“People’s Teach-In” 3:30pm Today 9/14, NiagSq, a FreeThePeople Daily event. ; Thanks, Fr. Bissonette Plus!!
716-332-3904 | Monday, September 14, 2020 | wnypeace.org
Dear Friends,
Many thanks to all who came out yesterday for a wonderful, inspiring, Truth-full, Loving, and very determined march yesterday. #BLM #StopShooting We put the number at more like at least 400 (possibly more with churn) – for a very last-minute March. And thanks to the organizers and speakers who do the heavy lifting, and to Carmen Paul/Cibella Studios for the great picture above (ctr to right: Jillian Hanesworth on horn, India Walton, Dominique Calhoun).
As part of Free The People WNY, we share the most recent communication (plus …) below.
Please join us at 3:30pm today on Niagara Square. You’re sure to be glad to be there supporting the changes we all desperately need! Including to Re-Fund our No-Gun-Community-Services ;/
As there will be an event daily …. Please keep checking our event calendar at wnypeace.org/events. We will persist! And we shall overcome
Lastly, we abbreviated our thanks to the visionary Fr. Joe Bissonette Fund for the WNYPC and you generous donors who tripled it into a grand total of $14.5K!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and – We Love You All!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Friends,
On Saturday, Buffalo police responding to a wellness call shot 60- year-old Willie Henley, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Yesterday, community members including members of Free the People held a press conference and march to demand that police be removed from mental health response, and that funds for police be redirected to meet community needs.
Watch now: Phylicia, De’Jon, Christian and Geo discuss the changes we need on WUFO.
TODAY:
Free the People hosts “The People’s Teach-In”
3:30 pm at Niagara Square
Speakers will explain the demands of the movement and what defunding and reallocating means for the people of Buffalo.
Facebook event here.
More updates and upcoming events!
Sept. 16 – Press Conference to Uphold the Repeal of 50-A
September 16 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
At 50 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202-3806, United States. Held by Free The People WNY (of which WNYPC is a member). On September 16th, Hon. Judge Frank Sedita III will decide whether or not to accept the amicus briefs that were filed on behalf of community organizations and individuals in support of the repeal of 50-A. These briefs lay out a clear argument for why transparency in police records is so important: the public deserves to see the patterns of misconduct and violence that these records show. The state legislature made a decision to repeal 50-a and Buffalo Police and their union are not above state law. Please come to show your support for keeping police records public! Bring a sign and wear a mask. #RecordsJustice #StoptheShadowRepeal #PoliceAccountabilityNow]
Sept. 18 (3pm both at 181 Ellicott Street & on Zoom) Rally for Justice at NFTA
Join us in support of the men and women who have been discriminated against by racist system of employment, promotion and termination at the NFTA that exemplifies the problems have spurred the current protests. [ also issues of Brutality and Economics – see more on WNYPC website calendar]
Funding opportunity for Black-led organizers
Brooklyn Community Bail Fund is committed to redistributing $2.3 million to Black-led organizations and organizers based in New York State that traditionally have been underfunded and has convened an independent advisory committee to lead this process.
This initiative to support Black-led organizations and organizing will launch on September 10, 2020 with anopen-call forapplication. The deadline to submit funding applications is September 21, 2020.
For the purposes of this initiative, Black-led organizations and organizers are defined as those (1) with substantial Black leadership, (2) where Black staff and constituents have substantive decision-making power and set the goals and agenda of the organization, and (3) are working towards Black liberation and the goals of the current uprising to end systemic racism and criminalization, police violence, and the carceral state; defund police; build community safety; and defend Black lives, including Black trans and Black immigrant lives.
In addition to the Black-led qualification as defined above, the advisory committee is prioritizing organizations, groups and organizers with current operating budgets under $1.5 million, and will consider geographic location to ensure this funding opportunity is available to organizations and organizers working throughout New York State.
Awards will range from $25,000 to $100,000. The advisory committee will review all applications and make funding recommendations to the BCBF Board of Directors. Applicants who have been selected to receive an award will be notified in mid-October. Awards will be made in early November.
The application must be submitted by September 21, 2020 to be considered for some of those funds. You can also learn more about the initiative here.
We have a website!
Many many thank-yous to Kat Cejka for her work on this. Please check out the Free the People WNY website at https://freethepeoplewny.com/.
See you in the streets.
Colleen
Colleen Kristich, LMSW; Community Researcher
Partnership for the Public Good
colleen@ppgbuffalo.org | 716-794-1270
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** And don’t forget: ***
First Steps – Collective Nonviolent Direct Action Study – Planning & Strategy
September 19 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
At Niagara Square. Second session. Please review Collective Nonviolent Direct Action Resources, including the first session (given twice, one of which is on tape) here, in preparation for this session. Local activist/progressive groups and individuals are invited for this brainstorming session which will not be taped. We need this both now with our current crises, and very (very) likely as the national situation progresses.