“Unapologetic” Film Screening and Discussion – TWO SHOWINGS

Santa Cruz Black’s BLACK on Screen final film for 2025

Tuesday • October 21 • Capitola Library • 2005 Wharf Rd • Capitola
Wednesday • October 22 • Resource Center for Nonviolence • 612 Ocean St • Santa Cruz
Doors open at 6 pm, film at 6:30 pm
Wheelchair accessible • Donation • RSVP requested

Through a deeply personal lens, filmmaker Ashley O’Shay shows us two passionate, social justice warriors, Janaé Bonsu and Ambrell Gambrell, who use very different methods– one an academic, the other an artistic, street-level organizer. By interweaving their private lives—family struggles, grief, and moments of vulnerability—with footage of protests, organizing meetings, and confrontations with institutional power, we are drawn into an intimate portrait of activism as both life-affirming and costly. Juxtaposing the raw energy of protest with the slow, bureaucratic machinery of official hearings and mayoral politics, Unapologetic situates its protagonists within a larger historical continuum, insisting that their fight is not just political, but existential.

The film asks how activists like Bonsu and Gambrell sustain their work amid emotional and systemic exhaustion, and whether change is possible from within the very institutions that harm their communities. It questions whose voices are centered in movements for Black liberation and how gender, queerness, and class complicate solidarity. Most crucially, it challenges viewers to consider what being “unapologetic” demands of those who resist—refusing respectability politics and embracing the discomfort of speaking truth to power.

To register for the Capitola screening click here

To register for the RCNV, Santa Cruz screening, click here

“Let the Caged Bird Sing lll” – a Benefit Concert for Survivors

Sunday •  Oct 12  •  5 – 7 PM  •  Ticketed event  •  wheelchair accessible
Kuumbwa Jazz Center • 320-2 Cedar St • Santa Cruz

Musical Soulmates and Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center are proud to co-produce the third annual Let the Caged Bird Sing — a powerful concert in support of survivors during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
This year they are taking a bold step forward, bringing the community into Kuumbwa Jazz Center for an evening of Neo-Soul, joy, and collective healing. The evening is designed to uplift, empower, and honor survivors — while acknowledging the broader connections between colonialism, racism, and domestic violence. 

Musical Soulmates Performers Collaborative honors the legacy of Black composers and centers Black performers and performers of color, cultivating authentic community relationships and creating music that empowers and heals.
Walnut Avenue Family and Women’s Center has served Santa Cruz County for over 90 years, providing essential services for survivors of domestic violence, early childhood education, and programs that build healthy relationships.

Tickets HERE

Stop AB 715 with AROC Action (Arab Resource and Organizing Center Action)

AB 715 is a deeply flawed bill designed to censor any criticism of Israel and any education about Palestinian histories, struggles against colonization, and erasure. Despite the bill being shelved in July because of overwhelming public opposition, its authors are still trying to revive it. Take action by sending an email to your California State Senator and Assemblymember in opposition to this dangerous bill. (Arab Resource and Organizing Center)

Please see the AROC Action website for ways to take action!

Phone Bank with SURJ National

SURJ National is hosting phone banks to elect progressive champion Zohran Mamdani,  who is running to be Mayor of NYC, and to take back the the Virginia Governorship from MAGA by backing Democrat Abigail Spanberger.

Phone bank signups:

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Logistics:

  • These phone banks are online on the Zoom platform. Log into the call on Zoom on your computer and bring your phone to make the calls (if you only have one device, still come!).
  • SURJ has a robust training on the call to give you all the information you need– a script, technical support, and coaching throughout.
  • Returners can start early.
  • You will receive an email with orientation materials ahead of time.
  • Please note the time zone for call time.

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Feeling Unsure?

  • Our model works – learn from the best! Our phone banks have one of the highest rates of success in the country. No matter whether you’re brand new caller or a seasoned organizer, if you join our banks, you can trust that you are putting your effort into a method that works. And you’ll get to learn powerful organizing skills from seasoned leaders!
  • SURJ conversations are based on open-ended questions and deep listening. You do not need to be an expert on the issues or a candidate – our phone banks are successful because we deeply connect with voters and make them feel heard.
  • Want to hear what a phonebank is like? Check out this video interviewing SURJ phonebankers.

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Context

We are living in a historic time of the consolidation of authoritarian, billionaire-funded power in this country. At the same time, at every turn, regular people have risen up, fought back, and set a vision for what working people deserve: affordable healthcare, good schools, the right to live in our communities without fear. Since Trump’s election, SURJ has been a part of meeting this moment, from training thousands of white people in strategic noncompliance to fight ICE raids to recruiting thousands of newly-activated people into our movement.

As they defund the social safety net and peddle more racist lies, millions of people are increasingly feeling the effects of the billionaire agenda. We know this fight is on multiple fronts, and this fall we have an opportunity to harness the energy of the streets and rising resentment towards November’s elections – to not only wrest power from MAGA, but to put candidates in office who are willing to stand up to Trump and fight for working class people.

Virginia has never gone for Trump in a presidential election, but in 2022 elected a MAGA-aligned former CEO worth nearly $500 million to the governor’s office who has opened the gates in Virginia for Trump’s agenda – from pushing a sweeping anti-trans, anti-DEI agenda across the state to rolling back environmental protections. We’ll be organizing white working class Virginian’s to stop MAGA’s state-by-state takeover.

This race will affect millions of working class people this year and help set the tone going into the 2026 midterms. Alongside our partners across the country, this is the time for our movements to offer a bold vision and bring our people into it.

Get the Flock Out of our Cities! Next Action Jan 13th

ALERT: GTFO is on the Santa Cruz City Council agenda for THIS TUESDAY, January 13th. Emails requested in advance and estimated time to show up is 3:30.
Details here: https://mailchi.mp/596feaeecdec/gtfo-dec8th-6120640?e=5b2fd2acc2

From our January 2026 newsletter:

At an upcoming January meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council will have an item on the agenda regarding Flock ALPRs (automated license plate readers).  We need your help to continue to pressure the Council to cancel their contract with Flock Safety – Get the Flock Out of Santa Cruz!

Get the Flock Out is against Flock ALPRs and their massive invasion of privacy in Santa Cruz County. The fight has become more urgent with the current federal administration’s attempts to terrorize all immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, journalists, activists and women; and to build huge databases with detailed information about the entire population (yes, that includes you).

As reported in multiple news articles, our local police departments, including the Santa Cruz and Capitola PD’s, have repeatedly violated state and local sanctuary law by allowing ICE, CBP, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies access to the databases fed and controlled by Flock Safety, a nefarious corporation that is unserious about data security, with close ties to the Trump administration. We have also discovered that Flock cameras and/or databases are easily hacked and may be available to criminal and foreign actors on the dark web. The only way to guarantee that our personal information will not be shared with wrongdoers is to turn off the cameras.

The Santa Cruz City Council will be discussing the Flock cameras at an upcoming meeting. We don’t yet know if this will be on the agenda on Jan 13, or if this matter will be delayed until the meeting on Jan 27th. We are working with members of the council to find out when Flock will be up for a vote – we will send out another email blast when we know the details. 
 

From now until then, we ask you to continue to pressure the Council to cancel the Flock contract. Email citycouncil@santacruzca.gov (Note: email submitted to this address is public record.)

Please sign our Change.org petition and share it with your friends. 

Please pencil in Jan 13th and Jan 27th on your calendar, and be ready to move.  

For lots more information about ALPRs, including an action toolkit, see https://www.gettheflockout.org/.

Background

Flock automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are now installed in at least 5,000 communities across the United States. Police and sheriffs departments are already misusing the data collected, and highly questionable searches and data transfers have occurred in high numbers. 

ICE and Homeland Security are accessing this data–indeed, the readers in the city of Santa Cruz were supposed to be obtained through a Department of Homeland Security grant, but that money came out of the general fund instead. Now, the SCPD is hoping to install 14 more ALPRs through DHS grants. One woman was tracked through the national Flock system by a Texas police department after having an abortion. Police departments and federal agencies already share a casual culture of camaraderie and data sharing.

Our city councils and other government bodies should remove these cameras ASAP. We do not need to contribute to the mass surveillance infrastructure in this nation, especially under an authoritarian regime. See this Moment of Truth Dispatch article for more.

Actions you can take to remove ALPRs from your community:

  1. Sign on to our campaign! Please email us at GTFOSCC@proton.me to add your name, title and/or organization as a supporter of this campaign (or if you have questions)
  2. Send a letter to Santa Cruz, Watsonville, and Capitola City Councils. Please copy/paste the template in ths toolkit. Add/edit/amend as you see fit.
    • Do you live elsewhere in Santa Cruz County, and want to email your elected officials? Click here.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP ALL OF US SAFE BY SPEAKING OUT AGAINST ALPRS!!!

ICONS: Black Women Illuminated

Saturday  •  Sept 20  •  8 PM  •  Ticketed Event • Wheelchair accessible
The 418 Project • 155 S. River St •  Santa Cruz

A cabaret-style performance celebrating the legacy of 20th-century Black women artists.

This evocative tribute is more than a show. It is a living testament to Black women who broke barriers, redefined artistic expression, and asserted their rightful place in history. It is a ceremony of remembrance and a passing of the torch, illuminating the path forward for the generations to come.

Through a dynamic fusion of song, dance, aerial artistry, burlesque, and spoken word, this all-Black women and gender-expansive cast from across California brings to life a vibrant, embodied exploration of lineage, liberation, and unapologetic creative power. Interwoven throughout the show, short documentary films reveal the artists’ reflections on their inspirations and journeys, reminding us to honor our own voices.

ONE NIGHT ONLY

The velvet-lit speakeasy opens its doors, with live jazz from the Mo’Zaic Band ushering us back in time as we travel through a kaleidoscope of eras and inspirations. Dress to the nines and experience a ritual of connection: to yourself, to each other, and to the foremothers who came before.
 

TICKETS HERE

“Compensation” Film Screening and Discussion – TWO SHOWINGS

Santa Cruz Black’s BLACK on Screen film offering for September

Tuesday • September 16 • Capitola Library • 2005 Wharf Rd • Capitola
Wednesday, September 17 • Resource Center for Nonviolence • 612 Ocean St • Santa Cruz
Doors open at 6 pm, film at 6:30 pm
Wheelchair accessible • Donation • RSVP requested

What does it mean to fall into a forbidden love? When your friends don’t understand or approve of your choices? What does it mean to live fully, despite fatal epidemics, whether AIDS of the 1990s or tuberculosis of the previous century?

How do we navigate the intersection of Blackness, deafness, happiness, status, and class identity?   

These are the questions the film, Compensation, by Zeinabu irene Davis poses for her characters, one century apart. Part of the Los Angeles Rebellion movement of independent films, 2025 is the first year audiences have been invited to see it as a theatrical release and newly restored in 4K. Deftly woven into this narrative film is archival footage which anchors the viewing experience in history.

Community discussion to follow the screening. Watch trailer HERE (scroll down for trailer)

This is Santa Cruz Black’s BLACK On Screen offering for September.
RSVP for the Capitola showing HERE
RSVP for the RCNV showing HERE

Redistribute Wealth: Center for Farmworker Families

Each month SURJ Santa Cruz County suggests a local organization that is doing excellent work strengthening racial and economic justice in our county. If you’re able, please consider making a donation– healthy for you, healthy for our community. Thank you!

The Center for Farmworker Families commits to raising awareness about the challenging circumstances farmworker families face, while actively working to improve financial stability, physical health, and overall well-being.

They realize this purpose by engaging in the following activities:

  • Educating the public about farmworkers’ challenging circumstances.
  • Supporting projects that promote financial and nutritional well-being and independence.
  • Examining and advocating for changes to the federal and state legal structure that governs farmworkers.
  • Promoting the educational advancement of farmworkers and their family members.
  • Participating in research and education. 

DONATE HERE

Fierce Vulnerabilities with Kazu Haga

Event 1: Book Talk + Community Gathering
Friday, August 22 | 6:00–7:30pm

Event 2: Fierce Vulnerability Training + Lunch
Saturday, August 23 | 10:00am–4:00pm

Resource Center for Nonviolence • 612 Ocean St •  Santa Cruz
Wheelchair accessible


Resource Center for Nonviolence is honored to welcome author and activist Kazu Haga for two transformative events deeply grounded in his new book, Fierce Vulnerability: Healing from Trauma, Emerging through Collapse. These gatherings offer powerful opportunities to explore healing, resilience, and courageous community building. 

Friday’s event, Book Talk + Community Gathering, will be an evening of reflection, Q&A, and conversation centered on the themes of Fierce Vulnerability.

Saturday’s event, Fierce Vulnerability Training + Lunch will be an immersive daylong workshop with Kazu Haga, offering practical tools for healing trauma, embracing vulnerability, and building resilient movements.