Dealing with race on the doors
October 28, 2008
What’s up fam,
I wrote this letter (see below) to a number of c(3) organizations in Michigan that do civic engagement. Some of us in Michigan were concerned about the potential for race-based violence inflicted on our canvassers. I have received some interesting feedback so I wanted to share it with my SuperSpade family. Enjoy.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
Friends,
I wanted to follow up from our conversation at Friday’s meeting regarding the increasing negative tenor of this year’s presidential campaign and how that may feed into issues of election protection and to be frank, violence. To be sure, the scope of the conversation is not about how any Presidential candidate handles race issues, but about how our work (especially when we are canvassing) is impacted by racist and xenophobic rhetoric. Our staff and volunteers are at the vanguard of connecting with voters in Michigan who have been racially primed (due to the recent debates surrounding affirmative action) in ways that many other states have not.
From my conversations with most of you, there appears to be a common theme in our canvassing philosophy that says when you encounter any contact that is belligerent or otherwise not receptive, the canvasser should promptly remove themselves from the situation. I believe this measure is very responsible as it maximizes the safety of our volunteers and ensures efficient use of our time. Read more
