Get Out of the Office and Into the

Get Out of the Office and Into the Streets: Social Work Activism in a New Era Catherine Crisp, Ph. D, MSW Associate Professor, UA Little Rock clcrisp@ualr. edu 501. 569. 8465 1

What this presentation IS and is NOT • It IS an overview of some basic tools for organizing and activism. • It is NOT an in depth skill based workshop about how to do activism and/or how to organize on behalf of issues you believe in. 2

Outline • Social work activism: is it appropriate? • Getting motivated • Self-care for activists • Protecting yourself and your identity • Let’s talk about privilege • Activism tools • Resources 3

Social work activism Is it appropriate? 4

Social work activism: is it appropriate? * • “…social work is not nor should it be a neutral profession. Social work’s commitment to vulnerable communities is explicit. As the preamble to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Professional Code of Ethics reads: • The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living. ” • * http: //www. huffingtonpost. com/entry/social-work-at-the-crossroads-how-to-resistthe-politics_us_583 f 22 ade 4 b 0 cf 3 f 6455863 a 5

Social work activism: is it appropriate? * • “On the question of what to do, the code of ethics is equally clear. Social work has a strong social, racial, and economic justice imperative that condemns practices which threaten to violate basic human, civil or political rights and demands our engagement in social change. In section 6. 04 of the code of ethics states: • Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice. ” • * http: //www. huffingtonpost. com/entry/social-work-at-the-crossroads-how -to-resist-the-politics_us_583 f 22 ade 4 b 0 cf 3 f 6455863 a 6

Getting motivated 7

Dilemmas ”I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. ” ~ E. B. White 8

Quotes to inspire you • “Life is amazing. Then it's awful. And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it's ordinary and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That's just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it's breathtakingly beautiful. “– L R Knost • “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ” – Edward Everett Hale • “Today I will do what I can and let that be enough. ” –Kathy R. Jeffords • “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ” –Martin Luther King, Jr. • “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it the only thing that ever has. ” –Margaret Mead • “There is no change without resistance. ” –Red Hawk • “Where attention goes, energy flows. ” –Tara Brach 9

Things to inspire you https: //youtu. be/37 Je. Dgyt. YSc 10

Things to inspire you • An estimated 4. 2 million marchers across the US on January 21, 2017, and 300, 000 in other parts of the world. 1 • Women’s increased interest in running for office. 2 • Increased organizing via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media around women’s and social justice issues. 1. https: //docs. google. com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1 xa 0 i. Lq. YKz 8 x 9 Yc_rfhtm. SOJQ 2 EGge. UVjv. V 4 A 8 Ls. Iax. Y/htmlview? sle=true#gid=0 2. http: //www. csmonitor. com/USA/Politics/2017/0202/Surge-in-young-women-planning-to-run-for-office 11

We can do better! http: //statusofwomendata. org/explore-the-data/state-data/arkansas/ 12

We can do better! http: //www. cawp. rutgers. edu/state_fact_sheets/ar 13

We can do better! http: //www. cawp. rutgers. edu/state-by-state 14

Self-care for activists (Hint: it’s not negotiable) 15

Self-care starter kit https: //socialwork. buffalo. edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit. html 16

RAIN 17

Self-care is SURVIVAL! 18

Compassion starts at home 19

Self-care 20

Self-care 21

Self-care 22

To do list 23

Self-care humor Inhale Peace. Exhale Bullshit! 24

Honest meditation https: //youtu. be/C_K 4 Haj. Zf. Vk 25

Angry yoga 26 https: //youtu. be/BH 0 l 4 Fl. ZT

It’s a marathon, not a sprint 27 • Keep the faith that love is stronger than hate and that the values that many of us hold and share will triumph. • Take breaks, unplug, check out, meditate, exercise, watch cat videos, and connect with those who make your heart sing. Do whatever you need to do to rejuvenate your soul when you need to. • Don’t say “yes” to anything except a hot bath, chocolate, and/or sex after 9 pm at night. • Sleep on all decisions that don’t require an immediate response. • Be kind to others and kinder to yourself. Whether on the streets or on the sidelines cheering others on, we need everyone who can get into the streets for this marathon.

Weekly self-care plan • One activism action is balanced with one self-care action. • Phone stays out of the master bedroom. • Work at home at least one day/week when schedule permits. • Check out of social media for at least 24 hours/week. • Meditate at least 10 minutes/day, preferably 20 min/day. • Sunday: hour long tennis lesson, weather permitting. • Monday: yoga class often followed by hot bath. • Wednesday: hour long tennis lesson, weather permitting. • Thursday: “me time” in the evening—I do whatever I want. 28

Protecting yourself and your identity 29

Identity protection in a new age of activism • Read the info at http: //lifehacker. com/how-to-opt-out-of-the-most-popular-people -search-sites-1791536533 and DO IT! • If you have both work and personal email addresses, do NOT use either address for activism related activities. If you are public employee, your work email account may be subject to Freedom of Info Act request. Instead, create a third email account and use it for things like signing petitions online and other things. This will also enable you to keep your personal email separate from your activism email and facilitates taking a break when you need to. • Get a free Google Voice phone number and use it when asked for a phone number for things like petitions and other related activism work. Google Voice has apps for smart phones that enable you to take and make calls directly from your smart phone. See www. google. com/voice for more info but note that you need a gmail account to get a Google Voice number. 30

Identity protection in a new age of activism • Create vanity search alerts for yourself (put your name and variations of it) in sites such as https: //www. google. com/alerts and https: //www. talkwalker. com/alerts so that you will be informed if someone posts something about you on a public site. It doesn't catch everything but will catch a lot of things. You can create multiple searches with any search criteria so you can watch other topics as well. • When you browse the web for political content or sensitive information, switch to a site or mode that doesn’t track your search such as Incognito Mode on Chrome or Duck. Go browser (www. duckgo. com). • Use a password manager to keep your passwords in and use their random password generators. See http: //www. pcmag. com/article 2/0, 2817, 2407168, 00. asp for a review of password managers. 31

Identity protection in a new age of activism • Don't open emails that seem suspicious or unexpected. Instead, report them as spam to your ISP or IT manager. When in doubt, don’t open attachments. • If you think an email looks suspicious and are concerned that the sender may have been hacked, reach out to them immediately by other means such as FB messenger, text, phone, or an alternative email address to notify them of your concerns. Tell them to change their email password ASAP. • Consider limiting your posts on Facebook to friends only and not friends of friends and be cautious of friend requests from those you don't know. • If you're on twitter, set your settings so that you have to approve any followers. Make your other social media accounts as private as you can. Consider using a name that is not affiliated with your name so that only those who know who you are can follow you. 32

Let’s talk about privilege 33

What is it? • “an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious” (Mc. Intosh, 1989, p. 10). • 2 types: • Unearned entitlements: those that none of us should have to earn (Mc. Intosh, 1989); things such as feeling safe in public and working where we choose (Johnson, 2006). However, when these entitlements are limited to certain groups (such as white people), it becomes a form of privilege that Mc. Intosh defines as unearned advantages. • “Conferred dominance”: it gives one group the power to control others because of their race or sex. 34

What is the impact of it? • Obliviousness & denial. • People often confuse privilege with intersectionality. • Being oppressed in one area does not negate privilege in another area. • Can’t have oppression without privilege. • Well intentioned (insert privileged category) people: 1. (Mostly) white Christian women who offered to place flowers at a mosque before their weekly services but don’t initially ask those who attend the mosque if doing so is appropriate. 2. Ladies Who Lunch: liberal group of women who met on Facebook and decided to have a lunch gathering at a place that costs ~$12 minimum for lunch. No discussion about those who can’t afford it or about having it at a place where people don’t have to eat something. 35

How do we use it? 1. I called them out on it in a very polite way and suggested they check with the mosque to make sure something like this would be well received and appreciated and not conflict with any of their values or create a problem in offering their services. 2. I made an offer to the organizer to cover anonymously the cost of lunch, up to $25 each, for up to three women. 3. Recognize that you have it and that you benefit from it. 4. Advocate for those without the same privilege you have. 36

Activism tools Making sure our voice is heard 37

Bring your game face 38

Scare the world 39

Indivisible Groups • https: //www. facebook. com/Indivisible. Central. Arkansas/ • https: //actionnetwork. org/events/indivisible-little-rock-2 • https: //www. facebook. com/faulknercountyindivisible 40

Identify who represents you 41 • http: //www. arkansas. gov/governm ent/my-officials • Enter home address and city. • https: //www. littlerock. gov/boardof-directors/meet-your-boardmembers/ • Text your zip code to 520 -200 -2223. You'll get a text back with everyone's contact info. It gives you Federal and State contact info.

Daily Action & 5 calls https: //dailyaction. org/ 42 https: //5 calls. org/

AR Determined Constituents’ Guide http: //gregleding. com/determined-constituent-guide 43

AR Determined Constituents’ Guide http: //gregleding. com/determined-constituent-guide 44

When you phone your elected official • Be brief. • Start with your name, address, phone number. • Catherine Crisp; home address, city, state, and zip code; google voice # • Tell them why you are calling. • I’m calling to ask you to oppose HB 1249. As a faculty member, there is no place on campus for guns. Every president and chancellor of public universities has come out against guns on campus and I ask you to support their decision, a decision supported by most faculty on campus. • Thank them for their time. • Thank you for your service to our state. My name is Catherine Crisp. I live at ----, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72210, my phone number is (501) 420 -4614, and I am a registered voter. I am calling to ask you to oppose HB 1249. As a faculty member, there is no place on campus for guns. Every president and chancellor of every public university in Arkansas has come out against guns on campus and I ask you to support their decision, a decision supported by most faculty on campus. Thank you for your service to our state. 45

Tips for talking to your elected officials* Feel good about what you are doing (this is how democracy works). Be friendly and respectful. Create a personal bond right from the start. Explain what you are there and get to the point quickly (you never know how short the visit will be). • Ask them to do something specific that is clear and precise. • Use both your and their time effectively. • • * https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c. C 6 S-I 7 Aptk 46

Tips for talking to your elected officials* • Don’t overstate your case. Stick to the facts and connect the issue to your district or state. • Don’t be afraid to express an informed opinion about an issue even if you are not an expert. If you are an expert, make sure you explain your credentials. • Listen for an actual commitment of support and follow up. It is okay to ask them politely. • If your legislator does not agree, never get angry or make a threat. • Never offer anything in exchange for support and do not talk about campaign contributions. • Get to know key legislative staff members (they have an influence on the official and can assist with follow up). * https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c. C 6 S-I 7 Aptk 47

Glamour Mag guide to getting involved in activism* • • • Use social media to spread the word. Do your research, learn about your issues, know what’s going on. Join a community organization. Volunteer your skills. Make politics a family affair. Vote and vote often. * http: //www. glamour. com/story/a-step-by-step-guide-to-gettinginvolved-in-political-activism 48

5 Things You can do to resist racist policies* • • • Donate to ACLU and BAJI to fight immigration bans. Read up on the issues and educate your family and friends. Call your local government officials. Join local organizers in their direct actions. Sign petitions that call for the immediate end to these racist policies. * http: //blackyouthproject. com/heres-list-of-five-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-resist-trumps-racist-policies/ 49

8 Ways to Stand UP to Hate* 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Educate yourself. Be the first to speak up. Practice being conspicuous. Ask for help when you need it. Find a heroic role model. Make connections with people different from you. Ask people what they really need. Press the mental pause button. * http: //greatergood. berkeley. edu/article/item/eight_ways_to_stand_up_to_hate 50

How to stay engaged & outraged and not lose your mind* • Don’t get used to Trump — Get away from him. • Focus your energy on one or two issues. • Make activism fun. • Take care of the basics. * https: //medium. com/the-coffeelicious/how-to-stayoutraged-without -losing-your-mind-fc 0 c 41 aa 68 f 3#. sqn 0 dm 8 az 51

Resources 52

Twitter 53 • www. twitter. com • Good source for political info. • 140 characters, including spaces and punctuation, or less. • Name is preceded by @-- (@Crisp. Catherine) • Can have multiple names but each must use a different email address. • Others on twitter can “follow” you. • Can set your settings so that you have to approve those who follow you. • Doing so can prevent trolls and help you keep your personal info private. • # represents a hashtag which is essentially a way to categorize twitter topics. • Can also search by hashtag: #selfcare #resist and you will get a list of all tweets with the same hashtag (sometimes millions).

Twitter National State @Official. Macro. SW @pantsuitnation @Race. Forward @Arkansas. ACLU @Arkansas. Senate @bessbell @NAACP @maddow @NASWNews @ARWomen. Bloggers @Dan. Rather @Blklivesmatter @Sharon. Salzberg @NASW_Arkansas @Newsand. Guts @blackvoices @thichnhathanh @Women. Lead. AR @washingtonpost @Leonard. Pitts. Jr 1 @She. Should. Run @BChange. Alliance @womensmarch @jimwallis @Womens. March 4 AR @Indivisible. Team @Mindful. Online @scanlon 72116 @repjohnlewis @Connie. Schultz @gregleding @MHarris. Perry @elizabethforma @xjelliott @ACLU @Barack. Obama @Kathy. LWebb @Unite. Women. Org @Michelle. Obama @ARFor. Equality @Race. Forward @frontlinepbs @alt @Arkansas. House

Apps (i. Phone) • • • Lobby. Up Legislative Directory-Arkansas 1@1: Women’s Equality Action Countable Icitizen Boycott Trump 55

Running for office How you run for office online training: February 11, 3: 00 – 5: 00 pm CST She Should Run Emerge America Sarah Scanlon AR You Ready to Run training: https: //www. facebook. com/events/254485458341506/ • Women Lead Arkansas • • Ready to Run Training: September 8 – 10 at Rockefeller Institute at Petit Jean Mountain. $200 includes all training, lodging, meals, and networking. Register at https: //www. flipcause. com/secure/cause_pdetails/MTY 1 MDY I will be there. 56

Websites • Macro. SW: https: //macrosw. com/ • Indivisible Guide: https: //www. indivisibleguide. com/ • Women’s March Crowd Estimates: https: //docs. google. com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1 xa 0 i. Lq. YKz 8 x 9 Yc_rfhtm. SOJQ 2 EGge. U Vjv. V 4 A 8 Ls. Iax. Y/htmlview? sle=true#gid=0 • Social work at the crossroads: http: //www. huffingtonpost. com/entry/social-workat-the-crossroads-how-to-resist-the-politics_us_583 f 22 ade 4 b 0 cf 3 f 6455863 a • Women’s Definitive Guide to Getting Political: http: //cawp. rutgers. edu/footnotes/women%E 2%80%99 s-definitive-guide-gettingpolitical • Center for American Women and Politics: http: //www. cawp. rutgers. edu/ 57

Websites • • Swing Left: https: //swingleft. org/ Flippable: https: //www. flippable. org/ All of Us: https: //www. wall-of-us. org/weekly-acts-of-resistance/ Weekly Resistance: http: //www. weekly-resistance. online/ • SW for SJ (Facebook): https: //www. facebook. com/groups/Social. Workers 4 Social. Justice/ • Be the Change Alliance: https: //www. facebook. com/Be. The. Change. Alliance. AR • Grab Your Wallet: https: //grabyourwallet. org/ • Dump Donald apps and websites: http: //dumpdonaldapps. com/ 58

Questions? Comments? Catherine Crisp, Ph. D, MSW Associate Professor, UA Little Rock clcrisp@ualr. edu 501. 569. 8465 59