Actions for Week of June 22, 2020
Flip the Senate, fund care not cruelty, and virtual letters to voters
11 Republicans stand between us and the ideals America is supposed to stand for. They’ve been silent on racism, police violence, and the coronavirus. It’s time for them to go. Join the payback project. Let’s make everyone aware of their complicity, and their silence, in the face of horror and death.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
99 Members of the NY legislature signed a statement insisting on wealth taxes rather than budget cuts. The super-rich can, and should, pay more. They should not be exempt from this crisis. ”We are all in this together, and sacrifice must be shared. We the undersigned are clear: We will not allow state budget cuts without raising revenue from those who can most afford to pay more."
Our reps have all signed on.
Now, let’s ask them to refuse money from police organizations, whose primary focus seems to be to allow police officers to hurt people with impunity. We want any money they’ve already taken to be donated to help communities of color instead.
Liz Krueger
(212) 490-9535
lkrueger@nysenate.gov
Dan Quart:
212) 605-0937
quartd@nyassembly.gov
Rebecca Seawright
(212) 288-4607
SeawrightR@nyassembly.gov
FUND CARE NOT CRUELTY
Since I don’t have the lived experience to improve this, I’ll just quote from a message I got from Jadon-Maurice Forbes, who is on the national Indivisible team:
"For what feels like the first time, the Black community is being heard and our solutions are gaining momentum. We are taking up space and our allies in the fight against racism and the symptomatic police brutality are joining in our calls for action."
To help: donate to M4BL's mobilization fund or to the ActBlue campaign to split donations between Black-led orgs doing work on the ground
If you use social media, here are some images and pre-written posts you can share.
LIZ KRUEGER JUSTICE REFORM TOWN HALL
In case you missed it, Senator Liz Krueger held a justice reform town hall last Thursday. You can watch the recording at the link.
Thursday, June 25
*******VIRTUAL LETTERS TO VOTERS********
Join us to write letters to voters in key swing states. They’re registered but not regular voters. Let’s change their minds!
Sign up at the link. Nicole will email you the letters. All you need is paper, pen, envelopes, and some stamps. Then join us on Zoom to hang out and chat while we write.
ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION UNDER QUARANTINE
ADULTS
La Bayadère’s Kingdom of the Shades
A socially distanced performance. Catch the photobombing dog.
Sounds of Nature
Soothing soundscapes of oceans, grasslands and lakes.
Monday, June 22
12 PM
Concert for NY Hospitals
Suzanne Vega and Norah Jones virtual concert for NYC health workers, hospital, and patients. Live on Facebook
Letters from Mesopotamia
Complaints about co-workers, disliking homework, and Lady Gaga??!
Black Lives Matter
You can now watch the following without a paywall:
When They See Us (Netflix)
13th (Netflix and YouTube)
Selma (on FX)
Explaining Injustice to Kids
If you are trying to explain injustice and inequality to your kids or grandkids, here are some resources to help.
KIDS OR ADULTS
Drawing
Like to draw? The bird whisperer project posts a new bird each month. They include reference photos to make things easier. All ages and skill levels welcome.
KIDS/GRANDKIDS
For Science!
AMNH OLogy Science app for kids It’s got 30-plus games, videos, and articles cover science topics from archaeology to zoology. Free on the Apple App Store (for iPad). No ads!
Soap Bubble Shapes
When you think bubbles, you probably think round, or at least oval. But what about cubes? Or triangles? Or even tetrahedrons?
Sing, dance and learn
Learn some new words and sing and dance along while you’re at it.
Dinosaurs!
Scientifically accurate drawings of dinosaurs you can download and color
Mask Making (for fun, not protection)
People around the world have been making masks for thousands of years for decoration, religious ceremonies, and more. Make your own.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNsG_Z3f_bE
Instructions: https://www.brooklynkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Maskmaking.pdf