Action Pod Community Agreements

SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Bay Area chapter is part of a national network of groups and individuals educating and organizing white people for racial justice. (www.showingupforracialjustice.org) 

SURJ welcomes all levels of support and participation in our racial justice work. This document focuses on supporters who are engaged in specific actions and activities led by SURJ Bay Area. Membership agreements are part of the chapter transparency process. These agreements are here to help us remain accountable to each other, to our Racial Justice Partners, and to National SURJ. 

As Action Members of SURJ Bay Area we agree to do the following:

Recognize racism, white supremacy and oppression in our organizing

• Racism is a system which creates an unfair distribution of power, privilege, land and material goods favoring white people. We embrace the discomfort of confronting racism as the potential for change.
• We respect the self-determination of BIPOC-led organizations & recognize their strategies will vary.
• We know that those of us who are white will reproduce white supremacy in our organizing and will try to notice when fragility and defensiveness arise. 

Prioritize Voices & Leadership of Those Most Targeted by Systemic & Institutional Oppression

• We center our work around the voices and leadership of BIPOC leaders first and always. 
• We recognize the leadership and liberation struggles of poor and working class people, people with disabilities, queer and trans people, youth, elders, criminalized and imprisoned people, and undocumented people.

Create Access across Ability 

• We commit to being proactive in making our spaces and actions as accessible as possible.

Be Accountable to Your Commitments and Actions

• We commit only to things we believe we can take on.
• We commit to honest and open communication, acknowledging mistakes & addressing conflict when it arises. We agree to ask questions-we can help each other.
• We recognize that connection and relationship-building are core to our work.

Represent SURJ with Integrity

• When we are in public or virtual spaces as Action Members in any capacity, we’ll be aware of how our actions will reflect on SURJ. We will not speak on behalf of SURJ unless tasked with that job.
• We agree not to publicly criticize other organizations.

Commit to Confidentiality, Honesty and Transparency

• We will ask before sharing organizational or personal information if unsure if it is confidential.
• We will ask a designated person if we have questions about a process or why decisions were made. 
• We will use all communication platforms (e.g. Slack) and spaces (e.g. pods) specifically for SURJ Bay Area’s work, and not to promote or organize around other projects. 
• We understand that any racist statements, bullying, or other disruption of SURJ’s racial justice work = removal as a SURJ Action Member.

SURJ Bay Area submits these principles and protocols with humility and openness. 

For more information on SURJ Bay Area’s vision, mission, and values, please see our website.