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I’m all for dreaming big and pushing for the most progressive policy wins, and not settling. But as a southern organizer in a very underfunded state that was 50th in voter turnout, that’s been gerrymandered to the bone- I would appreciate some regional consideration.
The amount of resources and level of infrastructure to support supper progressive policies in places like NY and LA don’t exists in states like TN. I’ve trained in every corner of the world and I can tell you that each corner has a different level of engagement.
I’m not saying water down or settle- I’m asking national orgs to be considerate. To not create language that literally pits black electoral organizers and grassroots organizers against one another.
Or push on large foundations to exspand their fundraising to grassroots organizations in the south. Start reaching out to local organizations instead of pouring in last minuet with subgranted crumbs. We’re still fighting the last bit of Jim Crow and y’all got legal pot and ish.
It’s a damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. Why can’t we push for it all. Why can’t we say defund the police and ask for #8cantwait ? Why does it have to be either or. Why does supporting the one that you know can pass mean you can’t support the long game fight as well
I’ve worked with folks who’ve proposed initiatives in the south, in TN who have literally never stepped foot here. I’ve been in rooms, on panels and in trainings where folks talked about policies that they’ve built for years.
Yet they bring it to Tn where we’re literally being penalized for voter registration, home of the KKK, the state that claimed the life of Dr. king and exspect us to say the same thing to our general assembly that they’re saying in NY. Have you seen our state legislature? 
They pick out a few folks to push- without ever doing a true landscape analysis of the organizing infrastructure. They make a generalized assumption- they ain’t did no polling or nothing. There is never a investment in community education or local leadership development.
National chapters are never funded- and we’re supposed to do what now. Somebody make it make sense for me. I’ve never been one to fight just to fight. I fight to win, I fight efficiently and effectively.
In closing- stop sending southern organizers to a gun fight with a knife. #ijs
the solution—- regional based messaging, robust local analysis, passing off funders to local org> sub granting, leadership development and recruitment> cherry picking! Iterative policy roll outs. #intro,test,retest, rinse and repeat!
