Scroll Down On Past Events To See Photos, Videos, Resources And Links From Past Community Workshops
〰️
Scroll Down On Past Events To See Photos, Videos, Resources And Links From Past Community Workshops 〰️
Juneteenth Festival
An Abolitionist Celebration of Freedom
The Black Response is hosting its second Juneteenth Festival on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 11am-3pm in Cambridge Common, Harvard Sq, Cambridge, MA.
On a warm June afternoon, Cambridge Common will fill with color, music, and the steady buzz of conversation. Community members can spread blankets under the trees and relax, or explore – tables will line the pathways offering school supplies, books for all ages, and food! We will enjoy live performances, and more: music, dance, ice cream, bouncy houses, face painting, and more.
Juneteenth marks the 1865 proclamation that reached Galveston, Texas and freed the last enslaved people in the Confederacy. The activities will blend celebration and education. You can experience elements of TBR’s BLM Era Exhibition, including Oral Histories and installations, exploring the layered history of Black resistance in Massachusetts, including local chapters from the BLM Movement.
Join us as we gather in celebration of Juneteenth, a day of freedom, remembrance, joy, and community. Together, we’ll honor our history and invest in the future through food, culture, creativity, and connection. Come enjoy:
Free ice cream, pizza, fruit salad and empanadas
Arts and crafts activities for all ages
School supply giveaways
Free Black history books for children, teens, and adults
Live music and dance performances
Bouncy houses and face painting
Sensory play spaces for children
Lawn games, creative activities, and community-building for adults
Rather than treating Juneteenth as only a milestone of legal freedom, speakers and exhibitions frame it as a continuing call to dismantle systems that grew from slavery: mass incarceration, economic disenfranchisement, policing practices that disproportionately harm Black communities, and structural inequalities in housing, education, and health. We invite the community to think about alternatives to punishment (restorative justice models), community-led safety initiatives, and divest–reinvest campaigns that advocate shifting public resources from policing to social services, mental health, housing, and education. There will be information from local organizations, sharing about their work in different areas. We emphasize collective care, mutual aid, and grassroots power encouraging tangible abolitionist practices in everyday life.
Join Mass Peace Action, UU First Parish of Cambridge, NAACP Mystic Valley, the Massachusetts Pirate Party, Reparations Interfaith Network, Crafts for Justice, BDS Boston, Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition, Cambridge Community Land Trust, and many more community partners as we come together for this year’s Juneteenth celebration.
This event is free and open to all who come in the spirit of respect, community, and collective celebration.
We look forward to celebrating freedom with you!
Sign UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT or JOIN IN PERSON or ONLINE! ShotSpotter hearing happening TODAY, APRIL 29
The City of Cambridge is holding a Public Safety Hearing, chaired by Councilor Ayah Al Zubi, on ShotSpotter, the microphone network installed exclusively in the Port and Riverside (Coast) neighborhoods in Cambridge. In Cambridge, ShotSpotter is funded by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the parent department of ICE. This poses serious threats to our sanctuary city commitments.
UNDERSTANDING THE 2026 BALLOT QUESTIONS
The Partners In Democracy MA Action team is leading a workshop to raise awareness of four proposed ballot questions for the 2026 election: All-Party State Primaries, Election-Day Voter Registration, Expanding the Public Records Law, and Legislative Stipend Reform. Our presentation will break down the details of each proposal and discuss why they matter to Massachusetts voters.
Postering to Raise Awareness about #StopShotSpotter
The Black Response and the Camberville Stop ShotSpotter Coalition is organizing a group of volunteers to post flyers around📍Cambridge next Saturday 📅 4/4 from 🕰️12-2pm to raise awareness about ShotSpotter police audio surveillance microphones in Cambridge. We're hoping to increase awareness ahead of a city hearing on it later in April. We're looking for volunteers to join us if you are able!
Community Potluck: How Does ShotSpotter Impact Our Community?
TBR and the StopShotSpotter Camberville Coalition will host a potluck dinner and community education event. Register here.
Community members are invited to come learn about ShotSpotter and its effects on our neighborhoods and people.
ShotSpotter is a surveillance technology that claims to detect gunshots and is installed in Black and Brown neighborhoods throughout Cambridge.
Professor Spencer Piston will discuss ShotSpotter’s claims and how its presence has affected our community.
Cambridge residents will have a chance to express their opinions on ShotSpotter through an anonymous survey.
When: Thursday, January 22, 6-7:30pm
Where: Cambridge Community Art Center, 119 Windsor Street, Cambridge (in Central Square)
Bring a dish to share if you can.
Free childcare provided.
The Criminalization of Self-Defense
Join The Black Response and Impact Boston for The Criminalization of Self-Defense, a community education event at The Community Art Center in Cambridge, MA. This free and public gathering will explore how self-defense is criminalized, particularly for Black, Brown, and marginalized survivors, and how communities can reclaim safety through resistance, advocacy, and care.
WDBML - Genesis Cinema Screening (London)
Come join us at Genesis Cinema for a thought-provoking film that explores the lives and experiences of black men in our society. This in-person event will feature a screening of the film followed by a discussion to delve deeper into the themes and issues raised.
WDBML?: Hunter College Screening (New York City)
Produce by The Black Response, Where Do Black Men Live? is a narrative short film that uses a verbatim theatre style - the script is composed directly from the real words of Black men interviewed about their housing experiences. Co-directed by Corinne Spencer, Joy Wrolson, Gift Tapiwa. Written by Stephanie Guirand, Gift Tapiwa, Joy Wrolson.
Cinematography by IMA alum + professor Sean Hanley, Production Assisting and third camera by F&M alum Jules Rico and IMA students Zoha Akhter and Santiago Mendez. The film was shot in the Hunter College Black Box Theater in February 2025.
Abolition and Alternatives Conference (AAC) 2025
This free, in-person event will bring together community members, organizers, and advocates for a weekend of in-depth learning and discussion focused on alternative public safety and community care, housing justice, and the impacts of surveillance technologies like ShotSpotter. It will include keynote addresses from Fatema Ahmad (Muslim Justice League), Stephanie Guirand (The Black Response), and Spencer Piston (Boston University).
Annual Funder Education Briefing 2025
This year’s theme is “ShotSpotter: What’s the Alternative?” We’ll be discussing the ShotSpotter surveillance technology and presenting community-driven alternatives. The speakers include Prof. Alex Vitale, Ed Vogel from the Lucy Parsons Lab, and Cambridge City Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler.
Where Do Black Men Live? Film - Creative team panel
Join us for a special virtual screening of Where Do Black Men Live? on June 26.
The event agenda will include a brief introduction and framing by humanities advisor and project researcher Stephanie Guirand, followed by the screening of the film itself. After the screening, there will be a short post-screening talkback with the creative team behind the project.
Where do Black Men Live?: Juneteenth Screening and Festival
On Thursday, June 19, in honor of Juneteenth, The Black Response (TBR) invites you to a full day of storytelling, reflection, and celebration.
We will kick off the day with a special screening of our new film, Where Do Black Men Live?, at the historic Brattle Theatre. This powerful short film brings to life the housing stories of Black men in Cambridge, exploring themes of resilience, community, and systemic injustice through their own words.
Where do Black Men Live?: On Housing Justice
The Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition (CHJC)—of which The Black Response is a proud member—was catalyzed in part by The Black Response’s earlier participatory action research (PAR) project. From that foundation, CHJC members formed the Un/Housing Working Group to examine the deep intersections between housing injustice and policing. This early work laid the groundwork for the broader coalition that exists today.
Where do Black Men Live?: The Premiere
Join Us for the Premiere of Where Do Black Men Live?
We are proud to announce the premiere of our new short film, Where Do Black Men Live?, a short film depicting the lived experiences of Black men navigating housing insecurity in Cambridge, MA. The screening will take place at The Foundry, located at 101 Rogers Street in Cambridge, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
All Community Gathering & Potluck
In these challenging times, it’s important to remember to rest, celebrate, and nurture our relationships. Community is what we’re fighting for—so we must prioritize it, even in the darkest moments.
With that spirit in mind, we invite radical organizers, researchers, and healers to join us for a community gathering and potluck on Tuesday April 29, 2025 6pm. This gathering will take place at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) at 245 Main Street Cambridge in Kendall Sq.
The Massachusetts Community Care Network (MCCN) - Weaving Ecosystems of Anti-Carceral Care
The Massachusetts Community Care Network (MCCN) is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to fostering innovative, compassionate approaches to care and community organizing across the state.
Following the success of our first convening at Boston University in September 2023, we are thrilled to announce our second gathering
Know-Your-rights with the ACLU of Massachusetts
On Thursday April 17 from 6-8pm, TBR is partnering with the Spot and the ACLU of Massachusetts to do a know-your-rights workshop focused on the concerns of migrant residents. Our ACLU representative is lawyer Javier Luengo-Garrido.
This event will provide essential information on key issues, including temporary protected status (TPS) changes, REAL ID requirements, and what to do if ICE and DEA agents come to your door. We will have handouts of warrant templates and other tools for folks to take home. The workshop will be presented in Spanish, with Haitian creole interpretation available to ensure accessibility for up 25 attendees.
Affordable for Whom? A community discussion
The Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition (CHJC) is proud to host a critical community discussion on the meaning and centrality of affordability in addressing the housing crisis in Cambridge. This important event will take place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the YWCA Cambridge in Central Square (2 Temple Street, Cambridge).
As Cambridge continues to grapple with skyrocketing rents and displacement, this discussion will offer community members a platform to engage in meaningful dialogue about what true affordability means and how it affects the most vulnerable members of our community. The event will feature an informative presentation on the definitions of affordability and shifting demographics of Cambridge, as well as powerful testimonies from rent-burdened Cantabrigians from diverse backgrounds. Their stories will shed light on the struggles faced by individuals and families striving to remain in Cambridge amid escalating housing costs.
The event is sponsored by CHJC member organizations, including Cambridge Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Cambridge Residents Alliance, Our Revolution Cambridge, SURJ Camberville, and The Black Response. These organizations are committed to advocating for policies that ensure equitable and accessible housing for all.
This event is free and open to the public. To ensure accessibility, a complimentary meal will be provided for all attendees, and free childcare will be available on-site.
The Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition invites all community members, housing advocates, and local leaders to attend and take part in this important conversation. Together, we can work towards a Cambridge where everyone has access to safe, stable, and truly affordable housing.
For more information, please contact: Carolyn at chjc@cambridgehousingjustice.com.
Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition (CHJC)
The Cambridge Housing Justice Coalition is a grassroots coalition dedicated to ensuring housing as a human right. Through advocacy, education, and community organizing, CHJC works to address housing insecurity, combat displacement, and promote policies that prioritize the needs of renters and marginalized communities in Cambridge. Learn more about the CHJC at https://www.cambridgehousingjustice.com/.
ShotSpotter 103: The Cambridge Surveillance Ordinance and Other Local Things
Scroll down for the Recording!!!!
ShotSpotter 103 is the third event in The Black Response’s (TBR) educational series on ShotSpotter technology and its impact on our communities.
ShotSpotter is marketed as a gunshot detection system that uses microphone sensors to identify, locate, and alert police to potential gunfire. ShotSpotter is produced by SoundThinking and funded in Cambridge by a grant from the federal government, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, not paid through the Cambridge Police Department. These sensors are primarily installed in Black and brown neighborhoods, with most in The Port and Riverside (Coast) neighborhoods. ShotSpotter has been active in Cambridge since its installation in 2013–2014.
This event will focus specifically on ShotSpotter’s implementation in Cambridge, examining the Massachusetts Wiretapping Law, The City of Cambridge’s Technology Surveillance Ordinance, and the use of ShotSpotter in Cambridge, analyzed through data. We have an incredible lineup of expert speakers, including:
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler – Cambridge City Councillor & Event Facilitator
Stop ShotSpotter Coalition Camberville
Prof. Robert Vargas & Gabriel Rojas – University of Chicago
Jonathan Manes, Esq. – MacArthur Justice Center
Kelcey Duggan – Community Resource Hub
Become a war tax resister! Let’s not pay for wars and killing! Find out how.
The Black Response has partnered with the New England branch of the National War Tax Resistance (NWTRCC) to host a workshop on how to become a war tax resister.
This event will include:
An introduction to the basics of war tax resistance.
A discussion of the different methods of war tax resistance.
And the risks associated with each approach.
The war in Gaza has sparked an exponential increase in war tax resistance, particularly among younger people. Now is the time to act locally and learn strategies to resist the war machine.
Contact us at general@theblackresponsecambridge.com or follow/message us on Instagram: @theblackresponsecambridge.
Decolonizing the History Curricula in Our Schools: A Crucial Step in Achieving Reparations
White supremacy is coded into laws and practices of the US, yet few of us learn about this in the course of our education.
What did you learn in school about slavery in the US and its continuing effects in our society? Did your books and teachers talk about how cotton production by enslaved Africans fueled the Industrial Revolution and built the very economic base of our country? Did you learn about the pivotal role of Black soldiers in the Civil War? What about reconstruction and the multiracial governments that flourished briefly until being violently destroyed? What did you learn about Jim Crow and convict leasing? Did your history books cover redlining? What about the GI Bill?
Most of us did not learn any of this in school, making it almost impossible to understand the call for reparations for people whose ancestors were enslaved here in the US and who continue to feel its effects.
Come listen in as our roundtable of scholars/educators talk about the history curricula in our schools and how it continues to reinforce white supremacy. There will be time for questions, too, so come prepared with yours.
Professor Jemadari Kamara (UMass Boston)
author of State of the Race – Creating Our 21st Century
Professor Lawrence Blum (UMass Boston)
author of High Schools, Race, and America's Future
Professor Donald Yacovone (Harvard University)
author of Teaching White Supremacy
Progressive Electoral Strategy Workshop in Cambridge
The Black Response (TBR), in collaboration with Our Revolution Cambridge (ORC) and the Working Families Party of New England (WFP), is hosting a virtual workshop focused on: What will it take to build a progressive electoral strategy at the municipal level in Cambridge, MA?
If you're politics are progressive, you’re passionate about local electoral organizing and want to engage in meaningful work in Cambridge and Somerville this year, this workshop is for you!
There will be three short presentations followed by small group discussions. Come prepared to respond to the following questions:
What do you think about the issues presented and working across multiple issues?
What would you need to engage in coalitional organizing across multiple issues?
Who are some potential candidates we might support? And what are their qualifications?
Join us in creating a progressive movement for change at the local level
BIPOC Organizers mixer
The Black Response (TBR) is hosting a BIPOC Mixer at the Cambridge Innovation Center (245 Main St. Cambridge, MA, 02142).
This free event is an opportunity for leftist organizers, abolitionist activists, and radical researchers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) to connect, build relationships, and share good vibes.
We’ll provide refreshments, you bring vibes! Please register to ensure we have enough food for everyone. Please spread the word— the more, the merrier! Share this event with your friends and colleagues.
TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE 101
TBR is once again collaborating with Unity Circles to host a Transformative Justice 101 virtual workshop. This workshop aims to introduce people to the concept of transformative justice, a way of thinking that addresses the underlying causes of harm and injustice.
In this workshop, we will introduce Transformative Justice and explore how we can start practicing Transformative Justice skills with ourselves. We will explore self-accountability and use the restorative discipline window to help us understand where we are at and what opportunities exist for us to shift our mindsets so that we do not continue to replicate the ways of being we have been subjected to by oppressive systems.
Movement for alternatives - What’s happening in Massachusetts?
Since 2020, The Black Response has committed to researching, advocating, and implementing alternatives to harmful public safety and carceral systems. TBR is organizing this panel to catch up on what is happening with the movement for alternatives in Massachusetts.
Post Election - Support Space & Community Potluck
TBR collaborated with Unity Circles to put together a post-election community space to process the election results. Each person processes differently. So, we will have a few different stations.
Station Descriptions:
Podmapping & Safety Planning: Explore the tool of podmapping to identify the relationships of support for this moment and beyond.
Explore the tool of safety planning to proactively support wellbeing and safety in challenging conditions. (Facilitated)
Plotting: Reflect and share ideas about what’s next, given the state of things, through engaging a series of prompts. (Unfacilitated)
Art Space: A space to create and express as we navigate an uncertain time. Various art supplies as well as Vent Diagrams will be available to interrogate contradictions. (Unfacilitated)
Chill Space: A quiet space available for when you need to just be. (Unfacilitated)
Shotspotter 101 (Spanish) Evento de Taller Comunitario
En esta oportunidad vamos a reunir a la populación en Cambridge de habla hispana para hablar sobre este dispositivo de audio vigilancia que la policía de Cambridge usa, la cual pretende hacer un trabajo el cual no solo es innecesario, pero trae con el implicaciones de poder violar nuestros derechos de privacidad como habitantes de esta ciudad.
Palestine: Thinking Global and Acting Local - Against Genocide / Against Apartheid
The Black Response is collaborating with BDS Boston, Muslim Justice League, PYM Boston, and JVP Boston, to host a community education event on Palestine. The framing for this panel is Thinking Global and Acting Local. We have invited speakers that represent various levels on the global scale, with Cambridge as its center; as Cambridge is where we are organizing from.
Schools not surveillance - Back to School Event
The Black Response, The Spot, and Justice4Housing are joining forces to provide school supplies, clothing and hygiene products for CPS students and the families of Cambridge.
Shotspotter 101 - Police Audio Surveillance
JOIN US!! as we explore one of the most intrusive and controversial devices of the 21st century. Learn and support us and other organizations nationwide to end the contract with Soundthinking.