Losing your job impacts more than just your income. Don Peck’s How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America lays this out in an expansive piece that looks at how joblessness wreaks havoc on people’s psyche, their relationships, and culture overall.

Defining and understanding a Depression requires more than economics; it requires empathy. Empathy is neither a progressive nor conservative trait. We all demonstrate it in different ways and in different circumstances. Empathy’s universality makes it something we can organize around and build upon.

Empathy is oft forgotten when policy remedies to crises are being considered. Policy is inherently mechanical and pedantic. But the way we frame policy debates does not have to be. Understanding the people impacted must be a the forefront of our politics.

Take, for example, today’s un[der]employment disaster. The debate on what to do about it has withered down to whether increasing the deficit is warranted. There is not a less human way to talk about this human catastrophe than that. Tell that to the recent college graduates that Peck writes about who will earn significantly less money over their careers because they were born in the wrong year and will be more likely to develop drinking, drug, and marital problems. They hear “deficit” and think “doesn’t matter.”

What matters is the broken promise made to them that if they worked hard and got a degree that they’d have a job. What matters is the lack of personal and collective responsibility that threw their professional trajectory off course. What matters is the steely feeling of student loan debt jammed into the back of their minds like a gun during a stickup. Using this, we should instead be debating how to get students the jobs they’ve been educated for and everyone the jobs they’ve trained for.

This principle should inform all of our work: enable people to build and pursue their talents and use them for the benefit of themselves and society. Applying this value to this and other debates sets the table for a progressive future on all fronts. Some examples:

• Health care: Fear of sickness or injury must not deter hopeful and ambitious people; give them the protection they deserve.
• Education: Properly equip public educational infrastructure with well-compensated teachers and staff, well-designed curricula and tools, and well-implemented + structures and practices.
• Job creation: Full employment is full dignity; everyone working means everyone bettering themselves, their families, and society.

People must be at the forefront of our organizing and our politics. People don’t want rhetoric or process, they want answers.

One Love. One II.

Photo credit: srqpix on Flickr

Because policy makers are thinking about the next election and not the next generation, our politics remain at a standstill.

Sadly, this is also true of the broader progressive movement that’s been rightly critical of elected Democrats. It is important to show power & numbers and tell elected officials that they’ll get unseated if they do the wrong things. What’s missing is a broader context.

A bigger, more important story

“Next election pressure” has to be part of a larger, cohesive narrative describing a progressive future. We worry too much about “speaking our elected officials’ language” instead of giving them a better vision of a future and a story that they can use to make the right policies and get re-elected. Run for office if you want to do that. Even then, telling a bigger, better, simpler story will still work better.

The difference between “we’ll un-elect you” and “there’s a train leaving the station that everyone’s on board except you” is subtle and substantial. The first narrative is timely. It is framed in terms of the next election that’s 2, 4, or 6 years away. It can be fired off quickly with context. The second, stronger narrative is timeless. It can be used candidates on the campaign trail just as easily as during my annual Christmas political “debates” with my family.

Marshall Ganz in a recent interview with The Citizen said:

The legislative process has been much more responsive to the creation of crises that legislation is needed to resolve than it has been to, “Gee, wouldn’t it be a good idea if we made things work better?’ So, the job of those trying to create change is actually to create crises that require legislative solution.

What Ganz calls “creating crises” I call telling a story bigger than a specific policy or an election.

Example: Health Care

During President Obama’s nomination speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, he said something I wish he and others would remember: “don’t make a big election about small things.” That type of thinking would have benefited us all on health care reform.

Let’s describe what we want the days after the next election to be like. Instead of yelling and screaming about whose head you want on a silver platter, talk about the progressive future in a way that’s simple and compelling (and probably excludes your least-favorite elected officials).

Let’s replace “Democrats that block health care reform will be challenged in primaries and face the wrath of constituents on election day.” with the following:

America is a place where we give a damn about one another and are proud to see people be healthy and succeed in life. We pay homage to our heroes big and small every day. It is disgusting that being unlucky enough to inherit susceptibility to certain illnesses or being injured in a car accident puts not only our lives but our dreams in danger. The best way to protect our dreams and our future is to protect our health from any and everything that threatens it. Right now, the biggest threat to our health comes from insurance companies that determine who gets help and who doesn’t, who’s in pain and who isn’t, who lives and who dies. There are more people in this country who know this is unacceptable than who think this is OK. That majority will rule tomorrow.

This says the same thing while simultaneously communicating the values that are the foundation of a progressive framework for every policy debate. They are the values that define our progressive future.

Movements transcend elections.

Minutiae murders movements.

The necessity of elections must not distract us from our broader goals of building power and creating a better future. Don’t forget this tomorrow or the next time a politician does the wrong thing.

One Love. One II.

1.    If you haven’t noticed yet, the flurry of news surrounding Haiti relief is done. This is where the real work begins because character is what we do when no one is looking. So here we go, no more moving facebook updates, editorial cartoons, or grand speeches by political leaders. Now that no one is looking is the perfect opportunity to give more of your self. So let’s chill with the “We will never forget” slogans because if you remember and don’t do anything, what’s the point?

2.    So it appears that the Dems have decided to finally commit to using reconciliation to finish health care reform. Senate Majority Leader Reid put forth a goal of having this done in 60 days and I hope and pray Democrats get this done because it is simply unconscionable for a country flush with so much wealth to have so many people go without adequate healthcare.

3.    I wanted to share a quote that has had me thinking, “The greatest hindrance to living is expectancy, which depends upon the morrow and wastes to-day.”

-Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“On the Shortness of Life”
translated by John W. Basore, Loeb Classical Library
London: William Heinemann, 1932

In response to this quote, what expectations do you have of yourself and others?  How do you think these expectations have helped or hindered? What informs these expectations? Do you really carpe diem or are you one of those people who go through the week like a zombie expecting to truly live when get off work on Friday?

4.    I haven’t heard anything about the guy that flew his plane into the IRS building. See now if the guy was Muslim, it would be front page every day for at least two weeks. What I don’t want is more finger pointing based on race, what I want is appropriate and proportional responses based on behavior, not race.

5.   Black History month is almost over and before we move on, I just want to thank all the Black people whose efforts and names will never make it into a history book or a PBS Black History month program. I represent am 27 years of Black History but I also stand on the shoulders of giants and so many elders have pulled me aside to show guidance and encouragement. Black History did not end with Civil Rights but it will be if we don’t have a burning desire to make the world better for our kids and grand kids. How much more would those coming after us resent us for being so selfish for not fighting as if all is well.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

p.s. I really wish I could write more fam. Law school and life make it difficult to write the more in depth pieces I used to do more often. My apologies.

I get it. You inherited a hodgepodge of mess from the Bush administration and have tried to clean up house. However, your signature campaign issue, healthcare reform, appears to be on life support. Lest I be misunderstood, I am a strong supporter of the public option but that has gone by the political wayside. Unfortunately, your insistence on bipartisanship ad nauseam threatens any chance of meaningful reform that could be had.

As it stands, you have called for a bipartisanship healthcare summit but you have done your due diligence re: bipartisanship. The American people realize that Democrats and Republicans do not work well together. It’s probably time to put the bipartisanship bottle back on the shelf and get some results. If the Republicans want to filibuster a healthcare plan, I say let them do it. Call their bluff and let people know that when it counts, you are willing to fight for the average American. Of course, this move would be gutsy but substantively and politically, it would be brilliant. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the Republicans have no reason to show you love and that is all right. When all is said and done, despite the procedural hurdles of the Senate, the Democratic majorities are not so narrow that political hardball should be dismissed without consideration.

This is your moment President Obama, please seize the day.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

The story of the Saints is a classic rags-to-riches tale. The team had never been to the championship game. They had 2 playoff wins in 42 years. They were so bad that their fans wore paper bags over their head for years and unaffectionately called the team “The Aints.”

A New Orleans "Aints" fan

New Orleans has also had a hell of a ride, going from “Las Vegas of the South” to the flash point of modern government incompetence, racism, and social injustice after Hurricane Katrina. The city and its football team were ripe for a comeback.

Our Progressive movement is too. Why? We took back Congress in 2006. We took back the White House in 2008. We passed health care reform We’re working on that. We need a comeback because we’re disoriented.

It’s like we just woke up. Our eyes are open, but our vision is blurred. We know our slippers are near the bed, but we have to feel around with our toes to find them.

We reorient ourselves by becoming clear in our purpose. Let’s take a page from the Saints and make that happen. Progressive organizers, activists, and politicians can learn a lot from these World Champions about how to win this year and beyond. Here are 3 key lessons.

1. Be who you are

   The Saints have been a gutsy team all season. Their high-powered offense was planned and executed by a coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterback aligned with common purpose. They knew one another well and believed in each other. They gave each other space to be themselves.

   Drew Brees doesn’t have the strongest arm in the league, but he’s the NFL’s most accurate passer. Instead of throwing long balls, they played to Brees’ strengths and ran quick, short plays that relied on timing and precision.

   Progressives must do the same and play to our strengths. Let’s quit trying to act like people we’re not and pretending to hold views that we don’t. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t grow our thinking or our skills as a movement (see below), but it does mean that we must look at what makes us who we are and work with that.

   Now, Discover Your Strengths by Mark Buckingham is a book we all should read. It asserts that the most effective method for motivating people is to build on their strengths rather than correcting their weaknesses. We’re a big tent with big ideas and strong convictions. Let’s remember who we are, remember what our movement is about, and use that to boldly move forward.

2. Be bold or go home

   The Saints didn’t get to the Super Bowl by playing not to lose. They went for it on 4th downs. They kicked an onside kick to open the 2nd half. They went for the 2-point conversion. Some gambles worked, some didn’t. When they were down 10-0 after the 1st quarter, they didn’t forget the traits that made them the highest-scoring team in the NFL and NFC champions.

   Progressives must do the same: Be courageous enough to be boldly progressive. Stand up for your vision of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If something is disgusting, call it disgusting. If someone is dishonest, call them a liar. If something is possible, tell that story. Wimpy politicians finish 2nd. Wimpy organizers don’t win. Sick of losing? Get sick of being timid.

   The dirty little secret is that this makes us more attractive to the debutantes everyone is courting: independents. Persuadable, undecided voters are more likely to vote for candidates/support parties that stand strongly for something. Shyness wins neither dates nor political victories.

3. Remember your supporters

   We neither win nor lose alone. The problem is that when we win we salute ourselves, and when we lose, we focus on our opponents. This must cease. Movements, like football teams, thrive on passion. Every player, coach, and representative of the New Orleans Saints thanked their fans first during every interview they gave. They know who propelled them to the top, and they didn’t forget them.

   The passion that drives us and keeps us working and organizing must never be aimed toward our opposition. To become sustainable and resilient, we must focus on and feed off of our supporters. Our fans. Our base.

   Progressives [sensibly] spewed venom towards the Bush Administration for years, but now we can’t quite articulate what we’re shooting at. What if we showered our fans with hope and a coherent worldview to organize around? Investments made in supporters are like spending time with your grandparents: always a good idea.

   Let’s invest in ourselves and our allies. Training. Networking. Leadership development. Technology infrastructure. You want donors of talent, time, and treasure? Invest in your fans. They’ll love you for it.

Congratulations New Orleans.

Thank you for showing me and the rest of the Progressive movement what it takes to win.

One Love. One II.

Photo credit: Chris LaBossiere

Participation, Inclusion, Equality

Democratic systems flourish when people participate. Having a voice changes people’s relationship with that system and the system’s relationship with the people.

When everyone can’t participate, the system no longer reflects the values and perspectives of the people it impacts. Barriers to entry create divisions, inequality and unfairness.

El Dorado

The Internet was designed as an egalitarian utopia: the El Dorado of the “good ideas win” ethos. Anyone with access to the net could connect with anyone else. Every idea had an equal opportunity to succeed.

When the Internet was taken hostage by telecommunications companies, they threatened this order. They limited participation online by pricing most low-income communities out of the market, creating the Digital Divide. This practice of exclusion reduced the diversity of thought online. It put the Internet on an identical path to becoming an echo chamber of pale, stale, male attitudes.

Next Stop: Poll Taxes

The redlining was round one, but the next round is more sinister. Telecoms are now considering crushing freedom of expression online by creating Jim Crow-esque poll taxes on content they consider unfit for higher-speed, higher-quality Internet connections. This assault on the freedom by private interests is as wrong now as it has ever been.

This should raise specific concern within the civil rights community. Civil rights organizations fought and won the war against poll taxes over 40 years ago. It’s alarming that they are willing to open the door for this type of discrimination in the 21st century. It’s up to us, the membership, the foot-soldiers of these organizations and of this 21st century civil rights movement, to take a stand against this disgusting discrimination.

Protecting Internet Freedom by ensuring Net Neutrality

The FCC is considering creating rules to protect Internet Freedom. Learn more about the process at Save The Internet. I testified at a hearing in December to voice my strong support of protecting Internet Freedom.

You can join the fight by demanding that Congress work alongside the FCC to protect Internet Freedom and outlaw discrimination by telecom companies.

Sign the petition today.

One Love. One II.

The same is true for political movements. Progressives are smarting now. Many on the left are disenchanted with the President, disappointed in the pending health care legislation and disillusioned about the 2010 mid-term elections. What’s a movement to do?

Real progress

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our renewed focus is an opportunity to build a foundation for future success, resilience and empowerment. This means taking stock of the real progress being made in this moment while simultaneously fighting to transition society from its peppered past to a progressive future.

President Obama was mindful of this when he said in his Martin Luther King, Jr. address that:

…our predecessors were never so consumed with theoretical debates that they couldn’t see progress when it came…Let’s take a victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps, large and small, were recognized for what they were — which was progress.

What victories have we won? A few include:

• Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, bringing us a step closer to fully realizing equal pay for equal work.
• Expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, an important step in providing health care for all of our nation’s children.
• Softened Federal restrictions on stem cell research, opening the door for potential cures to innumerable diseases.

Where do we go from here

Martha Coakley and others’ recent electoral defeats echo the sentiment of the 2008 Presidential election: candidates who proactively or passively represent a broken status quo will fail. Insiders can no longer combine tepid emotions and bland appeals with party machines and expect victory. They instead must take the hope demonstrated by the 2008 election and marry it to action.

The infinite hope that Dr. King spoke of us present within the progressive movement. Young people are organizing like never before in favor of comprehensive immigration reform reflective of America’s ideals, not its demons. Their hope is moving them to action.

That infinite hope is present in the hearts of millions of ambitious yet unemployed Americans. People are coming together to petition their government to work on their behalf to create jobs rather than give handouts to industries that have turned their backs on their employees. The hope of these workers is moving them to action.

That hope still exists in health care. Amidst the angst of the centrists, the exasperation of many Progressives and the perverse cynicism of corporate and conservative interests, the American people remain thirsty for quality, affordable health care. The current proposals have their differences and flaws, but our communities are speaking up in unison when they demand a health care system that works for them. Listening to the practical, conscientious voice of constituents would have led to a substantive debate that disregarded idiocy while embracing the courageous optimism of the American spirit.

How we’ll win

To win on elections and win on policy, we must combine passion, participation and performance. These traits characterize the promise of a progressive movement built on shared community values.

Passion

American’s care deeply about each other. Seeing our fellow man suffer activates our compassion. This principle is not Democratic so much as it is…

Participation

We are all in this together. When anyone who wants to work is working, everybody wins. When every person that comes to this country in search of the American dream has the right to be treated fairly and with respect, society as a whole benefits. We’ll get there by working together to achieve our shared goals.

President Obama articulated this the day before MLK Day:

Let us broaden our coalition, building a confederation not of liberals or conservatives, not of red states or blue states, but of all Americans who are hurting today, and searching for a better tomorrow. The urgency of the hour demands that we make common cause with all of America’s workers — white, black, brown — all of whom are being hammered by this recession, all of whom are yearning for that spring to come. It demands that we reach out to those who’ve been left out in the cold even when the economy is good, even when we’re not in recession — the youth in the inner cities, the youth here in Washington, D.C., people in rural communities who haven’t seen prosperity reach them for a very long time. It demands that we fight discrimination, whatever form it may come. That means we fight discrimination against gays and lesbians, and we make common cause to reform our immigration system.

Performance

These times call for bold actions. The time for incremental, strictly rhetoric responses to the challenges we face has long since passed. Under-girded by our community values and shared responsibility, we must boldly pursue the agenda that our communities clamor for. Community Jobs. Comprehensive immigration reform. A fair economy.

The surest path to under achievement is inaction. The guaranteed path to cynicism is exclusion. We are ready to work and ready to fight for the values we believe in. Let’s take action together and make the political ineptitude of timidity clearer than ever.

One Love. One II.

Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his light-skinned appearance and speaking patterns with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one…He [Reid] was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.

The comments and the response to the comments have been laughable, disconcerting and indicative of the broader race-related issues that our country continually kicks down the road.

I’m frustrated that the only tellers at the Bank of Apologizing to Black People are still Rev. Al Sharpton and/or Jesse Jackson. Many have used the fact that Rev. Sharpton accepted Reid’s apology as grounds for vindication. Rev. Sharpton is as much a proxy for Black America’s social consciousness as the CEO of Goldman Sachs is a proxy for the interests of community banks. Just like there’s a movement to move our money out of big banks, Black folks should be moving their representation away from Rev. Sharpton and to community voices.

It’s further frustrating to think about how the latent prejudice of our politics has contributed to structural inequity reinforced by public policy.

Take health care reform. Why is there disagreement between the House and Senate over the need for reform to narrow disparities in health care coverage? The House bill does this; the Senate bill does not.

Take unemployment. A community jobs program would work wonders for communities over-represented on unemployment roles: Black and Latino people. Yet the current debate on public job creation has shown little interest in this regard.

Perhaps there is more at work than the latent racism that leads to remarks that are at their best in poor taste and at their worst indicative of utter moral failure. The way to work through a controversy like today’s uproar is to put these incidents into a larger narrative about the consequences of entrenched racism and prejudice. Once that narrative is constructed, we can create a solution.

One Love. One II.

Long time no hear from I know. This SuperSpade has been holding it down in law school and hasn’t had time to blog in a really long time. I am making a commitment to write at least once a week. So where do we begin? On Christmas Day, there was an attempted terrorist attack on a flight headed towards Detroit Metro Airport. Thankfully, no one was hurt thanks to the heroism of the flight’s passengers that subdued the attacker.

I was particularly moved by a story on 60 Minutes in Wilmington, OH where a small community is getting rocked to its core by the economic downturn. A mother was profiled in the story who was struggling to make ends meet and did not have health care but refused to get stop making life insurance payments. Her rationale was that she could handle being sick but she could not handle dying and having nothing to leave behind for her children. This is madness and a clear example of the need for universal health care and a sign that our country needs to put people first.

That is all for now. I know 2009 was rough for a lot of people but do not forget to count your blessings and live everyday to the fullest. Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

My message was that an open internet is necessary for the political participation of all people of all shapes, sizes, races and income in the future. My full opening statement with references is below.

One Love. One II.

I am an engineer by training. As a young person growing up in the city of Detroit and later its suburbs, I witnessed the challenges and promises of technology. The challenges of living in a place singularly dependent on a particular brand of manufacturing is visible to the entire nation in ways that were visible to me, my friends and my family years ago. But the promise of technology as a pathway to empowerment inspired my pursuit of computer engineering and computer science.

As I came of age I sought out ways to connect my passion for technology with my passion for improving the lives of others. As an intern at General Motors, I created a computer learning and coaching manual to help the homeless and impoverished learn the basic computing skills needed for most entry-level employment. I also managed two websites (which have since been retired) that were the foundation of my experience using the Internet for social change:

1. webhands.org – a site developed to connect volunteers and donors to nonprofits in their vicinity
2. patentdonors.org – a site developed to connect owners of unused patents to companies and universities interested in putting them to use

These projects opened my eyes to the use of open networks as tools for encouraging participation, empowerment and social change. Building on this foundation, I have been working as a student, community political organizer armed with technology and infused with passion and inspired by open gates.

Open Gates

Democracy’s defining characteristic is participation. In both its direct & representative flavors, participatory democracy presupposes interest, understanding and action as the means toward a peaceful, organized society.

Participation comes in many forms. Discourse. Voting. Volunteering. Public service. Advocacy. To achieve legitimacy and ultimately impact the democratic process, these methods of participation must be equally accessible to everyone. Democracy with restrictions on participation goes by many names.

Openness is a defining characteristic of democracy. Openness means available, visible, and flexible, like an open gate. If the gate is open, anyone can walk through and enjoy what’s on the other side.

(The question of who can access the Internet is a separate but important one. It’s not the focus of today’s discussion, but it is worth noting that openness minus access equals invisibility. Invisible power is inaccessible power.)

In the context of political engagement, the “open gates” metaphor presents itself repeatedly. The walled and gated cities that characterized the kingdoms of ancient history were physical reminders of closed political systems. Growth, evolution, commerce and improvement could only happen when the gates were opened. Open gates are prerequisites for value to be exchanged.

Gates have been opened, or torn down, by choice and by force throughout history. The French peasantry rose in revolution against totalitarian rule. Tibetan monks designed an open and inclusive culture from its inception. These all share a common characteristic: when the gates open, the game changes. More and different voices can be heard. More people can access the table of discourse. Equality can be introduced, debated, and achieved.

History has taught us that such openness has political ramifications. If all are equal, all are influential. If everyone can get anywhere, than anyone can reach everything. Ideas can travel and flourish unencumbered. Controversy can ensue.

This historical lineage laid the foundation for today’s Internet. It was a system designed with no gates, no gatekeepers. Access to one part of the Internet implied access to all parts of the Internet. Never before has history seen such an egalitarian utopia.

Over the past decade, use of the Internet for political and community organizing has moved from the fringe to above the fold. It has supplemented, even supplanted many traditional forms of sociopolitical mobilization. This is thanks to the Internet’s inherent openness, transparency, flexibility and disruptive potential.

These characteristics give the Internet its empowering quality. Individuals can communicate with strangers, friends and family without hindrance. This flexibility and freedom from fear of retribution inevitably leads to political change.

I can illustrate this point using a few examples that involve video, authentic storytelling, and marginalized people organizing and scaling their influence.

Web video

There are entire film production houses dedicated to such videos like Brave New Films in Culver City, CA. Web users sharing videos they watch online with friends and family is one of the most organic ways that political movements grow online. This happens for people with all political persuasions: conservative, progressive, everywhere in between.

Video is revolutionary medium because the human brain is a machine driven by what it sees. The ability to present the views and voices of people with any and every background is enabled by truly open networks. They, like democracy, enable every man, woman, child and idea to have a chance to have an impact.

1. Tea Party Rapper. This year there has been a movement building among people disenchanted with the current President, Congress and their policies. Marches and demonstrations have been organized in various parts of the country, including in Washington, DC, thanks in large part to word of mouth and online video. For example, a rap video (embedded below) was mad in support of this “Tea Party” movement that has been viewed on YouTube hundreds of thousands of times. The video includes a call to action for viewers to join a “Tea Party” event near them, and it has proven to be effective.
2. Every vote counts. During the final weeks of the 2008 Presidential Election, advocacy groups turned their attention to making sure the maximum amount of their supporters voted. A political science research paper called “Social Pressure and Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment,” which was published in the February 2008 issue of the American Political Science Review (APSR). The paper’s authors, who include Alan S. Gerber and Donald P. Green of Yale University, discovered that direct mailings informing people that their neighbors would find out whether they voted profoundly increased voter turnout. Mailings that urged people to perform their civic duty, in comparison, drove fewer people to the polls. Armed with this knowledge that was available to them online, the liberal group MoveOn.org chose to create an interactive video when a user could enter a person’s name and then email them a video that spoofed a newscast explaining that their candidate lost the election because they didn’t vote. These videos were viewed over 21 million times.

Authentic storytelling

Networks whose openness is proactively protected also protect the legitimacy of the ideas exchanged. When the same network is available to anyone, people can contribute without fear of being shut out. For marginalized people (people of color, immigrants, lower- and working-class people), the chance to directly share one’s own authentic story or point of view is invaluable. The Internet is a medium where this is possible. All other forms of media have barriers to entry that exceed those on the Internet by orders of magnitude.

Presenting stories in authentic voices is the gift that open networks give to all who have access. Amplifying authentic voices is the role of the community organizer working for positive change. Listening to authentic voices is the role of the policy maker wanting to create responsible regulation & legislation. Open networks make this all possible.

When harm is done to the openness of networks, democracy is endangered. How can openness be harmed? By erecting walls. By locking gates. By segregating participants.

The web is uniquely suited for the spread of stories. The web’s openness has changed the defining political issue of this year. During the summer of 2009, America was engaged in a nationwide dialogue about our nation’s health care system (a dialogue that continues today). My organization, the Center for Community Change, wanted to make sure that the breadth of the American health care experience was included in the discussion. So we travelled to state and county fairs in Missouri, Maine, Tennessee, Nebraska and Kentucky to interview people about their health care stories. Our “State Fair Stories” videos were posted online and viewed thousands of times, sharpened the focus of our advocacy and gave a voice to people who felt left out of the national discourse. We compiled the stories to create a documentary (embedded below) that we shared with members of Congress and their staffs to showcase how many in rural America feel about the status quo in health care. We held a Congressional briefing on rural health care issues on the Hill featuring the people who told their authentic stories online. Thanks in part to this video and these people’s authentic stories; the concerns of all Americans are being considered in the current debate.

Scale

The success traditional organizing is unquestionable, as visible as the sky is blue. It is exciting to see the ways in which it is evolving for organizers such like me. Open networks and advanced communication platforms enable today’s organizers to connect with people in ways their predecessors could never have envisioned:

More individuals are more accessible than ever before thanks to open networks. Ideas can spread like to literally every connected person that is interested. They are visible to them within a few mouse clicks and keystrokes. As such, movements can begin and scale to unprecedented levels. This is especially important to marginalized communities like people of color in the US. Using the power of the Internet, I worked with a coalition of Black online activists and bloggers to tell the story of 6 boys in Jena, LA who were on the receiving end of unfair criminal sentences following a schoolyard fight. By telling their stories and the stories of their families, we were able to explain our values-based critique of the criminal justice system in a way that empowered interested people all over the world to join our movement. To raise money, nearly $300,000. To send letters, nearly 320,000. Even to attend an old-school rally in defense of these boys (over 10,000). A movement like this, driven by people of color, started in the realm of the Internet, and supported by millions of previously unidentifiable and unreachable allies is a testament to the potential of open networks for political engagement. This was possible because the passion was present, the tools were accessible (open & low-cost), and the network was available.

Conclusion

I’ll close addressing the next frontier of the Internet, the mobile web. Openness here is critical given the mobile webs personal nature and penetration. The Pew Center notes that people of color in the United States are over-represented in terms of ownership of high-end smartphone devices that can connect to the Internet. Worldwide, there are more mobile phones than personal computers, and the gulf between those numbers will only grow.

Ensuring openness in this next iteration of the Internet is paramount. Existing models are on a collision course with political mobilization. The structure of the mobile market that puts carriers in the driver’s seat does implicit and explicit harm to free speech, expression and assembly. There are examples that foreshadow a grim future for political mobilization using mobile technology if the rules are not conscientiously designed and decisively enforced.

Openness must be maintained and protected. It’s impact free speech, free expression and free assembly for 21st century citizens is paramount.