This mornings rant is dedicated to all the folks doing #community designed policy. I see MANY ppl talk about this in #copolitics & very FEW tangibly do it successfully.
Join me in yesterdays presentation to @DePaulU students & some good local examples - a 🧵
Whether it’s small p or big P #policy how we design initiatives, how we write bills, how we engage testifiers, how we build coalitions & organize - can perpetuate inequities we’re trying to disrupt. #copilitics
white supremacy cultural characteristics love policy & advocacy
We’ve got incredible #leaders that stray away from white supremacy cultural characteristics in advocacy & lead with #integrity
Like the @ColoradoSPC @elephant_circle @S2SSisters @9to5Colorado @DenverTaskForce ✨ #community designed #leadership & #policy [great CO give list]
While it’s really cool to talk about #community #engagement [truly the term is now a buzz word in non-profit & development] building the pipelines for making engagement reciprocal & meaningful is what’s actually need.
That’s invisible work that’s not sexy & only the best do it.
This is why - those of us working towards a more #equitable world know that #LeadershipDevelopment has to be working right along side #policy - if they are separate, we perpetuate the way we’ve done it.
Some org examples of doing this well: @NewEraColorado @colorlatina
Building that pipeline means shifting the culture of #philanthropy & reminding them how relationships need to be funded with our community first (build trust). We’ve seen successful examples of this led by: @9to5Colorado @ColoradoFiscal @AFDCCoalition @colorlatina @RaiseColorado
The most #joyous successes that I’ve been a part of at #coleg & #colorado state Capitol have been working on coalitions that build people power. We’ve done that in ✨ #coalitions #ballotmeasures #bills #implementation & more - some bill examples: HB21-193, HB21-1311/12, SB21-199
When we break #policy processes down to #community members it’s actually okay to not get nerdy and instead keep it real basic - cause ppl intuitively know what their communities tend to care about & what solutions will remedy their issues. Sometimes I talk about policy like so:
The harm that I see commonly happening between agencies, non-profit service providers & community - is we rarely dismantle the machine that is regurgitating the problem. Even w/ community engagement plans & your monthly stipend - ppl aren’t allowed to disrupt power. #copolitics
I promise there are those of us 🙋♀️ who write or advocate for thorough power shifting through community engagement plans [literally written into state bills] to give community power more teeth - but it’s rare. #copolitics shout out to @ColoradoKidsOrg
Recent example HB22-1259
But there are also institutions, non-profits & agencies that will not amplify #working family voice in #copolitics & are truly TERRIFIED at the #power we yield when we congregate.
coloradonewsline.com/2021/06/16/mee…
A way we can tell an advocate in the field is committed to community power & equitable process - is they’ll walk in the other direction when they sense they are being asked to lend their #workingfamily power to something that doesn’t #value their time
I’m still learning.
I’ve watched the twitch & adversity that agency & non profit leadership have when we really build in the power to change things - or bake in equity so that we have to look in the mirror - it’s a specific twitch & it’s not [obviously] just from white leadership. #copolitics
A way to tell quickly if an organization might be harmful to your #workingfamily power - do they value intragenerational space? Are they making space for your kids? Do they care your basic needs are met before they extract your knowledge? #copolitics
Building pipelines to advance #progressive issues [ask more me more my thoughts on the use of that word] has to always include #leadership pipelines - our best #movements continue to show us that & of-course many leaders of color throughout history have told us that.
@UnrollHelper por favor ✨
to be clear - this photo above is of me and my son at the luncheon for @WFColorado - I have loved working with them, they fund really incredible community led initiatives across the state and here in Denver Metro. They are a great example of centralizing #workingfamily power.
Side note 👆🏼 - @pricetoya & @karlitaggg are two incredible local role models of implementing long term-visionary programming of #communityleadership into policy processes & development. That’s them at @colorlatina ‘s LIPS event in 2019. #ColoradoGivesDay plug 4 COLOR ❤️
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