What does accountability mean?

We accept the challenge that writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo lays out: It is white people’s responsibility to use our racial privilege to dismantle white supremacy.  We believe that it is also white people’s responsibility to educate ourselves about systemic, institutional and interpersonal racism and it is white people’s responsibility to excavate our own personal legacy of racism.  Though white people have the responsibility to organize other white people to show up for racial justice, we do so in relationships of accountability with people of color led organizations.  We ask ourselves the question that Ijeoma Oluo asks about whether our actions are merely symbolic. She reminds us to ask ourselves: “Can the people we are in solidarity with feel this? Can they spend this? Can they eat this? Does this actually help them in any way?” Showing up is NOT for SHOW. It is actually about winning, about changing things, about dismantling systemic racism.

We are accountable to organizations led by Latinx, Black and Indigenous leaders to show up in the ways they request. We believe that those closest to the pain have the best solutions. We try to leverage privilege to win real changes. We work on the issues that matter most to our accountability partners.  When they ask us to show up, we show up.  This means that we don't just come to general SURJ meetings and think that our work is done--we fight for racial justice where we can whenever we can.

Our Accountability Partners

The following organizations are our accountability partners: PASOS, the Rapid Response Network in Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley De-Bug, and the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, all of which are led by directly affected people.

The Rapid Response Network in Santa Clara County

The Rapid Response Network (RRN) in Santa Clara County is a community defense project developed to protect immigrant families from deportation threats and to provide accompaniment support during and after a community member’s arrest or detention.

The PASOS Immigrant Rights Committee

at Sacred Heart Community Service

PASOS comprises more than 30 active community leaders fighting for immigrants rights in San Jose and Santa Clara County. Leaders learn to use their voice, skills and experiences to fight for justice and create change that improves the quality of life of our community. 

Their current campaigns include “Aging with Dignity” universal basic income for undocumented seniors and working with immigrants to complete plans for all eventualities.

Silicon Valley De-Bug

Silicon Valley De-Bug is a community organizing, advocacy, and a multimedia storytelling organization based out of San José, California. Since its inception in 2001, De-Bug has been a platform for Silicon Valley's diverse communities to impact the political, cultural, and social landscape of the region, while also becoming a nationally recognized model for community-based justice work.

Amah Mutsun Land Trust

The Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT), an initiative of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, is the vehicle by which the Amah Mutsun access, protect, and steward lands that are integral to their identity and culture. The AMLT returns their tribe to their ancestral lands and restores their role as environmental stewards