04.23.15RESIDENCY ASSIGNMENT

Do You See Me Now? Strategies for Building A Bigger We

The Los Angeles Black Workers Center (BWC) is a grassroots action center that was organized to address the crisis of severe unemployment and underemployment in the Black community.

The BWCs mission is to increase access to quality jobs; reduce employment discrimination; and upgrade the industries that employ Black workers.

The BWC has targeted the construction industry which is benefitting from billions of dollars of investment in projects like the L.A. Metro light rail, yet has yet to break down the barriers of discrimination that have all but excluded Black workers from their ranks.

Do You See Me Now is a BWC-initiated campaign backed by a coalition of allies. The goals of the campaign are to achieve:

10% Black participation in LA construction projects by 2020. A comprehensive audit of the racial and gender makeup of public construction sites An Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement in the City of Los Angeles to enforce hiring discrimination and wage theft violations with tough penalties. Pre-apprenticeship training to connect underrepresented communities to careers in the construction industry.

In order to create the necessary will in the City to meet these demands, the Do You See Me Now campaign needs to build the broadest support possible, beginning with important sectors of L.A. Black community, including Black Churches, Black Businesses, and Black Celebrities.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Using the resources offered in this residency as well as research and experience from other campaigns, history, and communities, design a communications strategy and rationale for engaging your teams assigned sector (churches, businesses, or celebrities) of the Black Community in the Do You See Me Now Campaign.

This assignment is primarily concerned about what it might take to build new relationships with potential allies from within the black community, but outside of the alliance (i.e. black churches, black businesses, black celebrities)

Communications in this sense is less about media and more about message. Our goal is to gain an understanding about what would move targeted individuals to include our cause in their organizations endeavors because they identify with it. It is about building sustainable relationships that are worth their time and energy and influential power.

DELIVERABLE: Prepare a 10-minute presentation that summarizes your proposal and its rationale to be delivered on Sunday morning.

RESOURCES

To prepare you for this assignment, over the first three days of the residency you will be presented with information about the development of Black Worker Centers in the U.S. You will meet staff and leaders from the L.A. Black Worker Center, and learn about the Do You See Me Now Campaign. You will learn about the context of what it means to be a Black Worker Center in the landscape of power in Los Angeles. You will hear from representative voices from Black Church, Black Business, and Black Celebrity sectors in a conversation about what it takes to build sustainable ally relationships. You will participate in a landscape analysis demonstration of the Do You See Me Now Alliance, a story-based strategy workshop, and a presentation about how to use graphics effectively.

You will then have two afternoons [about 10 hours total on Friday and Saturday] to produce your teams proposal and presentation.

Gilda Haas will be available all afternoon on both days for consultation. [office: A4110; [cell: [323-528-2076]Lanita Morris of the Black Workers Center will be available by phone [323-514-8820] to answer any questions your team may have on Saturday from 12-1:30 pm. Albert Lowe is available by phone on Saturday from 1:30pm 3:30pm [213-503-1848], and Jane is available in person all day Friday and Saturday [office: A4109; [310-902-1210]

A GENERAL APPROACH TO THE ASSIGNMENT Meet and consult/debrief with your teammates as soon and as often as possible. [long blocks of time on Friday and Saturday afternoons are reserved for teamwork]. Listen to Residency presentations with your assignment in mind and take good notes in preparation for your teamwork. Ask questions that may assist and inform your teams problem-solving. Take advantage of the experience and knowledge of your peers, faculty, as well as BWC staff and leaders.

TEAMS

Black ChurchesBlack BusinessesBlack Celebrities

1. Enisa2. Misty 3. Karen4. Caroline5. Avital6. Hossein

1. Peter2. Amanda3. Mary4. Darrell5. Shadan6. Susan

1. KaPrise2. Ashley3. Faith4. Chris5. Angela6. Ariel7. Gopal

1