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From Suffragettes to Civil Rights to Fair Fight:Voter Justice, Then NowJUNE 25 - 28Welcome! We’re thrilled to work with you virtually this weekend. The Alternative BreakCitizenship Schools (ABCS) are an opportunity to meet community engagement folks fromall across the country, and develop as leaders and community collaborators throughworkshops, service, issue education, and critical reflection.The first key to owning this experience in full is now at your fingertips: the Resource Guide.This is our special gift to you — assurance that you’ll come to the ABCS equipped with theknowledge and preparation to carry you through a transformative four days.We hope you’ll find the included resources helpful in preparing for the ABCS. Please perusethe following before arriving: About Break AwayAbout the Alternative Break Citizenship SchoolsBreak Away staff interns“Pack” list, tech requirements, media agreementVirtual ABCS survival guideService with the Georgia Muslim Voter ProjectEducational materials (articles, videos, podcasts, key terms — all that good stuff)Finally, before you arrive, be sure to connect with your fellowparticipants on the conference Facebook group. Feel free to email or callour office with any questions.Be well and see you soon, community collaborators!The Break Away Team(Buck, Meg, Shaun, RaShaun, Madison, and Vivian)[email protected]
About Break AwayBreak Away was founded in June 1991 by Laura Mann and Michael Magevney fromVanderbilt University as a national network of schools and community organizationsdedicated to increasing the quantity and quality of alternative break programs. They wereconvinced that building a national organization to teach student leaders and communitieshow to powerfully connect for social impact was a worthwhile pursuit.The mission of Break Away is to inspire and activate thoughtful community engagementthrough justice-based trainings and programs. The vision of Break Away is a society ofpeople who prioritize just and equitable community through their values and actions.About the Alternative Break Citizenship SchoolsCitizenship Schools were established throughout the South in the 1960s, during the CivilRights Movement, to teach African Americans to read and write so they could register tovote, take part in the political process, and have an equal say in the decision-makingprocess of the community. Built on similar ideas of educating communities for socialaction, the Alternative Break Citizenship Schools (ABCS) were created to train students,staff, and community organizations in the Break Away network.The Alternative Break Citizenship Schools (ABCS) are designed to assist leaders in buildingan understanding of the components needed to start or strengthen a quality communityengagement program on their campus. What started out in 1992 as “Break Away BootCamps,” have become the ABCS: intensive training sessions that combine workshops anddiscussions within a service experience. An experiential model, the ABCS teach participantsby modeling the components necessary for a quality service project.The goals of the ABCS are to: Encourage the development of quality community engagement programs thatinclude the Nine Components: strong engagement, education, orientation, training,reflection, identity-consciousness, equity, full immersion, and reorientation Prepare ABCS participants to train their leadership teams, site leaders, andparticipantsBreak Away is proud to welcome participants to the 2022 ABCS season where we’refocusing on community engagement best practices, with a nod to voter justice.
Break Away Staff InternsBUCK COOKE Executive Directorhe/[email protected] E. EVANS, PH.D Director of Education Researchthey/[email protected] DELGADO-HARRIS Director of Communications Brandingshe/[email protected] ROBINSON Assistant Director of Partnerships Outreachhe/[email protected] WOODS 2022 Internshe/[email protected] DAO 2022 Internshe/[email protected] Away Training CohortTBD
“Pack” ListNECESSITIES The very conference materials you are currently enjoying An adventurous spirit, ready to bring engagement to our on-going virtual worldFOR WORKSHOPS Notebook, pens/pencils Sample documents from your program to share with other participants. Examplesinclude (but are not limited to) promotional flyers, applications, budgets, fundraising,and recruitment ideas (electronic or paper) Your program’s mission vision statements (you’ll need this for our Justice-BasedStrategic Planning workshop)SUGGESTED ITEMS A comfortable place to sit Community engagement swag (t-shirts, sweatshirts, beloved caps and visors) Any articles or resources related to the ABCS focus that you’d like to share withothersTech RequirementsGENERAL ITEMS A reliable internet connection Zoom downloaded on your computer (recommended in order to access all ofZoom’s capabilities) or mobile device Access to a keyboard will be useful, but not requiredFOR SERVICE A smartphone, computer, or tablet with the latest device software A Wi-Fi signal to conduct voter registrationAlthough there are a lot of benefits to gathering virtually, we also recognize that a virtuallearning space can come with its own host of access barriers. If you’re concerned yourinternet connection, technology access, or other factors might hinder your participation, weencourage you to reach out as soon as possible so we can work with you to identifyaccommodations.Media AgreementBy logging onto the Zoom conference, you agree that you grant Break Away the perpetualand unrestricted rights and permission to record, use, reuse, publish, and republishscreenshot images, audio and/or video recordings of you or in which you may be included,in whole or in part, without restriction as to changes and/or alterations. This may includepublications including videos, emails, brochures, newsletters in print or electronic, on theBreak Away website, in other electronic forms of media, or any other purposes.
By logging onto the Zoom conference, you agree that all such photographs, video, andaudio recordings and any reproductions thereof shall remain the property of Break Away,unless otherwise noted. You understand that Break Away is not responsible forunauthorized duplications or use of the images, videos, or audio recordings by third parties,on the internet or otherwise.By logging onto the Zoom conference, you waive any right to inspect or approve theoriginal photographic images, audio and/or video recordings and any printed or electronicmedia generated as a result of or in conjunction with my participation — now or in thefuture, whether that use is known to you or unknown. You also waive any right to royaltiesor other compensation arising from or related to the use of the media in any form.
lautriVABCSSURVIVAL GUIDEClick on each graphic for tips onscreen-free ways spend your breaks
Service with the Georgia Muslim Voter ProjectThe Georgia Muslim Voter Project (GAMVP) empowers American Muslims to exercise theircivic rights to the fullest extent possible. Through community-based voter engagementand grassroots organizing, their work emphasizes the strength of collective participationand its ability to improve communities. As one of the only non-profits dedicated toengaging Muslim voters in Georgia, GAMVP serves as the primary organization assistingMuslims in ensuring that their voices are heard and incorporated in the political processthrough voter registration, voter education, and “get out the vote” campaigns. They believethat in order to cultivate lifelong voters, voters need to be engaged in every local, state, andnational election. GAMVP envisions an active, engaged American Muslim voting bloc,capable of upholding the equitable rights of American Muslims.During our service project with GAMVP, they will train participants on how to registersomeone to vote. Participants will then use their personal connections to register fivepeople to vote. Our hope is that ABCS participants will be equipped to encourage familyand friends to vote, ensuring participation in the democratic process.Many people may not know how to register to vote, are intimidated by the process, or feeltheir vote doesn't matter. By talking to your family and friends about their voter registrationstatus and making a plan to vote, you can use your personal connections to demystify thevoter registration process and increase civic engagement. Voter outreach from a friend orfamily member increases the likelihood that someone will vote, so you could be the reasonsomeone casts their ballot this fall.In preparation for the training we will receive from the GAMVP, write down a list of peopleyou know who might need help registering to vote. Think of as many people as you can.Having trouble? Consider the following:PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST OR ARE JUST ABOUT TO TURN 18They could be a relative, the sibling of a friend, or the child or grandchild of a family friend.PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY MOVEDEven if they have moved within the same geographic area, they could now live in a differentcity or county, which would necessitate voter registration.
SENIOR CITIZENS AND/OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIMITED MOBILITYOftentimes, people who are senior citizens or those with limited mobility may haveexperienced physical barriers to voting in the past that may have impeded their ability tovote.PEOPLE WHO LIVE ABROADIt can be confusing to navigate voting while living abroad, but there are resources availableto assist voters living in other countries.
Educational ResourcesWe often talk about changing the world, but change in a world that is deeply unjust canfeel overwhelming. How we feel about voting — Is it a right or a privilege? Who gets tovote? How do we vote? — is being challenged. These questions have historical roots thatgrow more obvious each day. As debates around voter justice become more mainstream(especially after a contentious election cycle like 2020), it’s important to understand thehistory of voting rights and the implications of voter suppression.Below we have selected some resources that will be helpful as we discuss voter justice. Ourrecommendation is that you select *at least one* resource from each category (althoughthe more, the better). We also ask that you begin thinking about the questions listed undereach category. Doing so will help us have the conversation about how to address voterinjustice so we can truly have a government of, by, and for the people.VOTING RIGHTS HISTORYWATCH 5-Minute History of Voting Rights Since 1965 (ACLU, 5 mins)READ Voting Rights: A Short History (Carnegie Corporation of New York)LISTEN (TRANSCRIPT) Throughline, The Most Sacred Right (NPR, 1 hr)CONSIDER Why is it important for everyone to vote? What effect does low voterturnout have on an election? CONSIDER When did you first become aware of having political opinions? Whatexperiences do you believe shaped them?
VOTER SUPPRESSION WATCH Voter Suppression Explained (act.tv, 3.5 mins)READ 61 Forms of Voter Suppression (The Voting Rights Alliance)INTERACT The Gerrymandering Project (FiveThirtyEight)CONSIDER Why is it important to have representatives from diverse backgrounds?CONSIDER In a nation where voting rights are not protected by the Constitution,how do you believe voter suppression can be addressed?VOTING ACCESS RESTORATION READ Noncitizen Voting: New York Should Be an Example for Other States (TeenVogue) LISTEN (TRANSCRIPT) Desmond Meade and Dale Ho on Restoring the Right to Vote(ACLU, 26 minutes) WATCH Felony Voting Restoration Gains Momentum in the US (Voice of America, 4mins)
CONSIDER What is your view of an ideal democratic voting process (or do youbelieve there is a system other than a democracy that works well)? CONSIDER How can you encourage yourself and others to get/stay involved?ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ADVOCATE When We All Vote Advocacy Campaign PARTICIPATE Voters’ Guide LEARN MORE Brennan Center for JusticeKey TermsADVOCACYPublic support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.ALLYSomeone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based ongender, class, race, sexual orientation, etc.) and works in solidarity with oppressed groups inthe struggle for justice. Allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms ofoppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways.ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ABCD)A strategy for sustainable, community-driven development. Believes that communities canlead the development process themselves by identifying and mobilizing existing, but oftenunrecognized, assets, and thereby responding to and creating local opportunity.ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (ABCE)Service work that focuses on strengths, abilities, opportunities, talents/gifts existing withinthe community as the foundation.BALLOTPrinted or digital form used in voting.CAMPAIGNCourse of action designed to influence voters in an election.DEMOCRATIC PROCESSCitizens actively participate in the decision-making of the government.EQUITYIndividuals and communities get the resources they need to thrive, including support (orprotection) from institutions based on the historical and current oppressions they face dueto minoritized social identities.IMPLICIT BIASAlso known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are negative associations thatpeople unknowingly hold. They are expressed automatically, without conscious awareness.
INSTITUTIONAL RACISMWhen prejudices around race, particularly the inferiority of People of Color, are structuredinto the social and economic institutions in society. institutional racism occurs whenorganizations, businesses, or institutions (like schools and police departments) discriminate,either deliberately or indirectly, against certain groups of people to limit their rightsbecause of their race. Institutional racism refers specifically to the ways in whichinstitutional policies and practices create different outcomes for different racial groups.INTERPERSONAL RACISMBias that occurs when individuals interact with others and their personal racial beliefs affecttheir public interactions.INTERSECTIONALITYThe interconnected nature of social categorizations (such as race, class, and gender) as theyapply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependentsystems of discrimination or disadvantage. Coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw.MASS INCARCERATIONTerm for the extremely high rate of incarceration in the United States for both adults andyouth.NONPARTISANNot associated with a particular political party.PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM/ALLYSHIPActivism or allyship done only to appear in solidarity with a cause or people group, ratherthan because of one's true devotion to a cause.POLITICAL PARTYA group of people who join together because they share many ideas about what thegovernment should do.POLLTo collect opinions about important issues or happenings.PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONAn election to choose a president and vice president.PRIMARY ELECTIONPreliminary elections in which voters choose party candidates to run for office on their partyticket in general elections.RESIDENTA person who lives in a specific jurisdiction.SENATEThe upper house of the Congress, with two members from each state (100 members total)who each serve six‐year terms.
SOLIDARITYUnity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests,objectives, and standards. Solidarity is not performative or momentary. Like communitycollaboration, it is fostered through values, priorities, and decisions.SUFFRAGEThe right to vote.VOTEA method by which people choose their leaders and decide public issues.VOTER SUPPRESSIONA term used to describe policies and tactics that place an undue limitation on the ability ofcitizens to cast countable ballots in an election.VOTING BLOCA group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group ofconcerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns,causing them to vote together in elections.SourcesVoter-related key termsVoter SuppressionMass IncarcerationInstitutional RacismInterpersonal Racism
"Pack" list , tech requirements, media agreement Vir tual ABCS sur vival guide Ser vice with the Georgia Muslim Voter Projec t Educational materials (ar ticles, videos, podcasts, key terms — all that good stuf f ) Finally, before you arrive, be sure to connec t with your fellow par ticipants on the conference Facebook group.