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60 prayer candles, 200 tea lights and 15 lighters purchased and dropped off to the organizers of tonight’s (7/26) 6pm Mother’s Healing Circle vigil at the Ruiz memorial site. Cost was $128 so I will either purchase food or pass the remaining $77 on to people who are already doing food support.

I’ve received $205 in support for supplies and will be purchasing those this morning. Thank you to those who donated. I will let people know if/when I’m helping out with another vigil/protest

I’ve received $205 in support for supplies and will be purchasing those this morning. Thank you to those who donated. I will let people know if/when I’m helping out with another vigil/protest

Sadly no but that’s ok! You can contribute in other ways

Excess donations will be used for future vigil supplies. I anticipate people being out there 24/7 for many days to come. Food and water supplied in a consistent and organized fashion will be necessary.

Tomorrow Sunday July 26 Freedom Inc is hosting a Mother’s Healing Circle at the Ruiz memorial site. I am helping get supplies for this. If you want to chip in, I’m @/$ SamiSchalk on PayPal and CashApp.

Brandi Grayson

Sami is a professor and community activist in Madison, so this crowdfunding is going to a trusted place. Also, if you would like to support the community, donating to Urban Triage and Freedom, Inc would also be helpful, as these are two orgs doing social justice work in the city.

The primary non-profit organizations currently organizing around this are Freedom Inc and Urban Triage. You can donate directly via their respective websites.

If you would like to also help fund food & drinks for the ongoing Corey Ruiz vigil, it can be sent to: Paypal: @JazzmanB1 Venmo: @Jazzman-Brown-1 I live in Madison & organized food for protests w/ Jazzman in 2020. This is a real person doing real hands-on work to take care of a grieving community

If you are not in Madison and would like to donate I will post a thread of things to support, first and foremost this GoFundMe for Corey Ruiz’s family. www.gofundme.com/f/justice-fo...

Madison continues to gather all weekend at the site of Corey Ruiz’s murder. It has been very peaceful & emotional. Last night after 1am a car attempted to drive through the barricade and hit people. Please be careful if you are there after dark.

I don’t know if you are referring to me or the person in the screenshot but I am a real person in Madison, easily identifiable with a public presence and history in my community since 2018.

How is this helpful to a community of people under attack?

I am headed back to Madison today and hope to tap in more directly with community soon. Anyone local who wants to connect to share organizing info with me can reach out. I will use my visibility for good. I love you Madison. I love you Black folks. More soon.

Context continued again: -The independent civilian review board of the police here established after events in 2020 is under threat to be defunded/dismantled -Black people represent less than 8% of Madison’s population yet somehow we keep being the only ones killed by police here

Context continued: -Ruiz’s murder occurred very close to one of the most well known police murders in Madison of Tony Robinson in 2015 -Recently video was released of another death of a man in MPD custody in 2024 of which already had our community upset with the police

Things to keep in mind about local context that makes this situation more of a powder keg: -It’s summer in a college town. Lots of young people with lots of free time to be in the streets -It’s an election year with a very chaotic Dem governor primary Aug 11. Ripe for extra politicization of events

Freedom Inc and Urban Triage are the local orgs to follow for organized responses/protest plans. I won’t name individuals here who are organizing things but will share info on plans as I can.

Some updates from Madison: Protesters interrupted Concerts on the Square last night & the local orchestra cancelled their performance in solidarity. Another vigil (that may turn to a march) is set for tonight 7/23 at 5 at the location of Corey Ruiz’s police murder.