Blog
Stepping Into the Fear
And becoming a leader “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” —-Nelson Mandela Are you afraid to take the next step to becoming a leader? When I was first contemplated […]
Becoming an Organizer Part 3 – Learning Moments
Tags: Collective Vision, Collective Visioning, community organizing, empowerment, leadership, linda stout
I started the Piedmont Peace Project (PPP) with the help of so many from my work in North Carolina, South Carolina and other places. The first foundation to support me was Chuck Shuford from the Youth Project who also became a close mentor. Chuck came from a working-class community and the same area where I […]
What it Takes to Win
Tags: civic engagement, Collective Vision, Collective Visioning, community organizing, empowerment, leadership, linda stout, spirit in action
Imagine if I could tell you there is an organizing model for Voter Registration and Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) that is 100 times more effective than social media, phone calls or mailings. I’m talking about Spirit in Action’s organizing model, “TAKE 10.” A Little History First It’s a model first developed by folks at Piedmont Peace Project […]
Rethinking the Corner Store
Tags: civic engagement, Collective Vision, Collective Visioning, community organizing, empowerment, leadership, linda stout
Small corner stores are often the only source of food for underserved communities. They may be the main source of groceries, yet they mainly stock processed foods that are high in calories, fat and salt. The Washington Post recently reported that dollar store profits are booming and the stores proliferating, writing, “With rising inflation and […]
The Health Educators – Vaccine Information and Outreach to the Latino Community
There are approximately 150,000 farmworkers and their dependents in North Carolina each growing season, but this estimate is considered low. One of the groups Bethsaida and I visited this summer, AMEXCAN, is essential to the state’s Mexican and Latino population. COVID-19 Hits Hard Among the many services AMEXCAN provides, education and outreach regarding cancer, diabetes, […]
Taking Action, One House at a Time
Tags: civic engagement, Collective Vision, Collective Visioning, community organizing, empowerment, linda stout
How Kinston Teens Are Changing Their Community At age 14, Chris Suggs was already losing friends, schoolmates, and family to drug and gun violence. Coming from a community that is the most economically distressed in all of North Carolina and with the highest rate of gun violence, he decided to provide alternatives for teens. Chris […]
Standing Up Against Intimidation
“We are the armor bearers for Elizabeth City” The Faith & Victory Christian Church (FVCC) [https://www.fvccfamily.org] is a non-denominational church that Bethsaida Ruiz and I visited in June in Elizabeth City, NC. It truly acts as a modern-day church, much like churches of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. You are welcome in their church dressed […]
Update from the Road
Since we left Asheville on June 23rd, my colleague, Bethsaida Ruiz, and I have made our way across North Carolina visiting with four organizations that have been part of our TAKE 10 trainings, our first observation is that all of the groups we have met with do an amazing amount of work with very small […]
The Legacy of the Black Belt – Our Road Trip to Eastern North Carolina
Two weeks, 1,600 miles, 11 hotel stays, 13 organizations.
Saying NO – Sharing power and accountability
Activists are so busy doing. But they have to take the time to stop, rest and reflect. They have to learn how to say, “No.” This is not a luxury; it is the real work activists must do in order to be effective in a complicated world.
