Baltimore Activist Alert -- February 3 - 7, 2021

39] SOUPer Bowl Food Drive – Feb. 3 – Feb. 7

40] Community Resource Day – Feb. 3 - 4

41] Join Jews United for Justice -- Feb. 3 - 4

42] Help Stop Deportations – Feb. 3

43] Coffee and a Column – Feb. 3

44] The Road to Equality Membership Town Hall -- Feb. 3

45] Justice Task Force of Progressive Maryland – Feb. 3

46] Bird survival is human survival. – Feb. 3

47] Rev. & his two daughters – Feb. 4

48] COVID-19 “syndemic” -- Feb. 4

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39] – On Wed., Feb. 3 at midnight to 11:45 PM EST, get over to a SOUPer Bowl Food Drive, hosted by the Anne Arundel County Food Bank.  This will continue each day through Sun., Feb. 7. Call the Food Bank at 410-923-4255 or visit https://aafoodbank.org/. Fight hunger and celebrate the Big Game with a virtual "SOUPer Bowl" food drive in support of Anne Arundel County Food Bank. This event is hosted by Katcef Brothers Brewco. See https://www.facebook.com/KatcefAnnapolis/.

40] – On Wed., Feb. 3 and Thurs., Feb. 4 from 10 AM to 1 PM EST, be at the Community Resource Day at the Franciscan Center of Baltimore.  See https://www.facebook.com/fcbmore/. The idea is to give everything away. If you would like to volunteer for this event or would like to partner on this event, email Angela Hall at AHall@fcbmore.org. 

41] – On Wed., Feb. 3 from 11 AM to 8 PM, check out the Governor’s Role in Parole Senate Watch Party. Join Jews United for Justice and others to watch the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee as they hear testimony on the Governor's Role in Parole Act (SB202). The hearing starts at 11 AM and the Governor's Role in Parole Act is scheduled to be the sixth bill. JUFJ will send an email notification to all registrants when the bill is next on the committee's agenda.

On Thurs., Feb. 4 from 11 AM to 8:30 PM, there will be a Maryland General Assembly Senate Watch Party for the Repeal of the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. Join Jews United for Justice to watch the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee as they hear testimony on the repeal of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights (SB627). The hearing starts at 11 AM. Sign up to get an email notification when the bill is next on the committee's agenda. Go to https://jufj.org/events/category/hearings/?emci=06470fe9-d85c-eb11-a607-00155d43c992&emdi=e07ccb94-a060-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=3403859.

42] – Speak up to Help Stop Deportations.  On the first day of Black History Month and amid a global pandemic, immigrants were deported to Haiti. Despite guidance from the Biden Administration that should have dramatically curtailed deportations, deportations are continuing at an alarming rate.  In the next few days, additional deportations of almost 1,800 individuals—including children and families—are planned to Honduras, Haiti, Cameroon, Angola, and other countries. These deportations are not only cruel and an affront to our faith values, but they also represent a continuation of abuses, particularly against Black immigrants and asylum seekers in the U.S.  Join a Virtual Press Conference at noon ET on Wed., Feb. 3 to hear from impacted community members, immigrant families, and advocates as they call for an end to family detention and to reunite families. Visit https://www.facebook.com/nakasec. DEMAND THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN:  End Family Detention - Immediately empty and shut down all family prisons and immediately stop expulsions and deportations of families. Release families to loved ones or sponsors in the United States.  Reunify families separated by deportation and detention policies under the past administration, including right to return. Push for an expedited citizenship path for essential workers and their families, and all 11 million undocumented immigrants.  See https://www.facebook.com/interfaithimmigrationcoalition/.

43] – Join Jim Zogby on Wed., Feb. 3 at 2 PM ET for Coffee and a Column at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpfuirqjIjEt2-d1U-CkYHdcGhKNqUM_bN?emci=f3e559f2-9d64-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=2ddb1ac3-6f65-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=389907. You will receive the dial-in information for the Zoom call. After you register, you will get the dial-in information for the call.  President Biden recently appointed several Arab Americans to key posts within the administration, with very little media attention. In his column, Zogby wrote about how, for decades, Arab Americans tapped to serve in government posts would be challenged by pro-Israel groups & political leaders. The fact that these recent appointments stayed under the media radar should be seen as a sign that Arab Americans are finally being judged by their skills and experience, rather than their ethnic heritage.  Read the "When No News is Good News" column at https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/934566?emci=f3e559f2-9d64-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=2ddb1ac3-6f65-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=389907.

44] – Join Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David and other experts at an important town hall on Wed., Feb. 3 at 5 PM ET. We’re almost two weeks into a Biden-Harris administration and it can be said incredible strides have been made -- from key cabinet-level appointments and President Biden’s executive order on Day One implementing the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. RSVP to The Road to Equality Membership Town Hall at https://act.hrc.org/page/75147/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=em_cul_feb21100daysinvite&ea.url.id=5140543. 

45] –The Justice Task Force of Progressive Maryland [kendall@progressivemaryland.org] is urging you to get involved.  On Wed., Feb. 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM ET, get with a Police Reform Testimony Workshop. There you will hear from leaders in the Justice Task Force about updates on each of the priority bills, learn about what makes effective testimony and receive a template to write your own. Then break out into groups and work on the testimony together!  RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/QsnUbGqo9Uy82vDn2E3wcg2?emci=baf31d24-ba64-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=f10e32f2-c364-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=136680.

46] – Bird survival is human survival. Birds are telling us they are in trouble and have no time to lose. Audubon has the power to convene diverse stakeholders in support of our policy goals, and with that comes a responsibility to raise our voice and call on our elected leaders to make the change needed to create a brighter future for birds and people.  Join leaders from the National Audubon Society for a 2021 Virtual Town Hall event on Wed., Feb. 3 at 7 PM ET. Learn more about what can be accomplished in the first 100 days of the new administration and the top priorities for protecting birds and the places they need in the year to come. Visit at https://act.audubon.org/a/2021-virtual-town-hall?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_20210131_eng-email_town-hall-invite&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20210131_eng-email&utm_content=town-hall-invite&emci=bedb4a94-5162-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=e2260d54-d563-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=2504878&contactdata=Q7JWc7Tznmo3xFJQ6iD4vQFfXkudLkkKsMP%2bScFy9aOew29fXxEagLKXU%2bJYiYuQW1SxoVPHrrK%2brntDAwDwzURgMXci4mTEmj4mQmcgLjCn7DElwu71V5rvg0Gt2BQPS04RnOnRteQHX5eGBdWBUJvw31pfQi20HxqXzETp3bIX28yOrGUpTlx%2fJwB4DN471e5hH1fJXcXkTfnJMoRiP2oCrmat3DLeI9XYqhPs8s8WDFT3XjeujPU0yUadLu10.

47] – Join Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and his two daughters, Dr. Sharrelle Barber and Rebekah Barber, on Thurs., Feb. 4 at 2 PM ET for an online conversation to discuss this crucial moment in our history: America’s reckoning for racial justice, how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color, and what we must do to continue the fight for justice, health, and safety for communities of color. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-conversation-with-rev-william-barber-sharrelle-barber-rebekah-barber-tickets-132138914049?emci=778f10e1-a264-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&emdi=f58b198d-bb64-eb11-9889-00155d43c992&ceid=2588083. The cost is $10 to $50.

48] – On Thurs., Feb. 4 at 2:30 PM EST, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) will host a special conversation with Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and former commissioner of the New York City Health Department.  There are few public health leaders better able to address the current COVID-19 “syndemic” − a combination of a highly infectious virus with the pandemic of non-communicable diseases that disproportionately afflict those affected by social and economic inequalities and structural injustices. Since 2017, Frieden has served as president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of the global health organization Vital Strategies, which aims to save millions of lives from cardiovascular diseases and to prevent epidemics.

In a conversation with Michele Heisler, MD, MPA, medical director of PHR and professor of internal medicine and public health at the University of Michigan, Frieden will discuss how the new U.S. administration can and should prioritize public health and COVID-19 responses, both domestically and internationally. See https://phr.org/. Submit questions for consideration to webinar@phr.org.

To be continued

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt.206, and 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