The Power of an Equal Voice: Resource Videos for Family Empowerment Discussion and Facilitation Guide TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR FACILITATORS Setting Guidelines ………………………………………………………..2 Ensuring Participation ………………………………………………….2 After the Discussion ……………………………………………………..2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS “The Power of Voice” …………………………………………………..3 Getting the Conversation Started Going Deeper “The Power of Membership” ………………………………………..4 Getting the Conversation Started Going Deeper “The Power of Collective” …………………………………………….5 Getting the Conversation Started Going Deeper Full Resource Video Series …………………………………….….….6 Getting the Conversation Started Going Deeper FOR FACILITATORS Setting Guidelines The Power of an Equal Voice: Resource Videos for Family Empowerment were created to put a human face on the work of the Equal Voice movement and to spark discussion and story sharing among low-­‐income families nationwide. If your organization uses the resource videos as part of an in-­‐person dialogue, consider establishing guidelines that create a “safe space” in which participants can trust each other enough to share their experiences. Given that the videos refer to some challenging situations, they may elicit some strong personal reactions. Setting a respectful tone at the beginning of the discussion and agreeing on guidelines for discussion can help ensure that the conversation stays positive and productive. Examples of participant guidelines you can establish at your event: •
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Let everyone have the opportunity to speak: If you are talkative, leave room for others to speak; if you are quieter, feel empowered to share your thoughts and opinions. Ask questions: No one should hesitate to ask for clarification. Stay positive: Support others when they share their thoughts. Don’t talk over each other: Give people the space and time to express themselves. Use “I” statements: Speak from your experience as much as possible, using statements like “I think,” “I feel” and “I believe.” Ensuring Participation •
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Make sure that people are seated in the same way. For example, if one person is in a chair, then everyone should have a chair to sit in. After viewing the video(s), give participants a few moments to process their thoughts before jumping into the discussion. Promote listening by making sure that participants respond to each others’ comments. Ask open-­‐ended questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” response. After the Discussion Thank everyone for their participation and provide clear action steps. You’ve done all this great work, so don’t let your viewers go away without a clear plan. For example, if the video presentation and discussion are part of an event to inspire families to get involved in community organizing, let them know about upcoming events, distribute flyers about your work, ask attendees to sign your mailing list, etc. In other words, make it easy for people to take that first step toward getting involved. www.caseygrants.org/equalvoice 2 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS “The Power of Voice” Getting the Conversation Started •
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What is your immediate response to what we just watched? What specific moments stood out to you? Why? Sum up Tayna Fogle’s story in your own words. What do you think helped Ms. Fogle decide to turn her life around? Does Tayna Fogle remind you of anyone you know? Going Deeper •
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Tayna Fogle received a 10-­‐year sentence for forgery and possession of crack cocaine. According to The Sentencing Project, as of 2011, racial and ethnic minorities made up more than 60 percent of the prison population. What factors do you think contribute to the disproportionately high numbers of people of color in the prison system? Tayna Fogle describes her time behind bars as “six years out of my life, out of the life of my children and my family and my community.” How does incarceration affect families in your community? What support exists to help ex-­‐felons successfully move back into society? Like low-­‐income families across the country, formerly incarcerated people often face barriers when it comes to education, employment, housing and voting rights. What are some of the major barriers in your life? Are there organizations in your community working to address those barriers? If not, what do you need in terms of support to have an equal voice in your community? Tayna Fogle says, “My dark past has become my greatest asset.” What do you think she means by that? The director of the division of community corrections explains that Tayna Fogle can “truly relate to [the prisoners] in a way that I can’t and many of my staff can’t.” What does he mean by that statement? What is the benefit of people speaking and working on their own behalf and on behalf of others with whom they share experiences? In the video, Tanya Fogle mentions that 20 percent of African-­‐Americans in Kentucky have lost their right to vote. What are the larger implications of this statistic when it comes to policy and representation? “Voting is not just about who will be the next president,” Ms. Fogle explains. “It’s about where your kids will go to school and where the next liquor store will be placed.” What does voting mean to you? What are your top concerns and priorities in your community? www.caseygrants.org/equalvoice 3 “The Power of Membership” Getting the Conversation Started •
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What is your immediate response to what we just watched? What specific moments stood out to you? Why? Sum up Caroline Topeé’s story in your own words. What do you think made Caroline decide to become more involved in her community? Does Caroline remind you of anyone you know? Going Deeper •
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Caroline Topeé talks about the importance of community, saying, “You can’t accomplish very much by yourself.” In what ways does teaming up with families from Parent Voices help her overcome challenges that her family faces? Parent Voices taught Caroline Topeé to “connect and be connected.” Why is it important to connect and be connected, and how do you think the parents at Parent Voices achieved this? How can you model that lesson in your community and/or organization? Caroline Topeé speaks from personal experience when she explains that low-­‐income families “would like to be self-­‐sufficient, they would like to have dignity, they would like to get on their feet.” How does our culture encourage or discourage people from asking for help? What are some of the stereotypes that low-­‐income families have to fight against as they struggle to get on their feet? Caroline Topeé says, “Low-­‐income families in society have less of a chance to speak up because they don’t have the knowledge.” What do you think she means by that? In what ways do organizations in your community support the spread of information and knowledge? Caroline Topeé describes Parent Voices as “a parent-­‐run, parent-­‐led organization.” Like all of the organizations in the Equal Voice Network, Parent Voices makes sure that the people affected by childcare and education policies are the ones who advocate for what they need. Do you agree with this approach? Why or why not? How might decision-­‐
makers and leaders benefit from listening to the parents’ voices? All of the issues Caroline Topeé has struggled with over the years are addressed in the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform. Caroline gained a lot of strength from realizing there are parents all over California going through similar struggles. Why do you think that made a difference to her? How might knowing others are going through challenges similar to yours strengthen you? www.caseygrants.org/equalvoice 4 “The Power of Collective” Getting the Conversation Started •
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What is your immediate response to what we just watched? What specific moments stood out to you? Why? Sum up Miss Elsa’s story in your own words. What do you think made Miss Elsa decide to get more involved in her community? Does Miss Elsa remind you of anyone you know? Going Deeper •
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Early on in the video, Miss Elsa says, “I tried to give my family the best I could and everything I have and what I am. That’s what being together means.” What does “being together” mean to you? How does your family influence your everyday decisions? How has your family influenced your community involvement? Miss Elsa speaks of her despair after Hurricane Dolly damaged her home: “I wanted to leave … and never come back.” But later, she explains how great it felt “that for the first time in 25 years we have been heard.” Can you think of a time when a situation felt completely hopeless but you were somehow able to overcome it? Mike Seifert explains that residents in the colonia are fueled by “the dream that one day their kids will have their own place.” How do you think the Equal Voice movement can support your children’s future? Mike Seifert says about the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform: “The platform is a tool and a mechanism for working together.” What do you think is the power of a platform that hundreds of community organizations adopt? What are some of the challenges and opportunities in working across issues nationally? Much like the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform, the work in the Rio Grande Valley demonstrates the interrelatedness of a range of issues that affect low-­‐income families: immigration reform, housing, education, employment and job training. Do you think there are advantages to organizing across issues as compared to organizing issue by issue? If so, what are these advantages? In referring to the community members of the Rio Grande Valley, a young community planner says, “They know inherently what a community needs to be healthy. I’ve actually learned a lot by listening to them.” How do you think lived experience contributes to a person’s expertise in an issue? Mike Seifert, “What all of us who are doing this work have learned [is that] we’ve got to share resources.” How do you think a larger network like Equal Voice can help support shared knowledge and resources among families regionally and nationally? www.caseygrants.org/equalvoice 5 Full Resource Video Series Getting the Conversation Started •
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What is your immediate response to what we just watched? What specific moments stood out to you? Why? Did any of these stories or characters seem familiar to you? Which story feels most relevant to your life? Going Deeper •
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These stories all take place in different parts of the country, in different communities. What do you think they have in common? What do they have in common with your life? In all three stories, the main characters use their past experiences as the foundation for their community work. How does lived experience contribute to knowledge and understanding? How might these perspectives be valuable in community problem-­‐
solving? All three organizations featured in the Power of an Equal Voice: Resource Videos for Family Empowerment work with the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform, a document created by 40,000 low-­‐income families that outlines their priorities and proposed policy solutions. What are some of the challenges to working across issues nationally? What are the benefits to tackling several issues at once? What does Equal Voice mean to you? How do you integrate the Equal Voice framework and philosophy into your everyday life? How does a document like the Equal Voice for America’s Families National Family Platform foster long-­‐term collaborations around the country that will produce lasting, positive benefits for families? What would make these collaborations easier? This discussion guide was created by Active Voice on behalf of Marguerite Casey Foundation. Marguerite Casey Foundation exists to help low-­‐income families strengthen their voice and mobilize their communities, with the goal of building a nationwide movement to bring about just and equitable policymaking on the local, state and national levels, policymaking in which the families have an equal voice. Equal Voice, the foundation’s framework for movement building, is rooted in the strategies of activism, advocacy and education, and is guided by the families themselves. www.caseygrants.org/equalvoice 6