Standing with Ohio Organizing Collaborative
On June 11, federal agents raided an office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), as well as showing up at employees’ homes. This comes after Ohio politicians have been pushing a false narrative of “voter fraud” to try to put up new barriers to voting.
For nearly 20 years, the OOC has served as a vehicle for everyday Ohioans to have a say over the decisions that affect their communities, their families, and their lives. It is a powerful multiracial coalition that spans big cities, suburbs, small towns, and rural communities. OOC campaigns have removed barriers that keep punishing formerly incarcerated people long after they’ve served their time. Over the years, OOC staff and volunteers have registered hundreds of thousands of Ohioans to vote.
The FBI raids on Ohio voting rights organizations and staff are a deliberate attack on our democracy. We’ve seen this authoritarian playbook before. It’s times like these when solidarity, regardless of whether they’re in New York, is critical. We stand with every Ohioan working to protect the freedom to vote, because our future depends on it.
To learn more and support the organizing in Ohio, check out the #HandsOffOhio website.
Get Out the Vote
In NYC, early voting has begun for the Tuesday, June 23rd primary election. In this primary election, voters will decide candidates for State Comptroller, Congressional Representatives, State Representatives, and more.
Click here to find your early voting and primary day poll site. If you’re based outside of NYC, here is where to find your polling site for the June 23rd primaries.
June Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Recap
On Thursday, June 11th, we held our June NY Statewide Criminal Justice Reform Call! We had over 125 people register for the call, and the energy was great. We spent the first portion of the call debriefing the end of the 2026 legislative session in Albany. Then we heard from a range of organizers and advocates from New Hour for Women & Children, the Osborne Association, Scrutinize, and more who discussed the various campaigns they are working on. We’ll be on a break for July and August and resume our calls in September.
Register here to join us this Thursday, September 10th, from noon to 1 p.m.
If you have any questions about the statewide call or would like to be a presenter, please contact Yonah at Yonah@katalcenter.org
Tabling Across the City
On Tuesday, June 9th, our new interns, Marirum and Salhumet, from the Social Change Fellows at the LDSJ at Con, tabled at the launch of The Impact Justice Center at Hunter College. The program aims to support students and families impacted by the justice system by connecting them to professional development opportunities, community support, and career pathways. We had the opportunity to connect with students, provide more information about our fight to shut down Rikers, and share ways they can join our organizing efforts.
Now that the weather is nice, we’ll be tabling across the city throughout the summer. Next Friday, June 26th, we’ll be tabling at Woodhull Hospital’s Gun Violence Awareness Month Tabling Series. If you would like us to table at your community event, block party, or event this summer, please contact Lakenya at lakenya@katalcenter.org.
Inspiring Resistance This Week
-Community members continue to protest outside of the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark, NJ. The protests are in response to the dangerous living conditions at the facility and the hunger strike by the people detained there. Click here to learn more.
For more examples of resistance, check out Choose Democracy’s Resist List!
Quotes of the Week
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. – Frederick Douglass
“You’re allowed to think about the worst possible scenario. But you gotta go out there and do something about it.”– Jalen Brunson
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Katal develops intergenerational leadership and organizing capacity to build community-based power and win systemic change for equity, health, and justice.
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Email: info@katalcenter.org
Phone: 646.875.8822.