we need each other: links to mutual aid, redistribution, resources (August)
Hello again!
Hope you all have been doing good since the last post! If you don’t remember/didn’t see the previous post, hi! My name is Malaya Tuyay (she/they) and I am an artist based on Ohlone Land (Oakland) here to share a range of resources and links (i.e. mutual aid orgs, direct support, artist opportunities, COVID resources, curriculum resources, etc). I am hoping this list will continue to grow and I imagine it having many different ways to take form! Although I don’t want to be too repetitive, there will be some stationary resources in each post. However, please check on previous posts if you want to continue to find more resources! As always, if you have any suggestions feel free to email me at malaya.tuyay@gmail.com for future posts and newsletters. Please look out for to the next post in a couple months that will be focused on “curriculum” resources that will have guides, toolkits, accessible readings, documentaries and more <3
Indigenous Land Tax
If you are a settler to this land like myself, it is important that you take the time to learn about the peoples whose land you are on and to support them and their work. This is one way to financially support them consistently and (in my opinion) is the bare minimum. They also have a calculator based on your income and where your location is to help generate the suggested donation amount!
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust Shuumi Land Tax: https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/shuumi-land-tax/
(from their website: “The Shuumi Land Tax directly supports Sogorea Te’s work of rematriation, returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people, establishing a cemetery to reinter stolen Ohlone ancestral remains and building urban gardens, community centers, and ceremonial spaces so current and future generations of Indigenous people can thrive in the Bay Area. Shuumi means gift in the Ohlone language Chochenyo.”)
Campaigns / actions needed for support
Emergency Funds for Afghan Artists
From their gofundme: “Afghan civilians are experiencing violence and rapid displacement as the Taliban take over city after city. U.S. visas are currently limited to those who worked with the U.S. government, US-funded NGOs, or US-based NGOs, leaving millions behind without an option for escape. Among many of the vulnerable groups are artists, who have no place in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Several artists that the Afghan American Artists and Writers Association (AAAWA) or individual AAAAWA members have worked with in the past are desperately reaching out to us for immediate assistance”
Resources for Afghanistan
From the document compiled by poet, Aria Aber: “This document: Is for anyone in the global community wanting to help Afghans on the ground, legal aid resources in a few countries for those attempting to or helping others leave, actionable scripts to lobby US congressional officials. If you have additions, please request edit access with your additions in-message.”
Stop Line 3
From their website: “Tribal nations, community and environmental groups in Minnesota have fought for six years to stop Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy from building the massive Line 3 pipeline in Northern Minnesota, to take oil from Canada’s tar sands region to Superior, Wis. The pipeline violates several treaties with the Ojibwe people that establish their right to hunt, fish, and gather along the proposed route.The pipeline would cross 200 bodies of water, including the Mississippi River twice. If built, Line 3 would carry hundreds of thousands of barrels a day of tar sands crude oil -- some of the dirtiest oil in the world -- and would contribute the equivalent of 50 coal plants worth of carbon pollution to the atmosphere. Its carbon footprint would exceed the entire state of Minnesota’s and, like Keystone XL, would extend the economic viability of the ultra-polluting crude oil source in a way that one expert famously called “game over for the climate.”
#BringRaHome
From Syesha Mercado: “As Amen’Ra’s mother I did my best to comply and prove I was a NON-Resistant Black Woman. But, even doing what was asked of me, my child was taken away. It has been an agonizing 6 months since our sun, Amen’Ra, was illegally removed from our care by Mantatee County Child Protection Investigator, Danielle McCoy. We refuse to allow this nightmare to continue for 6 more months. Every second away from our baby boy becomes even more unbearable and every second symbolizes a moment in time that we have lost with our sun. We have not abused or neglected Amen’Ra therefore we have elected to go to trial to force the Manatee County Child Protection System (Manatee County CPI, Pinellas County Sheriff's Department, CPS, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and the Safe Children Coalition of Manatee County) to prove with a preponderance of evidence, that we have abused or neglected our child. We are ready for trial TODAY and we can’t bear to wait until November to be heard on the deprivation of our parental rights”
Bring Mumia Home
From their website: “Mumia Abu-Jamal is the most recognized death row inmate in the world today. In 1982, he was tried and convicted for the murder of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Since then, the Abu-Jamal trial proceedings have come under scrutiny and today his case is one of the most contested legal cases in modern American history. A former Black Panther and now renowned author, his books and writings in venues as diverse as the Yale Law Review, Forbes, The Nation, and street-papers for the homeless, have led many to hail him the voice of the voiceless. Justice on Trial navigates the tempest of the Abu-Jamal trial by reviewing the known facts of the case. It demonstrates that the major violations in the Abu-Jamal case – judicial bias, prosecutorial misconduct, racial discrimination in jury selection, police corruption, and tampering with evidence to obtain a conviction– are not special to this case. Instead, they are commonly practiced within the criminal justice system and account for the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans and Latinos in the United States.”=
Mutual Aid (organizations/collectives)
To support, familiarize yourself with, and follow their work. Many of these collectives support houseless folks, qtbipoc folks, workers, undocumented folks get access to more funds, vaccines, protection, housing, etc. Many have a variety of projects they are organizing too, so it is always good to follow their work to see how you can support (sending funds, sharing posts, volunteering). Some of these resources might also be useful for you too!
Safe Ride Oak
Safe Ride Oak’s Mission Statement: “We have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our Oakland BIPOC community members, particularly Black people. SafeRideOak aims to offer free, safe rides for Oakland BIPOC 24-7.”
DC Black Trans Support
From their bio: “Independent direct fundraising for the survival needs of black trans people living with HIV and their community. Venmo is dcblacktranssupportfunds21”.
Please go look on their instagram page and support the folks they are fundraising for!
Funds for Single Parents
From their google doc sign up sheet: “Funds for single parents was formed in response to crises of capitalism that already existed but were amplified by COVID-19. Over the course of the past year, we’ve built community and shared resources to support our neighbors through twice-weekly food distributions, financial disbursements, errands, rides, and more. This work has been both messy and beautiful, and we never anticipated it to grow at the rate or in the ways that it did. We want to honor this growth while remaining true to our values and deepening our commitment to this work”
Please look at their page and send funds to some of the parents in need if you can!!
Black Freedom Fellowship Mutual Aid Fund
From their website: “BFF’s intentions with fundraising is to ensure we have the flexibility to provide immediate support to our community of cultural workers so that they may travel, engage in community care and rest while fully funding artistry and labor of the Black Freedom Fellowship.”
Collectives from previous post with some new projects they are working on / new calls for support
Oakland Workers Fund
From their website: “We are a group of Oakland food service workers led by QTBIPOC women and non-binary people who have been drastically affected by the COVID-19 crisis, the Bay Area shelter-in-place and statewide business closures...It is our mission to support, uplift, and aid fellow Oakland food service workers and their families during this global pandemic.”
New call for support
Need 80 people to pledge $50 to support their undocumented and unhoused Black, Brown and Indigenous applicants
New call for support: Arm the Girls NYC 2.0
From their post: “We need your help to raise $5000 so we can Arm The Girls in NYC with 300 pepper sprays on August 19th and August 20th!...Due to high demand and a RISE and queer and transphobic attacks and hate crimes in New York City, we have been asked by many within of the NYC community to come back, to co-create safe space and to distribute more pepper sprays. Due to the legal uncertainty of with tasers and stun guns we will NOT be distributing stun guns in NYC at this time.”
Free Covid Testing / Support with Vaccines (and some with Free Covid vaccines)
SF
*Testing Sites https://datasf.org/covid19-testing-locations/
-can edit settings for sites that are free/don’t require health insurance
*Mission Neighborhood Health Center (https://www.mnhc.org/)
-240 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110
-Free covid testing available / Free covid vaccines
*San Francisco Free Clinic (https://sffc.org/covid19vaccinations)
-4900 California St, San Francisco, CA 94118
-Free covid vaccines (Moderna)
* List of vaccine sites in SF:
Oakland / East Bay
*Alameda County Testing Sites: https://covid-19.acgov.org/testing
*Community Christian Church for Christ (https://www.ccc4c.org/)
- 1527 34th St, Emeryville, CA 94608
- Free covid testing available / vaccines available as well
*West Oakland Health ( https://westoaklandhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine/)
*List with many different vaccination sites (some doing free vaccines too) in Oakland: https://oaklandside.org/2021/04/15/covid-vaccine-alameda-county-notify-sign-up/
Fundraisers for individuals
In Remembrance of Steve "Zumbi" Gaines
The official gofundme to help support the family of Steve “Zumbi” Gaines, prolific vocalist, emcee, performer, poet, and community activist of the legendary Zion I crew, after his tragic passing.
Support Deanna’s Livelihood
From the page: “Hello, we are raising funds on behalf of Deanna G (or D tha Doll), a Black Trans woman who is formerly incarcerated and currently houseless. Deanna came to the Bay Area several years ago after being incarcerated to access better services, funding, and housing opportunities for herself. However, she has encountered several bumps along her road facing housing insecurity, transphobia, anti-Blackness, and so much more. Currently, Deanna is unhoused and having to jump around between motels. Please consider donating to D, who has been through so much and deserves to have shelter. If you have resources to share, please contact the organizer of this crowdfund.”
Drae’s New Home and Car Support
From their page: “I’m a 23 yr old non-binary artist born and raised in Los Angeles. They/He. Since 2017 I’ve been working non stop jobs after dropping out of college. And have been chasing my dream to become a great animator and comic book artist. In 2018 I began taking hormones and aligning my life with my heart. Which, privacy could really help me as I share a space with my family. I left school because it was too expensive in Oakland. And now I’m leaving my home in Los Angeles because it is too expensive to sustain a healthy lifestyle and try paying for rent...With this, I can move to an affordable area or state, and secure a spot. Where I’ll be able to do all the art work I want and build my portfolio. Just establish myself as an artist. Establish a space where my set can live. As the eldest sibling of six, with only my single mother, and a father incarcerated- with who I wish I can be supporting- the future has to be bright. I need to set myself up for success. This is a big step that I’m taking in demands of growth. I want to support my community, and be able to provide endless art and services. I know I can help myself and others if I give myself the space.”
Help for Mom During Battle With Cancer
From their page: “We are fundraising for Brenda, who all of us love and care for. She was recently diagnosed with cancer and began her chemo/radiation treatment during the end of July. The type of cancer she has is totally curable but unfortunately the most painful. We are at the beginning of this journey and have found Mom needs around the clock care….We tried wholeheartedly to provide the love and a level of care we had to give and have found we honestly need help. Mom’s treatment had to pause due to the mental confusion and dehydration that now has Mom in the hospital. We hope to be able to transfer her directly from the hospital to this facility this week. That is why we are reaching out to you for support during this time - to assist us with making this transfer happen. We cannot imagine Mom trying to get up and down the stairs in such a weak state, where it once took seconds now takes almost an hour.”
Mental Health / Wellness Resources
Painted Brain
From their website: “Painted Brain creates lasting community-based solutions to mental health challenges and the impact of social injustice through arts, advocacy, and enterprise.”
Painted Brain offers free peer-run support groups throughout the week.
East Bay Meditation Center
EBMC’s mission statement: “Founded to provide a welcoming environment for people of color, members of the LGBTQI community, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities, the East Bay Meditation Center welcomes everyone seeking to end suffering and cultivate happiness. Our mission is to foster liberation, personal and interpersonal healing, social action, and inclusive community building. We offer mindfulness practices and teachings on wisdom and compassion from Buddhist and other spiritual traditions. Rooted in our commitment to diversity, we operate with transparent democratic governance, generosity-based economics, and environmental sustainability.”
Many of the instructors also offer sliding scale or pay what you can!
Opportunities/resources for artists
Southern Exposure Job Openings
From their post: “Work at SoEx! SoEx is currently hiring a Marketing and Communications Coordinator and a Teaching Artist. Read the short descriptions [in the post description], and visit soex.org (links in bio) for more information about the positions and how to apply. Please apply by Sunday, August 22, 2021 for full consideration!”
Annual Entry-Fee-Free Call for New Work by Bay Area Artists with [dis]abilities
Applications due August 29, 2021, 11:59 pm
Artists selected for the exhibition will receive a $200 stipend for their participation.
From their post: “Open to artists who identify as having a disability (Including, but not limited to, people who identify as d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH), blind and vision-impaired, Mad, and those with physical, psychological, developmental, and/or cognitive disabilities) and are currently living in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Napa, Marin, and Sonoma Counties. Artists may work in collaboration with artists from outside the Bay Area. In alignment with the Disability Justice framework, as envisioned by Sins Invalid: “We define disability broadly to include people with physical impairments, people who belong to a sensory minority, people with emotional disabilities, people with cognitive challenges, and those with chronic/severe illness.”Centering LGBTQ / gender-nonconforming and BIPOC disabled artists.”
Save The Shellmounds Call for Art (Design Their Next Poster)
From their post: “Deadline 8/25/21! Selected artist will recieve $200 and have their work printed as a poster for the cause”
Moments Co-Op QT/BIPOC Riso Appointments
From their site: “We offer three hour long appointment slots on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between 12-6pm. Please note, if this is your first time using a riso printer please schedule a Saturday appointment for a brief training before printing. Our printer has one color, burgundy. Please bring your own paper! This offering is free but donations are welcome to cover costs. To donate PayPal: info@momentscooperative.com. Moments will follow up with you to verify your appointment!”
Also check out the amazing Moment’s Co-Op in general (https://www.momentscooperative.com/), they have an amazing selection of books for sale (prioritizing QT/BIPOC authors) and they offer an artist residency prioritizing Oakland born/raised Black/Indigenous/POC creatives!
Mediation / facilitation resources
Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute Mediation Resources
https://alliedmedia.org/speaker-projects/emergent-strategy-ideation-institute#work
From the document: “Mediation is the work to hold people through conflict, disagreement, misunderstanding or relationship change. It can be legally mandated, but for the purposes of this document we are just speaking about any community efforts to intervene on and support community through these moments of dissonance. Over the summer of 2020, we posted a call for mediators, and from the responses we began this resource. We are thrilled by just how many people want to support conflict and tension in movement spaces! We cannot vouch for each person, but we are trusting the good intentions of each person making their offer and including all of the information they shared.”