#BLM B-town's 2020 Projects
BLM B-town has created an Anti-Racist Policy Training for our City and County Elected Officials. They have yet to confirm. Call them to tell them to TAKE THE TRAINING!!!
Call your elected officials and tell them to TAKE THE TRAINING!!!
Call script: Hello BLM B-town invited you to take an Anti-Racist Policy Training to provide a understanding of Anti-racism from the perspective of Black people living within the Bloomington Community. We heard you had not committed to that training, can you promise or commit to that training right now? If No; given the recent attempted lynching why you wouldn't take that training?
If they say “we don’t have the money” tell them: “Sell the Bearcat because what you put our money to shows what you value, we are telling you to value Black Lives and Anti-racism. Find the money and TAKE THE TRAINING!!!
Why is this training important?
How can our elected official make the critical anti-racist policy changes IF they don't know how. Given we only have 3 Black elected officials (not counting a judge & school board member) in the city & county how are we sure any of the other elected know ANYTHING about racism let alone how to become Anti-racist OR how to create Anti-Racist policies. Especially in the county where many of the county commissioners and county council members have expressed no interest in the BLM movement or the move to defund our local police. Some even advocated for more sheriffs the DAY before the Enough is Enough protest. Clearly our Mayor and Prosecutor could use some policy training help! The city of Bloomington has a track record of outsourcing their training or information gathering from people who DO NOT LIVE in Bloomington. INSTEAD of relying on local Black folks.
CALL THEM TELL THEM TO TAKE THE TRAINING. BLM wrote a call script to combat their protests. IF all the say to you over and over again is we do not have the money tell them where they put YOUR MONEY reveals what they value. Again it is YOUR money. Tell them to spend it on leaving how to become an Anti-Racist and how to enact that learning into policy.
Call script: Hello BLM B-town invited you to take an Anti-Racist Policy Training to provide a understanding of Anti-racism from the perspective of Black people living within the Bloomington Community. We heard you had not committed to that training, can you promise or commit to that training right now? If No; given the recent attempted lynching why you wouldn't take that training?
If they say “we don’t have the money” tell them: “Sell the Bearcat because what you put our money to shows what you value, we are telling you to value Black Lives and Anti-racism. Find the money and TAKE THE TRAINING!!!
Why is this training important?
How can our elected official make the critical anti-racist policy changes IF they don't know how. Given we only have 3 Black elected officials (not counting a judge & school board member) in the city & county how are we sure any of the other elected know ANYTHING about racism let alone how to become Anti-racist OR how to create Anti-Racist policies. Especially in the county where many of the county commissioners and county council members have expressed no interest in the BLM movement or the move to defund our local police. Some even advocated for more sheriffs the DAY before the Enough is Enough protest. Clearly our Mayor and Prosecutor could use some policy training help! The city of Bloomington has a track record of outsourcing their training or information gathering from people who DO NOT LIVE in Bloomington. INSTEAD of relying on local Black folks.
CALL THEM TELL THEM TO TAKE THE TRAINING. BLM wrote a call script to combat their protests. IF all the say to you over and over again is we do not have the money tell them where they put YOUR MONEY reveals what they value. Again it is YOUR money. Tell them to spend it on leaving how to become an Anti-Racist and how to enact that learning into policy.
"The Hate We Tolerate: BLM-Btown Statement on Anti-Black Violence, July 6, 2020."
As the long-overdue national recognition that Black lives matter increases, so, too, does the backlash of anti-Black violence. Bloomington, despite its progressive aspirations, is not immune.
Though the violence Black Bloomingtonians face is often less virulent (and less visible) than in other parts of the nation, our city still propagates an insidious neoliberal racism that keeps our police overfunded, our schools segregated, and our farmers’ market full of dangerous racists. Combined with more explicit calls to violence coming from national leaders, including the President, we are seeing an escalation in violence even here. The City of Bloomington and Monroe County at large are showing, if nothing else, a high level of tolerance for white supremacy that continues to foster violence against Black bodies. Many progressives in our community pride themselves on tolerance.
But, when it comes to white supremacy, we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: how much hate should we tolerate?
In the last week, there have been three racist incidences that have taken place in or around Bloomington. These incidents show an escalation of violence, and law enforcement’s complicity in that system of violence.
-July 1, 2020: Black IU football players on a boat at Lake Monroe are racially profiled by the white occupants of another boat at the lake, and by responding DNR Officers. (https://www.idsnews.com/…/arrest-at-lake-monroe-spurs-iu-fo…)
-July 3, 2020: Darwin “Dee” Davis, Jr., a lifelong Bloomingtonian and Bloomington South basketball star, is profiled while walking in his own neighborhood. He was stopped by an off-duty Lawrence County police officer, and forced to produce ID for “walking while Black.” Davis recorded and then recounted the experience on his Twitter Feed. (https://twitter.com/DeeDavisX/status/1279107572092620801).
-July 4, 2020: Vauhxx Rush Booker of the Bloomington Human Rights Commission is assaulted in an obvious hate crime at Lake Monroe. Mr. Booker was physically assaulted by no fewer than five white men who expressed an intention to lynch him. They jumped him from behind, pinned him to a tree, beat him, and repeatedly called for someone to get a noose, all while yelling racial slurs. Video footage shows Mr. Booker’s white friends pleading with the men to let Booker go. Friends of the would-be lynch mob also stepped in, begging them to stop what they were doing. White allies recording the incident were themselves assaulted for daring to record the event. 911 dispatchers sent DNR officers to Lake Monroe. DNR declined to arrest Booker’s assailants, claiming the Prosecutor’s office had told them “there was no immediate need to arrest anyone, and that the officers would simply file a report.”(https://www.facebook.com/vauhxx/posts/10222147157086001)
Bloomington: what level of white supremacy are YOU willing to tolerate? In just the last week, Black Bloomingtonians have been threatened and harassed on three separate occasions. Each time, this mistreatment of Black people was either co-signed or perpetrated by local law enforcement. This sends a clear message that in the City of Bloomington, and in Monroe County, anti-Black violence up to--and possibly including--public lynchings is acceptable.
In two of these situations, there were people who were willing to intervene where law enforcement did not. There were people who were NOT willing to tolerate this level of violence. This is a principle of community defense in action.
These recent examples make it absolutely clear that Bloomington and Monroe County do not need more police. Police do not make BIPOC and other marginalized people safer. What Bloomington and Monroe County need are more community members who will not allow this sort of violence to happen, and who will hold the authorities accountable for their support and tolerance of white supremacy.
In line with our overall commitment to de-policing our communities, and in light of the past week’s events, BLM-Btown demands that:
1). The attack on Mr. Booker must be immediately investigated as a hate crime.
2). The officers involved in all three of these incidents must be investigated and disciplined before their prejudice and negligence threatens the lives and safety of more Black people.
3). Monroe County must commit to investigating its relationship with the DNR, as they have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to support anti-Black violence on Lake Monroe.
4). The City and County must commit to a freeze on all law enforcement hires, effective immediately.
5). Both the City and the County must commit to specific training in dismantling white supremacy in their policy and funding decisions to disrupt their long history of damage to BIPOC communities.
This is just the beginning of the kinds of actions the city and county we call home must take to demonstrate that they value the health, the safety, and the lives of their Black residents. If Bloomington wants to claim the label of “Safe and Civil,” our City needs to make this a reality for Black Bloomingtonians as well.
Core Council, BLM-Btown
Please contact the following individuals and offices to demand justice for Mr. Davis and Mr. Booker, and to insist on equity for ALL Black Bloomingtonians:
Erica Oliphant: Monroe County Prosecutor
eoliphant@co.monroe.in.us
301 N. College Ave, Room 211
Bloomington, IN 47404
Open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm
Phone: 812-349-2670
Fax: 812-349-2725
Monroe County Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
402 West Washington Street
Room W160A, Indianapolis 46204
317-232-4200 or 877-463-6367
Open 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Monroe County Sheriff's Department
301 North College Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47404
812-349-2780
Bloomington Police Department
220 E 3rd Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
812-339-4477
Monroe County Council
Hollers, Margaret Administrative Assistant mhollers@co.monroe.in.us 812-349-2569
Deckard, Trent County Council Member - At-Large trentdeckard@co.monroe.in.us 812-360-2110
Hawk, Marty County Council Member - District 3 mhawk@co.monroe.in.us 812-876-4545
Iversen, Peter County Council Member - District 1 piversen@co.monroe.in.us 812-345-7486
McKim, Geoff County Council Member - At-Large gmckim@co.monroe.in.us 812-360-7981
Munson, Cheryl County Council Member - At-Large cmunson@co.monroe.in.us 812-325-3407
Shell, Kim Budget Administrator kshell@co.monroe.in.us 812-349-2516
Spoonmore, Eric County Council President - District 4 espoonmore@co.monroe.in.us 812-219-1910
Wiltz, Kate County Council President Pro Tempore - District 2 lkwiltz@co.monroe.in.us 812-679-8718
City of Bloomington Council
council@bloomington.in.gov
Ron Smith
Council District III Representative
4325 Weymouth Lane
Bloomington IN 47408
(o:) 812.349.3409
ron.smith@bloomington.in.gov
Susan Sandberg
At-Large Representative
2201 N. Fritz Drive
Bloomington, IN 47408
(c:) 812.320.8552
(o:) 812.349.3409
sandbers@bloomington.in.gov
Dave Rollo
District IV Representative
1200 S. Nancy
Bloomington IN 47401
(o:) 812.349.3409
rollod@bloomington.in.gov
Sue Gambelluri
Council District II Representative
3909 N Whitewood Way
Bloomington, IN 47404
(o:) 812-349-3409
sue.sgambelluri@bloomington.in.gov
Matt Flaherty
Council At-Large Representative
363 S. Madison Street
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812-349-3409
(c:) 812-558-0244
matt.flaherty@bloomington.in.gov
Kate Rosenbarger
Council District I Representative
808 W. Howe St.,
Bloomington IN 47403
(o:) 812.349.3409
kate.rosenbarger@bloomington.in.gov
Isabel Piedmont-Smith
Parliamentarian and District V Representative
1108 S. Rogers
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812.349.3409
piedmoni@bloomington.in.gov
Stephen Volan
President and District VI Representative
514 East University
Bloomington, IN 47401
(o1:) 812.333.0900
(Council Office:) 812.349.3409
volans@bloomington.in.gov
Jim Sims
Council Vice President and At-Large Representative
500 S. Westwood Dr.
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812-349-3409
simsji@bloomington.in.gov
Though the violence Black Bloomingtonians face is often less virulent (and less visible) than in other parts of the nation, our city still propagates an insidious neoliberal racism that keeps our police overfunded, our schools segregated, and our farmers’ market full of dangerous racists. Combined with more explicit calls to violence coming from national leaders, including the President, we are seeing an escalation in violence even here. The City of Bloomington and Monroe County at large are showing, if nothing else, a high level of tolerance for white supremacy that continues to foster violence against Black bodies. Many progressives in our community pride themselves on tolerance.
But, when it comes to white supremacy, we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves: how much hate should we tolerate?
In the last week, there have been three racist incidences that have taken place in or around Bloomington. These incidents show an escalation of violence, and law enforcement’s complicity in that system of violence.
-July 1, 2020: Black IU football players on a boat at Lake Monroe are racially profiled by the white occupants of another boat at the lake, and by responding DNR Officers. (https://www.idsnews.com/…/arrest-at-lake-monroe-spurs-iu-fo…)
-July 3, 2020: Darwin “Dee” Davis, Jr., a lifelong Bloomingtonian and Bloomington South basketball star, is profiled while walking in his own neighborhood. He was stopped by an off-duty Lawrence County police officer, and forced to produce ID for “walking while Black.” Davis recorded and then recounted the experience on his Twitter Feed. (https://twitter.com/DeeDavisX/status/1279107572092620801).
-July 4, 2020: Vauhxx Rush Booker of the Bloomington Human Rights Commission is assaulted in an obvious hate crime at Lake Monroe. Mr. Booker was physically assaulted by no fewer than five white men who expressed an intention to lynch him. They jumped him from behind, pinned him to a tree, beat him, and repeatedly called for someone to get a noose, all while yelling racial slurs. Video footage shows Mr. Booker’s white friends pleading with the men to let Booker go. Friends of the would-be lynch mob also stepped in, begging them to stop what they were doing. White allies recording the incident were themselves assaulted for daring to record the event. 911 dispatchers sent DNR officers to Lake Monroe. DNR declined to arrest Booker’s assailants, claiming the Prosecutor’s office had told them “there was no immediate need to arrest anyone, and that the officers would simply file a report.”(https://www.facebook.com/vauhxx/posts/10222147157086001)
Bloomington: what level of white supremacy are YOU willing to tolerate? In just the last week, Black Bloomingtonians have been threatened and harassed on three separate occasions. Each time, this mistreatment of Black people was either co-signed or perpetrated by local law enforcement. This sends a clear message that in the City of Bloomington, and in Monroe County, anti-Black violence up to--and possibly including--public lynchings is acceptable.
In two of these situations, there were people who were willing to intervene where law enforcement did not. There were people who were NOT willing to tolerate this level of violence. This is a principle of community defense in action.
These recent examples make it absolutely clear that Bloomington and Monroe County do not need more police. Police do not make BIPOC and other marginalized people safer. What Bloomington and Monroe County need are more community members who will not allow this sort of violence to happen, and who will hold the authorities accountable for their support and tolerance of white supremacy.
In line with our overall commitment to de-policing our communities, and in light of the past week’s events, BLM-Btown demands that:
1). The attack on Mr. Booker must be immediately investigated as a hate crime.
2). The officers involved in all three of these incidents must be investigated and disciplined before their prejudice and negligence threatens the lives and safety of more Black people.
3). Monroe County must commit to investigating its relationship with the DNR, as they have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to support anti-Black violence on Lake Monroe.
4). The City and County must commit to a freeze on all law enforcement hires, effective immediately.
5). Both the City and the County must commit to specific training in dismantling white supremacy in their policy and funding decisions to disrupt their long history of damage to BIPOC communities.
This is just the beginning of the kinds of actions the city and county we call home must take to demonstrate that they value the health, the safety, and the lives of their Black residents. If Bloomington wants to claim the label of “Safe and Civil,” our City needs to make this a reality for Black Bloomingtonians as well.
Core Council, BLM-Btown
Please contact the following individuals and offices to demand justice for Mr. Davis and Mr. Booker, and to insist on equity for ALL Black Bloomingtonians:
Erica Oliphant: Monroe County Prosecutor
eoliphant@co.monroe.in.us
301 N. College Ave, Room 211
Bloomington, IN 47404
Open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm
Phone: 812-349-2670
Fax: 812-349-2725
Monroe County Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
402 West Washington Street
Room W160A, Indianapolis 46204
317-232-4200 or 877-463-6367
Open 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Monroe County Sheriff's Department
301 North College Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47404
812-349-2780
Bloomington Police Department
220 E 3rd Street
Bloomington, IN 47401
812-339-4477
Monroe County Council
Hollers, Margaret Administrative Assistant mhollers@co.monroe.in.us 812-349-2569
Deckard, Trent County Council Member - At-Large trentdeckard@co.monroe.in.us 812-360-2110
Hawk, Marty County Council Member - District 3 mhawk@co.monroe.in.us 812-876-4545
Iversen, Peter County Council Member - District 1 piversen@co.monroe.in.us 812-345-7486
McKim, Geoff County Council Member - At-Large gmckim@co.monroe.in.us 812-360-7981
Munson, Cheryl County Council Member - At-Large cmunson@co.monroe.in.us 812-325-3407
Shell, Kim Budget Administrator kshell@co.monroe.in.us 812-349-2516
Spoonmore, Eric County Council President - District 4 espoonmore@co.monroe.in.us 812-219-1910
Wiltz, Kate County Council President Pro Tempore - District 2 lkwiltz@co.monroe.in.us 812-679-8718
City of Bloomington Council
council@bloomington.in.gov
Ron Smith
Council District III Representative
4325 Weymouth Lane
Bloomington IN 47408
(o:) 812.349.3409
ron.smith@bloomington.in.gov
Susan Sandberg
At-Large Representative
2201 N. Fritz Drive
Bloomington, IN 47408
(c:) 812.320.8552
(o:) 812.349.3409
sandbers@bloomington.in.gov
Dave Rollo
District IV Representative
1200 S. Nancy
Bloomington IN 47401
(o:) 812.349.3409
rollod@bloomington.in.gov
Sue Gambelluri
Council District II Representative
3909 N Whitewood Way
Bloomington, IN 47404
(o:) 812-349-3409
sue.sgambelluri@bloomington.in.gov
Matt Flaherty
Council At-Large Representative
363 S. Madison Street
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812-349-3409
(c:) 812-558-0244
matt.flaherty@bloomington.in.gov
Kate Rosenbarger
Council District I Representative
808 W. Howe St.,
Bloomington IN 47403
(o:) 812.349.3409
kate.rosenbarger@bloomington.in.gov
Isabel Piedmont-Smith
Parliamentarian and District V Representative
1108 S. Rogers
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812.349.3409
piedmoni@bloomington.in.gov
Stephen Volan
President and District VI Representative
514 East University
Bloomington, IN 47401
(o1:) 812.333.0900
(Council Office:) 812.349.3409
volans@bloomington.in.gov
Jim Sims
Council Vice President and At-Large Representative
500 S. Westwood Dr.
Bloomington, IN 47403
(o:) 812-349-3409
simsji@bloomington.in.gov
BLM B-town Juneteenth Celebration Friday June 19th 2020
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BLM B-town Juneteenth Celebration
Registration for Food and Space will happen soon please remember that this is a Black Community event! We will be giving priority to Black Community members. MAKE SURE TO REGISTER to get food & drinks https://form.jotform.com/201628371229050 June 19th 2020 4:00 pm TO 8:00 pm In Rev Butler Park 812 W 9th st Bloomington IN Food: BLM will be providing FREE FOOD! Fish & Chicken Wings, tons of sides & veggie options, dessert, other snacks and drinks & Traditional Juneteeth food like Strawberry Soda, Red Velvet Cake & Watermelon! Music and Entertainment: Poets Include Duléa.& Adrianne Embry Drag Performances by Mocha Debeaute, Tia Mirage Hall, & Pat Yo Weave Musical Acts: Allison Victoria & Royalty Prince Tribute Band OUR DJ is DMOSE -Darran Mosely Speeches by BLM Core Council & other local Black Leaders First Aid Training: by local Street Medics COVID19 Safety: THIS IS A SOCIAL DISTANCING EVENT All attendees must wear masks we will provide some FREE masks but please bring your own if you can. We will have hand sanitizer and hand washing stations available Along with social distance makings to help people stay 6-8 feet away from each other. All food will be prepared by those using COVID safety protocols and all food will be individually packages for people. Because we are in a park please bring your own camp chairs or blankets to sit on. |
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Black Against the Wall:
Black life and death; virtual protest against state sponsored violence during COVID19 and beyond.
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Black Against the Wall:
Black life and death; virtual protest against state sponsored violence during COVID19 and beyond. BLM Bloomington Core Council will be in discussion about the intersection of Covid19 death rates for Black folks & the recent public lynchings and murders of Black people. As well as discussing, what we should be doing during this time of crisis, Black Joy in spite of Black death. Revolution, dismantling the police force & more. We also hope to provide an educational place to work from for fueling the movement. This is a continuation of our efforts to promote anti-racist work & educate people on how to become an anti-racist. June 6th 2020 at 3:00 pm on Facebook Live Our protest will be about 90 mins Visit the link for the event on Sat. www.facebook.com/blacklivesmatterbtown/posts/3865770443464840 The event will be recorded and put out on all of our socials & website. IF you would like to submit questions or discussion topics PLEASE email BLM before Sat we will vet the questions & try to answer as many as we can. Email: blacklivesmatterbtown@gmail.com |
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Dignity Bags Supply Drive & Donate to BLM B-town
Dignity Bags Supply Dive
BLM Bloomington is doing a supply drive to create dignity bags for local folks in need. June 1st to June 30th Please drop supplies off at: Unitarian Universalist Church 2120 N Fee Ln, Bloomington, IN 47408 Order online or buy locally! the supplies we need are: reusable water bottles, lip balm, disposable razors, tissue packets, 1st aid items (band-aids, alcohol swabs, etc), socks acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin (individual packets), washcloths, rain gear (ponchos, umbrellas, tarps, tents), non-perishable snacks (individual sized cookies, peanuts, trail mix, etc), AA batteries, LED flashlights, sunscreen SPF 30 or higher https://www.facebook.com/events/261150398298454/ BLM Donations Do you wanna donate to BLM Bloomington? Please vemno us @BLM-BTOWN WE plan to use our donations to support Black folks in our community, Black causes, other BLM organizations, & BLM Events like our necessity drives, Seat at the Table & more. Currently we are collecting funds to support our Dignity Bags Supply Drive & to send funds to our comrades protesting the murder of George Floyd, Dreasjon Reed, Breonna Taylor. https://www.facebook.com/events/941120276359279/ Additionally you can go shop at Hopscotch Coffee and donate using their digital tip jar! So go order some amazing coffee, tea or juice and donate to BLM too! |
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BLM B-town calls for a total boycott of the HT & the city run market
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READ our Blog Post Press Release HERE (click for link)
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Black Perspective
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Black Arts & Crafts NIGHT!!!This is an event for black folks only of all ages so of course children are welcome!
Come celebrate Black History Month with us in a fun and creative way. We will have some paints, drawing material and other arts and crafts but PLEASE bring you own crafts to do with us! Plus we will have black history coloring pages! 
2020 Confronting White Supremacy: The Negative Peace of White Liberalism
Click title or link https://youtu.be/z7vUHKf8mwU Jada Bee's talk Confronting White Supremacy: The Negative Peace of White Liberalism was held at The UU Church of Bloomington IN via the Dismantling White Supremacy Working Group. Jada was the guest speaker for a grounding in how to become an anti-racist & confront white supremacy from a black perspective. 01-19-2020 Jada Bee is a member of the core council of BLM B-town. 
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BLM's B-town Videos
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Fundraising for #BLM events & philanthropy
#BLM B-town functions as a not-for-profit; while we are still in the process of acquiring that status officially, we take in NO money for ourselves, and we do fundraise for projects and programs we wish to see take shape. What we do raise goes directly to the work we are doing here in Bloomington and the world. We both partner with local organizations and groups to fundraise, but we also welcome direct contributions from the public. Click this link to find out how to donate to #BLM B-town and learn about where your money goes. |
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