I’ve been working a Palestinian refugee in Cairo who wanted to publish a piece about what it means to survive an ongoing genocide, and the toll of living. As we witness the genocide, we don’t think about it — what it means to live beyond the carnage, and what it means to have to flee it, knowing full well that the people you love, have loved, and will continue to love are embroiled within it. The writer is a licensed psychologist with an extensive history in examining trauma. Here, he grapples with his own.

An Arabic translation has been included.

Thank you, Dr. Mahmoud Moafi. Much love to you forever and always.

In Gaza... not everyone who survives feels that they have truly survived.

There is a question that does not appear in United Nations reports, is rarely addressed in news broadcasts, and cannot be answered by maps of destruction:

How does a person continue living after surviving?

We have grown accustomed to measuring wars by the number of deaths, the number of injuries, the scale of destruction, and the number of displaced people. These are all essential indicators, yet they do not tell the whole story. Wars do not merely alter geography; they reshape the human psyche in ways that are quieter, yet far more devastating.

From the heart of Gaza, I have learned that a person may emerge alive from beneath the rubble, yet spend years trying to remove the rubble from within themselves.

This is not a literary metaphor. It is a reality I witness every day—in people's faces, and even more in their silence than in their words.

As a son of this city and a mental health professional, I often meet people who do not ask, "How do I recover?" Instead, they ask a far more painful question:

"Why did I survive?"

At first, I thought this question was merely an expression of profound grief. Over time, however, I realized that it carries a much deeper meaning. It is not a question about death; it is a question about survival.

In psychology, this experience is known as survivor's guilt—a feeling that can haunt individuals who survive a disaster or war while others lose their lives. The paradox is that this guilt does not require any actual wrongdoing. The survivor did not choose to live, and those who died did not choose to die. Yet the mind begins constructing an internal courtroom in which innocence is never recognized.

The person replays every detail endlessly:

If only I had left a few minutes earlier...

If only I had been delayed a little longer...

If only we had taken another road...

If only I had stayed with them...

If only...

If only...

If only...

And with every "if only," the distance between the person and their inner peace grows wider.

Yet Gaza adds another dimension to this experience—one that traditional psychological literature has not sufficiently explored. In many parts of the world, war eventually ends, and only then does the journey of healing begin. Here, however, people are expected to rebuild themselves while danger still surrounds them, losses continue to accumulate, and uncertainty has become woven into the fabric of everyday life.

For this reason, reducing people's suffering to the concept of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) seems insufficient. Not every wound comes after trauma. Sometimes the trauma itself is ongoing, renewed with every warning siren, every new loss, and every night a person goes to sleep uncertain of how—or whether—they will wake the next morning.

More painful still is the fact that some wounds are born not from fear, but from conscience.

I have seen fathers who believe they failed their children because they could not protect them.

Mothers who silently apologize to children who are gone, as though death had resulted from a wrong decision they made.

Doctors and nurses leaving their workplaces carrying an unbearable sense of helplessness—not because they failed in their duty, but because the available resources were simply smaller than the scale of the catastrophe.

These are not signs of weakness.

They are what psychologists today describe as moral injury—the suffering that arises when a person collides with the limits of their ability to do good, and begins punishing themselves for things that were never within their control.

Therefore, any discussion of mental health in Gaza must go beyond the idea of offering therapy sessions or psychosocial support activities. These interventions are important, but they cannot, by themselves, heal someone who continues to live in an environment that produces trauma every single day.

Healing does not begin only inside the therapy room.

It begins when people no longer feel that their lives are under constant threat.

When tomorrow can truly be different from yesterday.

When survival no longer feels like nothing more than a postponement of loss.

Perhaps that is why I sometimes worry about the way we speak of resilience. Beautiful as the word is, it can unintentionally become another burden. When we describe someone as resilient, we may forget that they also have the right to feel exhausted, the right to cry, and the right to admit that they can no longer bear the weight.

Resilience is not the absence of pain.

It is the decision to continue despite pain.

And that is a profound difference.

Rebuilding cities is an undeniable necessity.

But rebuilding the human being is far more complex—and far more urgent.

Buildings can be reconstructed within a matter of years.

Trust in life, a sense of safety, and the ability to sleep without fear cannot be measured in concrete, nor restored through reconstruction plans.

For this reason, the most dangerous legacy of war is not the destruction we can see, but the destruction that settles within the human soul.

Some people lose their homes and build new ones.

Others lose their cities and eventually return to them.

But what about the person who has lost their faith that life is just?

Who restores that?

In my view, this question must become part of every conversation about reconstruction, because nations are not built by buildings alone. They are built by people who still believe that the future is worth living for.

In the end, perhaps the most important question is not:

How many people survived?

But rather:

How do we protect the humanity of those who survived, so that survival itself does not become a wound that never heals?

Arabic translation:

حين يصبح البقاء على قيد الحياة عبئًا نفسيًا

في غزة… ليس كل من نجا يشعر بأنه نجا

هناك سؤال لا يظهر في تقارير الأمم المتحدة، ولا تتوقف عنده نشرات الأخبار، ولا تجيب عنه خرائط

الدمار:

كيف يعيش الإنسان بعدما ينجو؟

اعتدنا أن نقيس الحروب بعدد القتلى، وأعداد الجرحى، وحجم الدمار، وعدد النازحين. وهي كلها

مؤشرات ضرورية، لكنها لا تروي القصة كاملة. فالحروب لا تغيّر الجغرافيا وحدها، بل تعيد تشكيل

النفس البشرية بطرق أكثر هدوءًا، وأكثر قسوة.

من قلب غزة، تعلمت أن الإنسان قد يخرج حيًا من تحت الأنقاض، لكنه قد يبقى سنوات يحاول أن يخرج

الأنقاض من داخله.

هذه ليست استعارة أدبية، بل حقيقة أراها كل يوم في وجوه الناس، وفي صمتهم أكثر مما أسمعها في

كلماتهم.

بوصفي ابنًا لهذه المدينة، وأعمل في مجال الدعم النفسي، كثيرًا ما ألتقي بأشخاص لا يسألون: “كيف

أتعافى؟”، بل يسألون سؤالًا أكثر إيلامًا:

“لماذا بقيت أنا؟”

في البداية كنت أظن أن هذا السؤال تعبير عن شدة الحزن، لكن مع مرور الوقت أدركت أنه يحمل معنى

أعمق. إنه ليس سؤالًا عن الموت، بل عن النجاة.

في علم النفس، يُعرف هذا الشعور باسم ذنب الناجين؛ وهو إحساس قد يلازم الإنسان عندما ينجو من

كارثة أو حرب بينما يفقد آخرون حياتهم. والمفارقة أن هذا الذنب لا يحتاج إلى خطأ حقيقي. فالناجي لم

يختر أن ينجو، ولم يختر الآخرون أن يرحلوا، ومع ذلك يبدأ العقل في بناء محكمة داخلية لا تعرف

البراءة.

يعيد الإنسان مراجعة التفاصيل بلا نهاية.

لو خرجت قبل دقائق…

لو تأخرت قليلًا…

لو سلكنا طريقًا آخر…

لو بقيت معهم…

ولو…

ولو…

ولو…

ومع كل “لو”، تتسع المسافة بين الإنسان وبين سلامه الداخلي.

لكن غزة تضيف إلى هذا الشعور بعدًا آخر لا تتحدث عنه الأدبيات النفسية التقليدية بالقدر الكافي. ففي

كثير من مناطق العالم، تنتهي الحرب، ثم تبدأ رحلة العلاج. أما هنا، فإن الإنسان يحاول أن يرمم نفسه

بينما الخطر ما زال قائمًا، والخسارة ما زالت تتكرر، وعدم اليقين أصبح جزءًا من تفاصيل الحياة

اليومية.

ولهذا، فإن اختزال معاناة الناس في مفهوم “اضطراب ما بعد الصدمة” يبدو قاصرًا. فليس كل ألم يأتي

“بعد” الصدمة. أحيانًا تكون الصدمة مستمرة، تتجدد مع كل إنذار، وكل فقد جديد، وكل ليلة ينام فيها

الإنسان وهو لا يعرف كيف سيستيقظ صباحًا.

الأصعب من ذلك أن بعض الجروح لا تولد من الخوف، بل من الضمير.

رأيت آباءً يشعرون أنهم خذلوا أبناءهم لأنهم لم يستطيعوا حمايتهم.

وأمهات يعتذرن بصمت لأطفال رحلوا، وكأن الموت كان نتيجة قرار خاطئ اتخذنه.

وأطباء وممرضين يغادرون أماكن عملهم وهم يحملون شعورًا ثقيلًا بالعجز، لا لأنهم قصروا، بل لأن

الإمكانات كانت أقل من حجم الكارثة.

هذه ليست مشاعر ضعف.

إنها ما يسميه علماء النفس اليوم الإصابة الأخلاقية؛ حين يصطدم الإنسان بحدود قدرته على فعل الخير،

فيبدأ بمعاقبة نفسه على أشياء لم تكن يومًا تحت سيطرته.

ولذلك، فإن الحديث عن الصحة النفسية في غزة ينبغي أن يتجاوز فكرة تقديم جلسة علاج أو نشاط دعم

نفسي. هذه تدخلات مهمة، لكنها لا تستطيع وحدها أن تعالج إنسانًا يعيش داخل بيئة ما تزال تنتج

الصدمة كل يوم.

فالعلاج لا يبدأ من العيادة فقط، بل يبدأ عندما يشعر الإنسان أن حياته لم تعد مهددة في كل لحظة.

وأن الغد يمكن أن يكون مختلفًا عن الأمس.

وأن النجاة ليست مجرد تأجيل للفقد.

ربما لهذا السبب أخشى أحيانًا من الطريقة التي نتحدث بها عن “الصمود”. فالكلمة، على جمالها، قد

تتحول دون قصد إلى عبء جديد. عندما نصف إنسانًا بأنه صامد، قد ننسى أنه يملك أيضًا حق التعب،

وحق البكاء، وحق الاعتراف بأنه لم يعد قادرًا على الاحتمال.

الصمود ليس غياب الألم.

بل هو الاستمرار رغم الألم.

وهذا فرق كبير.

إن إعادة إعمار المدن ضرورة لا يختلف عليها اثنان، لكن إعادة إعمار الإنسان أكثر تعقيدًا، وأكثر

إلحاحًا.

فالحجر يمكن أن يُعاد بناؤه خلال سنوات.

أما الثقة بالحياة، والشعور بالأمان، والقدرة على النوم دون خوف، فهي أمور لا تُقاس بالإسمنت ولا

تُرمم بالخرائط.

ولهذا، فإن أخطر ما تتركه الحروب ليس الدمار الذي نراه، بل ذلك الذي يستقر في داخل الإنسان.

هناك من يفقد بيته، ثم يبني بيتًا آخر.

وهناك من يفقد مدينته، ثم يعود إليها

لكن ماذا عن الإنسان الذي فقد يقينه بأن الحياة عادلة؟

من يعيد إليه ذلك؟

إن هذا السؤال، في تقديري، يجب أن يكون جزءًا من أي حديث عن إعادة الإعمار، لأن الأوطان لا

تقوم على المباني وحدها، بل على بشر يؤمنون بأن المستقبل يستحق أن يُعاش.

وفي النهاية، ربما لا يكون السؤال الأكثر أهمية هو: كم عدد الذين نجوا؟

بل: كيف نحمي إنسانية الذين نجوا، حتى لا تتحول النجاة نفسها إلى جرحٍ لا يندمل؟

بقلم / د محمود موافي

REAL TALK REFLECTIONS

Here we are meticulously sifting through potential events to share with our So Flo organizing family and guys, it’s a bit dry. We get it- summer tends to be a time where everyone is on a lackadaisical schedule. BUT- we cannot afford to kick back and chill when on the daily fascism is growing ever more evident in every aspect of our lives.

A question to you all, readers. One that doesn’t require a direct response but does require your direct action. How are you actively inserting yourself in this fight? Each and every one of us must invest in the change we wish to create, right now. What will you do? What are you willing to sacrifice? Is it truly a sacrifice or an investment in community, our future and hope.

We are always looking to include your organizations and ideas in our issues so if you have something of interest please, drop us an email.

And as a reminder, here is our guide to organizing for those who want to start and don’t know how to.

Don’t Stop Talking About: PALESTINE, SUDAN, DR CONGO

Israel has murdered every member of Gaza’s remaining Al-Jazeera staff as they attempt to suppress news around the genocide. Mohammed el Kurd writes about it here, where he discusses the obfuscation of the genocide and occupation by Israel’s allies. This deliberate censorship and assassination is a tool employed to obscure Israel’s brutality, and all those who continue to serve as proponents of it.

In the context of labor: From the 1936 Great Revolt and General Strike, the Land Day general strike of 1976, the beginning of the 1987 Intifada as a labor revolt, to the general strike of the 2021 Unity Intifada, Palestinians have used labor revolt as a form of popular resistance. It’s up to us to follow in their stead.

We see how our labor is entrenched in blood money for all angles. Be it the military industrial complex and how many of the corporations we work for are funded or funding Zionism, the cobalt industry and its violent and visceral exploitation of the global south and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular, or how Sudan continues to be ravaged by the UAE and IMF funded militants because of the gold its soil holds.

On this labor day, investigate where your labor goes -- who it supports, who it serves, how to get your unions to stand against the war complex and so much more.

With the inordinate, nonstop domestic fuckery coming at us 24x7 it can be hard to recognize where to focus our attention and energy. It all feels so important. Let us keep in mind two vital facts:

1. The relentless, sensationalized distractions are intentional to keep us playing mental “whack-a-mole” rather than harness our power via organizing.

2. The worldwide atrocities that the imperialistic, capitalistic machine continue to impose are all interconnected and intended to serve the white, Christian upperclass.

• Right now Palestinian people are suffering and dying in Israeli-induced starvation tactics to continue genocide because Israel will not cede in their horrific plans to completely wipe Palestinians out of existence to seize the valuable land, oil and natural gas resources. Nor will the world stand up to and stop Israel.

• Because of their fertile land, gold and a plethora of other natural and mineral-rich resources right now the Sudanese civilians are existing in the midst of a longstanding and growing hunger crisis, infrastructure collapse, physical and sexual brutality and massive displacement.

• Currently the Congolese people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are pawns in an unyielding an ever-worsening violent war and genocide. The DRC is an area rich in cobalt and coltan, minerals essential to the production of all things tech. Displacement, disease outbreak, food insecurity and escalating violence are rampant.

And while the geographical, cultural, political and social components of these 3 crises are diverse, what remains unchanged is the uber-wealthy, manipulative external actors, oftentimes other countries and governments that wield firm dominance over greedy, power-hungry internal actors who together execute the proverbial imperialism playbook in which endless war, destabilization, dehumanization and annihilation of a people equals extraction of a coveted product, power and profit over trade routes and ports and complete reign of a region. Profits over people, no matter the savagery, the raging mantra. These are the common factors and outcomes, regardless of the variables of the equation presented to us time and again throughout colonialism history to present.

But what can we do with a problem of that force and magnitude? We learn, we bear witness, we talk to others, we organize, we donate, we don’t stop. We pull back the increasingly thinning veil of neocolonialism deceit many of use have subscribed to for so long. We release our guilt and shame and put that energy to action by centering the real victims of these real-time atrocities.

RESOURCES FOR PALESTINE:

• PALESTINIAN FUND LINKTREE

• SAMEER PROJECT

• GAZA POETS SOCIETY

• HUSSEIN AND HIS TEAM

• MUNICAPLITY OF GAZA

RESOURCES FOR SUDAN:

• HOPE AND HAVEN

• SUDAN FUNDS

• HELP FOR SUDANESE FAMILIES

• KHARTOUM KITCHEN

The journalist, Bisan from Gaza, calls for a GENERAL STRIKE ON THE 21ST OF THIS MONTH.

Watch the video here.

In this cruel world, it’s great to remember that withholding your money and investment works. Show out for the general strike and remember to boycott BDS!

As Trump continues to roll back necessities and life saving programs, rights and what little social security exists in this country, we implore you to keep up with the rest of this letter (and those that have come before) to discover ways in which you can plug into your community!

BLACK AUGUST

Black August is upon us.

Study, fast, train, fight, and in the words of George Jackson, “Do what must be done; discover your humanity and your love in revolution.”

Black August is a month dedicated to celebrating black resistance. It was created to pay respect and support to Black freedom fighters who were incarcerated and/or killed by the state. In these times, we see the invisible boot with which the state keeps us complacent. We must stand with those who have taken action against the state apparatus and were punished for it, and all those who continue to supply prison labor, are forcefully trapped and isolated from the rest of society, and are ushered through the pipeline not due to any real form of justice but a deeply faulty system built to punish marginalized communities.

Below are letter writing programs for political prisoners across the country:

Check out the full thread at workshops4gaza!

Down in Florida, we have multiple prison writing programs:

ArtSpring

This program partners with detention facilities to provide arts-based educational workshops to over 600 incarcerated adults and juveniles per year.

Phone: (305) 278-1601

Email: artspring@artspring.org;

Exchange for Change

Exchange for Change offers a variety of writing courses in South Florida prisons, and runs letter-writing exchanges between our incarcerated students and students in local academic universities, colleges and high schools.

Phone: (305) 771-3241
Email: exchforchange@gmail.com

The Florida Coalition for Higher Education

Donate your books (of any kind) to the Florida Prison Education Project.

Mailing Address:

UCF Florida Prison Education Project

Attn: Michael Kostis

12400 Aquarius Agora Dr.

Orlando, FL 32816

Find a national catalogue of prison writing programs here! A letter is the first gateway to freedom.

From the prisons in Amerikkka to Palestine to Sudan to the Congo to Armenia, all those trapped beneath the thumb of imperial superpowers -- we will be free! Long live the intifada.

THE BITCH IS BACK…..KIM DAVIS AND HER LIBERTY COUNSEL FAN CLUB CHALLENGING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE RIGHTS AT THE SUPREME COURT LEVEL

Consider this your notice, avoid complacency and jump into action because the Christian right is energetically, frantically rolling with the rollback of rights momentum. Late last month, Kim Davis took her appeal to the Supreme Court requesting the overturn of the hard-fought landmark 2015 win of Obergefell v. Hodges. Kim Davis, somehow has morphed into a pillar of the idealistic white, Christian, heteronormative marriage standards even though according to numerous news sources she’s been married four times to three different men. With reports of Davis’ infidelity, even having children with another man while she was married she makes for a questionable leader. While many law analysts seems to opine that Davis won’t gain traction this is not the time to take any chances. Plug yourself into action or create an action yourself.

To get involved with the National LGBTQ Task Force building Q Power Organizing Bootcamp you can apply HERE.

Join PRISM Wednesday, August 20th to fight for the reinstitution of DEI in PBC schools

This Wednesday, August 20, PRISM will be at the Palm Beach School Board meeting to demand that our district reinstate the diversity, equity, and inclusion protections that were recently rolled back. The meeting will take place from 5:00–7:30 PM at the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd, West Palm Beach. RSVP HERE!

PRISM Gala 2025

You can find out more details, RSVP, purchase tickets or sponsor the event HERE.

Compass Community Center and other local community orgs need our presence on Tuesday, August 26th at the an important upcoming Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Time: 9:30 AM

Location: Robert Weisman Governmental Center Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers 301 N. Olive Avenue, 6th Floor West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Why It Matters:
The commissioners will be deciding whether or not to approve funding for local Community-Based Agencies—organizations that provide critical services like mental health care, youth support, housing help, LGBTQ+ resources, economic access, safety & justice, parenting support, domestic violence education & resources, social & emotional learning.

Can’t make it? No problem, you can email each commissioner (numbered by district) and communicate how vital these organizations are to the overall health and safety of our entire community.

1. Maria G. Marino: MMarino@pbc.gov
2. Gregg K. Weiss: GWeiss@pbc.gov
3. Joel G. Flores: JGFlores@pbc.gov
4. Marci Woodward: MWoodward@pbc.gov
5. Maria Sachs: MSachs@pbc.gov
6. Sara Baxter: SBaxter@pbc.gov
7. Bobby Powell Jr: BPowell@pbc.gov

Link up with DREAM DEFENDERS and educate yourself in BLACK AUGUST. Our local DD Squads are Broward DD and Miami DD

Can you pitch in to support our vulnerable communities impacted by ICE? UNIDOS IMMOKALEE is looking for volunteers and funds to support local families. If you can donate please do so HERE. If you want more information about volunteering go HERE.

Looking for something to do this Friday? Check out a screening of Reimagine Safety with B.L.A.M. Register for the screening HERE. If you want to learn more about B.L.A.M check them out HERE.

Check in with Florida Rising to see what local events you can attend and participate in HERE.

Want to hit up a protest on Labor Day? Follow Palm Beach Indivisibles on Facebook if you want upcoming details about the event.

Rohi’s Readery is still holding it down with revolutionary, soul-nurturing activities throughout August and September. You can investigate all of their events HERE.

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE IN DESPERATE NEED!

When do we meet:

Every Thursday at 5:30 at Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449

Every Sunday in the front parking lot of Compass Community Center ,201 N Dixie Hwy, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460

Several of our regular volunteers are moving out of the state and as more people continue to need mutual aid to sustain themselves we REALLY NEED MORE HELP to fill these gaps!

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the times and locations listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers. Homelessness rates are only increasing, and right now, we need each other more than ever.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

Socialist Alternative is hosting an event to continue the momentum of their MAYDAY launch.

If you’d like to register to attend this event hosted by Social Alternative and DSA, click HERE.

Music and Art for the Activist’s Heart and Mind

The Neighborhood Kids spitting truth with lyrical ferocity and sick hip-hop beats. Check out their latest “Fed Up”

Longtime local, Larry Rein, owner of All About Music School composed and shared with us the protest song for everyman with fierce guitar riffs “Listen, Don’t Listen”

Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley, a book I’ve been delving into for my morning meditations and reflections provides depth, pondering and connection to spirit.

A moving and immersive short-story by a Palestinian author Yasmin Zaher, The Garden.

Bad month, huh?

We know. The world is on fire. We’re struggling to put food on the table. Material conditions are worsening in real time, and the things we never wanted to see with our two eyes or willfully imagine away are cropping up for us all to witness.

The world has been ruled by very evil people for a long time. That’s precisely why as the newsletter says, it’s time to get off your ass for August!

Show up. Show out. Be there for your community. We need each other. We’re all we have. We live in the belly of the beast - if anyone has a chance of killing this thing from the inside, it’s us.

They want you to be demoralized. That’s exactly why you can’t be. People need you. We need you.

It’s time to get to work — the work that matters! We’re with you every step of the way.

With love and resistance,

M&N

Humanity Adrift as Alligator Alcatraz Opens

Alligator Alcatraz, a massive, inhumane concentration camp fast-tracked to detain the immigrants kidnapped by ICE under Trump’s reign of terror in the heart of the Florida Everglades has opened.

The camp is set on a strip of the Dade-Collier airport, a failed attempt in the 1960’s to build an extravagant airport in the heart of sacred indigenous lands. Dubbed the “Everglades Jetport” during the height of luxury air travel it was intended to be the world’s largest airport, a glamorous intercontinental hub for supersonic airliners with six runways and high-speed rail links to surrounding cities. The outlandish project was abandoned in 1970 due to overwhelming environmental concerns, dedicated advocates for the precious ecosystems and the relentless fight of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes to preserve their culture and ancestral lands.

The indigenous land was seized by DeSantis under a “State of Emergency” guise after a futile attempt to purchase the land from Miami-Dade county for well below the land’s value. Hastily and shabbily built mostly via extorting FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program funds the project is under heavy scrutiny for a multitude of humanitarian, environmental and legal reasons.

Anyone who has grappled with FEMA in the aftermath of a natural disaster implicitly knows that this rapid pace is uncharacteristic and atypical. Despite a multitude of pushback, petitions and legal actions the concentration camp retained its first victims on July 3rd, 2025. The camp itself is especially brutal and dehumanizing, a point of pride with its evil conjurers in hopes that people will self-deport rather than risk imprisonment there, with poor protection from the natural elements due to shoddy tent construction, tight bunk style barracks surrounded with animalistic chainlink fencing, zero infrastructure and no medical services its inhabitants run a larger risk of mosquito-borne or sanitation related health issues.

Unsurprisingly, there are already reports of brutal treatment of the prisoners held within Alligator Alcatraz, which range from access to any kind of hygienic facilities, minimal food and drinking water distribution and a pointed lack of 24-hour full lighting. There is also discussion of children being imprisoned there.

How can we show up for the kidnapped victims being held at Alligator Alcatraz? Read below to learn ways that you can call out the complicit and continue to fight for the preservation of our delicate and divinely unique ecosystem and our humanity in this issue.

Read more about the conditions within Alligator Alcatraz here. The conditions of this camp parallel that of the prisons that have trapped indigenous, Black and Latin people nationwide.

GETTING INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT

ACTIONS OF THE MONTH

🚨 17 DAYS LEFT (as of this newsletter) to protect Birthright Citizenship in Florida. The Supreme Court just paved the way to strip some U.S.-born children of their Constitutional rights. This is an attack on what it means to be American—and we can’t let it happen.

We MUST act now. Email your lawmakers and demand they file a lawsuit to protect all Florida-born babies.

👉 Visit the link in our bio to take action and protect Birthright Citizenship.

JAM THE FASCIST MACHINE

Block their moves. Expose their secrets. It’s time to FOIA the hell out of DOGE and Vought.
This simple action takes just 5–10 minutes — but it slows their operations and builds a paper trail for accountability.

👉 Step-by-step instructions: https://linktr.ee/breakingtheblueprint

The 50501 Movement is proud to stand with federal workers resisting from the inside.
This is coordinated. This is strategic. This is what resistance looks like.

📣 Comment “JAM THE SYSTEM” if you’re taking action with us.
📲 Follow @federalworkersagainstdoge to stay plugged in.

Here at 50501movement!

The 50501 Florida coalition has collected 25 flyers so far for “Good Trouble” events that are happening across Florida on Thursday, July 17th in:

Celebration, Coral Springs, Davie, Deland, Flagler, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Kissimmee, Melbourne, Miami (2), Naples, Orlando, Pensacola, Port Orange, Port Saint Lucie, Saint Petersburg, Sanford, Sarasota (2), Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach

More flyers coming soon!

Follow our Facebook Event for updates:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1C9f3qJT5u/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Unidos Immokalee has been working on organizing against ICE and the prison in Big Cypress. They are having a fundraising kermes (in Immokalee) Saturday night to raise money for families in Belle Glade affected by the ICE raids. You can contribute to the Belle Glade families with the handles above. Please attend, send some funds, share!

July 12th, 10 AM - 1 PM

106 S 2nd St Immokalee, FL 34142

Our Local Abolition Movement IS IN NEED!

CHIP is an abolitionist, grassroots organization advocating for people caged in South Florida jails. In between the countless abuses and the exploitative labor and justice system thousands of people are victim to, CHIP is here to stand strong.

The Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP) is now looking for hotline volunteers! Answer CHIP calls from people incarcerated inside Broward county jails, and help provide support where able! Volunteer from ANYWHERE, training provided.

They can be contacted here!

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE IN NEED!

Every Thursday at 5:30 and Sunday at 1:30 (there is higher capacity on Sunday, but volunteers are needed for both)

Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449, USA

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the Bryant Park amphitheater at the times listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers. Homelessness rates are only increasing, and right now, we need each other more than ever.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

Grassroots in Palestine are losing funds rapidly. Here’s how you can contribute!

As well as SAMEER PROJECT, GAZA POETS SOCIETY, HUSSEIN AND HIS TEAM AND MUNICAPLITY OF GAZA.

Communities Indigenous to Florida, such as the Miccosukee Tribe, with the support of the Florida Detention Coalition, are resisting the opening of an immigrant detention center at the Miami-Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport in Florida. The facility, which Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier calls “Alligator Alcatraz,” would cost the state $450 million to operate and is planned to open next month.

Surrounded by Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, this land is part of one of the most fragile ecosystems in the country. If opened, the facility will have the capacity to detain 5,000 people, increasing arrests and further terrorizing Florida communities.

📢TAKE ACTION - SIGN THE PETITIONS📢

We need you to contact local officials now! The message is clear: No airports. No rock mines. No prisons. Only Everglades.

🖊️Sign the petition directed towards Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier at bit.ly/GovAG_NoAllAlcatraz

🖊️Sign the petition directed towards Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at bit.ly/Mayor_NoAllAcatraz

Here at detentionwatch!

Profiteers of mass deportations of indigenous peoples and the destruction of indigenous lands, you are on blast.

As the campaign to #StopAlligatorAlcatraz is under way, this could be the beginning of a next step forward. We need to move quickly!

These business’ lines are flooded so stay tuned for more and more ways to contact them. But also there are a wide variety of tactics available from marching past the homes of the employees to picketing the businesses to flyering their neighboring businesses to blockading the parking lots to even nighttime fun 🥷 The question is, which tactic is right for you and do you have a crew to work with which you trust to get it done?

There is a rich history of radical organizing in South Florida of targeting colonialist profiteers that we can build upon, from Defend the Briger Forest to Shut Down GEO, from SMASH HLS to Shut Down Elbit. It’s time to get creative, and this info provided by Miccosukee organizers could be the first step. These businesses are not fortresses way out in the Everglades, their employees are not government officials hundreds of miles away.

We must dismantle the deportation conquistador machine brick-by-brick. Florida claims the concentration camp will be open in 2 days. The clock is ticking…

Here at solidarityfl!

We’re discovering more and more companies complicit in the construction of the inhumane detention camp in the Everglades. Show them we don’t stand for this injustice!

Here at floridavalkyries!

Since we sent a letter to Mayor Levine-Cava and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners demanding legal action, the number of organizations signed on have nearly DOUBLED.

The people are watching — and we will not hand over our freedoms. We will resist, organize, and protect each other.

✍️ Sign the petition for individuals today: bit.ly/no-everglades-detention-camp

Enabling the destruction of the Everglades is NOT a mere political view. ICE does not have the consent of the governed to be invading Florida like this. Surrendering to the invader makes you a boot-licking traitor.

Can't get out there to protest in person? Or did you already go out to protest and want to continue the resistance from home? Challenge yourself to make a phone call, a social media post, a comment, a review on vendors who abuse human beings and Floridian wildlife. Stand up for those who have been silenced, speak for the trees, support our wetlands.

Check out the rest here. This instagram account is keeping track of all of the contractors involved in Alligator Alcatraz’ development.

INTERACTIONS WITH ICE? KNOW WHAT TO DO TO CRUSH IT

Across the country, people are being detained by masked, unidentified men pretending to be law enforcement. No badges. No names. No accountability.

This isn’t about trusting the system , it’s about creating a record they can’t hide. You might not stop the detention, but you can make sure it doesn’t happen in silence.

This creates a recorded record & it sets up a legal ground for civil lawsuits …. DO THIS AND WAIT FOR POLICE SIRENS , THEN WATCH HOW FAST THESE SO CALLED “ICE” AGENTS TAKE OFF …

Stay aware. Stay ready. Look out for each other.
Follow us @losangeles_foos @losangelesfoosduce

Hold ICE accountable

Ice List

Documents and publishes the names, faces, and roles of individuals involved in ICE operations, especially those linked to abuse, misconduct, or deportations.

Agents are identified through open-source investigations, FOIA records, news reports and public testimony. Each profile is vetted and categorized by involvement level, providing a clear view of who’s behind the system.

Ice Block App on IPhone

This app allows users to report and/or view ICE activity in their geographical areas. Meant to be used as a crowdsourced, early warning system the app gives you addresses of reported ICE sightings along with a date and time near your location. The app also features the ability for you to report ICE sightings.

Check out Each Step Home a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the damage caused by cruel and negligent treatment arising from American immigration policy.

Radical Parenting Tools

Educate your child and yourself with Dr. Stacy Patton’s brutally honest weekly podcast about American History aptly named, Manifest Delusion

Manifest Delusion is Dr. Stacey Patton's lecture series that rips the red, white, and blue bandage off the gaping wounds of this country’s history. No more romanticizing genocide. No more patriotic gaslighting. Just real talk, sharp analysis, and unflinching storytelling from the frontline of America’s forgotten and suppressed past. Subscribe here.

I am using this informative podcast as a supplement to Woke Homeschooling American History curriculum with my high schooler and we both have been learning accurate historical accounts of the birth and evolution of American colonialism with its European roots.

Individuals ages 13-21 from anywhere in the US can apply for a books unbanned library card. Books Unbanned was founded on the principle of giving teens and young adults access to the materials they want to read. To apply for a free BPL eCard, providing access to our full eBook/audiobook collection as well as our learning databases. To apply, send an email to booksunbanned@bklynlibrary.org stating your age and your interest in applying for the card. A BPL staff member will then send you a link to the full application for you to complete. You will receive an email with your eCard information. Read more about the program here.

See and sign up for all of the enriching activities Rohi’s Readery has available for adults and littles here.

Parents and caregivers of children with chronic disabilities who may be impacted by the recent passage of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” here is a groundwork strategy to prepare.

Find like-minded folks who are actively working to facilitate early activism and radical parenting HERE and HERE and HERE.

PEOPLE AND READS OF THE MONTH

June Jordan was a Black American revolutionary, born to immigrants from Jamaica and Panama. She was renown for her usage of Black English as a tool for revolution, love and literature and was an outspoken LGBTQ+ activist (as a bisexual woman herself) who vehemently opposed genocide and Zionism. Her legacy lives on today!

You can read more about her and her work here, where all book purchases go directly to Palestinians in Gaza.

We’d like to honor Ghassan Kanafani, the Palestinian writer, intellectual, and revolutionary who was assassinated July 8, 1972 by the zionist entity in Beirut. “Don’t die until you become a worthy adversary.”

You can order his writings here, where all proceeds go directly to Palestinians in Gaza.

A CLOSING WORD

Allow me to be frank: we are aware there isn’t a lot happening this month. It’s the summertime, where activists go to sleep and the world hits us with everything at once, because it knows we’re distracted.

Use this time to recharge and come back twice as strong. This is no time to be idle. Far from it. Be it for our comrades across the Earth or those who need us here, they are relying on us to sit on our thumbs. Marches and peaceful rallies are good symbolic gestures and community building efforts, but they will only take us so far in these times. I implore everyone to think about direct action, more than ever, as August dawns on us.

As a reminder of what we can do, here is good news: Pal Action in the UK managed to shut down weapons manufacturer, Elbit, in Cambridge and through their solidarity and tenacity, the case against them was dismissed. This is a needed reminder that we need to keep pressing, that we need to keep looking out for one another and taking risks that may be terrifying for us because they are depending on us to not do these things.

It’s okay to be scared. You may always be scared - but that’s because it’s important work. You are never alone.

With love and resistance,

N&M

Kristi Noem, the current Secretary of Homeland Security, has announced that the 1000 bed ICE detention facility being built in the Everglades is being paid for my funds siphoned from FEMA disaster relief money. Please take a moment if you can and call all of your elected officials here:

https://dos.fl.gov/elections/contacts/elected-officials/

And

And FL Attorney General, Champion of this project, certified sicko James Uthmeier:

Office: 850-717-9310

to tell them you stand with the Miccosukee to oppose the construction of this inhumane facility to hold 1000 souls on sacred tribal land that will wreak havoc on our unique critical and fragile Everglades.

Please also call the two FL vendors in the graphic who are contracted to help build it.

https://flic.fyi/nomoreice

Public Comment Periods: Town and city governments typically include a "Public Comments" section in their meetings where members of the public, including non-residents, can address the governing body.

Sign-up Requirement: You may need to sign up beforehand to speak during public comments.

Time Limits: There are usually time limits imposed on individual speakers to ensure everyone has a chance to be heard, such as a three-minute limit.

Relevance to the Agenda: While some towns allow comments on any topic, others may restrict comments to items specifically listed on the agenda.

Identify Yourself: You will likely need to state your name and address for the record.

Explain Your Interest: If you are not a resident, it is helpful to explain your connection to the town or the issue you are addressing. For example, you might mention you frequent businesses in that town or participate in community events there.

Order of Speakers: Some towns may prioritize residents in the order of speakers.

RAPID RESPONSE NEEDED: It's time to make our voices heard. Miami-Dade County's Policy Committee is reviewing their contract with ICE for the County's detention of immigrants on ICE's behalf in its local jails. In exchange for just $25 per day per detainee, the proposal would allow ICE to block the county from releasing information about the immigrants it detains in county jails, meaning that those immigrants will disappear into the system without public accountability for their whereabouts. We cannot stand for this. On Thursday morning, we will be collecting and presenting public comment to voice our dissent for disappearing our neighbors. Join us to fight back against cruelty!

Partner organizations lost funding. We stepped in. Our translators show up wherever migrants need us, at the border, ICE raids, community clinics. Translation requests up 70% this year, all provided for free. Support this crucial justice work.

Grassroots in Palestine are losing funds rapidly. Here’s how you can contribute!

As well as SAMEER PROJECT, GAZA POETS SOCIETY, HUSSEIN AND HIS TEAM AND MUNICAPLITY OF GAZA.

Love and resistance, as always!

N&M

What is Pride - what is Love? Baby, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more.

Pride was born from a “riot” – an uprising. Pride was born from resistance. Pride was the flower that bloomed from the hard fought struggle of trans women, sex workers, the AIDS community, the so very queer and beautiful fringes of society people did not want to look at. It was rooted in anticapitalism, antiimperialism, antistate, antipatriarchy–

And yet when we look around us now, our Pride parades are sequestered into paid events sponsored by big corporations and banks, freshly painted in rainbows. The Stonewall Uprising was the point of origin, where Pride truly began. It was a week’s worth of police and state sanctioned brutality, met with resistance unlike they had seen before. The LGBTQ+ community would not tolerate these raids on their spaces any longer; they dove headfirst into the fight, putting it all on the line. It began so loudly, with a bang, and over time we were silenced, our voices quieted and stuffed within the same ballot box they deigned to trap us inside.

Pride began as an uprising. A brilliant, blazing uprising… at a dive bar, in the middle of the night, where they threw bottles, debris, bricks, whatever they could. It was not graceful or refined - if it was, we wouldn’t have Pride.

…That is what Pride is. Pride is a fight; it’s the flames of resistance, stoked by love. It isn’t General Electric in a new color palette, or an elected official using the community to masquerade as an ally of the people, or pinkwashing (the act of using LGBTQ+ rights to purport imperialism; many Zionist benefactors employ pinkwashing to detract from their atrocities). It is not a month where corporations – who exploit thousands of people whether it be in the global south or here, you and me, me and you – get to co-opt our spirit. It is not the one month in which the queer community is allowed to exist in the eyes of the public.

It is not about being a “good” queer versus a “bad” queer. Pride is a fight. One day, it won’t have to be.

But for now? It is, more than ever. Our trans sisters, brothers and siblings are being disappeared and murdered by the month. June began with the brutal hate crime of a beloved gay voice actor, Jonathan Hill, who defined many of our childhoods. The alt right continues to sharpen the blade beneath our throats while neoliberal bureaucrats try to weaponize us against other minorities under the guise of “protecting” us.

Where is the pride in abandoning one another? Where is the pride in being yourself, but with a caveat - yourself, so long as you say the right things, buy the right things, do the right things? Yourself without the risk?

Now, we watch our comrades in Los Angeles confront the peons of the state - police officers, ICE agents, Marines - armed and impassioned. Our comrades are protecting our immigrant and unhoused communities with their two hands. And this, this speaks to the spirit of resistance to me.

This homage is for the queers on the street, the queers under siege, the queers in countries where they are at constant risk of being killed, the queers who are too weird or grody or incomprehensible to market to, the queers who never had the luxury of knowing they’re queer because of the demands of capitalism and patriarchy and society. This is for the queers who people don’t want to look at, my siblings, the same queers who are why we get to stand here today and talk at all.

Pride is an uprising, before it’s anything else. Let’s remember that this month!

So, you wanna be an Ally? How to be a good Ally in PRIDE month and always.

Merriam Webster defines ally as such:

ally

noun

al· ly ˈa-ˌlī ə-ˈlī

1

: a sovereign or state associated with another by treaty or league

America and its allies

2

: one that is associated with another as a helper : a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle

a political ally

She has proven to be a valuable ally in the fight for better working conditions.

—often now used specifically of a person who is not a member of a marginalized or mistreated group but who expresses or gives support to that group

The storyline on "Glee" captures something larger that we are seeing with a new generation of allies (allies are people who support LGBT rights but aren't LGBT themselves).

—David M. Hall

What does it mean to be a helper? A provider of assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity or struggle:

It means your ego takes a back seat because in allyship it is not about you. Being an ally means that you are willing to check your biases and assumptions and trade them for listening, learning and yielding. Over and over and over again.

When you are an ally to an individual or a cause you are willing to recognize, own and use your privilege as a bridge to amplify voices of the oppressed. When necessary you are willing to utilize your privilege as a shield for the oppressed. As an ally you have to be willing to be brave, stand up and stand in when asked, without assuming you know what is best for an individual or a cause. You are there to hold space, respect and love.

As an ally it is my responsibility to continue my education and learning journey and to continuously check my prejudices and be open to feedback. It means I am willing to be uncomfortable, take risks and accept loss to stand up for what and who I believe in.

Allyhsip means leaning into and growing my ability to connect in empathy and compassion.

Allies are necessary to advancing causes and connecting with our fellow humans BUT we must be willing to come into these sacred, invited spaces with respect and humility.

Ways to turn up in June

The Treasure Coast Black Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the inaugural Juneteenth 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Clover Park. To register click HERE.

PowerU Center for Social Change needs our voices on Tuesday, June 17th to let the Miami city commission know that WE ARE AGAINST agreement 287(g) allowing the Miami Police Department to collaborate with ICE and authorize local officers to enforce federal immigration laws. Sign up to speak out HERE. To learen more about Power U events in the Miami area check out this LINK.

Following on the heels of the Freedom Flotilla the “Caravan of Steadfastness” is on its way to Gaza to break the siege. Check it out HERE!

Walking together, opening roads to life for Gaza.

Global March To Gaza.

Just as the Freedom Flotilla activists have been illegally and brutally taken hostage by Israel their message remains strong and continues with the “Caravan of Steadfastness” and the upcoming global march. ALL EYES ON GAZA! To learn more about how to get involved in this journey check out their WEBSITE.

"My Story, My Power" celebrates Juneteenth by exploring Black stories through art, writing, and more. Kids and teens will learn about history, share their own stories, and honor the power of personal narratives. Register HERE!

COMPASS Center in Lake Worth compiled a list of fun activities to celebrate PRIDE all month long. To stay up to date on all COMPASS events follow them on Instagram OR their Website. We are putting this for those who may be interested in community events.

To check out PRIDE events being hosted by PRISM click HERE.

Get your NO KINGS protest on this Saturday with a march, a car caravan and a rally. Choose your course of civil disobediance HERE and we’ll see you there!

If you live in the Miami area check out all the events the Miami Freedom Project is highlighting on their Instagram page and their Website. They will keep your mind, body and spirit full and in community.

This haunting image out of Krome Detention Center in Miami. Miami Freedom Project highlights some ways we can express our outrage.

FLIC has compiled a helpful pathway to keep our immigrant community safe while undergoing court proceedings. To view the entire post click HERE. Please share FLIC resources with those who may need and stay informed and safe!

Check out the enriching events ROHI’s READERY is bringing to the community in June.

Online Webinars for Palestine

Step 1: Donate to Sameer Project here (sugg. donation $60)

Step 2: Register for “Forgotten Pages from the History of the Palestinian Resistance” here

Over the course of three sessions (June 14, 15, & 21), this workshop will explore some of the lesser known episodes of the history of the Palestinian Resistance.

The first session will explore the early struggles that the Ottoman Palestinians and Arabs waged against the Zionist project as early as the first Zionist settlement, recognizing how the years 1878-1920 shaped the contemporary Palestinian struggle.

The second session will explore the history of Fateh's "Student Brigades," its trajectory in the "Jarmaq Battalion" and later the Islamic Jihad Brigades.

And the final session will focus on the internationalist dimension of the Palestinian struggle. While emphasizing the imperialist nature of the Zionist movement (relying mainly on Kanfani's study of the 1936 uprising) the session will revisit the history of the "external operations" and the careers of internationalist individuals and groups that dedicated their lives to the Palestinian aspect of the anti-imperialist struggle. Hosted by workshops4gaza.

Step 1: Donate to Momen’s family here (sugg. donation $40).

Step 2: Register for “Organizing Fundamentals” here.

This workshop will introduce participants to the basics of community organizing, including: the organizing cycle, base building, and structure. Participants will draw on personal experiences and examine historical examples of organizing as the basis of our learning. As we look to strengthen our movement and collectively develop the skills necessary to build power, this workshops offers a place for people who want to get active to learn the fundamentals of organizing.

Ari (they/them) has been active in community organizing in Brooklyn for over ten years and involved in several different campaigns related to housing, divestment, and raising awareness around intimate partner violence. They are a part of G-REBELS a grassroots organization which is currently working on their People’s Power Network, which offers material aid, political education, and childcare to local community members. They meet bi-weekly at the Central Library in Brooklyn. Hosted by workshops4gaza.

Step 1: Donate to Sameer Project here (sugg. donation $40).

Step 2: Register for “Proposals for Life Against the Fourth World War” here.

According to the Zapatistas, the 4th World War is underway, a war against humanity. What constitutes this war? What are its defining characteristics? In this workshop, renowned journalist Raul Zibechi will provide an overview of the Zapatistas' framing of the 4th World War. We will also cover the ways in which pueblos or peoples throughout Latin America and forging new pathways for life in the face of the 4th world war.

Raúl Zibechi is an Uruguayan writer, popular educator, and journalist. He writes for La Jornada, Desinformémonos, and NACLA Report on the Americas, among other outlets. Zibechi has published numerous books, including Dispersing Power, Territories in Resistance, and Constructing Worlds Otherwise. Hosted by workshops4gaza.

Parents of little activists or activists in the making- a post by mamasmatterhere that I found interesting and helpful to organically develop our future freedom fighters.

If your heart is in LA and you are looking for ways to support, here are vetted resources you can support.

DONATE to the immigrant bond fund of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.

Support Immigrant Workers in LA. LA turned out in force against the ICE abductions of our neighbors and the cowardly and disgusting attack on our immigrant communities. The deportation machine has been built by both Democrats and Republicans to keep working people vulnerable to exploitation by the rich, to push narratives of criminalization and fear, and to destabilize the safety and security that our communities build. Help keep them safe!

Featured Substack

Check out Resources for Resistance - a collection of guides for fighting back, compiled by Andrew Lee!

Happy Juneteenth

Juneteenth, a national celebration dubbed as the United States’ second independence day was forged from the forced federal ending to the 246 year old practice of brutal enslavement of African Americans in the United States.

When president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 declaring all persons held in slavery to henceforth be free it did not result in instantaneous and immediate freedom for all enslaved. In fact, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, the proclamation was not humanitarian in its goal but a war driven strategy to weaken the Confederacy, gain potential manpower for the Union and to curry support of Britain and France. In actuality the Emancipation Proclamation declared the freedom of only those enslaved people held in states in rebellion against the United States, namely South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina. The proclamation exempted Tennessee, as well as Union-occupied portions of Virginia and Louisiana, and left slavery wholly intact in the border states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri.

For many held in bondage the Emancipation Proclamation did nothing to change their status. They remained enslaved by vicious masters who employed methods of trickery, deception, threats and violence until the Union Army gained control of geographical areas informing and liberating people. Which was the case for the first Juneteenth on June 19th, 1865 when 2,000 Union troops marched into the Galveston, Texas area and declared via executive decree that the more than 250,000 enslaved people in that area were free.

Juneteenth has been celebrated annually ever since. Though initially celebrated mostly by Texans the celebration of independence expanded via the great migration. Today Juneteenth represents, not only the celebration of hard-fought freedom but also the ongoing fight to smash systemic racism and demand equity for BIPOC in the United States

Juneteenth became a recognized national federal holiday in 2021 only through the determination of the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, Dr. Opal Lee. In 2016, at 89 years old Dr Lee walked from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington DC. She walked two-and-a-half miles per day signifying the years between the Emancipation Proclamation and General Orders No. 3. She also started an online petition which garnered 1.6 million signatures.

How will you celebrate Juneteenth this year?

Media of the Month

Cinema Fouad (1993)

A documentary on the life and ambitions of a young Syrian trans woman. The video follows her journey from soldier to cabaret dancer in an effort to raise funds for her sex-change operation. Shot in Beirut, CINEMA AL FOUAD weaves a complex and multi-layered story of sexuality, identity and desire and paints a compelling portrait of its subject.

Watch it with subtitles here!

Paris is Burning is a 1990 film by director Jennie Livingston, that documented the Harlem ballroom circuit over six years. Since its original release 30 years ago, the film has acted as a capsule of the 1980s era of the subculture and to this day is considered a staple in LGBT cinema.

It’s streaming on multiple platforms, but it may or may not be on the Internet Archive at no cost… who knows, though? I certainly didn’t tell you that…

Haymarket Books’ Pride reading list!

Check out this reading list of books surrounding queer and trans politics, history, and liberation, offered in solidarity with everyone across the world standing up against injustice. For the month of June, they are offering 40% off on these titles!

In closing: Guess what! Roots of Resistance Newsletter is SIX MONTHS OLD!

To all of our fellow activists, our supporters, our community:

We are so grateful to be able to create, curate, share and grow the south Florida activism scene. Our hope is that we bring you reliable, informative activities, events and organizations that you feel impassioned to continue this fight with us so that we may one day actualize a safe and equitable world for all.

If you take anything away from this newsletter, let it be a reminder that you are not alone. The fight continues, always, and it needs you more than you know. We exist. We’re real. They can’t take that away from us.

Much love,

N&M

The first of May was traditionally celebrated across many ancient cultures as the transition from Spring to Summer. Revelry and festivities honored emerging from dark to light and the vibrant renewal of fertility, flowers and agriculture.

May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day or Worker’s Day since 1889 is more commonly regarded as a day commemorating the history and struggles of workers’ rights across the globe.

But at its point of origin? May Day in the United States was the product of the labor movement that advocated for the 8-hour workday in 19th-century Chicago. As industrialism progressed, working conditions worsened to lethal extremes - and the 16 hour workday was the norm. The organization currently known as the American Federation of Labor established May 1, 1886, as the date that workers nationwide would strike for the 8-hour workday.

On this date, labor activists in Chicago began their multi-day strike. This is now referred to as the Haymarket affair of 1886. On May 3rd, the police employed brutality against the protestors and violence claimed the city. A congregation between the strikers would take place in Haymarket Square, where blood would be shed due to plot interference. Eventually, a bomb exploded in the midst of the conflict.

A trial was held and 8 men were found guilty, although no substantial evidence of their guilt was produced or presented. 4 of them were executed in spite of the international campaign to save them.

August Spies, one of the convicted men, cried out his renowned words prior to his execution: "There will come a time when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today."

To honor the Chicago workers, the International Socialist Conference in 1889 would transform May Day into a labor holiday, often known as International Workers' Day. The US has attempted to erase the anti-capitalist connotations of this day time and time again. President Dwight D. Eisenhower went as far as to declare May 1 "Law Day", erasing this past, and delegated Labor Day to September instead. “Law Day” and the more modern contextualization of these events have been whitewashed to erase their anti-capitalist connotations — and their core principles, which exist in contradiction to the systems we inhibit and work for.

Florida has a dark and shameful history in regards to exploitation of enslaved individuals, forced labor of those incarcerated and child labor. The state had historically and consistently undermined unions and workers in favor of employers, corporations, institutions and the ruling class. To learn more about Florida’s pronounced lack of rights and protections for workers, you can visit The Florida Timeline. It’s precisely what it sounds like: a timeline dedicated to illuminating this history and exposing every ounce of blood it is mired in.

Florida, while notorious for being a suppression state, harbors over 500 local labor unions. You can find them here. Florida in particular utilizes prison labor and the exploitation of migrant workers as the crux of its labor supply. Check out the rest of the newsletter for highlights on this!

As unions work to intercept the genocide in Palestine and shed light on the intersection between the labor supply chain and war, we suggest you take a look at Workers for a Free Palestine as well.

Angela Davis, famous socialist and activist, spoke on the Israeli boycott and how it’s integral to advancing the movement last year.

Check out Haymarket Books’ (named after May Day itself) May Day reading list!

MAY is POPPING with lots of great ways to get in COMMUNITY!

"Make Way for the Sun" the South Florida Palestine Film Festival

On Saturday and Sunday, May 24th and 25th join "Make Way for the Sun" the South Florida Palestine Film Festival honoring the rich and ongoing legacy of Palestinian film and cultural resistance, as part of the broader movement for
a liberated Palestine and a world free from imperial and colonial
violence.

For details, ticket or merch purchases click HERE.

Learn more about how YOU can support the South Florida Palestine Film Festival and be a part of something UNFORGETTABLE.

CALL TO ACTION!!

The Internationalist Law Center (an organization that grew out of Break the Bonds-Palm Beach County is seeking donations to fund its litigation against the Comptroller of Palm Beach County for investing 700 million dollars of constituents' property taxes in Israel Bonds, a loan to the Israeli government to purchase weapons used in the Gaza genocide.

The Internationalist Law Center (ILC) is not affiliated with the JVP Break the Bonds campaign, and is an independent, grassroots organization handling this litigation on its own, so every dollar helps. The average donation the ILC is seeking is a monthly donation of $10.00 a month for ten months or a one-time donation of $100.00, but any donation no matter how big or small is welcome. Donations can be made here.

Donating to the ILC allows you to be an ILC member, which gives you access to: 1) The ILC's newsletter, 2) Exclusive trainings on campaign strategy and webinars with our movement partners in Palestine, 3) Support for campaigns you are organizing, and 4) The ILC's political education delegations to our partners in Palestine, Brazil, India, and other areas of the Global South.

Our Local Abolition Movement IS IN NEED!

CHIP is an abolitionist, grassroots organization advocating for people caged in South Florida jails. In between the countless abuses and the exploitative labor and justice system thousands of people are victim to, CHIP is here to stand strong.

The Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP) is now looking for hotline volunteers! Answer CHIP calls from people incarcerated inside Broward county jails, and help provide support where able! Volunteer from ANYWHERE, training provided.

They can be contacted here!

Watch With the Defenders!

Do YOU know how Dream Defenders came to be? Join Miami Dream Defenders on Monday, May 19th to experience the screening of the HBO docuseries "Eyes on the Prize III, Episode 6: What Comes After Hope?"

This documentary captures how Dream Defenders was started after the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin, how they occupied the Florida State Capitol, and how they joined the movement fighting for the freedom of Black and brown people in our communities. JOIN US to watch our history, hear from our co-founders who were on the ground when we started, and have a discussion on how we got here and what's next in our struggle for liberation!

Understanding Zionism Course

Who is this course for?

Everyone from all contexts, backgrounds, and identities is welcome to register. Whether you’re involved in the Palestine movement or seeking to deepen your knowledge and get involved, this course is for you. If you are involved in an organization, consider sharing the course with other members and taking it together. The instructors include organizers with the Palestinian Youth Movement, the People’s Forum, and other popular educators who have been deeply embedded in the Palestinian struggle.

This course is free and open to organizers and people who stand with the Palestinian struggle across the U.S. and world. We are dedicated to making political education accessible to everyone, with all course materials available for free and to the public. As our people in Gaza continue to face the US-Israeli genocide, we encourage participants to contribute to the International Fundraiser: The People Stand With Gaza in order to strengthen the steadfastness of our people.

REGISTER HERE

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE IN NEED!

Every Thursday at 5:30 and Sunday at 1:30 (there is higher capacity on Sunday, but volunteers are needed for both)

Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449, USA

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the Bryant Park amphitheater at the times listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION!!!! Lake Worth Beach City Commissioner, Mimi May has set her sights on the organizations that come out to the vulnerable populations in Bryant Park. We need your help NOW to prevent criminalization of the organizations providing food and resources to our most marginalized members of our community.

Haitian Healing

Join Fanm Saj for a powerful two-day summit creating ecosystems of care, healing, and ancestral wisdom.

🗓️ MAY 23, 2025 6:00-8:00pm
📍 Little Haiti Cultural Center
212 NE 59th Terrace
Miami, FL 33137

🗓️ MAY 24, 2025 9:00-5:00pm
📍Miami Workers Center
745 NW 54th Street
Miami, FL 33127

This summit will empower youth and adult allies to:

• Stand firm as leaders in their own communities
• Create Safety Plans for our Communities
• Build our skills around Know Your Rights
• Develop and Practice conflict resolution skills
• Share and preserve ancestral wisdom

REGISTER HERE

Rohi’s Readery

Rohi’s Liberation Station is bursting with activities to cultivate mind, body and spirit. Find your community bliss and register for an event!

Vigil For the Voiceless

The Florida Valkyries is hosting a peaceful, sunset candlelight vigil for those who lives have been impacted by the cruelty of mass deportation efforts: Fight the good fight, be a voice for the voiceless. Join uthem in Miami at sunset (and bring a candlestick if you can) They have planned a candlelight vigil at the Krome Detention Center on May 24, 2025. This event is in honor of those who have passed away in ICE custody, as well as those families that have been destroyed as a result of the mass deportation efforts that have upended so many innocent lives.
The vigil will officially begin at sunset, 8:13PM EST, and we will be on site to set up at 7:30PM.

Workers’ Power Forum

Join Miami, Palm Beach and Broward DSA along with the Coalition of Labor and Community Partners for the 2025 South Florida Workers’ Power Forum on Saturday, May 31st and get involved in building solidarity and power! Scan the QR code for details.

Trace Guiteau’s Art Exhibit Highlighting Haitian Culture

Check out the visionary artistic passion of Tracy Guiteau at Arts Warehouse in Delray Beach. To learn more about the artist check out their website.

Anti-Zionist Shabbat Potluck

Join SFJVP on Friday, May 16th for an Anti-Zionist Shabbat Potluck. Want to go?! DM on Instagram or email them at southflorida@jewishvoiceforpeace.org for location.

GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR PALESTINE!

The BDS movement calls for mass mobilizations and civil disobedience on 15 May, the 77th anniversary of the Nakba to end Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and ongoing Nakba against the entire Indigenous people of Palestine.

Black History Learning Tree

Join 50501miami for an opportunity to learn the truth!

Saturday, May 17 | 3–5PM
FIU Green Library (Main Entrance)
The Black History Learning Tree: The 1980 Miami Riot
Bring a seat. Bring a sign. Bring the truth.

YDSA Gathering!

Interested in getting involved with YDSA? Join YDSA at FIU! Come to our General Body Meeting this Friday! We will discuss our new sanctuary campus campaign, our summer reading program, and more. GBMs are where we make democratic decisions about the direction of our chapter; join us! 🌹

Pride on the Block

Kickoff PRIDE month by joining Pride on the Block at the NEW LOCATION @ The Peach on June 7th, 2025. All details and information HERE!

Helpful Strategies to Keep Us Safe

Check out Palestine Legal if you need support, trainings, advocacy or litigation for standing in support of Palestine. They provide legal advice, Know Your Rights trainings, advocacy and litigation support to college students, grassroots activists and affected communities who stand for justice in Palestine. Palestine Legal also monitors incidents of suppression to expose trends in tactics to silence Palestine activism. Resources HERE.

To learn more about digital security for activists on the go watch this video recording. Resources from this video available here.

An anonymously created interactive map to show exactly who is benefiting from ICE contracts.

Hero’s Spotlight

If you’d like to learn more about Kiandria Damone and how you can get involved or support the movement check out her Instagram page HERE

Beats of the Month

From Community Jail Hotline to an Album of Original Music by Incarcerated Artists

On April 5, 2020, a group of South Florida abolitionists were doing a noise demo in solidarity with prisoners and, as part of the Incarcerated Workers’ Organizing Committee’s nationwide efforts to establish jail hotlines, decided to share a phone number with people inside. From that moment, organizers began to receive calls as the number was shared inside South Florida jails. Over the next week or two, organizers used noise demos to spread the number to other jails and formed the COVID-19 Hotline for Incarcerated People.

Soon renamed the Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP), the hotline has kept running ever since. During the past 5 years CHIP has:

• Supported over 700 incarcerated individuals.

• Documented and challenged hundreds of cases of medical neglect.

• Provided court support for dozens of people.

• Assisted over 1,000 incarcerated people with resource mailings, including COVID stimulus payments.

• Built a network of incarcerated organizers who contribute to CHIP's educational materials.

• Created media projects amplifying incarcerated voices (podcast, digital exhibit, interactive game, and album of original hip hop music titled Bending the Bars)

Creating an album is no easy feat. Creating one from inside one of the most overcrowded and under-resourced jail systems in the country? Nearly impossible. But that’s exactly what Bending the Bars set out to do. The result is a groundbreaking hip-hop album written and performed by incarcerated artists from Florida’s Broward County Jail that provides a platform for hidden talent and a blueprint for similar projects nationwide. Released on June 11, 2025 by FREER Music, Bending the Bars will also be followed by a documentary detailing its creation.

Prison may confine bodies, but it can't cage creativity. Executive Producer Gary Field, a writer/scholar incarcerated in Broward County Jail, witnessed firsthand the untapped artistry behind bars. He recounts nightly eruptions of impromptu rap battles; artists banging on doors and chests, trading dirty south freestyles in an environment that had produced hip-hop legends like Kodak Black and YNW Melly. This was talent—raw, untapped, and desperately in need of a platform. “Many incarcerated artists possess the same ingenuity as entrepreneurs and musicians on the outside—they just lacked opportunity.” Teaming up with the Community Hotline for Incarcerated People (CHIP), which collected poetry and music from distressed incarcerated individuals, Gary met co-producers Nikki Morse and Noam Brown and started Bending the Bars.

Recording a high-quality album in jail meant overcoming immense obstacles. Without access to recording equipment, artists rapped into a jail phone, listening to beats through an adjacent phone while CHIP covered call costs and producers cleaned up audio. Outside collaborators, like GRAMMY-winning Alphabet Rockers, helped craft beats and build arrangements in coordination with the artists while honoring artists’ creative control.

Through the production experience, Bending the Bars became a unifier. Artists from rival gangs—Bloods, Crips, Zoe Pound, Latin Kings—set aside differences to collaborate. “These were people who wouldn’t normally be in the same room,” says Field. “But through music, they came together.”

At the core of Bending the Bars are universal messages of self-compassion and hope; and an appeal for systemic change. With over 3,000 county jails in the U.S., Bending the Bars serves as a replicable model for using music to empower, rehabilitate, and connect incarcerated individuals with opportunities that extend far beyond prison walls. The upcoming documentary will further provide a roadmap for expanding access to creative platforms nationwide

Bending the Bars is proof that talent, creativity, and resilience can thrive even in the most unlikely places. It’s an invitation for others to follow suit, to create platforms for the incarcerated, and to recognize the abundant artistry that exists behind bars and razor wire.

Recommended Watch of the Month

The Harvest of Shame, available to to view on Youtube in this day and age! The Harvest of Shame is a chilling documentary about labor abuses against migrant workers in the Belle Glades, right in South Florida. What you will see in this film still has its claws dug deep into the economic, social and literal landscape of South Florida.

In the world of journalism, CBS' Peabody Award-winning documentary Harvest of Shame is considered a milestone for its unflinching examination of the plight of migrant farmworkers in the United States. The CBS investigative report was the first time millions of Americans were given a close look at what it means to live in poverty. The producers — Fred Friendly, Edward R. Murrow and David Lowe — made no secret of their goal: They wanted to shock Americans into action. To maximize its impact, CBS aired the documentary — about the people who pick fruits and vegetables — the day after Thanksgiving. Murrow, perhaps the most recognized journalist of the day, delivered their message with a sense of urgency. "We present this report on Thanksgiving because, were it not for the labor of the people you are going to meet, you might not starve, but your table would not be laden with the luxuries that we have all come to regard as essentials," he said in his narration.

Substack Cameo of the Month

One of our readers (and a beloved friend of mine) linked us to a wonderful piece written on Substack by another author about the protest movement, and how it’s been suppressed in recent movements. An insightful read about the state of organizing, and one we can take lessons from.

Read it here!

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR WRITERS

The purpose of this newsletter was to develop solidarity and unity. From the bottom of our hearts, we ask that you share this newsletter and promote what you see within it, not for any monetary or superficial gain, but because we want to see the South Floridian activist circle flourish and support those doing hard work within it. We need each other more than ever. The world expects us to stand still as it persists in its horror. We cannot - and will not. And that’s why we write this.

Share, spread, and contact us if you have anything to add yourself. On the month of May, let’s remember why we’re still going!

With love and resistance,

M&N

As a reminder, if you or your organization have any events planned for the month that you’d like us to share, please email us at rootsofresistancehub@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to include it!

Love & Resistance,

M&N

April 22nd is Earth Day, a nationally recognized day of celebrating our amazing, life-giving planet.

Earth Day’s origination is rooted in the United States in the 1970’s, the idea sparked by a couple of conservation-concerned politicians, University of Michigan professors and student activists. Modeled after the anti-war teach-ins, the first Earth Day was dubbed “Give Earth a Chance.” What was anticipated to be a small event exploded into a 50,000 people, 4 day event that sparked a mission and a movement.

So where are we now?

With the Trump administration’s staunch efforts to gut various factions of government and organizations that study, monitor and protect the earth in favor of profits over people and our planet and his withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement it is imperative that we wholeheartedly commit to saving our planet, each other and ourselves.

The Earth Day global initiatives are linked HERE.

Local initiatives include tree planting, botanical gardens, education, volunteering, climate action, green transportation and composting. While these are benign, they are so to speak “something” for those looking to start somewhere.

Humans are innately connected to our planet and all its living inhabitants. We have been indoctrinated to believe that we are superior, and yet our survival is deeply intertwined with the health of our planet.

IS IT REALLY THE PLASTIC STRAWS?

We all know the advice: recycle your bottles, switch from plastic to paper, take shorter showers. The idea has been peddled to us for as long as we can remember. Your individual choices will prolong the Earth’s survival, right? So long as we take personal responsibility, we can fix this.

Harm reduction is a necessary principle to have and uphold. We want to reduce the waste we pour into an already garbage world. And we want to believe that we can make it less bad, in one way or another. But it’s necessary to acknowledge what the core of climate devastation actually is. Fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are statistically proven to be the largest driver of global climate change as the source of 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Modern day capitalism has constructed a society contingent on the idea of waste. The expansion of industry, and the need to market more, sell more, and increase profit margins has devastated our world in ways that are killing us. Corporations create plants, oil rigs, eat away at our nature, and then tell us it’s our job to use paper straws.

They aren’t working alone. The war economy – more notably, the military industrial complex – stands alongside them. I would like to repost an article from 2024:

One of the most graphic depictions of the environmental costs of war was when 700 of Kuwait’s oil fields were set ablaze during the first Gulf War leaking an astounding 11 million barrels of crude oil into the Persian Gulf and creating a smoke plume stretching 800 kilometres. Nearly 300 oil lakes developed inland on the desert’s surface, contaminating the soils for many years.

Two decades on and after many such disasters in war zones around the world and endless analysis and debate over the relationship between wars and climate change, Israel’s genocide in Gaza is once again exposing the lethal, planet-warming emissions of wars. Yet governments around the world, including ours, largely ignore the impact of foreign policy and defence choices on the climate.

According to a preliminary assessment published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the environmental impact of the war in Gaza is unprecedented, exposing the community to rapidly growing soil, water and air pollution and risks of irreversible damage to its natural ecosystems.

Another piece of research reveals that carbon emissions during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.

The war in Gaza is just a glimpse of the larger military boot print of wars and the military industrial complex. Military emissions are at an all-time high and recent data reveals that global CO2 emissions were 182 times higher in 2022 than they were in 1850.

The war in Ukraine teaches us similar lessons about the carbon footprint of wars. A comprehensive study by EcoAction revealed that since the invasion, 175 million tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gases have been released into the atmosphere. In Yemen, Somalia and Sudan, war and climate change are intensifying the humanitarian crises with rise in endemic and epidemic diseases, extreme drought and flooding and food shortages. Vulnerable war-torn countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq continue to grapple with climate change driven extreme weather and related disasters and have been left to adapt to the cruel realities of climate change on their own without proper funding and support.

Adopting an anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist stance is integral to caring for our world. Human devastation and climate devastation are intrinsically tied. We must protect our land, and we must protect those indigenous to it, if we want to save what remains. We must care for each other when nobody else will. It’s about much more than the plastic straws. It’s about fighting systemic oppression and suppression from the bottom and up.

April Events and Other Helpful Information

Rohi’s Readery is hosting a plethora of events to feed the intellect, the body and soul and our community. To check out what’s happening in April click here!

Shopping on Public Square? I don’t think so. Public Square boasts that they are the “largest directory of freedom-loving businesses in America! It is a digital marketplace designed to connect you to businesses that respect traditional American values.” Check out their site and make sure you are not supporting businesses that support fascism.

HERE is a link to see ICE contractors by city and state.

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE

Every Thursday at 5:30 and Sunday at 1:30 (there is higher capacity on Sunday, but volunteers are needed for both)

Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449, USA

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the Bryant Park amphitheater at the times listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

RISE UP! Local April 5th protests available HERE!

Broward DSA wants YOU to organize, strategize, and build worker power across our region. Let’s make this May Day a moment of action and solidarity! To get involved click HERE!

Join Broward DSA to pack reproductive and hygiene kits for our community, defend abortion access, and learn self defense together! Come to the meeting Monday 4/14 7pm on zoom or join the discord to help us plan projects!

Join this Collaborative Effort with Fanm Saj, Black Alliance fo Just Immigration, Collective Sistahood, Women with Broken Heals, Organic Transitions, Black Voters Matter, and Florida Student Power, For an Intergenerational Space where members of our community come together to uplift the migrant story through healing justice for Black and African People across the Diaspora. This space will engage in discussions through with healers, community members, speakers and storytellers on the insights of Healing Justice as a tool for liberation, restoration, connection and empowerment. For event info click HERE!

For details on all events click HERE!

Join on Sunday, April 6th at 4:30pm for our monthly chapter meeting. Reach out HERE to RSVP and learn meeting location

To learn more about the National Lawyer’s Guild Hotline click HERE!

It’s time to fight back against detention and deportations! 📣

FAU is looking to have a 287(g) agreement contract with ICE—a program that will target young people for detention and deportation and can put students at risk for detainment and racial profiling.

University campuses do not have to comply to these agreements. It is clear that schools are bowing down to a racist agenda rather than prioritizing the safety of their students.

This won’t stop at FAU. We need to fight back!

Join us as we organize against this threat to students by joining our strategy huddle on Friday, April 4th at 2PM and demand that FAU terminate their 287(g) agreement by clicking the link in our bio! 🔗

Come join us as we throw a birthday celebration for "Big Mamma". There will plenty of arts & craft vendors, food vendors, and live music. Alligator wrestling, educations booths and activities for the kidas. This is an event for the entire family.

NEED AN IDEA ON EVENTS TO PLAN FOR PALESTINE?

The Palestinian Youth Movement’s campaign to Cut Ties with Genocide is a fight against Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping and logistics companies that directly ships military cargo that facilitate Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.

This is a strategy for an actual arms embargo, A People’s Arms Embargo. We’re not waiting for a decision from the top to stop the flow of weapons to Israel, but we are demanding from the bottom. The people say: if you don’t do it, WE WILL.

Palestinian journalists have requested we protest at embassies and help put a stop to arms dealership. Our Who Arms Israel guide locates over 100 sites across 27 US states where weapons are made for Israel.

Watch of the Month: Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy

A documentary that depicts some hard truths about our love for consuming and accumulating “stuff”, the evolution of the fast fashion industry, the ways we are manipulated by corporations and industries and the devastating impact out insatiable appetites have on our planet. See where to watch HERE!

SELF CARE: THAT BUBBLE BATH WON’T SAVE US

When your spirits are low – and your mental health is struggling – we’re taught one key piece of advice. We know it by heart.

Why don’t you do some self care?

This then brings us to the question of: what is self care? Self care is typically postured as a massage session, or a trip to another country, or that big purchase you’ve been dreaming of for months. It’s a bubble bath with roses, or a nice dinner out. If you’re feeling frugal, maybe it’s a candle or a sweet treat for the day. Take a step back, tune it all out. Forget where you are and who you are, just for a moment. Self care is simple: it’s quantified with one or two or three dollar signs, sometimes four if you’re lucky.

It isn’t bad advice per se. It’s important to treat yourself, and furthermore, to treat yourself with care. But then the day ends. You smell like jasmine and joy. You’ve done your self care. You feel better now.

The next day, you go online. You read or watch or imbibe the news. You see reports of children dying horribly in the global south, and newslines about migrant workers with gangrene who will never see their families again, and which CEO has been outed as the next sex trafficker that week. You go outside. There are people starving on the street. They’re begging for money, and they look just like you and me. You don’t know how to tell them you can barely afford your own groceries because you just got out of Walmart with a dollar and some change left to spare for the week.

Everything is so goddamn bad, and it’s getting worse. You’re starting to realize that candle isn’t cutting it. But what are you supposed to do? What more can your therapist say to make the pain go away? You keep logging off your social media feeds, but the news gets worse and more abundant by the day. It bleeds through the corners of your life, infects all that surrounds you. You try to not see it — but you do. You do, because you know you should, and above all, that you need to.

It’s a cycle and you’re hard resetting. The depression is where you start and the bubble bath is where you end.

I was at a farm workers’ protest a few years ago as a street medic. I remember speaking to this college student who came all the way down from California. I asked her why she’d do that – and she told me very plainly: “This is my self care.”

Everything made sense to me in that fraction of a moment. There is no greater sorrow than the feeling of powerlessness. It’s a sorrow I’ve known well for many, many years. It was when I took up organizing, protesting and community that it ebbed away bit by bit and solidified into resilience.

The antithesis to sorrow is not individualism. It’s community. It’s forging bonds with people who care about this world as much as you do, and who want so badly to keep fighting. My ethos has always been: so long as someone else is fighting, I have to keep going too. The nice dinner is a good treat but the key to my recovery was never rooted in the experience of luxuriating. America wants to sell you what will fix you, but it doesn’t want you to threaten precisely what sustains it. Self care, as it’s typically defined, is a well manicured placation. But you jingle the same toys at a toddler and one day, they realize it’s that exactly: toys. America wants you to buy their bandage and ignore the gaping wound that is the material conditions we exist within, and how much life suffers for it.

Draw within. Find your community. Fight with them. Art, organizing, revolution, mutual aid, these are products of the heart. We are nothing without each other. This government – and the ones before – will not protect us. They will weaponize us against one another, and the rest of the world. Bridging the gap will make you feel less alone than you ever did. The world is a garden and you have to water it.

With Love and Solidarity,

N&M

NOBODY’S FREE UNTIL WE’RE ALL FREE.

SUPPORT THROUGH BOYCOTT

FOCUS ON BDS PRIORITY TARGETS AND CAMPAIGNS.

Join us and build strategic boycott campaigns against companies among the BDS movement's priority targets and campaigns. Demand that your university, city council, trade union, church, cultural center, business, among other spaces and institutions, respect the BDS guidelines and declare themselves Apartheid Free Zones.

SUPPORT THROUGH ACTION

Join us on Saturday, March 22nd at 6:30pm for a teach-in on Israel bonds, Miami- Dade county’s investment in them, and a mini orientation to our Break the Bonds campaign. DM us to RSVP. Hope to see you there!

On March 30th will take to the streets across the entire country to commemorate the Palestinian right to remain and right to return to historic Palestine!

This year, as Trump threatens to ‘take Gaza’ and as the Zionist displacement campaign persists in the West Bank, our duty to stand with Palestine is as urgent as ever.

We are undeterred in the struggle for Palestine!

Find an action or organize one in your city at shutitdown4palestine.org #ShutltDown4Palestine

‼️ PANTHERS, this Wednesday, March 26th, at 12pm on GC Lawns, we are coming together for a Palestine Day of Action. ‼️🍉✊

Our Palestine Day of Action is in light of Israeli escalation in Gaza, the political arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, and the repression of students activism across college campuses. We call on students & faculty to join us in this day of action to say NO to political repression and YES to a FREE PALESTINE!

Our annual Iftar for Gaza is 1 week from now!

Gaza needs us now more than ever.

Get your tickets ⬇️

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-amal-projects-annual-fundraising-iftar

Date: Wednesday March 26

Time: 7 - 9 pm

Location: Al Salam Restaurant

All proceeds and donations will go towards our upcoming projects in Gaza

Limited seatings available at this event. Get your tickets before they sell out.

NO WALK INS.

SUPPORTING MONETARILY

Esims are integral to maintaining our connection with Gaza and allowing Palestinians access to communication channels. Do not neglect them. CRIPS FOR ESIMS FOR GAZA have put out an emergency request for more esims.

The SAMEER PROJECT is in dire need of donations in the midst of the siege.

**Tent prices have come down slightly and thanks to eveyone's contributions we are able to take advantage of this decrease in order to purchase them in bulk to serve encampments and areas in dire need as the winter storms begin to roll in.

We are The Sameer Project (@TheSameerProject): A donations based aid initiative, led by four Palestinians in the diaspora, working to supply an emergency reponse and funding to the displaced families in Gaza.

The inititaive was originally formed to secure, purchase, and distribute tents in Southern Gaza.

The Sameer Project also supplies cash envelops on an “as needed” basis to allow families the independence to secure the specific aid they require for themselves.

We also support critical medical cases with treatment, medication, and clinic referrals to those who would otherwise not be able to afford medical intervention. Life saving medication, tests, scans, and doctor visits are out of reach monetarily for most all Gazans as the closed borders have created extreme scarcity and the number of injures and chrioically sick grow, putting a nearly insurmountable strain on the healthcase infrastructure.

Workshops4Gaza has a substack. Check it out! This newsletter will be updated should more initiatives and events crop up before April. Feel free to email us at rootsofresistancehub@gmail.com! Let’s keep fighting the good fight.

The road to women’s liberation in the United States was and continues to be fraught with inequity and misogyny. How can we be a part of the solution where EVERY WOMAN is granted autonomy, dignity and equity.

To look forward let us reflect back:

• Initial woman’s suffragette movements of 1848 were not inclusive to women of color or queer women. It wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century when African-American suffragettes came onto the scene advocating for intersectional feminism that the voices and experiences of Women of Color and Queer Women were considered integral to the movement.

• August 18, 1920: Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is completed, declaring “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This right to vote was dictated by each state and was not extended to all women or people and many marginalized communities were not granted this right.

• It wasn’t until the 60’s and 70’s that women could have a bank account, credit card or birth control either as a single person or independent of their spouse.

• The 1960’s Women’s Liberation Movement made reproductive rights a priority resulting in some alterations of state laws criminalizing abortion health care. In 1973 the Roe v. Wade case struck down all existing laws criminalizing abortion health care.

• On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for the right to abortion. The sweeping decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the longstanding precedents of Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992).

• The erasure of black and brown women from the movement is applicable even today, and directly parallels the erasure of lesbian, bi and transgender women from feminist movements now.

RAMADAN MUBARAK

Ramadan kareem to all. During what is considered a pivotal month for our Muslim communities, it’s integral to remember and show up for those affected by imperialism, colonial rule and disenfranchisement.

There have been 960 violations by the Israeli army during the first phase, resulting in the killing of approximately 100+ civilians. Sudan is undergoing its 3rd year of Ramadan in the midst of a genocide. The US continues to sustain and profit off of these genocides.

We cannot lift the pressure on Israel, the UAE, the US and their colonial allies. In this month of celebration and joy, love and resistance must persist. Ramadan campaigns for Palestine are in dire need of help, Sudanese workshops are now open to participants and taking donations for those affected, and this is the perfect month to share and spread culture through film from the ground up.

Al-Awda is hosting an event on 03/16 to commemorate Palestinian women on this month!

The Amal Project is hosting Iftar on 03/26, fundraising for Gaza.

Olivo Lebanese Restaurant, which hosted the October 7th event last year to fundraise for Gaza, will also be offering a Ramadan buffet and fundraising down at their Sunrise location for 30 dollars per person.

Keep an eye out for the organizations listed in our prior two newsletters! They will have more events to report throughout the month. And do not turn away from our struggling Muslim communities across the world and within our country, as islamophobia continues to heighten. In this blessed month, fight back with love!

EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (EMA)

EMA today is the only abortion fund in Palm Beach County that assists people financially with pregnancy termination. They feel very strongly that every person should have access to safe, legal abortion care and that this access should not depend on someone’s zip code or bank account.

Come on out on Tuesday, March 4th for their 2025 kickoff fund-a-thon This & Yap: All things Fund-a-Thon! 6-9pm at the Garden District Taproom, 410 Evernia St Suite 119 West Palm Beach, FL 33401

REGISTER HERE

On Saturday, March 15th from 2-6 pm EMA is kicking off their inaugural “Sporties for Aborties” series with a fun pickleball tournament for all level players. Event to be held Palm Beach Gardens Tennis & Pickleball Center, 5110 117th Court North Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. You can learn more or register for the event HERE.

FANM SAJ EVENTS:

To reserve your spot for this event click HERE.

Sacred Healing Moon Circle on Thursday, March 27th via Zoom 6-7:30pm. RSVP HERE.

ROHI’S READERY

Rohi’s Readery is blooming this month with programming to help us all blossom with their Heal Together/ Lead Together, Rise and Read, Reading and Leading programs and their 4th Annual "Color the Sky: A Holi Festival Evening Experience" at CityPlace.

Check out Rohi’s Readery’s events and sign up here!

Location: 630 7th St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

MAMA TORTUGA

Mama Tortuga is hosting “The Alchemy of Plants: Dandelions” at Olwen Jewelry on March 20th as part of the Spring Equinox Program. Check her website or Facebook page to purchase tickets for this event.

MIAMI FREEDOM PROJECT

Follow Miami Freedom Project on Instagram HERE.

COMPASS COMMUNITY CENTER

Palm Beach Pride of 2025 is happening Saturday, March 29th through Sunday, March 30th from noon to 6pm. Come on out to Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community, love and resistance. Click here for event details and to purchase tickets.

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE

Every Thursday at 5:30 and Sunday at 1:30 (there is higher capacity on Sunday, but volunteers are needed for both)

Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449, USA

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the Bryant Park amphitheater at the times listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

A PBC YDSA is in the making! Two local youth are developing a local YDSA. If your teen or young adult is interested in being a part of this budding group let us know via email, specifying YDSA in the subject line. To learn more about YDSA click HERE.

WANTING TO ORGANIZE AND NOT SURE HOW TO START?

It’s fundamental to understand that in this world, we are all we have. People across the planet in absolutely suppressive circumstances, often at the behest of the US empire manage to organize in spite of it. The most efficient way to organize is to remind yourself that working for the lowest social and economic denominator will benefit your community at large.

We have drafted up an organizing guide for those interested in learning how to jump in!

READS OF THE MONTH

CASTE: The Origin of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

This book will change your perception about everything you thought you knew about the United States of America. Via rigorous, detailed examination, research and powerful personal narratives Wilkerson peels back the facade of equality in the United States and exposes the pervasive systemic racism woven into the very fabric of American life.

WOKE HOMESCHOOLING:

If you’re a parent who is homeschooling, thinking about homeschooling or just interested in adjunctive curriculum to provide an honest and accurate investigation into United States history take a look at Woke Homeschooling’s resources.

Woke Homeschooling has curated an accurate and truthful United States history curriculum that is available for all ages.

Additionally, they offer online classes of World History and Geography and a podcast.

You can find their materials at

https://wokehomeschooling.com/

I plan on creating a high school level history discussion club using this curriculum starting in August. If you’re interested in participating reach out to me via our email, subject line “Woke history discussion group”

Let’s create change by shaping intelligent kids who think critically about the world in which we live and empower the younger generation to be change-makers.

MUSIC TO DOWNLOAD NOW

Jam out and get invigorated to fight the good fight by The Neighborhood Kids Music. A revolutionary Hip Hop fusion band hailing from San Diego, California. Started in 2020 by Verde and Anon the MC, the group incorporates hip hop, jazz, rap, punk and soul with powerful lyrics inspiring awareness and change with their music. Check them out at https://www.youtube.com/@theneighborhoodkidsmusic on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theneighborhoodkidsmusic?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Or Spotify

WOMEN I’VE NEVER MET WHO CHANGED MY LIFE, A TRIBUTE TO THE WORKS OF MAYA ANGELOU AND ZORA NEALE HURSTON

A deeply moving lesson gifted to me from my high school English Literature department, Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” introduced me to the reality of incessant trauma and brutality of growing up under the sweeping oppression of racism. Angelou’s memoir endeared me to her younger self while enraging me about the unjust practices rampant within the United States of America. Her book, followed by my delving into, courtesy of that same high school English Literature department (Kudos to Lake Worth High School) “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston lifted the veil of whitewashed history bestowed upon me via the systems at large. I began to recognize the propaganda I was fed as a child, was exactly that, lies facilitating the perpetuation of unfair, unjust and inequitable treatment of People of Color within the United States of America.

By the time I learned about Zora Neale Hurston she was long deceased. I greedily devoured “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and was immediately fascinated by the magic and power Hurston emanated through her writing. Though she was dead her presence lived on in her literary power.

Hurston was one of the first women to expose me to the difficult intricacies of navigating life Black. Her writing ignited questions within me about racism and though I lacked the vocabulary to accurately articulate a challenge to United States systemic racism status quo I began on a quest to seek and learn, to think critically and to unlearn my own racial biases.

Both of these authors along with many other engaging voices throughout the years have led me to where I am today.

WOMEN I’VE NEVER MET WHO CHANGED MY LIFE: HONORING LEILA KHALED AND MARSHA B JOHNSON

Leila Khaled, the revolutionary Palestinian resistance fighter, took my mind by a storm in her autobiography “My People Shall Live”. "As long as we have a clear vision of the revolution, I can say that we will have victory in the end. We can't say in how many years. It will take a long, long time." she had stated clearly and with finality. The first woman to hijack a plane in resistance, Khaled was the face of the Palestinian rebellion in the 1960s. “I made the ring from a bullet and the pin of a hand grenade.” The role women play in resistance movements is consistently undermined, and Leila Khaled is one of the greats who inspired anti-imperialist action to come.

"The struggle of the Palestinians has taken many faces. Armed struggle, intifada, and now both. Which means as long as there is occupation in our country, the conflict will continue." She recently was featured in an article about Palestine’s future and existence, a must read to all.

Leila Khaled is the beauty blooming in resistance in a world that seeks to vilify it at every turn. She is representative of what it means to fight for the future, and how any single one of us can do it for our people.

Marsha P Johnson, activist and sex worker, was beloved to New York City’s Greenwich Village, having helped spearhead the Stonewall Riots. She staunchly advocated for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, those impacted by H.I.V. and AIDS, and gay and transgender rights. Her influence and reach affect every single one of us even today, with the role she played in fighting for the rights of the community. She was renown for her bright and unyielding personality, and how she would not allow her oppressors (such as the police force) to mute her identity.

In 1970, along with fellow activist Sylvia Rivera, Marsha founded STAR - the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries - which worked tirelessly to provide food, housing, legal aid, and other necessities to homeless trans youth. Sylvia had said “STAR was for the street gay people, the street homeless people, and anybody that needed help at that time".

I think of Marsha often - for many reasons, one of them being that she is so present in our history. There is so much we owe to our dear Marsha.

EDITORIAL: LEANING INTO ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS USING MY MARATHON MINDSET - FROM M

Once upon a time I was one of those screwballs you’d see huffing and sweating hoofing down local paths or through neighborhoods intentionally and consistently logging miles toward a half-marathon. I ran for the love of running (weird, I know) and participated in a wide variety of 5K’s, 10K’s and several half-marathons. While I have traded in my running pace for a more laid back and leisurely walking routine the mindset distance training instilled within me lives on.

Recently, I’ve been thinking deeply about increasing my personal commitment to economic blackouts and boycotts. Admittedly, thus far I have taken the easy route, boycotting companies or items that weren’t a part of my daily routine to begin with so easy enough to excise.

But I’ve decided to really aim to lean in because I know the BDS strategy will prove successful in creating the change we are all striving for. In my pondering and conversation with my family I highlighted the reality of inconveniences we may face, the discomfort of choosing “no” and the vulnerability of asking for help. All realities that reminded me of my distance running training days. And though you may not see the immediate parallels let me share my thoughts with you. Perhaps you have your own version of marathon mindset to lean into.

• EMBRACE THE SUCK

Every runner who’s been at it a minute knows that in distance training a variety of mental and physical obstacles will pop up to deter you from your goal. Not every run is going to be smooth, sleek and easy. Some runs will flat out suck causing you to question every reason behind why you became a runner to begin with. Some runs you will hit a mental wall, where your brain will come up with a million creative excuses to give in. Some runs you will feel sluggish or gassy or dehydrated or the weather will soak you to the bone and you will be forced to complete the run squelching through the road with waterlogged sneakers and rain pelting you sideways. The point is to do it anyway. Completely embrace the fact that the circumstances suck and keep going in spite of them. Embrace the mental and/or physical discomfort and continue putting one foot in front of the other toward the goal.

To be impactful with these boycott actions I need to accept and embrace that suck. That I will need to make sacrifices, alter routines, take time and energy to educate myself and god forbid perhaps have to wait for an item to ship non-Amazon Prime and arrive a week or so later. I need to lean into my own discomfort and evaluate those feelings as well. Since when did we become a society of Veruca Salt’s shouting and tantrumming “But I want it NNOOWWW!!!”?

• EVALUATING NEEDS VERSUS WANTS

Running can be a low maintenance type of activity. All you need is a good pair of socks and sneakers and you can be off. Of course there is a plethora of gear available to enhance your running experience but how much of it did I really “need”? The answer, very little. None of it made me faster or better as a runner. Yet, this is a reoccurring argument in my brain anytime I see a shiny new object roll into my social's feeds. My reality is that somewhere along the way I began using want and need interchangeably in my mental gymnastic routine of justifying superfluous, impulse purchases. The fact is that I am in a surplus of all my needs being met and quite a few wants as well. I am going to be more cognizant of my language choices surrounding potential purchases and try to sit on a potential buy before I dive in for instant gratification. If that fails, I’ll go back to bullet point one and embrace the suck of not getting what I want, when I want it.

• DIVORCE THE FALSITIES OF SELF RELIANCE, SELF SUFFICIENCY AND PERFECTION AND EMBRACE MUTUALITY

I was lucky enough to participate in groups and run with partners who made me a better runner, a better sportsman and a better human. We showed up for each other and relied on each other to push past mental walls, rough runs or injury. I would not have been able to achieve my running goals without their support. I recognized that when I ran in community I finished in a better mental space regardless of my pace times. Acknowledging the value of partners and groups reminds me that I am not and need not be entirely on my own. I also understood that I was not a perfect or elite runner. I was slow, I took walk breaks and my weekly frequency wasn’t aggressive or competitive. I accepted that about myself because I enjoyed the sport.

The narrative in today’s society pushes the farce of perfection, self reliance and self sufficiency as a measure of success and we are grossly suffering because of it. I must commit to unlearning those falsehoods and rely on community, meeting myself and others where we are. I must give grace to myself and others and accept the inevitable fallibility that comes part and parcel to the human experience, much like I would with my running community. My running community regularly shared resources like blister band-aids, hydration or electrolytes, anti-chafing products without judgment or expectation. You weren’t pegged as less of a runner if you were slow, didn’t do races or distance, you were celebrated and welcomed for showing up. My running partners and community embraced and protected the most vulnerable, sticking with them and their slower pace, providing encouragement and companionship rather than leaving them in their dust.

So even if you never become a part of the less than 1% of crazies who run for fun in a marathon let the marathon mindset guide you through this economic blackout marathon. I’ll see you at the finish line!

Below are some ways you can get involved

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign via Palestinian Solidarity Campaign

RSVP with the Tampa DSA for the Chevron picket HERE

Check out this Instagram post by cucurru.paloma on alternatives to Amazon

Thanks for reading this month’s edition. We appreciate you all! Please continue to share this newsletter within your communities and send us events, activities or organizations that align with what we are all about; Community empowerment, dismantling the system and freeing the oppressed. Until next month keep blooming!

“They tried to bury us but, they didn’t know we were seeds”

Dinos Christianopoulos

In love and solidarity,

N&M

It’s fundamental to understand that in this world, we are all we have. People across the planet in absolutely dire circumstances, often at the behest of the US empire manage to organize in spite of it. The most efficient way to organize is to remind yourself that working for the lowest social and economic denominator will benefit your community at large.

Nonprofits are capable of good and do organize, but they are often heavily restricted by the optics of the government, financial regulations and the constant need for funding. Many individuals from nonprofits have stepped out of the pool to work or collaborate with grassroots because of points of contention over blood money (such as Zionist backers), their lack of mobility and their desire for direct action. This highlights the exact reason we organize: we need to get to the root of the matter. We need to help with our own two hands.

There are various forms of organizing, ranging from mutual aid to political aid. Both are integral to the practice. It’s important to support our marginalized communities in material ways, but it’s equally as important to change the conditions they exist within.

This document pertains to the US. This is geared towards those who are interested in organizing and have minimal experience. Please read this with that in mind.

THE NATURE OF ORGANIZING WHERE TO START

While the goal is to ultimately be able to operate independently and in accordance to your own compass, values, etc., there are leftist umbrella groups that serve as good vantage points for getting acclimated to organizing in your respective region/area. All of these groups contain multitudes of branches that have different charters, practices and so on. Every leftist you meet will have something different to say about these groups. I will not tell you what to do or think: but I will propose these groups as good places to start due to their resources, reach and presence.

• DSA - Democratic Socialists of America: A political umbrella group for socialists. Every branch has a different charter, redlines, modes of operation and so on. DSA can push for electoral politics depending on where you go, but they’re often a good hub for organizers and a great way to meet people actively doing work in the area and span across a wide range of progressive focuses. They have branches across the entirety of the United States.

• PSL - Party for Socialism and Liberation: A political umbrella group that exists in the same vein as DSA, but is generally much more active on the West coast.

• CODE PINK: An anti-war feminist umbrella group that does work in relation to reproductive rights, LGBT advocacy, sex workers’ rights and more recently anti-imperialism. CODE PINK has been staunch in its support for Palestine in particular in the past year. They operate across the United States and have group chats and channels of communication you can opt into, where you can find other organizers and their ongoing events within your vicinity.

• FOOD NOT BOMBS: An anti-war anarchist food share with branches across the United States. Every branch operates differently and has different capacity/meeting days. This group is dedicated to feeding homeless communities across the country, alongside meeting other needs.

• SLOW FOOD: A food share group that operates across the United States, much like FNB but with a differing ontology and charter. Slow Food generally is not vegan unlike FNB, and also aims to cultivate community gardens.

• VETERANS FOR PEACE: An anti-imperialist organization with chapters scattered across the country, dedicated to protesting and working against the military industrial complex.

• IWW - Industrial Workers of the World: A radical labor union. Decentralized structure and they let members belong to the IWW and other unions which is nice, and you can join even if you're unemployed or a student. They’re on the smaller side however and are specifically for those interested in doing union related work.

• College campuses are avenues for mobilizing - be it for mutual aid or political action, such as divestment, workers’ rights, applying pressure onto institutions, etc.

These are bigger entities to start with, but every area is going to have different groups localized to them. I do recommend using search engines as

https://udm14.com/

or

https://duckduckgo.com/

and searching up terms relevant to you. “Trans mutual aid [city/state]” on its own will pull up decent results, but key terms like “Palestinian grassroots” “migrant workers groups” “abuse recovery” “abolition grassroots” “abortion funds” “community gardens” “ICE visitation” and so on will work similarly. Try to go for specifics in regards to what you’re looking for if there’s something in particular you want, but not anything too specific.

Organizing isn’t a matter of cold calling. You are going to have to build trust and develop relationships with your community organically. However, the first step is reaching out to begin with. Pulling up emails, numbers, etc., making the first move of asking the simple question: “how can I help?” It’s how many of us got started. 6 years ago, I called my local Food Not Bombs, showed up and now I know just about every other organizer in the community, am involved in multiple initiatives, etc. All I had to do was make that call. It’s not as easy as it sounds, of course: you have to be proactive and put the work in. But there is a payoff, and you will watch your network expand over time in turn.

WHAT DO I DO IF I LIVE SOMEWHERE RURAL?

Everyone has to start somewhere. Look for what is closest to you, which is likely going to be a major city, and reach out. Even if you cannot assist or participate physically, you will be capable of finding people either in your immediate area or people who are willing to come to you once you network. It’s a matter of developing that community. If the people closest to you are 30 miles away, talk to them - see if they know anyone where you are. If you have to work with the nonprofit closest to you and find folks who are interested in branching off into food shares, mutual aid networks, protest groups and so on, do it. Even if it’s just a soup kitchen: you have to start somewhere.

FOCUSES

Where do you want to put your time and effort? This is something to deliberate prior to reaching out. Not only in regards to your skillsets, but which causes you’d like to put yourself towards. This is a comprehensive list of a few big focal causes and direct actions associated with them:

• Anti-imperialism

  • Palestine

    • Anti-war (anti-military industrial complex)

  • Anti-blackness

    • Anti-racism

  • Immigration

    • Migrant/refugee advocacy

• Reproductive rights

• LGBT rights

• Abuse recovery/advocacy

• Homelessness advocacy

• Food insecurity

• Abolition (prison and ICE advocacy)

• Workers’ rights

• Disability advocacy

Action items:

• Food shares/distributions: grocery hauls for communities; weekly shares where folks bring in trays or pans of food to share with low income or unhoused individuals (please research your local food sharing laws, as this can be illegal in certain areas, so be cautious!); dumpster diving or making arrangements with grocery stores to take the leftover/unsold goods to distribute to your community

• Resource distribution: for shares that are not food related; providing unhoused or low income communities with masks, hygienic supplies, blankets, clothing, tents, bus passes, etc.

  • Abortion funds/transporting those in need of abortions to clinics

• Protesting/Marches/Blockades:

  • Legal observation

  • Running bail funds

  • Agitprop

  • Transportation

• Phone zaps/banking

• Canvassing

• Translation work

• Event programming: educational events, fundraising events, organizer fairs, health fairs (medical assistance provided to low income communities), resource fairs (ie: hosting events dedicated to helping communities with paperwork), brake light clinics, etc.

• Prison and ICE visitation

• Legal counsel: researching for divestment lawsuit projects, connecting protestors and political prisoners to pro bono lawyers, advocating for disenfranchised individuals embroiled in unjust lawsuits.

• Street medicine: for protests, unhoused individuals in need of first aid, Narcan distribution, etc.

SECURITY

First and foremost: do not use SMS or Whatsapp to organize. There are two main options.

• Signal: This is the primary mode of communication for organizers. It’s both safe and convenient due to how it streamlines group conversations, has security numbers, an auto delete system and a username system.

• Telegram: less commonly used than Signal but great for international communication, for anyone with international numbers or anyone who is organizing outside of the country.

As for security precautions in relation to organizing itself, it depends on what action you are taking.

• Food shares require you to examine food sharing laws that may apply to your area.

• Always mask, cover tattoos, wear inconspicuous clothing and bring a buddy to protests.

  • Map out the area and decide on an escape route.

  • Write contact numbers on your arm.

• Do not attach your full name or face to action events.

• If you are fundraising for an international cause or bail fund, be careful about how transfers are labeled and how much money is going in and out of your account. They can be frozen easily.

Assess the security risk of anything you are participating in. How likely are you to be in legal trouble for this? How likely are you to need material support in the worst case scenario for this, and what is the worst case scenario?

CAPACITY

Two common questions I am asked:

• I have a family. How can I organize?

• I’m physically disabled. How can I organize?

This is where capacity comes in. Organizers, at large, are diverse in their capacity. Many are elderly, physically or mentally disabled, low income or tend to their own families. The purpose of organizing is not to focus on what you can’t do, but what you can do. This is something for you to assess for yourself

Important questions to ask yourself:

• How much am I willing to risk?

• How much time can I dedicate to this per week/month?

• What are my physical capabilities? Can I move around for extended periods of time, and to what extent?

When you have concluded your answers, it’s pivotal that you communicate them to whoever you are working with. If you are reaching out to an organizer for the first time or wanting to get involved in an initiative, make these answers clear.

In the instance that you are incapable of being physically present, you need to gauge what skillsets you have that can translate to virtual, written or long distance forms. Examples of actions that might:

• Cooking for a food share and having someone perform pickup/dropoff

• Providing material supplies to distributions or events

• Phone zaps/banking

• Agitprop

• Coding sites

• Research

• Hosting educational webinars for events and causes

• Letter writing programs

• Data entry/consolidation

• Fund/financial maintenance (setting up GFMs, maintaining accounts)

• Outreach and social networking

It’s okay and encouraged to express your limitations to your fellow organizers. We do not want you to stress yourself and push yourself past capacity. We, as organizers, work together to make the best of our pool of resources, bodies and abilities. You are valued for what you have first and foremost.

OUTRO

This is a beginner’s guide; I am an organizer of 5+ years who does international anti-imperialist work as well, which I did not include venues into in this guide, as it is specifically oriented towards those dipping their toes into the arena.

Do not let panic or fear overtake you. It is paramount that love and passion guide you. We have the luxury of being Americans, but we have to put that to good work and aid the most disenfranchised of our communities in tangible ways. You will witness things that will upset you on a visceral level; that is the nature of being an organizer. Let this radicalize you.

If you’re a first time reader, we welcome you to our space. The goal of SFL Roots of Resistance Hub is to build and nurture a community with the common goal of eradicating globally oppressive power and social and creating an equitable, safe, peaceful world to be a part of. We recognize the intersectionality of our struggles and are committed to coming together in power to overthrow them as one.

Missed our first issue? Here it is! The edited and improved introduction to a host of S. Florida based organizations, artists and businesses.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN FEBRUARY

ROHI’S READERY

Rohi’s Readery has a flurry of events every month and are available to view via the link below. Rohi’s Readery is deeply committed to inclusivity and amplifying voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. This month several of the events focus on learning and celebrating Black History Month. Rohi’s Readery is a safe and welcoming space to practice all your creativity with art, cooking, dance, music and of course reading.

Check out Rohi’s Readery’s events and sign up here!

Location: 630 7th St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

MAMA TORTUGA

Thursday, February 6th at 7pm delve into learning therapeutic use of roses. Discover the medicinal benefits of this beautiful flower. Reserve your space today here!

THE AMAL PROJECT: MULTI-FAITH EVENT AND BAZAAR

February 8th from 2-8 pm join the Amal Project at the Islamic School of Miami,

11699 SW 147th St, Miami 33196 for a multi-cultural event with fun for the entire family; a grand bazaar, food court, children’s activities and more. Check it out here!

PALM BEACH DSA TWICE WEEKLY FOODSHARE

Every Thursday at 5:30 and Sunday at 1:30 (there is higher capacity on Sunday, but volunteers are needed for both)

Bryant Park amphitheater (100 S Golfview Rd) @ Lake Worth Lagoon, Lake Worth, FL 33449, USA

Palm Beach DSA hosts a food share every week at the Bryant Park amphitheater at the times listed above. They are always in need of food, supplies and volunteers.

Feel free to bring food/drinks/snacks to share with the community!

Clothing and hygiene products/kit donations are also gladly accepted and appreciated.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@palmbeachdsa.org.

BREAK THE BONDS CAMPAIGN

DID YOU KNOW? That since October of 2023 the Comptroller of Palm Beach County has invested over $700 million taxpayer dollars into Israeli bonds- making Palm Beach County the largest investor in Israeli bonds IN THE WORLD!?

DID YOU KNOW? That shortly after those investments Palm Beach County declared a budget deficit of $732 million dollars resulting in DIRECT IMPACT of residents of Palm Beach County going without much needed infrastructure repairs, funding for community centers and funding to assist our ever-growing houseless population.

ARE YOU FURIOUS ENOUGH TO TAKE ACTION WITH ME? We recently joined an organization called BREAK THE BONDS, composed of a group of dedicated professionals and volunteers who are legally challenging this gross misappropriation of PBC residents’ taxpayer dollars. BREAK THE BONDS has filed and is pursuing an active lawsuit against the comptroller via two Florida statutes regarding regulation of public investments. There are many facets of this campaign that need dedicated people power, no law experience required and you do not have to be a PBC resident. If you’re interested in fighting for what is rightfully due to the residents of PBC and standing up to corrupt government officials complete this form and someone from BREAK THE BONDS will get in touch with you.

YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT BREAK THE BONDS BY MAKING A DIRECT DONATION https://www.internationalistlawcenter.org/giving-page-1-1

SOLIDARITY FROM BORIKEN TO PALESTINE

Zoom Meeting @ 2 PM EST, February 9th, Sunday

Join Ra Jikotea Niaku’no and Libre X, a Miami comrade, for a virtual Zoom meeting reporting from Gaza to get current updates on the ground and how we can prepare for the ongoing movement. Meeting ID and passcode are listed above!

THIS MONTH’S FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS

MOVEMENT FOR PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY (MPD)

The Movement for People’s Democracy is a national organization that seeks to combat imperialism, fascism and capitalism while promoting democracy and workers’ rights through organizing protests, demonstrations and events and engaging in electoral politics, where appropriate. To learn more or link up, click here.

UHI COMMUNITY CARE CLINIC

This free clinic makes it their mission to provide free healthcare services to the underserved population of South Florida regardless of their Ethnicity, National Origin, Sexual Orientation or Religious and Political Affiliation. To learn more or schedule a consultation click here.

CHECK OUT MIAMI FREEDOM PROJECT AND THEIR DOPE INSTAGRAM POST HIGHLIGHTING MIAMI BASED ORGANIZATIONS SERVING BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES

THE CEASEFIRE IN GAZA - WHAT NOW?

Here comes the common question. They’ve announced the ceasefire in Gaza. It’s been weeks. Where we do proceed with the movement?

First and foremost, it’s integral to recognize: this is far from over. Palestine is still under Israeli occupation. We do not know if this ceasefire will hold beyond the 6 week phase but we know the US administration has a vested imperial interest in the region, and we know that Zionism is entrenched in the financial framework of the United States. This is only the beginning. Remain vigilant. Do not let the administration fly under scrutiny, and do not let Israel carry on as normal.

Currently, Jenin is under attack. Violence in the West Bank has been escalating over the past few months, now peaking as it has grown all the more murderous. Whether we pursue retribution or recovery for the Palestinian people, we must continue fighting for a free Palestine, no matter what.

Continue to donate directly to families from Gaza. Support mutual aid in Gaza. Support mutual aid in Cairo for Palestinian refugees in the aftermath of the genocide. Support Break the Bonds, as listed earlier, in their divestment campaign. Keep protesting. Keep boycotting for BDS. Keep an eye out for Palestinian organizations, such as the many listed in this newsletter prior, alongside their ongoing events. Keep speaking up and do not accept absolute devastation as normalcy!

ICE RAIDS - DON’T TAKE THE BAIT

ICE raids are on the rise once more. We are seeing public and private spaces alike being raided. Tensions are high, and law enforcement is latching onto any semblance of fear they can. Don’t fall for the bait. ICE agents have reported to news sources that educating people on their rights has actively hindered their raids. It’s our responsibility to hold the line, educate our neighbors on their rights and keep each other aware and safe.

While it’s our duty to ensure people know their rights as much as possible, those of us in positions of security and power need to hold the line. This means creating distractions and diverting attention, blocking access to migrants we know are at risk, and keeping law enforcement out as much as we can. If you work at a school or clinic, for example, try to get them to stay outside and on the fringes as much as possible. You are under no obligation to provide them information or access without a signed judicial warrant. Be sure to check by searching the internet for the judge who signed off on the warrant to ensure it is authentic. Police and ICE CAN and WILL lie to you. Greyhound bus drivers are not allowing ICE agents to get on their buses. Restaurant owners are kicking law enforcement out with haste. Making their jobs as hard as possible will be necessary - they are relying on our complacency.

Below are resources to share with those who are at risk:

Print these fliers and cards to share with as many people as possible! These cards/fliers are available in other languages, such as Spanish, Haitian-Creole, and Arabic. All languages available here!

Above are two printables from ACLU, listing comprehensive information for those looking to prepare. More information can be found on their website.

Right now, due to raids reported in school areas and media generated fear mongering, children are beginning to panic. It’s vital that we know how to talk to and inform them in these times.

FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH CHILDREN:

1. Have an open discussion of the child’s level of understanding. Explain words such as DEPORTATION, IMMIGRANTS and ILLEGAL.

2. Maintain usual routines, such as meal times, homework and bedtimes. Routines help children feel safe and secure.

3. Send children to school regularly.

4. Turn off news resources such as television and radio. These are usually at a level difficult for children to understand and often worsen the situation.

5. Share with children family plans in case a parent is detained (who will pick up the child or where the child can go and who will be in charge of the child while parent is away).

6. Do not lie or make promises you are not sure you can keep.

WHEN INFORMING CHILDREN OF THEIR RIGHTS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU:

• DO NOT talk to police until you have met with your parent/guardian AND a lawyer.

• DO NOT try to fight or explain yourself to the police.

• DO NOT sign any papers before talking with a lawyer.

• DO NOT give the police permission to search anything.

• DO NOT give the police your password/ passcode to your phone, any other electronic device, or accounts like email and social media.

• If the police search you or your property anyway, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING.

• DO NOT talk with your parent/guardian about what happened until you have talked with a lawyer.

• DO NOT talk with anyone, including your parent/guardian, about what happened when you are in a place where the police may be listening.

• DO NOT talk about your or your family’s immigration status.

Ask: Am I free to leave?

If you are not free to leave, you have certain rights:

• You have the right to remain silent and not answer any questions (except to provide your name).

• Tell the police “I wish to remain silent.”

• You have the right to have a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the state must provide you a lawyer for free.

• Tell the police “I want a lawyer.”

• DO NOT say anything, sign anything, or give the police permission to search anywhere or search anything without having a lawyer there to help you.

FOR PARENTS WHO WANT TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN:

1. Prepare legal documents appointing a trusted adult to care for children in the event of removal or deportation.

2. Maintain copies of your child’s medical records. Give a copy to a trusted adult.

3. Maintain a copy of your child’s birth certificate, social security and passport(s). Give a copy to a trusted adult.

4. Maintain documentation of any public benefits your child is receiving. Give a copy to a trusted adult.

5. Maintain documentation of your child’s school records. Give a copy to a trusted adult.

Stay safe all. You are not alone. Ongoing ICE raids that have been reported can be found here.

TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

In this age of alt right sentiment and fascism, transphobia and trans violence have begun to escalate - the Trump administration is looking to stress this further. Florida has been a suppression state for the past decade. It is pivotal that we support our trans neighbors, now and always.

For those who want to keep an eye out for anti-trans legislation across the country as it updates, you can find Movement Advancement Project documenting them on their interactive map. Organizers across the country are currently planning protests at hospitals denying trans affirming care. If any organizers in South Florida are considering taking up this course of action or protesting in general, trans activists state that this was a tactic utilized by ACT in the past and was proven to be efficient. Be safe, be careful, and let us know so we can coordinate and help!

If you are feeling afraid, powerless or demoralized: please check out Erin Reeds’ trans run, for trans news media source and collective, dedicated to ensuring trans folks across the states are renewed with hope and empowered.

Transpire Help is a Palm Beach based organization that provides solutions to folks who are underinsured. Their programs give opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals who do not have the resources to access help. Transpire Help funds LGBTQ treatment, housing and basic needs for the LGBTQ community. They host Pride on the Block every year in June.

We will be updating the newsletter with mutual aid groups and organizations offering support to the transgender community as we proceed. We hope that all of our trans readers and comrades know they are loved, seen and supported by us.

IN CLOSING- BASKING IN THE POWER OF BLACK ACADEMICS

bell hooks born September 25, 1952—died December 15, 2021

“Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.”

Lifelong observer, scholar and revolutionary. bell hooks dedicated her life to examining and demonstrating the insidious pathologies of imperialism, capitalism, racism, sexism, homophobia, intersectionality and classism within society at large and within movement and revolutionary spaces. Her prescribed cure for societal healing, growth and change? Radical love. Self-awareness and insight, love of self, investment in community and accessibility were just a few of bell hooks calls for liberatory justice and action.

With over 40 published books, articles, essays, poetry and children’s books in over 15 languages, bell hooks has imprinted the lives of innumerable humans.

Ta-Nehisi Coates born September 30,1975

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an African American journalist, essayist and author who challenges racism and white supremacy within the United States through his fiction and nonfiction pieces. In his most recent work “The Message” Coates drives home the Palestinian reality to American readers using the ample comparison of Israel’s apartheid oppression to America’s Jim Crowe laws. Coates uses his literary talent as a beacon to illuminate the oppressor and the oppressed and draws parallels between the Palestinian struggles for daily safety, autonomy and a cobbled together sense of normalcy to that of the experience of existing Black in America.

Thank you for subscribing to our project rooted in love, community and resistance. Please share with trusted organizers and friends.

This Valentine’s Day we hope you think not just of your partners but of the world as we navigate these confusing and stressful time TOGETHER.

If you’d like to submit upcoming events, calls to action or requests for mutual aid please complete this form. We’d love to spotlight and support your organization.

In solidarity,

M&N