The New England Unsettler

Here’s some of what we talked about tonight. More event listings to come!

Monday, February 27th – TODAY!

• Trans Task Force of Harvard University is Rallying RIGHT NOW (5-6) at the John Harvard Statue, 378 Harvard St, Cambridge, MA
  
• SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice)’s Boston Chapter holds their Open Meeting tonight at 6:30 at 26 West Street in Boston (the SEIU – Service Employees International Union). SURJ Boston is a volunteer run project of Community Change Inc. and a group organizing white people for racial justice, while centering organizations and events lead by an organized by black folks. There will be childcare and some snacks, and donations will be taken. Please track SURJ down on Facebook to sign up for this event beforehand–go go! It’s soon!
• There’s a Documentary Screening and Discussion of SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR at 7pm at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. This film tells the story of Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez, four Latina lesbians wrongfully convicted of gang-raping two young girls in San Antonio, Texas. The then-19-and-20-yr-olds spent nearly a decade in prison before being exonerated recently–partly due to this film! The film also won the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best First Documentary Film at the Tribeca Film Festival and TONIGHT you can talk to Director Deborah Esquenazi, who will be at the Brattle for a Q&A with Sabrina Aviles, Festival Director of the Boston Latino International Film Festival. Co-presented by the DocYard and the UMassBoston Film Series. BONUS: Prior to this feature screening, the DocYard will present the short film NOT ONE STEP BACK documenting five days of protest at the North Carolina General Assembly in December 2016.
  
• Bad Jazz, a band consisting of artists Tania Chen, Ben Salomon, and Bryan Day will be playing an unpredictable mix of invented instruments, rudimentary electronics, repurposed toys and found objects w/ Chris Strunk (solo) & an ensemble consisting of local heavy-hitters Victoria Shen of TRIM, Forbes Graham, Shareen Salem, and Stephanie Germaine from 8:00-10:00 p.m. at Washington Street Arts

Tuesday, February 28th

• CANCELED (TENTATIVELY RESCHEDULED FOR 3/8) Black & Pink Boston, which is the local chapter of the national radical- and queer-centered prison abolition group is holding a meeting of their Fuck Solitary Working Group tomorrow from 6-8 p.m. at the Congregational Library at 14 Beacon St, Boston in the 2nd floor conference room. You’re gonna wanna RSVP at the link on our blog so they know how much food to order, as folks discuss how to move toward abolishing solitary confinement in Massachusetts. CANCELED.
  
• South Shore Town Hall with Senators Keenan, O’Connor, Ross, Rush and Timilty from 6:45pm – 8:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm) at the Hansen Elementary School (25 Pecunit Street, Canton, MA 02021). Tips on how to successfully speak at these at aclum.org.
  
• Jewish Voice for Peace is holding their monthly open meeting (which is always the last Tuesday of the month and alternates location between Cambridge and Jamaica Plain) from 7-9. This month is at Reservoir Church, 15 Notre Dame Ave in Cambridge. New and old Jewish Voice for Peace-Boston activists and allies are welcome. Pizza will be served (let them know if that doesn’t fit your diet). This month they’ll be joined by Dr. John Robbins of CAIR Massachusetts, to talk about the role of non-Muslim allies in the fight against Islamophobia.