About Us
Mission
SURJ Marin mobilizes, organizes and educates white people and brings them into the broader multi-racial
movement for racial justice. We welcome people of all races and ethnicities who are focused on dismantling
systems of white supremacy. We are accountable to and follow the powerful leadership of local Black,
Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) organizations and community leaders.
Values Statement
We are multi-racial community members working collectively to challenge and dismantle white supremacy in all its myriad forms- internal and external, systemic, structural and interpersonal. We are here because we love justice. We are here because we want liberation for ourselves, and for everyone. We are here because white supremacy steals our humanity. We are here to reclaim our humanity and hold space for you to reclaim yours.
‘What is SURJ Marin?’
An ADA compliant version of our video is available here.
Committees and Working Groups
Communications: Manages our social media platforms, electronic newsletter, calendars and publicizing events and actions.
Core: Directs the focus of our SURJ Marin chapter. This leadership body determines our chapter campaigns, identifies and chooses our Accountability Partners, and creates organizational policies.
Direct Action Committee: Creates and leads actions to amplify the demands of the Movement for Black Lives, initiatives of our Accountability Partners, and activities of other community partners and leaders of color. Actions include protests, rallies, art installations, phonebanking, letter writing, SURJ action hours and more.
EOC: Plans events to engage new members, including book discussions, film screenings, workshops and presentations. We also build connections with other organizations throughout Marin, including our Accountability Partners and other groups that help to create change.
Financial Resources Working Group: Mobilizes donors, gathers funds, and redistributes financial resources to support the work of systematically oppressed and excluded peoples in Marin. Each year, SURJ Marin partners with specific, local organizations of color (Accountability Partners, or APs) in order to support their important work. For more information about donations or to donate, please visit https://surjmarin.org/donate/.
Policy: Advocates for legislative change that tackles the problems of systemic racism at the local, state, and federal levels. We take our lead from our Accountability Partners and other BIPOC leaders and organizations, focusing on the issues of mass incarceration, police brutality, and racial inequities.
We welcome your involvement in our committees. Please contact us at info@surjmarin.org to learn more.
Showing up for racial justice
SURJ began in 2009 after leaders of color directed white activists to call more white people into the movement for racial justice. SURJ is now made up of a network of more than 150 groups and individuals around the country.
History of SURJ Marin
SURJ has been in Marin since the summer of 2017 when a small but mighty group of white community members saw the need to join with local communities and leaders of color in working against the racial disparities in the county. Shortly after that, we began to offer a variety of learning and action opportunities. Since our early days, we have expanded in order to broaden our reach and we remain 100% volunteer led.
Join us for a workshop, book discussion, rally, or other event. Together we can make positive change in Marin and beyond.
SURJ Marin offers
Workshops & Presentations
If you would like us to meet with your organization or group, please contact us at info@surjmarin.org. You can see a list of past workshops we have offered below:
Why Do We Work With White People
Adapted from https://www.awarela.org/what-we-do
- Leaders of color directed white activists to call more white people into the movement for racial justice.
- People of color shouldn’t always have to be the ones to educate white people about racism and oppression.
- In order to challenge racism and dismantle white supremacy, white people need to unlearn racism and discover the ways we enact white privilege.
- A commitment to anti-racist identity and practice as a white person can sometimes mean increased alienation and conflict in our lives, especially with other white friends and family who disagree with us.
- It’s a space for white people to figure out what it means to be an anti-racist white person and challenge racism in all areas of our lives.
- It’s a place where white people can begin to build a new culture of white anti-racism.
- SURJ is a supplement to, not a replacement for, multi-racial dialogues and activism between white people and people of color.
- A white space serves as a resource to people of color who want to work with white people but don’t want to have to spend all their energy dealing with the racism of white people.
For press inquiries, please contact us at info@surjmarin.org.