TRAINING - Communicating Racial Justice:
Weekend Workshop for Organizers & Activists

Are you an community organizer? Activist? Communicator of social justice causes? Join us for a weekend of inquiry, popular education, and sharing messaging strategies to build stronger movements for racial justice in Boston and beyond!

Apply Today for Communicating Racial Justice:

A Weekend Workshop for Activists!

Organized By:

In collaboration with:

smartMeme

Hosted by:

YWCA of Boston, Inter-racial Dialogues Program

WHY Communicating Racial Justice?

It is often a challenge to talk about the impacts of race and racism in social change campaigns, especially in today's context of the so-called “post-racial society.” The conventional wisdom seems to be to avoid the subject all together! But that strategy has serious consequences for long term movement building, and will ultimately harm the cause of true equality and social justice.  

We believe that in order to succeed, social justice leaders must be equipped to effectively frame and lead conversations about racial justice principles and key issues in the public sphere: through the mainstream media, online media, public events, and the narrative of campaigns. If we are to achieve the changes that our communities and planet needs, we must also nurture and build diverse networks of solidarity for racial justice.

Join the Boston Area chapter of the Progressive Communicators Network for a multi-day intensive training experience that will deepen analysis, build skills, and strengthen relationships amongst a diverse group of 20 to 25 organizers and communicators!

Date: April 9-11th (Friday: 5:30-8:30, Saturday: 9-6, Sunday: 9-4)

Location: YWCA ob Boston : 140 Clarendon, Ste. 403 Boston, MA 02116

Cost: Sliding Scale – $75-$200

Tuition cost includes 4 meals plus handouts and materials, including a copy of RE:Imagining Change -- How to use story-based strategy to win campaigns, build movements, and change the world (PM Press, 2010).
(No one turned away for lack of funds – please apply!)

Application Process

Please fill out the application HERE by March 15, 2010 (5 pm est).

* The Training Team requests that organizations send two people to this training

The Training Team will review all applications and select candidates according to PCN's diversity criteria (available HERE) and the goals of the training. Space is limited.

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MARCH 15th 2010 (5 pm east) {CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION}

in order to maximize the impact of this experience for the ongoing work. We will give organizations with a team of two priority when reviewing applications.

More About the Training

This training will include:

• Popular education on issues of race and racism, including working definitions of institutional racism and related concepts
• Discussion of the theory and practice of framing, and racial justice framing specifically, looking at case-studies and examples and pulling from multiple sources such as the work of the Center for Media Justice, The Praxis Project, Talking the Walk, and others.
• Introduction to the story-based strategy approach, and opportunities to practice using storytelling tools
• Team-based simulations to apply learning
  

This training will NOT include:

• In depth anti-racism training. Participants are expected to have experience(s) with the analysis and practice of antiracism prior to this training.
• Traditional communications/media training, such as how to speak to the media, write press releases, or pitch news outlets
  

Training Team

Tom Louie, Progressive Communicators Network, Boston Chapter Coordinator

Amaad Rivera, member of PCN Boston/New England and board member of Community Change and smartMeme

Doyle Canning, Co-Director, smartMeme

Advisory Committee

Makani Themba-Nixon, Executive Director, The Praxis Project

Karlos Guana Schmeider, Communications Strategist at Center for Media Justice and Leadership Council Member of PCN

Charlotte Ryan, Professor of Sociology, UMass-Lowell

Tarso Luís Ramos, Executive Director, Political Research Associates 

Paul Marcus, Director, Community Change Inc.

Donna Bivens, consultant

For more information

Tom Louie, Progressive Communicators Network, Boston Chapter: [email protected] or 857-540-1316

Gratitude Goes To:

This training is made possible by the generous support of individuals and:

The Frances Fund
The Haymarket Peoples Fund
The Wellspring Fund of the Peace Development Fund