Keep Up, Up with Liberation! August 2020
Dear friends,
Welcome to the second edition of our monthly newsletter: Keep Up, Up With Liberation! We have an exciting announcement to kick off the month of August: we are looking for new editors! Our team is looking for 2–3 folks to join our all-volunteer team. Editors can expect to commit to a weekly commitment of less than 5 hours, including a 1-hour weekly meeting. We are looking for folks with strong ties to organizing communities in the DMV who are passionate about sharing those stories to the larger public. Previous editing/writing/content creation experience is not required. To apply, fill out the form here!
In July 2020, we saw the struggle for racial justice and collective liberation continue in the streets and through sustained discourse. This month, reports of federal agents indiscriminately sweeping protestors off the streets of Portland, Seattle, New York, and other cities exemplified the violent and insidious nature of the police state. Mary Small wrote about her experience at the White House on June 1st, where she witnessed firsthand the indiscriminate police violence so Trump could have a photo-op. Small reminds us that the police do not and will not keep us safe, but rather #WeKeepUsSafe, embodied in how care and solidarity were on full display that day amongst the protestors.
In June, the Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Budget Oversight Hearing received over 15,000 testimonies and heard live testimony from 90 people in favor of defunding the MPD. Sanctuary DMV organizer and Up, Up With Liberation editor Jen Amuzie was among those to testify. She reflects on the hearing and the importance of community accountability, and reiterating the call to defund and abolish the police. “What was new was the moment. Suddenly we all recognized the same message: The MPD couldn’t be reformed. It had to be defunded.”
Zein El-Amine reminded us of the importance of international solidarity in the fight to dismantle the prison industrial complex and global imperialism, reflecting on the connection between the Black American struggle with police and the Palestinian struggle with the IDF. He writes: “Over the years, I saw these two causes converge. In Ferguson, I listened as Palestinians and African Americans exchanged advice on how to deal with tear gas and military-style repression.” He also calls attention locally to the 1993 killing of Artie Elliot by PG County police, reflecting on the pursuit of justice in his case and the connections to the broad movements.
In the spirit of solidarity, Laura Williamson and Sanctuary DMV published a detailed reflection on organizing mutual aid amidst the government’s failure to protect undocumented communities in the DMV. The campaign to redistribute stimulus benefits to excluded families in the DMV raised over $750,000, and this success is credited to the campaign having principled solidarity, strong and far-reaching partnerships, and good organization. As mutual aid continues to grow and become more necessary, “In Pursuit of Radical Solidarity” provides best practices for those interested in building out similar campaigns of support. “If you take away one thing from our experience, it should be that there are countless people around us who have chosen solidarity over individualism.”
We also hope to feature you! Please take a look at our Submission Guidelines, as we continue to expand the stories and voices featured on this platform. Thank you for your continued support!
In solidarity,
Team UUWL!
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