two injections of inspiration
Hi friends - today, two injections of inspiration.
First, Harry's incredible 5-minute wrap video for UNITE HERE featuring the African immigrant canvass team that helped win Georgia is among the most moving things I've ever watched about the power of organizing and what real community and worker leadership looks like.
https://www.facebook.com/UniteHere/videos/243041870614210
Second, I'll be moderating an event on February 16th, "Leading for Social Change At A Critical Time: What Do Leaders Need?" The event features two visionary, generative, and strategic leaders - Nse Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project and Cristina Jimenez, Co-Founder and former ED of United We Dream. I'll be presenting some new research that a team of colleagues at two schools at CUNY, working with movement leaders from around the country, have conducted over the last six months to identify what support early and mid-career leaders and organizers –especially people of color, women and folks from low-income and working-class backgrounds– need and want. Nse and Cristina will offer reflections from their own experience as leaders who have won huge victories and developed so many other leaders in the movement. The event is jointly sponsored by CUNY's School of Labor and Urban Studies and City College of New York's Colin Powell School.
I am *so excited* about this conversation! Cristina and Nse will be exploring questions like: How was a whole generation of young women of color developed in Georgia over the last decade – what can we learn from that process and investment? How have young, undocumented immigrants faced with never-ending threats to their existence in the US dealt with the trauma and still fought for change? What qualities are required now of leaders to navigate the complexities of the inside/outside game – pushing electeds when needed but also joining with them to fight off authoritarian forces? Register below and come find out!
There will be a second, equally compelling event in the series on leadership that will be moderated by Gara LaMarche, a key leader of this work to support emerging leaders - I'll announce that here soon.
Leading for Social Change at a Critical Time: What do Leaders Need?
TIME: 12:30pm (EST)
Zoom Event Link
Meeting ID: 874 3122 3835 I Passcode: 817989
Tuesday, February
16
As we explore the possibility of a new initiative to train leaders in the social justice space to be housed at CCNY’s Colin Powell School and the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, we have interviewed dozens of social justice movement leaders, conducted multiple focus groups with students, organizers, labor activists, and nonprofit staffers and have developed a comprehensive picture of the field as it stands today. We know where there are strengths, where there are gaps, and what leaders – particularly young leaders of color – tell us about what they need to succeed.
This event will feature a brief overview of our research findings and two leaders of organizations working on immigrant rights, democracy protection and racial justice, who will react and reflect on questions like: How was a whole generation of young women of color developed in Georgia over the last decade – what can we learn from that process and investment? How have young, undocumented immigrants faced with never-ending threats to their existence in the US dealt with the trauma and still fought for change? What qualities are required now of leaders to navigate the complexities of the inside/outside game – pushing fellow progressives when needed but also joining with them to fight off authoritarian forces?
Speakers:
Cristina Jiménez
Co-Founder and former Executive Director, United We Dream, the largest organization run by young people to defend immigrant rights
Nsé Ufot
CEO, New Georgia Project, which has registered and engaged many thousands of Georgia voters, especially young people and people of color
Moderator:
Deepak Bhargava
Distinguished Lecturer, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies;
Co-Lead Planner for new Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice