June 25, 2018 01:15 PM UTC

What you can do to fight back this week (June 25)

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

Last week, the Trump administration’s incompetent and hateful policy of family separations at the southern border fell apart as outrage from the overwhelming majority of Americans forced the President to do something he swore only hours before that he couldn’t.

Public officials from all stripes traveled to Texas this weekend to show their support for families who have been forcibly separated by the Trump administration. Some brought with them a message of hope, like Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran (right). Others like Rep. Mike Coffman tried once again to cover up their long record of hostility to immigrants and immigration reform.

Indeed, we’d like to remind you all of the inscription on our Statue of Liberty, a poem called The New Colossus by poet Emma Lazarus:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

We wish Donald Trump would care about what’s written on the Statue of Liberty, instead of pretending to know the words to the National Anthem he so dearly protects.

This is a defining moment in American history. We decide in 2018 whether the United States will remain a “shining city on the hill,” where the world looks for hope and inspiration—or whether we will retreat in fear from the rest of the world, abandoning the principles of freedom, fairness, and equal opportunity that made America great to begin with.

Action item #1 this week: make a plan to join thousands of your neighbors in Civic Center Park this Saturday as Denver rallies against the Trump administration’s terrible mistake on immigration.

What: Families Belong Together Rally at Denver’s Civic Center Park
When: Saturday, June 30 at 10:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Once you’ve RSVP’d for Saturday’s big rally, make sure you’ve returned your ballot to vote in the 2018 primary elections! It’s too late to mail back your ballot, so visit our friends at Just Vote Colorado for a list of ballot drop off locations and get those ballots returned before 7PM tomorrow. If you need more information on the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, the Colorado Independent has got you covered with in-depth analysis.

And here are even more ways to take action for the week of June 25th:

Vigil for Antwon Rose Jr.

Antwon Rose Jr, was an UNARMED African American male who was shot and killed in Pittsburgh, PA. We will remember his life and stand in solidarity here in Denver, Colorado! Please bring candles! #BlackLivesMatter

Where: MLK Statue, City Park, Denver
When: Monday, June 25 at 7:15pm

Click here to RSVP.

No Families in Detention Nurture-In

This is a family centered action. We will have art supplies for children to make signs, songs to sing, and a bilingual read-aloud. Please bring your whole family. Trump has signed an executive order for expedited deportations and family detention. Community coming together to demand all families are able to be together and free! We will be highlighting the story of Colorado’s Zaldivar family that is facing imminent separation and the Colorado Fiscal Institute will be releasing a new report on the impact of deportations on Colorado children, ““The Impact of Deportation on Mental Health, Education Outcomes, and Economic Opportunity for Colorado Kids.”

Where: 12445 E. Caley Avenue, Centennial
When: Wednesday, June 27 at 10:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Kicked Out for Coming Out: LGBTQ and Homelessness

Join us for our seventh panel discussion as part of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless 2018 Education Series. Let’s debunk myths, bring these issues to light, and build a more thoughtful community. Workplace and housing discrimination, hate crimes, excommunication, and family rejection are just some of the reasons why LGBTQ+ people experience homelessness. Learn more about the unique challenges our LGBTQ neighbors face.

Where: Stout Street Health Center, 2130 Stout St, Denver
When: Wednesday, June 27 at 5:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

Denver for DACA w/ Ryan Harris & Andy Seth

Denver for DACA is back at Cervecería Colorado! This time we’re teaming up with Broncos Superbowl Champion Ryan Harris and nine-time entrepreneur Andy Seth for cerveza and dinner with a side of advocacy. In between courses, we’ll show our support for Dreamers by taking a stand for the passage of a clean DREAM Act. Every ticket includes dinner, two cervezas, advocacy materials, a donation to the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and tax & tip.

Where: Cervecería Colorado, 1635 Platte St, Denver
When: Wednesday, June 27 at 6:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Abolish ICE Sign Making Party

Come help us make signs to protest the inhumanity of US immigration policy and demand the complete abolition of ICE. We’ll be carrying these at the June 30th rally to protest Trump’s immigration policy and concentration camps for kids. Feel free to bring any craft supplies you’d like, but we’ll have markers, colored pencils, pens, and other tools available.

Where: 2201 Race St, Denver
When: Wednesday, June 27 at 7:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado Consumer Health Initiative Lawnch Party

Join us on the lawn at CCHI for our annual fundraiser. We are celebrating the past year’s success and the launch of our new consumer assistance program. Join us to learn more about our work while enjoying refreshments and games on the lawn at CCHI.

Where: Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, 1420 N Ogden St Suite 1A, Denver
When: Thursday, June 28 at 4:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Aurora Moms Demand Action Membership Meeting

Join our Aurora Moms Demand Action group for our June meet up! Hear about upcoming events and action items to help fight gun violence!

Where: Smoky Hill Library, 5430 S Biscay Cir, Centennial
When: Thursday, June 28 at 6:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

Institute on LGBTQ Inclusive Education Practices

This two-day statewide educator Institute will bring educators, administrators, and other youth-serving adults together to engage in professional development around LGBTQ-inclusive educational practices. Research continues to show that school professionals lack the knowledge, resources, and support needed to appropriately build classrooms, curriculum, and school environments that are safe and affirming of all students.

Where: Casey Middle School, 1301 High St, Boulder
When: Thursday, June 28 – Friday, June 29

Click here to RSVP.

Protect the Children – No History Repeated

Please walk with us, pray with us and let this state of Colorado know, we are against the seperation of families, protect the children. Stop this inhumane policy to seperate families. We will meet at Union Station at 11am, and walk up 16th Street Mall to the State Capital. We are asking everyone to wear white, to represent the innocence and purity of the children and the Sacred South direction. Bring signs, bring your voice, bring your families, wear your traditional regalia.

Where: Union Station, Denver
When: Friday, June 29 at 11:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Goldspot Brewing Company: One Colorado Pride Event

June is pride month and we are partnering with one of our favorite organizations to donate $1 per beer to help the local LGBT community.

Where: Goldspot Brewing Company, 4970 Lowell Blvd, Denver
When: Friday, June 29 at 3:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

A History of Race and White Supremacy in the U.S.

How did we get here? How did racism emerge as a such a pervasive social structure in the U.S.? What is the reality of “race”? It’s a question many of us have asked at one time or another, and it has a clear answer. Race is a social construct, a tool for oppression. In short, racism is real, but race is not. Race also has a definitive origin story, and one that every anti-racist or social justice activist should know. Join this training to learn a brief history of racial classification in the U.S., and how it influences our mistaken perception of race today, and its implications for anti-racist work in the future.

Where: Unity Spiritual Center, 3021 S University Blvd, Denver
When: Friday, June 29 at 6:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Montrose Families Belong Together Rally

On June 30, around the country people are rallying to tell Donald Trump and his administration that we have a Zero Tolerance for Family Separation! The Trump administration is pushing congress to increase the budget for ICE and border patrol, stand with us and tell congress to #DefundHate. Join us on the corner of Main Street and Townsend Avenue in Montrose to send a clear message that Families Belong Together!

Where: Corner of Main Street and Townsend Ave, Montrose
When: Saturday, June 30 at 9:30am

Click here to RSVP.

Boulder Rally for Family Unity

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, 5001 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder
When: Saturday, June 30 at 10:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Families Belong Together – COS

Where: Colorado Springs City Council, 107 N Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs
When: Saturday, June 30 at 5:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Thanks very much! We’ll be back next week with more ways you can make a difference in our community and for our whole nation. You are part of the solution.