upEND Convening 2024
October 9-10, 2024
Houston, TX + Virtual
Join a national conversation about family policing abolition. Leave equipped to take action in your community.
The virtual venue is password-protected. Please register to receive the password.
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upEND’s annual Convening gathers abolitionist thought leaders, professionals working in the system, and those impacted by family policing to imagine a radically different future where families are supported instead of separated.
At our 2024 Convening “In Solidarity”, we’re expanding our strategy to connect the family policing abolition movement to other struggles for our collective liberation. From prison abolition to a free Palestine, we will draw connections between movements to deepen our political education and build solidarity between organizers and activists. Together, we can build radically safer communities that support children and families.
The convening is free, whether you join us in person in Houston or online. Intended participants are those committed to improving the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families in their communities and those who recognize the urgency of ending the harms done to Black, Indigenous, and Latine families by the family policing system.
Schedule
Wednesday, October 9
All events on Wednesday are in-person only. The event is password-protected. Please register to receive the password.
“To Be Invisible” Film Screening and Discussion
6:30 PM – IN PERSON ONLY
Theater, Student Center South
Every week for the past three years, Alexis and Kellie have stood outside Durham County’s child welfare agency, demanding the return of their children. Together, they embark on a journey to bring their children home. A panel discussion with the director Myah Overstreet and Amanda Wallace of Operation Stop CPS will follow the film screening.
Welcome Reception
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM – IN PERSON ONLY
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Join us for refreshments after the film screening.
Thursday, October 10
All speaker sessions on Thursday will be hybrid.
Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 9:30 AM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
A continental breakfast is included for in-person attendees.
Grounding Session
9:30-10:30 AM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Start the morning by setting an intention in this somatic, grounding session led by Jotina Buck of Root & Yoke Wellness.
Keynote Conversation
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Kelly Hayes of Truthout and Maya Pendleton, upEND cofounder will set the stage by discussing the urgency and importance of solidarity for the movement to abolish family policing.
Catered Lunch
12:30 – 1:30 PM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. Additional lunch options can be found in the Student Center.
LIVE upEND Podcast Recording
1:30 – 2:30 PM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Our liberation movements are intertwined. What are our strengths and opportunities in working together to achieve our collective goals? Guest host Corey Best will moderate a conversation with activists working against prisons, immigrant detention, family policing, and more.
Movement Building Workshop with Carceral Tech Resistance Network
3:00 – 4:00 PM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Carceral child welfare systems do not disproportionately target Black, indigenous, and immigrant communities because of a shared or inherent vulnerability: they do so because eugenics and population control have deep roots in US imperial violence. This workshop will offer a model of how we can leverage our shared experience of surveillance, regulation, and elimination to build effective and responsive strategies toward abolition.
Closing Session
4:30 – 5:30 PM CT
Ballroom 210, Student Center South
Jotina Buck of Root & Yoke Wellness will lead us through a restorative, energizing session that will weave in the themes we covered throughout the day.
Attend in Houston, TX
Venue
The University of Houston Student Center South
4455 University Dr, Houston, TX 77204
Accommodations
Hilton University of Houston
4450 University Dr, Houston, TX 77204
Book a hotel room at a discounted rate of $189 per night when you book by September 16 using this link.
Dining
Breakfast and a buffet lunch will be provided for attendees of the in-person event. Additional dining can be found in the University of Houston Student Center food court and the Hilton Hotel’s restaurant.
Parking
We recommend parking in the Welcome Center Garage. The day rate for parking is $20.
Contact us if you will need a parking voucher to make the event financially accessible.
Masking
Masks will be required and made available at this event. We also ask that you test for COVID-19 before arrival.
Attend Virtually
Livestreamed Events
All of our speaker sessions will be livestreamed so you can participate in the conversation wherever you attend.
Virtual Expo
Learn more about organizations and individuals doing the work across the country.
Support upEND Movement
Our events and resources will always be free and accessible to everyone thanks to our generous supporters! If you would like support travel stipends for impacted persons to attend the convening, you can donate to upEND online or contact us to learn more.
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