June ICYMI

Earlier this year in April, we bought Ross Ulbricht’s second collection “The Growth Collection” at auction. 

This collection featured three pieces out of Ross’s Human Blockchain series, which is ongoing and we can expect to see more installments over time, and What Happens to the Cages which features a ruined prison, overgrown with plant life, depicting what a future could potentially look like without the need to imprison others, as well as the animation Grow in the Dark, which is an incredibly moving piece made of 318 individual black-and-white hand-drawn frames by Ross in prison. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t win every single piece, but we did win most of them! In doing so, we’ve contributed an additional $500,000 to his legal trust.
With the art we purchased, we have created many exciting new projects. Including an immersive exhibit and an NFT Mintpass collection. There are also plans to build a marketplace that will be available to our collectors in the future.
Our immersive VR experience just wrapped up its first appearance at NFT.NYC! Everyone who saw it wants you to know that the experience is indescribable (we are struggling with the words ourselves). The hosts reported many visceral reactions among the viewers. We will keep you posted, but It should be available for home viewing on the Oculus soon. Tour dates for the experience are coming soon! If you got a chance to see the exhibit, you have about a month to claim your POAP from Jess via the FreeRossDAO Twitter account DMs or Discord.

Our Mintpass is currently minting! 329 original 1 / 1 hand drawn frames from Ross Ulbricht’s Grow in the Dark animation. Each mintpass is priced at .3 eth. You can find the Mintpass at freerossdao.org/mintpass/ 

Each Mintpass NFT contains:

• Allowlist access for future pre-release drops as well as use of our upcoming marketplace before the public. 
• A chance to receive a special 1 of 1 “remix” by artists teaming up with us for this launch.
• Physical goods package of Ross Ulbricht’s recent creative work:
  • Sticker pack
  • Grow in the Dark animation Flipbook
  • Prints of Genesis Collection, that’s all the art from the December auction that was fractionalized
  • Prints of the Growth Collection, that’s the Human Blockchain paintings, and the What Happens to the Cages painting
  • Maybe more
• An AR lens of SHUbert for metaverse
• Discord role specific to Genesis Mintpass holders

Every Thursday at 7PM central (8PM EST/5PM PST) join us to write a letter to Ross!

You’re welcome to write Ross on your own time, you can use an app like Ameelio or write it by hand but please be mindful of these guidelines:

• No Stickers, stick on address labels, postcards, greeting cards, or polaroid photos. 
• Do not write anything to Ross that you would not want a cop to read, you could get one or both of you in trouble. 
• Letters must be written in blue or black ink. Letters written in marker, crayon, or pencil are likely to be rejected. 
• If you write by hand it is probably best to only write on one side of the page. If you’re using Ameelio, it will format your letter for you so you don’t have to worry about this. 
• Additionally, we have been informed that Ross has special communication restrictions. It takes an extra two weeks for the prison to “handle” his physical mail before it is delivered to him.
• You can read more about limitations and why you should write to incarcerated people here.

Mail can be sent to Ross at this mailing address:

Ross Ulbricht #18870-111
USP Tucson
P.O Box 24550
Tucson, AZ 85734

Every Thursday at 1pm & 8pm Central (after the Letter Writing Party)

Social Media Pod hosts Media Night!
Last week we watched Deep Web (2015) a documentary about Silk Road.
On July 1 we will be hate watching some fiction about Ross based on some trash written by a cop that ended up in jail for being corrupt! BYOB!

Our Book Club will be kicking off its start with We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transformative Justice by Mariame Kaba. Beginning this week, there will be a text channel in the Discord dedicated to the book club, where you can join us at your own pace anytime over the next few weeks while we get started!

We Do This ‘Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba is a New York Times Bestseller

“Organizing is both science and art. It is thinking through a vision, a strategy, and then figuring out who your targets are, always being concerned about power, always being concerned about how you’re going to actually build power in order to be able to push your issues, in order to be able to get the target to actually move in the way that you want to.”

What if social transformation and liberation isn’t about waiting for someone else to come along and save us? What if ordinary people have the power to collectively free ourselves? In this timely collection of essays and interviews, Mariame Kaba reflects on the deep work of abolition and transformative political struggle.

We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transformative Justice by Mariame Kaba, Haymarket Books

At FreeRossDAO we love to pay contributors for small tasks that add up into bigger changes, right now our active bounties are:

• Tweet in support of @RealRossU with #FreeRoss on Fridays for up to 2000 $Free
• Attend a Letter Writing Party (Or Write Ross on your own) 1000 $Free
• Sign the #FreeRoss Petition 1000 $Free
• Follow Ross’ Twitter account 1000 $Free
• Follow the FreeRossDAO Instagram 1000 $Free
• Give FRD a Discord Server Boost 10,000 $Free

Thanks to all of our contributors for another great month at FRD! 

Especially my sidekicks Prosper and The Count of Monte Crypto

Newsletter format coming soon, make sure you sign up 🙂