Social Justice Action Team Update

Upcoming events, calls to action, volunteer opportunities, and news worth sharing.

Upcoming Events: 

Please note: There will not be a September Social Justice Team meeting. Instead, we encourage all to attend the All-Member General Meeting on Thursday, September 4 from 6-7:30 at Gibbs High School in the Grand Theatre. RSVP for the All-Member General Meeting here.

  1. #Resistance Protest on Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) @ 10 am: LWVSPA, Pinellas NOW, and allied orgs will lead the community in creating GIANT HUMAN LETTERS as an aerial-viewed art installation. On Spa Beach at the St. Pete Pier, participants will spell out our message “UNITE & RISE” with our bodies. A photographer will record this family-friendly event with a drone flyover. Photos will be posted on LWVSPA and Pinellas NOW social media channels, with participants agreeing to share widely on their own channels. Register page coming! |  Stay informed at the Facebook event page. Participants are urged to wear bright blue clothing, bring a blue towel to sit upon, bring your own water in a refillable container, and bring an umbrella to protect yourself from the sun until the drone arrives.
  2. Immigration Rights Panel on Tuesday, September 9 from 6-7:30pm at Allendale: Prepare your questions for an Immigration Rights Panel with the Florida Immigrant Coalition, USF academic professor and Director of the Immigrant Well-Being Research Center – Professor Elizabeth Aranda, and Amy Godshall, ACLU of FL Legal Fellow for the Immigrants’ Rights Campaign. This event will occur Tuesday, September 9 from 6-7:30 at Allendale UMC in the Sanctuary. We will also livestream the event and have the recording available afterwards. This event will be open to league members and the community. Registration link coming soon.    
  3. Historic Trolley Tour of the St. Pete African American Heritage Trail: Join us for a members-only trolley tour of the St. Pete African American Heritage Trail on Saturday, October 4 at 10 am. This tour provides an overview of African American influence and history in St. Pete. The trolley tour is limited to 20 attendees and LWVSPA members only. Sign-up here. 
  4. Exclusive LWVSPA Tour of the newly renovated Florida Holocaust Museum on Tuesday, October 21 at 5:30 pm: Join the LWVSPA for a members-only private tour of The Florida Holocaust Museum, which is reopening in September after going through extensive renovations and updates. The tour is limited to the first 60 registrants. Register here: Florida Holocaust Museum Tour.  
  5. Heads up! Advocacy Training Workshop coming in October. LWVSPA members only.
  6. Save the date! The St. Pete MLK Parade will be on Monday, January 19. Come march with us! We will send the sign-up information around soon. 

Calls to Action 

  1. Send Message to Shut Down “Alligator Alcatraz”: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/shut-down-alligator-alcatraz 
  2. Hold Congress Accountable for the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted in early July. As members of Congress are now home at home with us constituents, it’s time for us to let them know how we feel about the bill, particularly the increase of funding for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Contact Your Representatives
  3. Urge Congress to Stand Up for Democracy. Congress must act now to restore the stability of our nation before it’s too late. This February, Leagues from all 50 states and DC wrote to Congress demanding they take action. Now, you can make your voice heard. Urge your members of Congress to stand up for our democracy.
  4. Reject Anti-Voter Policies. The House of Representatives passed the so-called Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require citizenship documentation to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering. The SAVE Act would create one more barrier to the voting process, as many eligible voters do not have easy access to the necessary documents. Tell your Senators to oppose the SAVE Act.

Volunteers Needed 

Please sign up to volunteer for any of these activities on our Social Justice Take Action Sign-Up Sheet

  1. Meet with our members of Congress: We’re looking for LWVSPA delegations to arrange meetings with Rep. Luna, Rep. Castor, and the offices of Senators Scott and Moody. During these meetings, the LWVSPA delegation would discuss LWV’s opposition to the increase of funding for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Divide up and assign each member talking points, using these LWVUS resources: Playbook 2 ICE Funding Resources or our Talking Points: The “One Big Beautiful Bill”. We would like at least 5 or more volunteers for this. 
  2. Write Letters to the Editor: We’re looking for LWVSPA members to submit letters to the Tampa Bay Times about our social justice work. We’d like at least one letter to the editor per month. You can use the linked resources above, and team leads will help you identify a topic and will review the content.
  3. Write a blog for LWVSPA Members and Supporters: Write an explainer article for the September issue of The Voter, LWVSPA’s monthly newsletter, which would subsequently be used as a blog post on the LWVSPA website; list actions Leaguers can take. Use linked resources above

News Worth Sharing 

  1. ACLU, Sanctuary of the South, etc. sues to gain access to “Alligator Alcatraz”: Court is expected to make a ruling on the motion for a preliminary injunction at the hearing on August 18: Groups sue administration over lack of access to counsel for people held in Florida’s Everglades detention facility. Read more here about the procedural hearing that was held on Monday, July 28: Everglades Detention Facility Lawsuit  
  2. In Orlando, immigration advocates and community leaders show up in force to urge city commissioners to end the county’s partnership with U.S. ICE (known as 287(g)): Orange County was one of many Florida counties to have signed the 287(g) agreement which allows local county/ city police and sheriff departments to cooperate with ICE and temporarily house ICE detainees. Immigration advocates in Orlando call on County to rescind ICE detention agreement
  3. Gallup Poll offers positive immigration outlook amongst US adults:  Over the past year, Americans have grown more positive towards immigration – with a record high 79% of US adults considering immigration good for the country, based on a June Gallup poll. The same poll showed 62% of adults disapprove of the current administration’s handling of immigrants. US pulse on immigration 

In League, 

Robin Davidov, Carla Vila, and Jackie Azis