By Delicia Hand and Frankie Robertson
The MOBB United for Social Change, Inc. (MUSC) Policy and Advocacy Committee sets the strategic policy priorities and drives advocacy initiatives for the organization. As a committee, we set and lead execution of MUSC’s policy agenda, research policies that impact Black men and boys, identify opportunities to advocate on behalf of our sons, and guide MUSC’s approach and responses to instances where Black men and boys have been victims of unjustified force and violence by police.
In early October, we facilitated a Train the Trainer session with city and chapter leads and hosts for Pink Postcard Parties, which occurred throughout November. The session highlighted for participants the key objectives of advocacy, the importance of having a clear message, and the effectiveness of having concrete proposals and solutions to offer to policy makers. We then outlined the important role of the postcard, as well as the importance of gathering together as moms committed to a better world for their sons. City and chapter leads then took this information and provided trainings at the start of their postcard parties and deployed the postcards to introduce MUSC to policy makers all across the country. As we move into 2018, the Policy and Advocacy committee will provide regular training for our moms to ensure that members become effective advocates. Additionally, we will begin to deploy the pink postcards on a regular basis to drive and communicate about key initiatives.
A successful Policy and Advocacy program isn’t always out on the front lines. Successful advocates know how to identify the right moments to push and pull to ensure visibility and progress on the issues they care about. In addition to timing, success also requires rigorous planning. It involves taking the time to build the necessary capacity to develop strategic plans and partnerships to ensure that when the right moments to advance an issue arise, we are prepared. This Fall, the Policy and Advocacy Committee continued to work with our Call Center to take action around Rapid Response incidents. Additionally, we doubled down to do the necessary work to ensure that we have a successful legislative season when it begins in January, 2018. In addition to digging into the key issues affecting our sons, we have been exploring potential opportunities and partnerships for the key legislative issues that we will take on in 2018. Watch this space; as this work nears completion, we will soon be back on the beat with new tools and a refined focus for 2018. Specifically we will have:
- 2018 Legislative Platform -- A clear roadmap and summary of the key legislative issues that the organization will be supporting in 2018. This will become a new resource for members who can bring our platform with them to meetings with policy makers across the country
- 2018 Electoral Advocacy -- Quarterly initiatives that are geared toward ensuring that our moms, sons and other loved ones are engaged in the electoral process. We will sponsor voter registration drives, prepare candidate questionnaires, identify and organize attendance at candidate forums, and help to increase voter turnout.
If you have the drive to seek policy solutions and be an advocate for your son(s), then please join the Policy and Advocacy Committee. If you have a background in law or policy, then the committee especially needs YOU! We meet every other week on Thursdays via conference call at 10 PM ET. For more information contact: [email protected]