May 28
@
8:00 pm
–
11:00 pm
EDT
Come phone bank with SURJ!
We are now in a decisive phase of the fight against authoritarianism, the threat is real and the stakes are high. And people are fighting back. Millions have protested, and we’ve watched powerful organizing coming out of Minneapolis, Chicago, and other cities that have borne the brunt of ICE’s assaults on our communities. Mass anger exists, but mass organization does not yet exist at the scale needed to win. Movements become real when they reach millions: organized, trained, and acting together.
Come take action with SURJ! We’ll be calling voters about primary races working to elect progressive champions in key states and districts to ultimately take back BOTH the House and Senate this November. These races include:
- Randy Villegas, who is a 30-year old son of immigrants and activist for immigrant rights in his area. He is an elected school board trustee in Visalia, CA and political science professor who is running to represent California’s 22nd congressional district, representing Bakersfield and portions of the central valley.
- Graham Platner, who is a Marine, U.S. Army veteran, and oyster farmer running to be the next Senator to represent Maine.
- Will Lawrence, who is an organizer and coalition-builder with experience speaking truth to power and getting results at the local, state and federal level running to represent Michigan Congressional District 7 in Lansing.
Come as you are! No experience needed! Full training & lots of support included!
Candidate Schedule:
- Villegas for CA Congressional District 22 – 5/23 5/28, 5/30, 6/2 (Election day)
- Platner for Senator in ME – 6/6
- Lawrence for MI Congressional District 7 – 6/14, 6/18
- Candidate TBD – 6/20
Logistics:
- These phone banks are online on the Zoom platform. Log into the call on Zoom on your computer and bring your phone to make the calls (if you only have one device, still come!).
- We have a robust training on the call to give you all the information you need — a script, technical support, and coaching throughout.
- Returners can start early.
- You will receive an email with orientation materials ahead of time.
- Please note the time zone for call time.
Feeling Unsure?
- Our model works – learn from the best! Our phonebanks have one of the highest rates of success in the country. No matter whether you’re brand new caller or a seasoned organizer, if you join our banks, you can trust that you are putting your effort into a method that works. And you’ll get to learn powerful organizing skills from seasoned leaders!
- Our conversations are based on open-ended questions and deep listening. You do not need to be an expert on the issues or a candidate – our phone banks are successful because we deeply connect with voters and make them feel heard.
- Want to hear what a phonebank is like? Check out this video interviewing SURJ phonebankers.
Context:
As Trump and republicans defund the social safety net and peddle more racist lies, millions of people are increasingly feeling the effects of the billionaire agenda. We know this fight is on multiple fronts, and this fall we have an opportunity to harness the energy of the streets and rising resentment towards November’s elections – to not only wrest power from MAGA, but to put candidates in office who are willing to stand up to Trump and fight for working class people. BOTH the House AND Senate are in play for Democrats to take back control and this year we aim to put progressive working class champions in a position to WIN.
For the last six years, SURJ’s phone banking program has grown to be one of the strongest in the country, reaching millions of working class people with our vision of finding our shared interest in standing alongside people of color and rejecting white supremacy. This year is an opportunity to deliver strategic blows to the MAGA agenda and throw down a gauntlet to force the Democratic Party to reckon with true progressive, working class fighters.
To do this, we’re focusing on key House districts in California and New York between April and June in addition to a critical Senate race in Maine. In July and August we will shift focus to primaries for key House districts in Minnesota and Michigan.
These races will affect millions of working class people this year. Our work on Primary races this spring and summer will set us up to add more progressive champions to the halls of congress and take back power this November. We will continue to build power to stop MAGA, by supporting unapologetically progressive working class champions. Alongside our partners across the country, this is the time for our movements to offer a bold vision and bring our people into it.
About SURJ:
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is the largest organization in the country that explicitly organizes white communities for justice. Instead of choosing racism, silence, or complicity, we help white communities choose justice. We have thousands of national members and 150+ chapters across the US and Canada.
A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
You must be logged in to post a comment.