This month's news: Our Office Manager/Bookkeeper Judy Olson has retired, Human Orca Murals across Washington State, Baby Trump Southern California Tour, Solidarity Brigade progress, and upcoming events.
As this year winds down, we reflect on our important work together in 2018 and want to share some news with you, our supporters:
Judy Olson, our Office Manager since 2012, has retired!
We have been so fortunate to have Judy's excellent bookkeeping skills and office management over these last seven years. We wish her all the best as she tends to her garden, goats, music, and joyful living. We already miss Judy's sharp wit, insight, and positive contributions!
When We Fight We Win!
Campaign to Restore the Salmon - Save the Orca - Remove the LSR Dams having a huge impact.
Our recent efforts to provide creative visuals and messaging have engages hundreds of people in multiple cities earning media and mobilizing people to take action. In November, building upon the work that started in August we organized four more Human Orca Murals - in Bellingham, San Juan Island, Spokane, and Olympia. Imagery from this campaign has spread across the country as people remain inspired by the actions of orca mother Tahlequah who carried her deceased newborn calf for 17 days and over 1000 miles.
Baby Trump inflatable went on a whirlwind in Southern California
Check out this fun news coverage from NBC San Diego! Shout out to the San Diego Solidarity Brigade for all your deployment and work, and especially to Will Johnson, organizer extraordinaire!
Solidarity Brigade grows to 30 cities across the US
Thanks to your support, Backbone developed our Solidarity Brigade network this year - 30 cities across the US now have lights and banners to deploy and shine, ready when national issues hit, or when the local community wants to get their message out to decision makers. Check out the projections, banners, props and lights on many different issues, at our Recent Actions blog.
The image here is of an action in Brownsville, Texas, outside a FERC hearing. Says Patrick Anderson, Projectionista in South Texas, "South Texas made their voices heard loud and clear that LNG is not welcome during the FERC DEIS public hearings. FERC, once again, made a move to combine two projects in one hearing and comments were taken on a one to one basis with a stenographer. Company reps with Rio Grande LNG and Texas LNG were inside to pitch their projects. Meanwhile Save RGV from LNG held a real public hearing where people gave speeches and protested outside."
Thanks for your work, Patrick and Save RGV from LNG - and thank you to Backbone supporters for helping to make actions like these happen across the US!
If YOU want to form a Solidarity Brigade - or join an existing one - let us know and we'll get you trained and tooled up so you can take action to support the issues your community cares about - like welcoming refugees, ending gun violence, standing up to hate and nationalism, rejecting new fossil fuel infrastructure and ushering in clean energy, and much more!
December is an important month for Backbone!
This is the time we shift focus to raising the funds for next year's important work, so if you can make a tax deductible donation, please click here.
Read our recent essay "Only Connect" about our plans for artful activism, saving the orca, and Solutionary work that "Connects" in 2019.
Upcoming Events:
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12/11/18 - Backbone Birthday Party on Vashon Island
Backbone turns 15 this month and we're celebrating with a party at the Vashon Theatre. Join us for tributes, video highlights, friends, cake and stories. RSVP here.
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01/03/19 - The 116th Congress begins!
Let's bring single payer health care, renewable energy and a Green New Deal, student loan justice, indigenous sovereignty, gun safety, money out of politics, asylum for refugees, and other progressive issues to the fore. Contact Backbone HQ to deploy tools that get your elected officials' attention, and contact your Congressional Reps to let them know what you care about.
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01/08/19 - Backbone Meaningful Movies presents "For Ahkeem", Vashon Theatre
Backbone shows documentary film screenings at our local movie house, the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Admission is by donation, with no one turned away for lack of funds. This series is made possible thanks to generous support from Vashon Theatre and Island Green Tech, and in collaboration with the Meaningful Movies Project.
Films in 2019 will include Jane, Dammed to Extinction, This is Home, A Quest for Meaning, and more. Contact Amy for more info.
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02/10/19 - "Love Wins! Chocolatada & Wild Salmon Dinner" at the Palace Ballroom - a benefit for Backbone Campaign.
Mark your calendar! More info about this delicious and visually enticing event coming soon.