04.23.

15
RESIDENCY ASSIGNMENT
Do You See Me Now?
Strategies for Building A Bigger We
The Los Angeles Black Workers Center (BWC) is a grassroots action
center that was organized to address the crisis of severe
unemployment and underemployment in the Black community.
The BWCs mission is to increase access to quality jobs; reduce
employment discrimination; and upgrade the industries that employ
Black workers.
The BWC has targeted the construction industry which is benefitting
from billions of dollars of investment in projects like the L.A. Metro light
rail, yet has yet to break down the barriers of discrimination that have
all but excluded Black workers from their ranks.
Do You See Me Now is a BWC-initiated campaign backed by a coalition
of allies. The goals of the campaign are to achieve:

10% Black participation in LA construction projects by 2020.

A comprehensive audit of the racial and gender makeup of public
construction sites
An Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement in the City of Los
Angeles to enforce hiring discrimination and wage theft violations
with tough penalties.
Pre-apprenticeship training to connect underrepresented
communities to careers in the construction industry.

In order to create the necessary will in the City to meet these

demands, the Do You See Me Now campaign needs to build the
broadest support possible, beginning with important sectors of L.A.
Black community, including Black Churches, Black Businesses, and
Black Celebrities.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Using the resources offered in this residency as well as research and
experience from other campaigns, history, and communities, design a
communications strategy and rationale for engaging your teams
assigned sector (churches, businesses, or celebrities) of the Black
Community in the Do You See Me Now Campaign.

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This assignment is primarily concerned about what it might take to
build new relationships with potential allies from within the black
community, but outside of the alliance (i.e. black churches, black
businesses, black celebrities)

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Communications in this sense is less about media and more about
message. Our goal is to gain an understanding about what would
move targeted individuals to include our cause in their organizations
endeavors because they identify with it. It is about building
sustainable relationships that are worth their time and energy and
influential power.
DELIVERABLE: Prepare a 10-minute presentation that
summarizes your proposal and its rationale to be delivered on
Sunday morning.
RESOURCES
To prepare you for this assignment, over the first three days of the
residency you will be presented with information about the
development of Black Worker Centers in the U.S. You will meet staff
and leaders from the L.A. Black Worker Center, and learn about the Do
You See Me Now Campaign. You will learn about the context of what it
means to be a Black Worker Center in the landscape of power in Los
Angeles. You will hear from representative voices from Black Church,
Black Business, and Black Celebrity sectors in a conversation about
what it takes to build sustainable ally relationships. You will participate
in a landscape analysis demonstration of the Do You See Me Now
Alliance, a story-based strategy workshop, and a presentation about
how to use graphics effectively.
You will then have two afternoons [about 10 hours total on Friday and
Saturday] to produce your teams proposal and presentation.
Gilda Haas will be available all afternoon on both days for consultation.
[office: A4110; [cell: [323-528-2076]
Lanita Morris of the Black Workers Center will be available by phone
[323-514-8820] to answer any questions your team may have on
Saturday from 12-1:30 pm. Albert Lowe is available by phone on
Saturday from 1:30pm 3:30pm [213-503-1848] , and Jane is available
in person all day Friday and Saturday [office: A4109; [310-902-1210]

A GENERAL APPROACH TO THE ASSIGNMENT

Meet and consult/debrief with your teammates as soon and as
often as possible. [long blocks of time on Friday and Saturday
afternoons are reserved for teamwork].
Listen to Residency presentations with your assignment in mind
and take good notes in preparation for your teamwork.

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Ask questions that may assist and inform your teams problemsolving.
Take advantage of the experience and knowledge of your peers,
faculty, as well as BWC staff and leaders.

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TEAMS
Black Churches
1. Enisa
2. Misty
3. Karen
4. Caroline
5. Avital
6. Hossein

Black Businesses
1. Peter
2. Amanda
3. Mary
4. Darrell
5. Shadan
6. Susan

Black Celebrities
1. KaPrise
2. Ashley
3. Faith
4. Chris
5. Angela
6. Ariel
7. Gopal