Saturday, May 30, 2019

Writing a Call to Action Letter that Gives You Power to Participate in Change

Two weeks ago, we met and on everyone's mind was the gunning down of Amaud Arbery, a young man who was simply jogging down the road.   The perpetrators of the crime were a man who was a retired police officer, his son and a third person.  Today, only two weeks later, we come to meet together, and a police officer has killed another black man, George Floyd, by kneeling on his neck while George begged for air -- calling out that he couldn't breathe.  Other officers participated or stood by and did nothing.

Today, I want us to work together for change. I want each of us to recognize that we do have power.  Our power is in our voice and our ability to put forth convincingly arguments for change. Today, each of us is going to write a Call to Action Letter to Vice-President Joe Biden and were going to ask him to choose a Black running mate and to put that Vice President in charge of nationwide programs  that will result in America moving forward toward positive change.

Last week, we talked about the power of Martin Luther' King's speech, I Have a Dream. Today, while you are writing, I would like you to look at or listen to his speech or listen to President Obama's 2004 DNC speech to get ideas about how you can write in a way that will touch the heart of Joe Biden and other Americans and make him/them want Biden to hire a Black running mate and start a program to change America. 

Please use the following pattern to write your letter -- a pattern that you can see both in Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech that changed the world and in O'Bama's speech to the DNC in 2004 that won over the hearts and minds of Americans and led to his presidency later. 

Obama's 2004 DNC Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueMNqdB1QIE

Links:Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream  Speech Transcript

: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/i-have-dream-address-delivered-march-washington-jobs-and-freedom

Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream  Speech Transcript

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s  I Have a Dream Live

Obama's 2004 DNC speech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWynt87PaJ0

Template (Think of it as a guide)

First : Provide a History.  This can be your history, the history of our country or any other historical detail that you find appropriate. The history should set a context for you to move forward to set forth the problem. 

Second: Set out the Problem. Make it connect personally. These black man who are dying are husbands, fathers, brothers, friends,  the security man at your restaurant, the athlete at your school, your neighbor, etc.... Like Martin Luther King and O'bama put the problem forth in a way that the problem resonates with all people.

Third: Ground your problem with specific examples. 

Call for Action:  Ask Biden to choose a black running mate and to set forth a program of change. You tell him what kind of program(s) should be instituted.

Provide a message of hope. Tell Biden how you see America growing and changing into a place where you will feel safe, where you won't have to worry about the safety of your family and those you love. Give it detail.

Briefly address those people who would oppose the programs that you are suggesting or who are cynical about the possibility of change and state why those points of view are wrong or meaningless.

Finally, end strongly and positively, telling Biden why you believe that he will  choose a black running mate and change the way America polices its citizens and how you expect and demand that America will change.  When you are writing try to use the kind of detail that will allow your reader to picture what you are saying. 

Send your message to Joe Biden by going to the following link at: https://bidenpresident.com/Contact   

Copy and paste your message.


I'm going to be working on my own letter. You can check on what I am doing at:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q7FQiOJtoBj_7-WAGj0mnQT4lZkSafqj1iy5CalTs6o/edit?usp=sharing

Saturday,  May 16, 2019

Writing Our Own Narratives in the Face of Adversity

We have talked in previous classes about the importance of writing our own narrative.  Today, we are going to refresh that discussion and think about keeping our narrative on track in the face of the Covid19 crisis.

Today, we will review how the power of the narrative has changed our world.

We will talk about writing our own narrative no matter the adversity that may arise and staying on track in the face of adversity.  

We will identify what drives us in creating our own narrative and put that story into words, creating a picture of what our future will be and how we will strive to get there.

"Those who tell the stories rule the world.” This proverb, attributed to the Hopi Indians, is true on many levels. With a well-told story we can help a person see things in an entirely new way. We can forge new relationships and strengthen the ones we already have. We can change a law, inspire a movement, make people care fiercely about things they’d never before given a passing thought.

The ability to tell a captivating story is one of the things that makes human beings extraordinary. It’s how we connect to each other. It’s something to celebrate, to study, to perfect. If we’re going to write stories (narratives), we should start by thinking about why we tell stories (narratives) at all. 

"The Power of Narrative Writing": https://www.writingforward.com/creative-writing/the-power-of-narrative-writing

"The Power of Narrative" http://awealthofcommonsense.com/2018/03/the-power-of-narrative/

"What Does It Mean to Dress for Success": https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stacia-pierce/what-does-it-mean-to-dres_b_5875952.html

"The Power of the Narrative:  The Narrative Can Change Your Life": https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/widows-guide-healing/201802/the-power-the-narrative