Collective Action for Safe Spaces

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Collective Action for Safe Spaces

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Collective Action for Safe Spaces, Community Organization, Washington D.C., DC.

Black trans- and queer-led grassroots organization working to build safety without police, through community-based solutions that are anti-carceral and center survivors and folks at the margins

09/11/2024

The Gender Liberation March is coming to DC this SATURDAY! This march is a fight for bodily autonomy, self-determination, collectivism, and the pursuit of fulfillment in the face of increasing restrictions on communities on the margins. For CASS, our focus is to support community care efforts around COVID-19, so protestors can protect themselves in this surge while making their voices heard. We will provide 440 masks to the march to keep folks safe and mitigate infections! It has never been more timely to assert our voices and power to say that any attack on bodily autonomy, including gender-affirming care and abortion, is an attack on everyone.

Once at the march, volunteers will distribute N-95 masks to protestors at the welcome tent! There, you will also find our poster and handouts with a QR code linked to our Linktree that provides various resources for de-escalation, survivor support, an abolitionist protest safety guide, our COVID care zine, and CASS' historical information. Through our virtual support and solidarity, we hope that these resources can continue to push the conversation around community safety for Trans people that reflects our needs and vision for gender liberation.

08/30/2024

🖤 This Black August, we honor the legacy of resistance and reflection that began in prison and has become a powerful symbol of solidarity. In a time when oppressive policies are on the rise—like increased surveillance from Omnibus/Secure DC act, rollback of landmark rulings, and attacks on public health—our commitment to liberation is more crucial than ever. 💪🏾✨
From unjust laws to global injustices affecting Palestine, Sudan, and Congo, we face deep systemic challenges. As we navigate this polarized political landscape, let’s draw strength from our ancestors’ sacrifices and stay true to our vision of a just world. What daily actions can we take to advance liberation? How can we turn inspiration into meaningful change?

These questions drive me to interrogate my role at CASS and seek creative, fulfilling ways to integrate the legacy of our elders into creating spaces with alternative ideologies and practices outside the State. To me, CASS’s role in this movement is to build a foundation for a new way of thinking and living together in DC. We aim to inspire others to imagine a world where survivors are prioritized over bureaucracy and capital, where our safety is a primary concern rather than an afterthought. As a Black, trans-led organization grounded in abolition, CASS is committed to nurturing hope and guiding us forward on this unpaved path. May these reflections inspire you to deepen your commitment to liberation and the community needed to resist the ever-evolving challenges we face.

-emem

07/31/2024

What’s an event promo without a cheesy late night commercial? Is Safe Space Jam in your future?🔮✨

VIDEO ID: Je’Kendria is sitting in front of a decorative table and pretending to predict the future in a Ms. Cleo commercial style in order to promote CASS’s event on Friday.

Tickets here - https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/cass-safe-space-jam-15-year-anniversary-fundraiser

07/24/2024

What’s good y’all?! I’m fresh off of surgery recovery, feelin good, and ready to shake some ass and raise some cash next Friday in honor of our 15th anniversary🎉

It’s been an honor serving as executive director here for the past five years, and it’s unbelievable to think that we’ve made it to 15 years! And looking at the state of our political and social climate, we still have many years of work ahead of us 🥵 Read my reflections above where I extend an invitation for you to either join us next Friday or toss some $$$ our way to help us reach our 15K goal.🎈

Ticket link - https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/cass-safe-space-jam-15-year-anniversary-fundraiser

Fundraiser link - https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/safe-space-jam-2024

Sending big love and fervent energy,
JT 🦋

07/18/2024

After 15 years of fighting for community safety in DC, CASS continues to commit ourselves to a legacy of anti-harassment, a culture of intentional care and support for survivors - all through an abolitionist, anti-patriarchal lens. We are excited to celebrate how far we’ve come and build towards a safer future for survivors with you. We would be honored to hear from YOU! Have a birthday wish for us? Add your name to CASS’ birthday card! Let us know how CASS has impacted you and the greater DC community. You can share pivotal CASS memories, a love note, guidance/insight for the next 15 years, something you've learned from us, a shoutout to a team member (old or current), or an affirmation. You can add photos, words, GIFS, video links, art/collages, and more via the kudoboard functions!

And be sure to grab your tickets for Safe Space Jam on August 2nd! We can't wait to see you there 💜

07/08/2024

We are so excited to be announcing … SAFE SPACE JAM is BACK! Can you believe it’s been 15 years? From our humble beginnings as anti-harassment organizers at Hollaback! DC to now a Black trans-led abolitionist organization, we’ve made it through several seasons of metamorphosis. We are still here, heartily rooted in our purpose with blooming branches of new growth, and that is something to be celebrated. So come party with us on August 2nd for the return of our famed fundraiser - Safe Space Jam: the 15-year celebration! We’re curating CASS’ 15th Birthday bash!
This is our first in-person event since 2020, and we still believe safer spaces mean practicing COVID safety. This is a mask-required event, and we will have HEPA filters on site. We’ll also have drink tickets for purchase from the bar. General admission includes one drink ticket that you can use for nonalcoholic beverages as well as beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. There are larger sponsorship packages for organizations, businesses, and monied individuals. There will be an onsite silent auction of items as well. We will reveal more details and accessibility about the experience soon!
Your invite is waiting for you on our comments

06/12/2024

Tonight at 6PM ET, CASS, The Survivor Support Fund, and four Black trans survivors will gather to share stories and reflections around our experiences with a multi year survivor support effort. There is still time to register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItc-CorTopH9E8eIWzddWEXk652Uhhtmtt

We have compiled our reflections into a digital guide that details how we raised and distributed $376,000 to 6 Black trans survivors, our lessons learned, and what we recommend for others looking to do similar survivor support efforts. It’s now available for viewing, please check it out and share!

Link to guide - https://bit.ly/ssfundguide

Much love and gratitude to everyone who has supported SSF over the years 💕 May this inspire us all to be in it for the long haul for marginalized survivors.💪🏾⚡️

06/10/2024

UPDATE: We have reached our max capacity of applicants so the application is now closed. Thank y’all for applying and sharing! 🫶🏾

It has been 3 years since Nona transitioned and became an ancestor. Since her passing, we have seen an extreme rise in violence against Black trans women and femmes on the personal, cultural, and every institutional level. Direct aid is a necessary act of harm reduction, community care, and solidarity in the face of violence like transmisogynoir. We, at CASS, believe that this act is a necessary pillar to our commitment to the safety of survivors and communities dedicated to liberation. In the spirit of our beloved Nona Moselle Conner and her legacy of advocacy and community care, CASS continues to offer financial support to 10 Black trans women and trans femmes in DC. The 3rd Annual Nona Butterfly Memorial Fund welcomes eligible applicants who are Black trans women and trans femmes who live in DC and are currently facing financial hardship, varying systemic barriers, and other forms of violence.

The application link dropped in the comments. Apply ASAP, as funds are limited. Please share with your DC networks as well.

Recipients will be chosen based on eligibility criteria to receive a *one-time deposit* of $600 to their Cash App or Paypal.

We will be reviewing applications from June 10th -13th, and funds will be disbursed the following week. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We will be confirming the applicant's eligibility (as needed) through a phone call, video call, or other appropriate methods.

If you’d like to donate to support these efforts, the donate link is in the comments!

06/06/2024

We keep us safe is a battle cry we hear often in the movement. But what happens when a group of Black trans women are harmed and abused by a movement organization that promised to keep them safe?

For several years, there were multiple Black trans women enduring conflict, violence, and abuse in a local sw-er organization in DC. Between the increasing public escalations against the women and the sudden death of Nona, our community was catapulted into finally addressing the abuse together in 2021. The Survivor Support Fund formed, and committed to fundraising $500K over two years for the six remaining survivors.

The Survivor Support Fund raised almost $400K that went directly to 6 Black trans survivors over 2+ years through monthly cash distributions, rent payments, car payments, legal support, a fellowship program, and other supports. We’ve had amazing highs and devastating lows throughout this process, and we believe it’s important to share with community that something of this magnitude is possible for survivors.

Join us on next Wednesday, June 12th from 6-8PM ET for a virtual session with some of the survivors, The Survivor Support Fund, and pod networks to hear our reflections on the journey, and to invite folks to take more action for Black trans survivors. We will debut our digital guide that archives the strategies we used, lessons we learned, impact we had on survivors, tensions we’re still grappling with, and what we recommend others do to create their own survivor support efforts. 🦋💫

Register here - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItc-CorTopH9E8eIWzddWEXk652Uhhtmtt

05/22/2024

Is somebody gonna match our heat?? ❤️‍🔥

Our small squad is gearing up for an active summer, so we are still welcoming applications to join our board! (link below)

Special shoutouts to our outgoing board members, Monaye and Nia. Thank you for your service and dedication 👏🏾🫶🏾

Photo 1: CASS staff (JT & Kai) at the library with our new board treasurer (Jolyn) and board secretary (Nkiru)
Photo 2: why our board loves CASS reflections from Asteria and M
Photo 3: reflections from our outgoing board members Monaye and Nia
Photo 4: our board recruitment flyer that includes info about the role, application site, and photo of our study group and volunteer members

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5R_iDRbEK6Ix-IX53SY-vBuEd1zETjBmta8hHzHv9KgBhmw/viewform

12/13/2023

For almost 15 years, CASS has offered fee-for-service workshops, training thousands of individuals and over 150 organizations, businesses, and collectives in DC and across the country. As we embark on a new year, we’re excited to debut a new brochure that better reflects what this moment is calling for - more collective skill-building towards abolitionist community safety.

Our roots are training bars and restaurants on bystander intervention, and we’ve since expanded our offerings to include transformative justice, conflict transformation, anti-oppression, anti-patriarchy, and anti-harassment topics. Through our refined offerings, we aim to make workplaces, organizations, and public spaces safer environments by equipping people with concrete tools to effectively address harassment, conflict, and other forms of harm without state or carceral interventions.

Address

Washington D.C., DC
20011

Telephone

+12025564232

Website

http://www.collectiveactiondc.org/

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Collective Action for Safe Spaces is a grassroots organization that uses comprehensive, community-based solutions through an intersectional lens to eliminate public gendered harassment and assault in the DC metropolitan area.