The RRT (Rapid Response Team) Action List compiles action items from the week and upcoming events into one place. If you would like to add anything to the weekly update, please send it to Dee Halzack at dee@solidaritylowell.com.
Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions
Support for Asylum-Seeker Marius
Marius, the Togolese asylum-seeker whom the Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN) is sponsoring, is in need of housing. With the sanctuary space still under construction and the couple he is staying with starting a family, he needs another place to live. If you or someone you know has a spare room, please email marissa@solidaritylowell.com
Marius has retained an immigration lawyer, filed an application for asylum, and successfully moved his case to the Boston immigration courts from El Paso, but until he receives legal authorization to work, our network has committed to financially supporting him with $500/month. Please chip in towards the $500 we need to meet our commitment to him. Any amount will be gratefully accepted.
Donate here: http://www.merrimackvalleyproject.org/donate-1/ (please write “asylum” in the “special notes” part of the donation form)
Local Events and Actions
Community Vigil for Those Lost to COVID-19
Tuesday, June 29, 6:00pm
Outside City Hall
The City of Lowell is hosting a community vigil to honor Lowell residents who passed away due to COVID-19. The ceremony will take place outside of City Hall on Tuesday, June 29 at 6:00 PM. 319 flags will be placed in the lawn of City hall to symbolize each life lost in Lowell.
Hold UMass Lowell Accountable for NeoNazi on Campus
https://tinyurl.com/48j44xzx
At least 11,450 have signed this Change.org petition which says that UMass Lowell has been protecting a Neonazi UMass Lowell student on grounds of freedom of speech , even though some of the behavior and speech is said to violate the Student Code of Conduct, and some of it may be openly criminal (participation in the January 6 insurrection).
State-level Events and Actions
Want to Help Get More Transparency in the State House?
Join ActOnMass’s The People’s House campaign
https://actonmass.org/the-campaign
Click on the volunteer events button to sign up for texting, phonebanking and (when it gets more reasonably cooler) canvassing.
Week of Action: The People’s House Textbanking
June 30, 2021 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Join volunteers of the People’s House campaign to text voters and build the movement for State House reform!
Sign Up Now: https://secure.everyaction.com/GbiZi3HviEW_S02ALrjLIA2
Democracy Denied Town Hall re Incarceration and Voting
Wednesday, June 30, 6 PM
RSVP at bit.ly/june30townhall.
A town hall discussion on hyper-incarceration’s effect on political power, and the movement to ensure democracy does not stop at prisons and jails.
From Jonathan Cohn, Progressive Massachusetts, via News-Magic
Help Get the Work and Family Mobility Act out of Committee
The Joint Committee on Transportation recently held a virtual public hearing for the Work and Family Mobility Act (H.3456 / S.2289), legislation that will enable all qualified state residents to apply for a Massachusetts driver’s license regardless of their immigration status. A video of the powerful testimony presented at the hearing can be found at: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/3752 .
Now, you can help get this legislation passed by asking legislators to vote the bill out of committee favorably. You can email members of the committee using this link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/email-the-joint-transportation-committee
and please also contact your own state legislators (see contacts at end of this section) and ask them to urge committee members to act favorably on this legislation.
h/t Lisa Baci, Indivisible Mass Coalition
Tell Senator Kennedy to support reprecincting reform
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-reprecincting-bill?source=direct_link&
The title of the page refers to reps, but the House has already passed the bill. It is our Senators who still need to act on reforms that would help speed up the redistricting process to make up for time lost to late release of Census figures.
Redistricting Hearing for MA CD3
Thursday, July 8, 6:00 – 11:00 PM
https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/3744
The State Legislature’s Special Joint Committee on Redistricting will hold a virtual hearing for residents of the 3rd Congressional District (CD3). This hearing provides an opportunity for area residents to offer their opinions on local and community interests that the Committee should consider on the division of the Commonwealth into 9 Congressional Districts, 40 State Senate Districts, 160 State Representative Districts, and 8 Councillor Districts.
There is a link on the above page to sign up If you want to provide oral testimony.
If you only want to view the hearing, it will be broadcast on Malegislature.gov and there is a link to that on the above page as well.
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Please contact your state representative and state senator (email preferable at the moment)
(Find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
(replace the “at” and extra spaces with “@”)
House Speaker Ronald Mariano: Ronald.Mariano at mahouse.gov 617-722-2500
Senate President: Karen E. Spilka: Karen.Spilka at masenate.gov 617-722-1500
Rep. Thomas Golden Thomas.Golden at mahouse.gov 617-722-2263
Rep. Vanna Howard Vanna.Howard at mahouse.gov 617-722-2800 x7302 / Google Voice: 978-272-9078
Rep. Rady Mom Rady.Mom at mahouse.gov 617-722-2460
Rep. Colleen Garry Colleen.Garry at mahouse.gov 617-722-2380
Rep. Tram Nguyen tram.nguyen at mahouse.gov 617-722-2425
Sen. Edward Kennedy edward.kennedy at masenate.gov 617-722-1630
Sen. Michael Barrett Mike.Barrett at masenate.gov 617-722-1572
Sen. Jamie Eldridge James.Eldridge at masenate.gov 617-722-1120
Sen. Barry Finegold Barry.Finegold at masenate.gov 617-722-1612
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
National Events and Actions
Urge businesses to support S.1, For the People Act Senate Version
In June, over 90 companies, including Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, signed a letter to Congress in support of the For the People Act. Please ask other businesses that you patronize or work for to join them by sharing this link: https://forthepeopleact.support/ that includes a copy of the letter and a form they can fill out to indicate their support.
Solidarity Lowell is a volunteer group of community members of Greater Lowell working toward social justice by defending the human rights, dignity, and equality of all persons against all forms of hate and discrimination.
Visit the Solidarity Lowell website: http://solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
To join our postcarding efforts to write to legislators on issues of interest , please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/h2V7gJ1e2WbY9dKU9
For volunteer opportunities, visit our Volunteer page: https://solidaritylowell.com/volunteer-opportunities/
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
View the notes from our June meeting:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LzPJupD5TZmWn3saGi2iwkxIEVPbTwZP_NVAnqewkyI/edit?usp=sharing
Watch the video from our June meeting:https://youtu.be/Qx3YWeCtBNw
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Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Click here to join: https://www.progressivemass.com/contribute