Speaking Truth to Power: Advocacy 101

Advocacy 101: Speaking Truth to Power

ILAACP Quarterly Meeting March 27, 2014

Terri A. Johnson, C-Change Consulting – Facilitator

All my life I’ve been sick and tired. Now I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964

What is Advocacy?

Using your voice, power and your resources to make change!

Examples• Organizing: Build power at the base

• Sponsor public events (rallies, forums, protests, marches)

• Educating Legislators

• Educating the Public

• Research the issues

• Create resources that tell the story of your community

• Nonpartisan Voter Education, Registration & Mobilization

• Training Opportunities

• Work with regulating agencies

• Litigation

• Lobbying

Advocacy Strategies

Decision Makers

• Express support of/opposition to issues directly with elected officials and other leaders

Community (Person to Person)

• Educate and recruit people to join your effort

Media

• Use media outlets (print, tv, radio & social media) to build awareness and spark movement

Decision Maker• Vote • Donate to campaigns and causes that matter to them• Study your legislators to understand their priorities • Offer assistance on their priorities• Attend their events• Congratulate them on something they accomplished• Schedule opportunities (candidate forums, tours, briefings,

speaking engagements) where they come to you• Meet with legislators and staff people• Testify at hearings • Call or write them• Email not necessarily effective. Recent surveys show that

some legislators treat email the same as snail mail, others don’t. Send hard copy to follow up emails.

Community/Person to Person• Educate people about

your issues

• Forums, newsletters, trainings, fact sheets, infographics, Whitepapers

• Move them to act with you or as individuals

• Petitions, Rallies, Marches, Vigils, Boycotts, Letter Writing Campaigns, Action Alerts

Media • Press Conferences

• Meetings with Editorial Boards

• Letters to Editor

• Critiques

• Opinion Pieces (Op-eds)

• Public Service Announcements

• Ad Campaigns

• Social Media

Social Media Options

Artwork done by rafiqelmansy

• Follow, friend and/or connect to the decision makers you want to influence

• Find or start groups on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ that are working on your issues or similar ones

• Like or Comment on FB posts• Create Twitter hashtag and

respond to tweets• Share post on FB and Retweet

the things that support your effort

• Use Pinterest as a creative way to use images to send messages

• Post comments on blogs• Use YouTube & Vimeo to post

video clips

Tell Your Story

• Know the facts/Bust some myths

• Use the facts, but….

• Use your passion

• Clear and concise messages

Artwork by Leroy Campbell

The Assignment

Scenario Descriptions• Scenario 1: SSB Tax that is part of the HEAL Act (SB 3524 &

HB5690)

• Scenario 2: Medicaid Waiver 1115/The Path to Transformation

• Scenario 3: SB1934 – Amendment to Pharmacy Practice Act re: biosimilars

Scenario Updates• SB3524 at Public Health Committee; Discussion Postponed

(3/26/14)

• HB 5690 Referred to Sales and Other Taxes Subcommittee (2/27/14)

• Nothing posted yet on Medicaid Waiver 1115

• BIO SIM bill in Indiana signed by Gov. Pence

Break into pairs and talk about this question:

What is your first reaction to this information?

Group Discussion• How will this legislation/policy (if implemented) affect the

African American community? Please discuss both positive & negative impacts.

• What groups within the African American community will be most impacted by the legislation? (youth, elders, business people, etc.)

• Are there potential unintended consequences for this legislation?

Group Discussion cont.

• Does the community know enough about this issue? What info do they need?

• Is there a conversation going on in any of your circles (family, friends, place of worship, work, etc) about this issue? What is the nature of this conversation?

Strategy Questions• What do we want? (goals)

• Who can give it to us? (audience)

• What do they need to hear? (messages)

• Who do they need to hear it from? (messengers)

• How do we get them to hear it? (delivery)

• What have we got? Who do we know? (resources and strengths)

• What do we need? (challenges and gaps)

• What do we do first? (let’s get started!)

• How will we know that it is working or not? (evaluation)

TIME CHECK

Report Back

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you! Terri A. Johnson, C-Change Consulting

cchangeagent@gmail.com