Acknowledge. Plug In. Dismantle.
Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups and individuals working for racial justice by undermining white supremacy. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability.
Our San Diego chapter supports local collectives led by people of color. At our monthly chapter meetings and in our action teams, we provide space to learn, connect, and take action.
Our Vision
Delegitimize racist institutions
Defund the police. Yep, we said it. Still not sure what that means or looks like? You are not alone! Come talk about it.
Fight for a fair economy
We believe in the possibility of an economy that refuses to pit communities against each other. One where people have what they need, and resources aren’t hoarded by the few at the expense of the many.
Shift culture
For our purposes, we define culture as the underlying beliefs people hold about other people and the world. We work to move culture in a way that undermines white support for white supremacy.
SURJ Values
Accountability Through Collective Action
We know that real change happens when we join with millions of other people to change culture and amend established practices. We need a mass movement, and we need it now!
Calling people in
Shaming and blaming folks when they don’t express their thoughts or ideas around race “correctly” is common (especially on the internet). The truth is that we’re all unlearning white supremacy together and we will make mistakes. To build a mass movement for change we must work in concert with those who may not express themselves exactly as we do, and offer our own perspectives from a place of trust and good will.
Take Risks, Make Mistakes, Learn and Make Amends, and Keep Going
There is not one white person in the movement for collective liberation who hasn’t made a mistake. Not one.
Organize Out of Mutual Interest
Racial justice isn’t something we help people of color with. We must find our stake— our mutual interest— in joining these fights.
There is enough for all
We know that there are enough resources in the world for everyone’s basic needs to be met (decent housing, food, safety, etc). Powerful interests lead us to believe that we should compete viciously with the rest of the 99% when in fact true power lies in organizing to demand fair and equitable wealth redistribution.
Center class
Middle- and owning-class white people disproportionately support policies and practices that uphold white supremacy. Let’s work to end the scapegoating of poor and working-class white people as perpetrators.
Growing is good
We need millions of white people to join the movement for racial justice to achieve the scale of change we need. This means we need our groups to grow.
Why white people?
SURJ San Diego welcomes people of all backgrounds and identities. We focus on educating and mobilizing those who hold white privilege, class privilege, and other privileges to support BIPOC-led efforts for racial justice. When we work as part of a multi-racial, cross-class, diverse coalition for change, we can use our privilege to create a world where everyone’s uniqueness is not just tolerated, but celebrated.
In this space we acknowledge that, white people and white-adjacent people come from all walks of life and have unique stories to tell. One of the ways white supremacy harms us (yes, us too!) is by flattening us into one category that does not account for our class backgrounds, heritage traditions or lived experiences.
