Greetings Family,
Kenosha, Wisconsin. Whew.
We've got a series of updates and opportunities to stay involved. We want to lift up the families and communities around the way continuing to remain faithful despite past, present, and ongoing dangerous conditions.
In solidarity,
Jonathan Pulphus
Program Associate
AFSC St. Louis/YUIR
VIRTUAL LEARNING SESSIONS ON ABOLITION
REGISTRATION OPEN TODAY: Link
Check it out! AFSC St. Louis is organizing Virtual Learning Sessions on Abolition for young people ages 14-21! Are you interested in learning about abolition, deepening your awareness, and connecting with other young people organizing for #RealStudentSafety in St. Louis area schools? Register today! Someone from AFSC St. Louis will reach out soon with more details! Link
Dates for workshop
- Session 1: Foundations of Abolition (Sunday, August 30, 1:00-3:00pm)
- Session 2: Socialization of Crime & Safety (Friday, September 4, 5:00-7:00pm)
- Session 3: Imagining Alternatives (Sunday, September 13, 1:00-3:00pm)
Session 4: Real Student Safety & Current Campaigns (TBD Week of September 14-18, 5:00-7:00pm)
#REALSTUDENTSAFETY UPDATES: LINK.
Potts Intern Sarah Nash has pubished a opinion editoral with the St. Louis American around the #RealStudentSafety campaign. Nash's piece titled "St. Louis Public Schools should cut ties with St. Louis Police" is available at this link.
Here's a blurb from this eloquent and powerful written piece:
"Since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police officer on May 25, school districts across the United States have taken decisive action to protect the wellbeing of their students by cutting ties with local police departments.
School board members in Minneapolis unanimously voted to terminate its contract with the police to provide security in schools. The superintendent in Portland, Oregon announced that the district would discontinue the regular presence of school resource officers (SROs). Portland, Maine’s School Board refused to renew an agreement with the police for the 2020-21 school year. School board members in Denver voted unanimously to phase police out of schools, making a commitment to eliminate all SROs by June 2021. Charlottesville City Schools, the city, and the police jointly announced the removal of all SROs from schools. Oakland’s school board passed the George Floyd Resolution to abolish the school district’s police force. And, the School Board in Seattle voted to suspend its contract with the police.
In St. Louis, there is a growing grassroots campaign of local students, parents, teachers, and activists working together to advocate for and demand necessary change in our schools. In St. Louis, however, unlike in these other cities and school districts, our leadership has not taken decisive action to protect the wellbeing of our young people." - Sarah Nash in The St. Louis American
In light of Superintendent of SLPS refusing to honor his word serving as both gatekeeper and gaslighter, we ask that you continue to keep the pressure up by doing the following:
2) Call and email Dr. Adams and the School Board
3) Follow the #RealStudentSafety campaign and AFSC St. Louis on social media.
STORY COLLECTION PROJECT: LINK
Are you a young person, who has been impacted by policing in schools? Being unfairly targeted and criminalized in schools? Or assaulted / traumatized directly through police brutality or intimidation?
Please share your story with us. You can include your contact info if you want, or you can feel this form out anonymously!
Speak Out using this Link
LITERATURE
St. Louis American
- "Jacob Blake was killed for the crime of walking away from police" by Jeffrey Robinson
- "Biden and Harris need to call out militia killing of protestors in Kenosha" by Jamaal Bowman
- "Learning about our culture is my passion for my future" by Precious Barry
- "Giving new kinds of prosecutors new tools" by Jamala Rogers
- "Celebrating the vision and legacy of Black philanthropy" by Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson