We Like Kelly; Bring A Resolution to Caucus; Health Care For All
This newsletter's commentary: Systemic Racism in Volunteer Groups. Also: An invite to an Indivisible Town Hall with some of our City Council members. And more.
Poll results
In the last newsletter we gave you a poll to express your preference for candidate for the third congressional district. Here are the results:
I think it can be fairly said that we are behind Senator Kelly Morrison’s bid for US Congress. Maybe visit her web page HERE and get on her mailing list. Maybe donate a little money.
Caucus reminder
If you have a candidate or an issue that you support, please go to your caucus on February 27th, and become a delegate to the Senate District Convention. Note that if you are currently in Kelly Morrison’s Senate district (SD45), you may be called on to help select a candidate for that Minnesota Senate seat. We don’t have an official or unofficial list of those who are running for that endorsement, but there is an Indivisible member who has expressed interest in the Senate seat for district 45: Ann Johnson Stewart. Ann was formerly in the Senate, but was bumped out due to redistricting.
Please consider bringing one or more resolutions to the caucus as well. Kimberly Wilburn, IWM Board Member and co-leader of Mn Leg Coalition, put together a page of links to cool-looking resolutions. It is here. Have a look.
The Problems and Perils of Land Use in West Metro Cities
Please join Indivisible West Metro and guest members of area city councils to discuss land use decisions from holding ponds to golf courses to mega-churches to everything else. In the aftermath of the Eagle Brook Church permitting process, we are asking city council members from Plymouth, Minnetonka, and (tba) Maple Grove to share their thoughts and to field questions.
Questions will be accepted prior to the event USING THIS FORM, assembled, and passed to the panel at the time of the event (no peeking!). If we have time there may be follow-up questions but only if everyone is polite. Do feel free to bring a Tiki Torch and some marshmallows.
When: March 16th 1:00 PM
Maple: Grove Library Meeting Room
Register: https://mobilize.us/s/vSrLcc (or just show up)
Health Care for All Forum
We are co-sponsoring an effort being led by Health Care for All Minnesota to encourage caucus-goers and delegates to encourage the candidates running for DFL endorsement to openly embrace “Medicare for All” and the “Minnesota Health Plan.” Please sign up for an event on February 12th, 7:00 PM, on Zoom.
ERA! ERA! ERA!
ERAMN has organized a rally to support the ERA on February 12th, at the MN Capitol at 10:00, followed by visits to legislators. Details and link to RSVP here.
OMG Systemic Racism
Commentary on Diversity and Inclusion
Increasing diversity in an activist group can be hard, especially in the suburbs. This is not because the suburbs are excessively white — they are less so than many assume — but because people of color, LGBT folks, or anyone who would represent diversity may feel less than comfortable in the context of some of our gatherings. Indivisible West Metro has embraced explicitly anti-racist activities and exercises. If a group does that openly and explicitly, and at the same time is open and welcoming to all, diversity may happen organically. Or, at least, we won’t be stifling diversity as much as we otherwise might.
Consider a situation where a group has a rule for how to do something. Such rules are potentially important to keep things civil or efficient. But face it, in a small group where people are generally friendly and know each other, we start to ignore the rules and adopt a friendlier, easier approach. Instead of giving notice for nominating someone for a position, then seeking other nominations, then having an official vote, we just say “Hey, everybody, Joe Schmo wants to be on the board, OK?” and everybody says “OK, let’s go Joe Schmo!”
When we do that a few times, we start to develop some form of what is sometimes called an “Old Boy’s Network” (even if it is not all boys and not everybody is old). The camaraderie and in-groupness is comfortable for the comrades in the group, and things cook along very smoothly. Meanwhile, people who might join the group have to become absorbed not just in a semi-regulated fair group membership way (by showing up, signing in, etc.) but by also engaging in the social or cultural ritual that goes along with the in-group. People who are in some way like everybody else, or who know everyone else, will slide right in. Everyone else, often unbeknownst to those already in the group, may not feel comfortable.
Look: Bringing out the usually-ignored rules, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s one normally ignores, when a person of color shows up with a request in a mostly white group is not easily labeled as racism. It is just following the rules, ma’am. Hard to argue against, right?
But NOT following the rules every day, week, month, year, every time a member of the in-group shows up IS systemic racism, apparently harmless until someone who represents diversity shows up and we pull out the rule book and make sure everything is kosher — for the first time in recent memory.
Am I suggesting that we start following strict Rules of Order when activist groups meet or converse, so everyone is treated the same? Maybe. Any organization has to figure that out, but in so doing, consider the potential problems just described. Another thing groups like ours can do is a better job of on-boarding. When someone does show up, and shows an interest, multiple individuals from that naturally forming in-group — the existing members — should systematically dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s in this respect. Spend some time, have a couple of conversations, check back in sooner then later, and treat that person like they should be treated: as a person we are thrilled to have join us.
One exercise to help individuals understand the role of privilege in all of our lives, and to feel the depth and power of differential privilege, is the so-called “privilege walk” or “privilege ladder.” Using this technique in real life with real people has fallen out of favor for good reasons, but one can run through the exercise in the privacy of one’s own head by reading through the process (see this example).
It is not as bad as you think (…continued…)
With all the big money in politics, it is natural to think the grassroots don’t matter, and only money has a voice. If you want to feel a little better about that, look at Ron DeSantis’s campaign. His campaign spent 53 million dollars for 2300 votes in Iowa. The “Never Back Down” DeSantis super-PAC spent 7.7 million just on ads in Iowa, before backing down. In total, pro-DeSantis groups (PACs) spent 35 million dollars in the Hawkeye State. All that cash, such a spectacular ending.
Sure, money talks. But sometimes no one is listening.