"I always wanted to make a difference in my community, but, for me,
attending this, it was an eye-opener."
A year later, SPLC Advocacy Institute graduates pursue transformative
change
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Esther Schrader Read the full piece here
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Friend,
As an alderwoman in a small town, Nicole Robinson spends most of her
time working to improve neighborhood drainage, organize health fairs,
advocate for improvements to public safety and ensure that the
drinking water of Port Gibson, Mississippi, population 1,189, is
clean.
But ever since she attended the Advocacy Institute
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, a series of seminars launched a year ago by the Southern Poverty Law
Center to provide a broad range of local leaders with the skills they
need to create positive change in Mississippi, Robinson has been
thinking bigger.
The barber who sat next to Robinson showed her how he uses the room
behind his shop as a place to help mentor young people - part of
his mission to improve his community after being incarcerated years
ago for a felony. A furniture store owner who was once part of a gang
shared his poetry, and his passion for introducing people released
from prison to literature. And a public defender with 40 years of
experience in the legal profession taught Robinson how hard it can be
to protect the constitutional rights of defendants who cannot afford
their own lawyers.
"I always wanted to make a difference in my community, but, for
me, attending this, it was an eye-opener. I had no idea all this was
going on around me," Robinson said. "The people in my
class, they gave me great insights into the things they've been
through. It made me think that I want to do something outside of just
being a city alderperson. I want to help everyone in my community, but
I want to venture outside a little bit more, open up my mind. I want
to agitate. I want to do more."
The Advocacy Institute kicks off its second year today in Jackson,
Mississippi. Led by the SPLC's Mississippi state office, the
Institute is a training ground for new organizers across the state
focused on community education and transformative change. The
curriculum includes lessons on how to push for change through the
power of storytelling, advocacy and organizing.
"We are working to build power in Mississippi from the ground
up, and instituting programs like the Advocacy Institute will drive
that change by empowering participants to address the issues that most
impact people in the state," said Waikinya Clanton, the
Mississippi state director for the SPLC. "Mississippi is ripe
for change."
Read More
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In solidarity,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond,
working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,
strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of
all people.
Friend, will you make a gift to help the SPLC fight for
justice and equity in courts and combat white supremacy?
Donate
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