Introduce context: need to to take action to address racism in America – discussion?

Who all have watched the Intro Video?

Why postcards? – best method for getting our message to elected officials (as opposed to letters, calls or emails); specific reasons are given in the Intro Video.

Optional: discuss any discomfort that this is a “political” activity – Point out that this is an exercise of our First Amendment right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances” - especially that communicating about the problem of racism is about human rights, participating in democracy and doing the right thing.

Potential future actions / ways to expand the impact:

• same message topic, but to different elected officials;

• different message topic: voter suppression, the education gap, the wealth gap, healthcare as a human right, prison reform, etc.;

• another group (friends, co-workers, classroom, book club), same messages, same officials.

Overview of the four weeks’ campaign steps:

• Launch Week: meet our group, watch Intro Video, get clear on strategy and Participants’ tasks, get postcards and postage.

• Writing Week: solidify strategy, discuss who’s using which template topics (try to avoid too much duplication), each writes 10 postcards.

• First Mailing Week: mail 5 postcards, one each day.

• Second Mailing Week: mail 5 postcards, one each day.

Review points in Participants’ Instructions.

Explain how and why you identified the five elected officials to whom you will be writing.

Participants’ next steps:

• Buy 10 postcards.

• Buy postage.

• Review Participants’ Instructions.

• Choose two Message Templates, and draft your own two messages – practice spacing on a separate sheet.

• List any questions for next meeting.

• Attend Writing Meeting next week on __________________ at ______________.