuCtrD0jGtOpDLim5nqJ8Op50tkZVp9y?emci=b1772082-af26-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=29052ada-c226-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&ceid=185524.

34] – On Tues., Oct. 12 at 7 PM EDT, join ARC, Inc. for its Together Towards Justice event. This is a virtual gathering to celebrate excellence in mitigation. This year's keynote address will be given by attorney and career-long advocate for meaningful criminal justice reform, Stephen Bright. The program will also include writer, artist, activist, and leading voice for juvenile justice, Halim Flowers who is a former ARC, Inc. client and now a friend. Tickets can be purchased at. https://secure.givelively.org/event/advancing-real-change-inc/together-towards-justice-2021?link_id=12&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-we-have-a-real-problem-2&email_referrer=email_1316847&email_subject=save-the-dates-live-webinars-a-plenty.

35] – Alice Rothchild, JVP Health Advisory Council [info@jewishvoiceforpeace.org] wants your participation in a Conversation on Racism, Colonialism, and Black-Palestinian Solidarity on Tues., Oct. 12 at 8 PM ET.  Attend the next Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory webinar with Peter Sporn, pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and longtime JVP activist, will be talking with Armen Henderson, Director of Health Programs with Dream Defenders and Founder of the Dade County Street Response, and Ahmad Abuznaid, Executive Director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Register at Subject: Oct 12: A Conversation on Racism, Colonialism, and Black-Palestinian Solidarity.  Visit www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org.

36] – The Indivisible Team will meet on Tues., Oct. 12 at 8 PM ET. Join in for a #TimeToDeliver livestream with Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the Indivisible's Leah Greenberg, United We Dream’s Greisa Martínez Rosas, Working Families Party’s Maurice Mitchell, and more surprise special guests. Talk about what’s at stake, the fight ahead, and what we need you to do to have progressives’ backs. Sign up at https://act.indivisible.org/signup/timetodeliverlivestream_sign_ups/?source=email_20211008&utm_source=email&t=8&akid=73235%2E839288%2EfvkMwv.

37] – On Tues., Oct. 12 at 8 PM ET, join the No Way to Treat a Child campaign for a webinar to unpack U.S. military funding to Israel. Discuss the different kinds of military funding that the U.S. sends to Israel, share updates from Capitol Hill that affect Palestinians and our advocacy efforts, and hear from grassroots activists working to advance Palestinian human rights. Sign up for the webinar » https://nwttac.dci-palestine.org/nwttac_webinar_20211012?utm_campaign=october_2021_webinar_invite&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dcipalestine.

38] –   Want to text with Fair Fight? Join a texting training to see what texting with Fair Fight looks like, the texting platform, how to set up your account on it and get you all the information you need to text with Fair Fight in the future!  This is a training, NOT a text bank. No texting during this training.  To text with Fair Fight you will need either a smartphone OR a computer (you can set up the texting system on either or both). The next texting training is on Tues., Oct. 12 from 8:30 to 9:15 PM ET.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/fairfight/event/380601/?emci=1ec65536-76f5-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=9099f5e0-77f5-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=1234726.

The next texting training is on Tues., Oct. 12 from 8:30 to 9:15 PM ET.  Sign up at https://www.mobilize.us/fairfight/event/380601/?emci=1ec65536-76f5-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=9099f5e0-77f5-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=1234726

39] – Future Coalition [info@futurecoalition.org] wants you to join the Vote Early movement on Tues., Oct. 12 at 9 PM ET.  Register at bit.ly/voteearlyday2021. Sign in to https://wearemarchon-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrc-ugqDMqEtwa5etHylTpK3Hde8uHKf15. Vote Early day is October 23.  Learn more.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs