SCAR
Why not try real solutions?
Spokane could just decide to love its community more. Everyone wants less crime, but leaning on police to do all the work just creates more prisoners. We need to actually invest in our community; in each other.
SPOKANE COMMUNITY AGAINST RACISM
Weekly Update
September 8th, 2021
Hi Friend,
It’s Jac, your SCAR Organizer and Program Coordinator. Did you miss us last week? SCAR is as busy as ever, but we are still committed to keeping the community updated. In fact, we’d love to have you join us on our volunteer teams as we continue to fight systemic racism in Spokane.
We have new community training events scheduled through November (check them out below) and two live email actions you can take to promote equity in Spokane County redistricting and police reform. The Burritos for the People team passed out their 2500th burrito (Good job team!) and there are job opportunities with our community partner, Chef Tony from Ruins. Keep reading to learn more about what SCAR is up to this fall!
Spokane Public Schools’ Board of Directors passes the August 2021 Equity Policy
School board unanimously passed the equity policy which denounces institutional racism and other forms of discrimination, and asserts that all students and workers deserve safe, respectful, and welcoming schools.
Send a thanks
Write to the School Board to thank them for unanimously passing this policy. SchoolBoard@spokaneschools.org
“Community Centered Conversation on Police Reform” has two more scheduled meetings:
“The August 31 meeting has been canceled due to several previously scheduled commitments. We are continuing to search for a new September date or dates that better accommodate the schedules of our participants.”
Know Your Rights: Public Records Requests September 22rd, at 6pm (Zoom only)
Come and learn how to do your own Public Records Requests. Police accountability activist JD Leighty files dozens of Public Records Requests every year for various groups and his personal interest in holding SPD accountable. JD will be answering questions and walking through the process of obtaining records from the Freedom of Information Act.
KYR: Police Encounters – September 23, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Civil Rights attorney Andrew Biviano will help us understand our rights when encountering law enforcement, including when and how an officer can arrest or detain an individual, what options a person has for asserting their rights with police, and how to prioritize personal safety.
KYR: Back to School Edition – September 30th, 6pm – 7:30pm (Zoom only)
Are you a middle or high school student attending Spokane Public Schools? Are you a parent or guardian of an SPS student? Learn about systemic issues and how a racial justice lens improves access and equity in our public schools: school discipline, attendance/truancy and bullying/harassment, and recent changes to attendance and truancy laws and rules.
How to Plan an Action – October 7, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Whether it’s a march Downtown, an email drive to the Mayor, or jamming a public meeting of City Council, activist actions take careful planning. Join Jac Archer for “How to Plan an Action” to learn and practice the steps of planning your own activist action. Jac originally taught this workshop at the Eastern Washington University as an Activist in Residence.
KYR: Jail Support – October 14, 7pm – 8:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Ever been arrested? Ever had a friend, family member, or loved one taken into police custody? Join attorney Cam Zorrozua and Virla Spencer of The Way to Justice for “Know Your Rights: Jail Support.” Learn about the process of being arrested, your rights in police custody, and how to navigate the criminal justice system to help minimize time spent in jail.
KYR: Jail Support (2nd Session) – November 4, 7pm – 8:30pm (In person and Zoom)
KYR: Police Encounters (2nd Session) – November 18, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
We ask in-person attendees be vaccinated, and masks are required in accordance with Washington State mandate. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you. There will be limited physical space available, so register early to join us in person.
Ask the Attorney General to Oversee Police Reform in Spokane!
This summer, 11 much-needed and hard-won police reform and police accountability policies went into effect in Washington state. We’re thankful to Rep. Riccelli, Rep. Ormsby, and Senator Billig for supporting these laws!
But, the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office have responded unacceptably, stirring up public fear and uncertainty and saying they may no longer be fully responsive to certain emergencies– including 911 calls for domestic violence situations and mental health crises.
United with the Smart Justice Spokane coalition and Spokane Community Against Racism’s Platform for Change coalition, we call for:
Accurate Implementation: We call on the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to implement fully and accurately the police reform measures passed in the legislature last session.
Swift Guidance: We join calls from both law enforcement and other communities across Washington asking the Attorney General’s Office to move swiftly to publish the model guidance for these laws and to provide informal opinions to address questions being raised.
Oversight: We further request the Attorney General’s Office and the Criminal Justice Training Center to oversee the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office implementation of these laws as appropriate to their roles.
Will you make your voice heard as part of our community demand? Click the link below to send an email to the Attorney General, Criminal Justice Training Commission, Chief Meidl, Mayor Woodward, Sheriff Knezovich, Rep. Riccelli, Rep. Ormsby, and Senator Billig!
SPOKANE COUNTY REDISTRICTING!
Your Voice is Needed on Spokane County Redistricting:
Public Hearing on September 9th, 5:30pm Join the Zoom Meeting Here
SCAR Opens Membership
This week we will be sending out membership packages! Please let us know if need to update your address, so we can ensure your membership packaged gets to you. Thank you supporters!
To learn how you can become a member through volunteering, email: admin@scarspokane.org.
Looking to volunteer? Find out more information here!
Like our social media posts and blogs? They’re produced by the hard-working members of the SCAR Writer’s Room, and we could use 2-3 more members. If you’re interested in writing, editing, producing social media posts, and being part of a team, reach out to jac@scarspokane.org to see if you might be a good fit for the SCAR Writer’s Room.
2500 BURRITOS SERVED
Burritos for the People Sponsorship!
Looking for work?
Although Ruins is taking a different direction, Chef Tony from Ruins is still looking to hire more kitchen staff for his other restaurants. Email to apply at ruins.spokane@gmail.com
SPOKANE COMMUNITY AGAINST RACISM
Weekly Update
September 8th, 2021
Hi Friend,
It’s Jac, your SCAR Organizer and Program Coordinator. Did you miss us last week? SCAR is as busy as ever, but we are still committed to keeping the community updated. In fact, we’d love to have you join us on our volunteer teams as we continue to fight systemic racism in Spokane.
We have new community training events scheduled through November (check them out below) and two live email actions you can take to promote equity in Spokane County redistricting and police reform. The Burritos for the People team passed out their 2500th burrito (Good job team!) and there are job opportunities with our community partner, Chef Tony from Ruins. Keep reading to learn more about what SCAR is up to this fall!
Spokane Public Schools’ Board of Directors passes the August 2021 Equity Policy
School board unanimously passed the equity policy which denounces institutional racism and other forms of discrimination, and asserts that all students and workers deserve safe, respectful, and welcoming schools.
Send a thanks
Write to the School Board to thank them for unanimously passing this policy. SchoolBoard@spokaneschools.org
“Community Centered Conversation on Police Reform” has two more scheduled meetings:
“The August 31 meeting has been canceled due to several previously scheduled commitments. We are continuing to search for a new September date or dates that better accommodate the schedules of our participants.”
Know Your Rights: Public Records Requests September 22rd, at 6pm (Zoom only)
Come and learn how to do your own Public Records Requests. Police accountability activist JD Leighty files dozens of Public Records Requests every year for various groups and his personal interest in holding SPD accountable. JD will be answering questions and walking through the process of obtaining records from the Freedom of Information Act.
KYR: Police Encounters – September 23, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Civil Rights attorney Andrew Biviano will help us understand our rights when encountering law enforcement, including when and how an officer can arrest or detain an individual, what options a person has for asserting their rights with police, and how to prioritize personal safety.
KYR: Back to School Edition – September 30th, 6pm – 7:30pm (Zoom only)
Are you a middle or high school student attending Spokane Public Schools? Are you a parent or guardian of an SPS student? Learn about systemic issues and how a racial justice lens improves access and equity in our public schools: school discipline, attendance/truancy and bullying/harassment, and recent changes to attendance and truancy laws and rules.
How to Plan an Action – October 7, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Whether it’s a march Downtown, an email drive to the Mayor, or jamming a public meeting of City Council, activist actions take careful planning. Join Jac Archer for “How to Plan an Action” to learn and practice the steps of planning your own activist action. Jac originally taught this workshop at the Eastern Washington University as an Activist in Residence.
KYR: Jail Support – October 14, 7pm – 8:30pm (In person and Zoom)
Ever been arrested? Ever had a friend, family member, or loved one taken into police custody? Join attorney Cam Zorrozua and Virla Spencer of The Way to Justice for “Know Your Rights: Jail Support.” Learn about the process of being arrested, your rights in police custody, and how to navigate the criminal justice system to help minimize time spent in jail.
KYR: Jail Support (2nd Session) – November 4, 7pm – 8:30pm (In person and Zoom)
KYR: Police Encounters (2nd Session) – November 18, 6pm – 7:30pm (In person and Zoom)
We ask in-person attendees be vaccinated, and masks are required in accordance with Washington State mandate. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided for you. There will be limited physical space available, so register early to join us in person.
Ask the Attorney General to Oversee Police Reform in Spokane!
This summer, 11 much-needed and hard-won police reform and police accountability policies went into effect in Washington state. We’re thankful to Rep. Riccelli, Rep. Ormsby, and Senator Billig for supporting these laws!
But, the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office have responded unacceptably, stirring up public fear and uncertainty and saying they may no longer be fully responsive to certain emergencies– including 911 calls for domestic violence situations and mental health crises.
United with the Smart Justice Spokane coalition and Spokane Community Against Racism’s Platform for Change coalition, we call for:
Accurate Implementation: We call on the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to implement fully and accurately the police reform measures passed in the legislature last session.
Swift Guidance: We join calls from both law enforcement and other communities across Washington asking the Attorney General’s Office to move swiftly to publish the model guidance for these laws and to provide informal opinions to address questions being raised.
Oversight: We further request the Attorney General’s Office and the Criminal Justice Training Center to oversee the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office implementation of these laws as appropriate to their roles.
Will you make your voice heard as part of our community demand? Click the link below to send an email to the Attorney General, Criminal Justice Training Commission, Chief Meidl, Mayor Woodward, Sheriff Knezovich, Rep. Riccelli, Rep. Ormsby, and Senator Billig!
SPOKANE COUNTY REDISTRICTING!
Your Voice is Needed on Spokane County Redistricting:
Public Hearing on September 9th, 5:30pm Join the Zoom Meeting Here
SCAR Opens Membership
This week we will be sending out membership packages! Please let us know if need to update your address, so we can ensure your membership packaged gets to you. Thank you supporters!
To learn how you can become a member through volunteering, email: admin@scarspokane.org.
Looking to volunteer? Find out more information here!
Like our social media posts and blogs? They’re produced by the hard-working members of the SCAR Writer’s Room, and we could use 2-3 more members. If you’re interested in writing, editing, producing social media posts, and being part of a team, reach out to jac@scarspokane.org to see if you might be a good fit for the SCAR Writer’s Room.
2500 BURRITOS SERVED
Burritos for the People Sponsorship!
Looking for work?
Although Ruins is taking a different direction, Chef Tony from Ruins is still looking to hire more kitchen staff for his other restaurants. Email to apply at ruins.spokane@gmail.com