Community Photo Project--April 6th

Arkansas Voices for Children Left Behind has partnered with Maggie Carroll, a student at the Clinton School of Public Service, to put together an exhibit of photographs taken by children and teens affected by incarceration. It will be a touching look into these children's lives and a fantastic way of showing support for their art!

So You Think You Want To Be An Activist: A Tip Sheet

Have you ever seem something on the news that just gets you fired up? New legislation? A violation of human rights? Feel like your freedoms are being restricted? Do something about it!

I know from personal experience that activism can seem tricky. How do you do it? Why does anyone care what you have to say? Can you make a difference?

Really, you won't know unless you try. 

Activism is kind of an all encompassing term. My strengths are in blogging, promotional materials, and emailing. If you notice, those are all forms of advocacy writing. Coincidence? I think not. Even if you aren't a writing person, there are tons of ways to be involved. Because I do live in Arkansas, this information will probably be most relevant to my fellow Arkansans, but the basic ideas are the same no matter your location.

Step 1:  Research

This can be tricky if you don't know where to look. Theoretically, all of the information about the Arkansas Legislature can be found on their website. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to navigate. Openstates.org features a much more user friendly interface that allows you to look up different legislators and different legislation. Research the bills, research voting records, and then go over to Google and research the issue as a whole. If you support something, know why. If you oppose something, know why.

Step 2:  Vote

Simple. Make sure you're voting, for a couple of different reasons. Voting is great because it gives you input in who has political power. Voting is also great because legislators care a whole lot more about phone calls and emails from their voting constituents than they do any Jane Doe. And voting is fun! At least for political nerds.

Step 3:  Organize

This process is so much easier with some back up. Is there a local organization that feels the same way you do? Maybe even just your neighbor. Social media is a great tool for finding those allies. Facebook is great because you can form groups and events about the issue and share information and updates!

Step 4:  Advocate!

Here is where you have some freedom. My advice is to always start by going back to your research. Clearly summarize the issue/bill/legislator that you're focusing on and then outline the reasons that you are for/against it. Then decide what you want to do about it. Are you going to work solo? Or recruit some allies? My advice is to use that social media and find some allies. Even email writing is more fun with a friend! I use my personal Facebook page to raise awareness about important issues all the time. Then, when I get ready to take some real action, I know who to call (or message) for back up!

Advocacy is best accomplished with at least some writing. If you're making a phone call, have an outline ready for your talking points. If you're writing an email or a blog post, be aware of how you're representing your cause. You absolutely want to use reason, but it doesn't hurt to use some emotional appeals too. I strongly caution against exaggeration, but if you just list some facts, you won't be persuasive. By the way, never underestimate the power of a good, old-fashioned protest. The media loves them!

Pro Tip:  Think of a friend who has either a neutral or opposing stance on this issue. Would your writing or action persuade them? If so, great job! If not, is there a way you could improve it so that it would?

How YOU Can Help!

I've talked a lot about how El Zócalo helps people and vaguely hinted about how they use volunteers, but I haven't talked about how you might be one of those volunteers!

There are a variety of volunteer opportunities for Spanish speakers and non-Spanish speakers alike. This is totally not a comprehensive list. If you have an idea for a way to help, contact Sara Mullally or anyone else involved (including me--I'm easy to contact! Just leave a comment)! There are a ton of ways to help El Zócalo!

Because most of people (including myself) are not fluent in English and Spanish, I'll start with the opportunities for non-Spanish speakers!

• Represent El Zócalo in the community

Market and Media Outreach

Photography and Social Media

Organize a Community Event, Fundraiser, or Outreach Presentation

Visit a Detainee**

Food Pantry Volunteer

Work on Advocacy, Public Policy, Education, or Research

Grant Writing

For you rare bilingual folk out there, you can help with all of those things and more!

• Interpretation at Local Charity Clinics
• Help with Case Management and Medical Referral System
• Direct Service with Immigrant Families

**In Central Arkansas, there are detainees that speak English, Spanish, and Arabic.

This is such a simplified list. El Zocalo is a grassroots organization, so all of the important work that they do is accomplished by volunteers! Think about working with El Zocalo the next time that you are bitten by that community service bug!

Arkansas Dream Act

For those who don't know, the Arkansas Dream Act (SB915) is a bill that would allow immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition. It doesn't cost the state anything, the undocumented immigrants still can't qualify for the state funded scholarships, and it actually increases potential profits for the universities because they have a pool of potential customers students.

To help ensure that this bipartisan piece of common sense legislation is passed, El Zocalo is asking YOU for help! If you have a moment and feel led by your conscience to do so, please take a few minutes and make a quick phone call, or type up an email asking your legislator to support this bill. Although it'd be great if you used personal stories, we've got a sample script for you if you aren't sure what to say! 

“My name is ________ and I am from _________. I am calling Senator ________ urging him/her to vote YES on SB915. It only makes sense to invest in future productive citizens. This bill will not cost the state any money, and it will actually allow us to capitalize in an investment that we have already made. These students will NOT be able to apply for scholarship or loans, including the Lottery Scholarship. In-state tuition is good for Arkansas. Please vote YES to SB915. Thank you.” 

 If you're not one for phone calls (lookin' at you, everyone my age), we also have an email template you can use! 

 Dear State Senator: 

As a constituent of your district, I would appreciate your support for "The Postsecondary Education and Economic Development Act of 2013", which would allow undocumented students to use their own money to pay tuition at the in-state rate. We, as your district, look forward to your support, and helping our community acheive its education and economic potential.  

Sincerely,

Name

Address

And finally, for those of you who don't make a habit of hitting up your legislator for some quality legal chat, you can use this link to quickly look up your representative's contact information.

Pro-Tip for Conway kids:  We're represented by Jason Rapert. His phone number is 501-336-0918 and his email address is Jason.Rapert@senate.ar.gov.

The legislature especially needs to hear from non-Latinos. If they know that a diverse group of Arkansans are supporting this, they're more likely to vote for it! Latinos (actually, all minorities) are marginalized. Marginalized populations aren't disadvantaged because people in power listened when they spoke alone. Women didn't get the right to vote working alone! These students need our support to create a loud voice advocating for their right to an affordable education.

If you're interested in tracking the progress of this specific legislation or helping out the immigrant community as a whole, I encourage you to "Like" our Facebook page.

And while you have your activism shoes on, go show SB33 some love. You can find out more about that bill and its progress here. Both bills are sponsored by Joyce Elliot and would absolutely be positive steps toward improving education in Arkansas.