Reflecting on Change

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Applying Our Research 

As part of its departmental strategic planning process for 2013-14, ARC's Research Department is conducting an anonymous survey of scholars and educators to assist us with the development of a prospective "Resources for Educators" section of our website. Please help us gather valuable input by taking this 10-12 minute survey yourself if you fall into this category and/or forwarding it to others who could use downloadable data on racial disparities, lecture slides, short videos defining racial justice terms, or other resources and tools for their educational work. The deadline for your participation is Monday, February 18th.

As a follow-up to its co-sponsorship of a half-day data and research convening on the Asian American Pacific Islander community at Facing Race in Baltimore last November, ARC's Research Department is continuing its partnership with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans to co-convene a working group of researchers and community-based organization representatives to develop an accessible resource on "Principles and Best Practices" for conducting research on and/or with the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community (AANHPI). Stay tuned for the release of that resource this Spring.

Network News

The Applied Research Center, in partnership with Southerners on New Ground (SONG), has launched a new leadership program to foster collaboration and innovation around the themes of intersectionality, unity and visibility, and to bridge LGBTQ equity with racial justice. The first convening of the Better Together Southern Leadership Cohort was held in Atlanta on January 24, during National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Creating Change Conference.

Organizations spanning 10 states participating in the new cohort include the Advancement Project, BreakOUT!, Center for Artistic Revolution, Equality Florida, Fairness Campaign, Freedom Center for Social Justice, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Healing Bridges, Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, Southeast Immigrant Rights Network, Southern Poverty Law Center, SPARK, Trans People of Color Coalition. In addition, the Western States Center, coordinator of the Uniting Communities program, is collaborating as a training partner.

"This convening renewed my faith in our work in the Southeast and my faith in Southern unity and collaboration,” said one of the participants, while another added, "There are so many possibilities on the horizon as we begin to make connections. Powerful change is coming!"

ARC and cohort participants also presented a Better Together workshop at Creating Change, which highlighted southern efforts that are connecting racial justice and LGBTQ equity.

Colorlines.com Spotlight

We’re often humbled by how large people assume the Colorlines.com team must be. That means we’re punching far above our weight—which is exactly what effective community-based journalism demands. But this month we're thrilled to announce we’ve added some new muscle. Akiba Solomon, who has written our Gender Matters column for two years, is stepping into a new leadership role as Colorlines’ Managing Editor.

"I’ve admired Akiba’s work for more than a decade," wrote Editorial Director Kai Wright in announcing the post on Colorlines. "I still remember tearing into The Source in the late 1990s—back when hip hop magazines didn’t shy away from racial politics and investigative reporting—and devouring the compelling mix of content Akiba put together as its politics editor. Later, as Essence magazine’s health editor, Akiba was among a too small group of black journalists driving black media to take seriously HIV and sexual health."

"As a reporter, editor and commentator, she has been a relentless and rare voice for honest conversation about and, importantly, with black women. We have been proud to have her as a columnist, and I’m plain giddy to add her wisdom to Colorlines’ leadership."

Akiba will help guide our reporters as we maintain our commitment to providing crucial context and filling in the racial justice blanks as news breaks each week. Meanwhile, we'll be adding new enterprise and investigative projects in 2013, as well as deepening our efforts to tell stories through multimedia content and finding new ways to engage our growing community. We hope you'll continue to join us as we face race in the news each week!

President's Message

 

I’m feeling mighty proud of ARC and Colorlines lately as I note some dramatic differences in today’s immigration policy debate from those of the last five years. For me, the moment marks a critical lesson in social change-making: stick to your crazy ideas. If they turn out to be right, you might have a shot at generating lasting change. If they turn out wrong, you’ll learn enough to make the next idea better.

A few years ago, we looked around the racial justice world and saw that while there was no shortage of great policy ideas for advancing racial equity, there wasn’t exactly a gigantic constituency calling out for those changes. Rather than duplicating the work of policy advocates and grassroots organizers whose job it is to push policies through the decision-making system, we decided to focus on projects that would change the way Americans thought and talked about key racial justice issues.

Nothing is more central to shifting the race discourse than how the United States treats immigrants and their families. Our Shattered Families and Drop the I-Word projects allowed ARC to do the best of what we’d always done (reveal the racial impact of policies through hard data) and try something new (change the language of the immigration debate). Neither project was easy to start.

We knew that deported parents were losing their kids for seven years before anyone believed us enough to provide the resources to look into it fully (thank you, Atlantic Philanthropies).

This month, Felipe Montes, whose story Colorlines broke and followed, will regain permanent custody of his three children, and Representatives Karen Bass and Lucille Roybal-Allard have introduced the Help Separated Families Act to address the problem.

When we started Drop the I-Word, we appreciated the many expressions of support, but we also felt the energy of many people who thought it was the biggest waste of time ever. Today, it’s quite clear that liberals and conservatives, immigrants and native-born people, elite decision-makers and everyday sorts, have recognized the effect of language on the collective decision we make as a people. I was absolutely inspired by this clip of Rep. John Conyers urging Congress not to use the word. It pleases me no end to help change the debate enough so that the many wonderful organizers, public administrators and policy analysts we know can have increased traction in their efforts to change the rules.

We owe our ability to chase these dreams to you. Without your good wishes, your retweeting, your commentary, and your money, we would not be able to pursue a story that no one else thinks is a story, nor experiment with edgy, innovative projects. Keep it all coming, and together we’ll see what else is possible.

 

Rinku Sen
President, ARC
Publisher, Colorlines.com

 


ARC Updates

  • Did you know that Valentine's Day is the highest grossing day in the restaurant industry? This year, before eating out with loved ones, show some love to the people who will be working that night cooking and serving your food. There are over 10 million restaurant workers in America, and on Valentine's Day, like every other day, they will earn some of the lowest wages of anyone in the country.

    Learn more about Behind The Kitchen Door, the new book by Saru Jayaraman: http://bit.ly/BKDBook