How We Win: Lessons from Successful DC Advocacy Campaigns

By Grassroots DC, on April 24th, 2014

Cross-posted on behalf of the Fair Budget Coalition

The story behind a successful advocacy campaign is not all gold and glory. Come hear about the innovative strategies, the trials and the errors that taught panelists what works to make an advocacy campaign successful. Panelists will tell the stories of what they did to move stubborn Councilmembers, to raise the profile of their issue, to change public perceptions, and to ultimately win.

We will also explore how these successful advocates tried to stay accountable to DC communities who were impacted by their legislative and budget policies. The panelists will share what worked (or didn’t) and what we can learn so that we do better as we continue our advocacy into the future. Join us for a panel discussion on:

How We Win: Lessons from Successful Campaigns Friday, April 25th 10:00am-12:00pm At the Shaw Library 1630 7th St NW Featured Panelists Mike Wilson, Respect DC, Minimum Wage Campaign Elizabeth Falcon, CNHED, Housing for All Campaign Nikki Lewis, DC Jobs with Justice, Paid Sick Days Campaign Naomi Iser, Employment Justice Center Samantha Davis, So Others Might Eat And more TBA… RSVP HERE or call Janelle at 202-986-9580

Sponsored by the Fair Budget Coalition and the Service to Justice Conference Planning Committee

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Resolution Honoring the Life of Brian Anders

By Liane Scott, on October 2nd, 2012

On behalf of the many friends and colleagues of longtime DC homeless advocate Brian Anders, who passed away on August 28, 2012, Empower DC Co-Founder Parisa Norouzi requested that the city council pass a resolution honoring Brian’s life. Unlike so many other requests made by members of the progressive community, the council agreed. The resolution is being sponsored by Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham and was on the Consent Agenda of the council’s first legislative session (Wednesday September 19, 2012). Unfortunately, we still don’t know when it will be presented or when (or even if) community members will be permitted to speak about Brian in memoriam.

Interview of Brian Anders by Pete Tucker on the Closing of La Casa Shelter. [haiku url=”http://www.grassrootsmediaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Brian_Anders_2010-10-04.mp3″ title=”Brian_Anders_2010-10-04″]

As a reminder why this resolution is so appropriate, I’ve cross-postied an an audio podcast of an interview of Brian Anders discussing the closing of La Casa Shelter produced by Pete Tucker for his website The Fight Back. Following that is an article about Brian by David Zirin, that was originally published in The Nation. Perhaps after reading the article and listening to the audio you’ll find the time to call or email your councilmember and remind them to put Brian’s resolution prominently on the council’s agenda. Click here for a link to the names and addresses of DC’s City Council. Also, mark your calendar for a celebration of Brian’s life, October 13, starting at 6:30PM at the Potter’s House. More on that later.

The Last Wish of Brian Anders Dave Zirin on September 4, 2012 – 10:23 AM ET

We are all taught from birth that the world is shaped exclusively by the wealthy and powerful. The brave souls, who put their bodies on the line and organize people to pressure the powerful, are erased from the historical record. Last week, we lost one of those brave souls, and he deserves to be remembered. A man died in Washington, DC, who did more to affect change than any of the empty suits that scurry about on Capitol Hill. His name was Brian Anders, and although he’d reject this description, he was very special.

Dynamic, charismatic and razor sharp, Brian could have done anything with his life but was compelled to be a fighter for social justice on the streets of DC for nearly thirty years. The bulk of his work was focused on fighting for the rights of the homeless and affordable housing by any means necessary. If there was a protest, a speakout, or an occupation, Brian Anders was there. Brian was also an African-American Vietnam War veteran who wrestled with his own PTSD for decades and always, particularly since 9/11, made every effort to connect imperial wars abroad with the war on the poor at home. He saw the connections and put his passion, his pain and his personal history at the service of getting others to see that connective tissue as well.

Brian always reminded me of Julian Bond’s line about Muhammad Ali: “He made dissent visible, audible, attractive and fearless.”

Brian Anders worked with everyone but was associated most closely with two remarkable institutions. In the 1980s, he was at the heart of organizing at the homeless shelter CCNV (the Center for Creative Non-Violence) and over the last decade sat on the board of the social justice organization Empower DC. Both entities, due in no small part to Brian, have distinguished themselves by the fact that they don’t fight on behalf of people but organize affected communities to fight for themselves.

As his friend Kirby ably described in her remembrance of Brian, CCNV became in the 1980s “a vibrant community of anti-war and social justice activists, who succeeded, through direct action, in forcing the federal government to hand over the massive building at 2nd and D St. NW, so that CCNV could turn it into a shelter and community center for people without housing.”

CCNV’s activism was at the heart of the passage of the 1987 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, one of the precious few federal actions that has actually aided the homeless. He showed all the professional politicians what real politics could look like when removed from the lobbyists and big-money donors, and reclaimed by the people.

But Brian’s most lasting contribution was how he affected those closest to him.

Fellow Empower DC board member Farah Fosse said at a service/rally for Brian after his death, “He spoke truth to power, motivated people, worked tirelessly for justice, provided direct services . . . → Read More: Resolution Honoring the Life of Brian Anders

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Tax Day Delegation

By Liane Scott, on April 19th, 2012

Empower DC's Tax Day Delegation, storming the gates of power at the Wilson Building.

As activists, we love to participate in demonstrations and marches, especially when they’re in a good cause and there are so many good causes. But it’s also nice to step it up a notch and take specific demands to the people in power. It’s a quieter, less showy form of activism, but necessary and effective in its own way. On April 17, 2012 (tax day), Empower DC along with representatives from the Fair Budget Coalition, Jobs With Justice and DC for Democracy went to the Wilson Building to talk to our council members about how they’re spending our taxes. Our first visit was to the hearing room, where the Committee of the Whole was meeting. We’d brought along an information packet that included our take on the shortage of affordable housing in the city , the DC public school budget and the childcare subsidy program. All these issues the council and the mayor influence through policy, legislation and funding. Council members and their staff (very important cogs in the legislative apparatus) are usually pretty knowledgeable when it comes to how much money is being put into or taken out of the programs that many low- and moderate-income DC residents depend on, but they’re not so knowledgeable when asked how cutting those programs will impact DC residents. That’s why activists, organizers and community members who are impacted need to educate our elected officials.

Here’s an audio snippet of one of our office visits. The position of the recording device was not ideal, so some of the audio is a little hard to understand but it’s well worth the entire 3-minutes. [haiku url=”http://www.grassrootsmediaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tax-Day-Delegation.mp3″ title=”Tax Day Delegation” style=”color: #003300]

Although Empower DC child care organizer Sequnely Gray, who is featured in the above audio, expressing her concerns passionately about the plight of DC’s homeless families, she was there primarily to discuss the child care subsidy program. There is so much overlap between the issues that local progressives care about, it doesn’t always make sense to try to tease them apart. The DC residents who are most impacted by this year’s round of budget cuts don’t even have the option. The parent who needs the child care subsidy so he or she can work is at risks losing their job without it. Without a job, what happens to the money for rent or for food? When one program fails you, the others become all the more necessary. As activists and organizers it’s important that we understand all of the programs that are critical to the city’s safety net. To that end, I’ve posted below the information that Sequnely put together regarding the subsidized child care program.

Here’s a link to the Demands to Fully Fund the Subsidized Child Care Program below. I hope to post more info regarding programs that will be impacted by the budget in the weeks leading up to the city council’s vote on the 2013 budget at the end of May. Empower DC is planning more advocacy days at the at the city council. Stay tuned to this channel for more on that. In the meantime, feel free to download the child care demands and do a little advocacy on your own. Because frankly, DC residents who are also parents can’t work without quality, affordable child care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Advocating on Behalf of Low- and Moderate-Income DC Residents

By Liane Scott, on May 15th, 2011

Time is almost up. The city budget is scheduled for a vote May 25, 2011. There are still a couple of things you can do to keep the outrageous cuts to the social services from happening. Call, email, or visit the members of the council who remain against the proposal to increase taxes on DC’s wealthiest citizens by a mere .4 percent. There names and contact information follow:

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans 202- 724-8058 jackevans@dccouncil.us

Council Chair Kwame Brown 202-724-8032 kbrown@dccouncil.us

At-Large Councilmember David Catania 202-724-7772 dcatania@dccouncil.us

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser 202-724-8052 mbowser@dccouncil.us

There’s also one more rally. The details follow:

Critical, Unified Fair Budget Action: Social Services Walking Tour Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW May 18th, 11 a.m. -1 p.m.

Even if the budget passes with a slightly more progressive tax code, many cuts to social services will remain. DC’s progressive activists work hard for positive outcomes during budget season, but the low- and moderate-income residents who are most affected by these budget cuts must deal with them year round. We should be organizing year round. The following video, “How to Be an Affordable Housing Advocate,” suggests that we stay informed about legislation and that we hold our elected officials accountable however and whenever possible. Enjoy.

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