Havdalah #49: Infrastructure, ICE, and "Indigenizing Modern Education"

Hello all, and welcome to Havdalah #49 —

It is, somewhat hilariously (to me), a bit of an infrastructure week in the Fash Watch this time, with pieces on RIPTA, how infrastructure shapes our choices, and fighting back against the AI data centers. (At least, I find it funny).

The Butler Hospital strike grinds on, in the August heat, so give them some love if you can, and we’ve got a guest Mutual Aid this week from Never Again National.

Goodnight, and mind how you go —

Katherine (she / her)

PS: We’d like to hear from you! Let us know how we’re doing!

Workers and Renters: Providence General Assembly

• When: Saturday, August 23, 12:00pm and every other Saturday

• Where: 134 Mathewson Street, Providence, RI 02903

• From their Instagram:

  • Worried about Trump?

  • Want to defend our communities?

  • Want a world that works for everyone?

  • Come to the Providence General Assembly!

• Spanish, ASL interpretation and childcare available upon email request

• Masking requested and masks will be provided

• Direct questions to [email protected]

• Providence General Assembly

• Workers and Renters Website

Butler Hospital Workers on Strike - Join the Picket Line!

• When: Everyday, 6:00am-7:00pm

• Where: 345 Blackstone Boulevard, 02906

• On May 15th, hundreds of hospital workers, represented by SEIU 1199NE, went on strike at Butler Hospital. Butler Hospital is RI’s only dedicated psychiatric hospital, and the workers are striking over understaffing, unsafe working conditions, and poverty wages.

• As of writing (8/16), the staff are still on strike, with Butler having subsequently canceled their health insurance, and the police and city targeting the strikers with noise complaints.

• The strikers can use our support! Donate supplies, send a supportive message, or join them on the picket line!

• Linktree with information on strike background and how to support it

• SEIU1199 Instagram Page 

ACLU Rights Explainers

• When: Up now

• Where: Online

• The ACLU just released two updated versions of their explainers about your rights when interacting with immigration agents (ICE) or the police. They have them available in 10 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Haitian Creole, French, Swahili, Dari, Pashto, and Khmer.

• Read and save this material – regardless of your own immigration status – and send to friends and family! Click the link below and scroll to the bottom of the page to download PDFs that you can print, plus the ACLU posted on all their social media platforms (@riaclu) if you want to save and share online.

• If you have a specific way to distribute larger numbers of the paper copies, please email the RI ACLU at [email protected] or call them at 401-831-7171. They have a limited supply printed, but will provide as many as they are able.

• ACLU Rights Explainers

Tomaquag Museum Lunch and Learn: “Indigenizing Modern Education”

• When: Monday, August 25, 12:00pm

• Where: Online (Zoom)

• Join the Tomaquag Museum for their Lunch and Learn virtual program with Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy). His lecture, "Indigenizing Modern Education," will inspire you to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into your teaching.

• Lunch and Learn Registration Link

From our friends at Never Again National (which this group budded from, a long time ago):

Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago, a beloved community member, DACA recipient and long-time community organizer, was detained by Border Patrol on Sunday August 3, 2025 at an airport in El Paso, TX. Take action to Free Xóchitl now!

• Link with rolling updates and action items

• Follow and share #FreeCataNow on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok

• Change your social media profile pictures to this #FreeXochitl graphic

• Sign and share the #FreeXochitl petition

• Donate and share the GoFundMe

News Round-Up: Local

ICE agents are keeping watch outside courthouses. They upended a North Providence couple’s life (Philip Eil in Rhode Island Current, August 11, 2025)

Butler workers make hard and painful movement on contracts, Care New England unresponsive (Steve Ahlquist in SteveAhlquist.news, August 12, 2025)

RIPTA funding and the Iraq War (Steve Ahlquist in SteveAhlquist.news, August 13, 2025)

With the Freedom to Read Act, Rhode Island pushes back against ignorance (Steve Ahlquist in SteveAhlquist.news, August 13, 2025)

Pod Recs: It Could Happen Here

Infrastructure as Control feat. Andrew (It Could Happen Here, August 11, 2025)

How Tucson Beat Amazon’s Data Center (It Could Happen Here, August 13, 2025)

Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #29 (It Could Happen Here, August 15, 2025)