Making our voices heard: effective advocacy in difficult times

                 During the winter of 2017, we are experiencing an upsurge in public participation in our democratic process.  We’ve seen marches, rallies, large and intense town hall meetings, on-line petitions, organized phone calls to legislators and debates on social media.  These are all part of a campaign to “Resist and Persist” both threats and actions by government officials. 
                 An important part of the democratic process is effective and consistent public communication with elected policy makers, both to inform them of our views and to hold them accountable for their decisions.  A forum on Tuesday, February 28, will share the experiences of local activists who have been advocating for policies at the state and local level. They differ in the type of organization each represents and in methods used to communicate their concerns.  Whether or not these campaigns result in immediate success or lead to political change in future elections, they are an important part of our struggle for justice. 
 The panel:
        Lisa Plencner, is a Co-President of the Indiana League of Women Voters.  In addition to their leading efforts to reform the Indiana redistricting process, state representatives of the LWV lobby for the passage of legislation that supports a variety of policy issues.
        Latorya Green, an organizer for “Smoke-free St. Joe.” In addition to her work in St. Joseph County, Latorya also advocates for policy change at the State level.  She has participated in training sessions on lobbying and advocacy and can share practical knowledge she has learned as well as experienced
        Cheryl Ashe, an advocate for ex-offenders who are re-entering our community.  Cheryl has advocated, over the years, for multiple pieces of legislation, in collaboration with multiple organizations. 
        Oletha Jones (CAFÉ and South Bend NAACP) and Terri Russ (CAFÉ – Community Action for Education), as leaders in the effort to end the School to Prison Pipeline, are organizing opposition to State and local policies that could expand, rather than eliminate, the “pipeline.”
        Jaime Morgan, is a local representative of the Indiana Reproductive Justice Coalition, a group of organizations from throughout the state that calls on the Indiana General Assembly to champion compassionate and accessible policies that support healthy Hoosier families.
 
Short presentations by the panelists will be followed by comments and questions from the audience.
 
 WHEN: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2017, 6 pm,
 WHERE: CIVIL RIGHTS HERITAGE CENTER, 1040 W Washington St, SB
 SPONSORS: COMMUNITY FORUM FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE, SOUTH BEND CHAPTER of INDIANA BLACK EXPO, IUSB CIVIL RIGHTS HERITAGE CENTER