Racism: Challenging Perceptions is dedicated to supporting individuals as they explore opportunities to build more equitable communities. We have selected a few key topics from each conversation in our second installment of programs and created a discussion guide for you to use with your friends, families, colleagues and community members.
As you discuss the third episode, we encourage you to consider the following ( Download the PDF here):
Voice and Value
- What is your comfort level with reaching out to your elected officials?
- How can you engage with your representative on issues that are most important to you?
- What are some issues regarding race and racial equity that you would like to see your elected officials focusing on?
- What are some policy initiatives that you believe would be most supportive of addressing race and racial equity (for example-housing policy, education, health, etc.)?
Activism and Advocacy
- Discuss ways that you can increase your involvement in legislative issues and influencing policy changes.
- Can you recall a time that you’ve had to leverage your voice to support another group or demographic?
- How does policy and/or politics interface with your everyday life?
- What have you been advocating for that you are most proud about? Is there an area of advocacy you want to deepen?
Finding the Synergy
- Better Together has been a constant theme. How would you suggest stakeholders work more closely together, regardless of political affiliation?
- What future opportunities might you have to work closely with a stakeholder or representative to support your community?
“The concept of collaboration is really complex, especially in this time, you have the traditional way, organizations have always done things when we talk about nonprofit, there's the nonprofit industrial complex, and then you have transformative, which is, you know, let's recognize our systems have never been just and so we can't really fall on tradition all the way.” - Chlo’e Edwards
“And so that's one of the things we have to make sure that we are mindful of is that the individuals that are representing the communities [that they say they serve], are actually engaged with the communities, and also encouraging the elected officials to continue to sort of do their grassroots just like local elected officials are forced to do.” - Delegate Lamont Bagby