5 Things Friday
Here are your antiracism action steps for July 9.
Chef, entrepreneur, and SF Black Wallstreet co-founder Tiffany Carter. Photo by Erin Ng for Resy
I know these emails are full of BIG issues and big asks—one minute you are calling folks in Georgia and the next you are watching a doc about the culinary history of Africa. But today I wanted to shrink things a little bit, and talk small for a second. This week myself and my family opened a little coffee shop in San Francisco. We're small business people at heart (my husband has run The Butterfly Joint, a woodworking studio for kids, in SF for over 6 years) and on Tuesday I officially started my new job as a barista at our newest family business (so pls excuse the extra typos this week and last--I'm likely sending this while steaming oat milk). And one morning, at 7:30 am, the first customer of the day walked up and told me she came to last year's car caravan protest. I had never met her, but she told me how much the protest impacted her and she said she gets (and does!) her 5 Things Friday every week, and well...wow. After a year of emails and Zoom meetings and Instagram, that was pretty rad. A few hours later someone else came by and said something similar: they were at the protest, they get the emails, they do the work. And now they are here.
Anyway, I know none of this is world shifting, but after spending every day talking to my neighbors for 8 hours straight, I can attest that getting out, supporting your local small businesses and TALKING to the people in your community sure as hell won't make things worse. So come by, say hi...and keep doing your 5 Things.
Here they are.
READ THIS. Speaking of community: “One thing I’ll never understand—one thing that almost kind of insults me—is when people say that there are very few Black people in my hometown of San Francisco..." San Francisco native Tiffany Carter is the chef and owner of Boug Cali in San Francisco, as well as a co-founder of SF Black Wallstreet, an organization committed to preserving African American culture and building economic power within the Black community. Read her beautiful essay on San Francisco culture right here.
MAKE THIS CALL. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Michelle and Ashley Monterrosa, the sisters of Sean Monterrosa who was killed by Vallejo police, California is one step closer to passing a bill that will keep more bad cops from holding a gun and badge. SB2 gives a non-partisan panel of Californians the ability to decertify violent cops, stopping rogue officers from bouncing between police jobs. It just passed the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, and next Tuesday it’s up for a vote in the Public Safety Committee. If you agree that California cops who commit serious violations on the job should lose their ability to wear a badge, Michelle and Ashley are asking for your help in passing this bill through the Public Safety committee. The Public Safety Committee will vote on whether to move this bill forward on Tuesday. Call your representatives now to ask them to support SB2. This number will give you a script and connect you to the right people: 510-726-9249.
SEND THIS. One year ago today, July 7, the Movement for Black Lives laid The BREATHE Act: a new vision for public safety that meet the demand for investments in community safety and provided bold leaders with a legislative framework to make it a reality. It has finally been translated into legislation under the bold leadership of Congresswoman Bush. The People’s Response Act is the first piece of federal legislation that is fully inspired by the BREATHE Act framework. The bill will advance the non-carceral paradigm for community safety that we are all seeking to build. The full text of the bill can be found here. We demand legislators co-sponsor The People’s Response Act and move the bill towards passage. Click here to tell your legislator to cosponsor the People’s Response Act now.
KNOW THIS. Remember Gwen Levi from last week's 5 Things? She is the 76-year old cancer survivor, grandmother, mother, and Black woman who was re-incarcerated after missing a phone call from her case manager during a computer skills class that she, with good reason, believed she had been approved to take. Many of you were among the almost 50k people to sign a petition calling for the release of Gwen Levi, and—GREAT NEWS—just a few days ago Ms. Levi was sent home on compassionate release—she is indefinitely free and back with her family, including her 95-year old mother who she helps take care of. BUT another 4,000+ of our elders remain on home confinement and are at threat of being sent back to prison on a technicality like Ms. Levi, or when the Administration declares the pandemic is over, thanks to the terms of a Trump-era legal memo.SIgn here to call on President Biden to use his power to grant clemency to all those elders who remain on home confinement.
DONATE TO THIS. This week is the last to donate towards BE-IMAGINATIVE Collective's upcoming community celebration. The radical healing space for Black and brown communities based in Oakland.was the subject of the film, Dear Beloved, (which just took home an Emmy!) and the founders of BE-IMAGINATIVE want to celebrate by hosting a joyful event for the families and the community...but they need your help! Please donate now to the Go Fund Me to make this celebration a reality.