A list of Confederate monuments and memorials across the United States? I hope this public information doesn't get into the wrong hands:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials

Related to the above: In Allendale there exists a statue depicting a Confederate soldier holding a Confederate flag, literally standing over a slave child.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1350127795193723&id=321650511374795&sfnsn=mo

Hello all. Though this channel was originally envisioned as a hub for on-the-ground announcements and police scanner updates during encounters with police in Grand Rapids, there is a chance that this specific purpose will become less relevant to our local context and that having this singular focus doesn't maximize the potential of what we have here. Channel admins are discussing the direction this channel could take — possibly refocusing as a hub for announcements regarding opportunities for political action (on and off-line) generally relating to what is now a worldwide anti-cop, anti-authoritarian, and pro-black-lives movement.

Admins would love to hear subscribers' thoughts on what you think this channel could look like and how you think it could best serve this movement's presence in the Grand Rapids area. If you're inclined, send your thoughts to: t.me/friendshipalchemy

Juneteenth is tomorrow. Though we imagine y'all already know, Juneteenth is a commemoration of June 19, 1865, when federal orders were read in Galveston, Texas proclaiming the freedom of all enslaved persons in the state of Texas — essentially, the end of slavery in its then-current form. Wikipedia. Juneteenth.com. There's a number of related efforts and celebrations nationally and locally.

NATIONALLY -

BLM-DC is organizing Strike for Black Lives, calling for "disruptive actions aimed at shutting down the city: Strikes, sick-outs, blockades, occupations, and spontaneous marches." It looks like this is part of a precedent being set around the country.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) plans to shut down all 29 ports on the West Coast for 8 hours to commemorate Juneteenth. Facebook event. In These Times coverage.

LOCALLY -

WoodTV has a nice list of celebrations. Includes:

UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK CULTURAL FESTIVAL, tomorrow 6/19, MLK Park, 4p-7p.

Juneteenth Community Drive-By Parade, tomorrow 6/19, 2.30p-4p. Meets at the Great Giant Supermarket parking lot on Hall and Madison for car decoration and line-up.

-both put together by Juneteenth GR.

A protest/march is planned for TOMORROW 6/19, 6pm, Rosa Parks. Speeches, march, BBQ on Pearl / Monroe.

Just heard word of a short-notice action being set up in Allendale advocating for the removal of the statue involving a Confederate soldier and an enslaved child. TODAY, 5:45p-7p, Allendale Community Park. Facebook event.

Consider celebrating Juneteenth with an eviction defense workshop:

event for above flyer: https://facebook.com/events/s/eviction-defense-workshop/895035834297537/?ti=icl

Leaderlessness is our strength.

Today the Trump campaign ran a suite of ads on Facebook, in support of declaring antifa a terrorist organization, that made prominent use of the Nazis' designation of communist and anarchist prisoners, the upside-down red triangle. Facebook has since pulled the ads.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBlaPPtjTpV/?igshid=m0mxtcrd4eew

Forwarding for a comrade. For anyone closer to the lake or interested in some counter-protest tomorrow!

Hello friends (sorry for the spam),

This upcoming Saturday, trump supporters are planning a boat parade in the spring lake/grand haven area. They’ll be hoisting their trump flags, blasting kid rock, and naively believing themselves to care about all lives (but only when it doesn’t complicate their myopic world view).

How much more out of touch can you get than an affluent, homogenous group of loyalists putting on a boat parade for their racist cult leader? Black people are being oppressed and murdered, children are still detained by ICE, and these white folks mistakenly believe their fingers are on the pulse of this country.

As members of the community, it is our duty to civilly disrupt this. The issues we are seeing may not feel like they are on our frontlines, but our obligation is no different. We need to stand up to misinformation and ignorance. In a predominantly white city, an event that celebrates a bigot ostracizes our marginalized neighbors even more than what they regularly experience.

So here’s the plan.

- Location: Smith’s bridge in Ferrysburg
- Time: 11:45am
- Signs: I would like to coordinate what we want to be heard. I have some ideas, but we can figure this out in a group message.

I received word from the city of ferrysburg that we do not need a permit to protest on smith’s bridge, as long as we stick to the sidewalk. Let’s just be sure to keep our distance from one another; please bring a mask.

We cannot remain idle while trump supporters control our local narrative.
We are there to show them that we exist. We are their neighbors. We will not allow their ignorance to go unchecked.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Even if you aren’t able to make it, I hope you are donating, signing petitions, and educating yourselves.

if you are interested in the above and would like to coordinate with the organizer, message t.me/friendshipalchemy

Continuing action against the Confederate statue in Allendale!

https://facebook.com/events/s/protest-to-demand-removal-of-t/2222810201198034/?ti=as

On a diversity of tactics - a coalition of Grand Rapids organizations, including Grand Rapids Area Mutual Aid Network and the People's Budget GR, is hosting a weeklong suite of actions in support of defunding the GRPD. There is a central, weeklong Facebook event as well as individual events for their daily actions. Most seem to be hosted online.

https://facebook.com/events/s/defund-the-grpd/298315691576008/?ti=cl