Women of SNCC: Passing the Torch, Preserving the Flame

On Sunday, January 15th more than 60 Detroit area women and girl activists and advocates representing a variety of causes and racial ethnic groups, gathered to celebrate the historic role of women in the fight for peace and justice. Hosted by the Building Movement Project Detroit and the M.L.K. Day 2012 Committee, the event honored five women members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (SNCC) with family ties rooted in Detroit. Sharing personal stories documented in the book “Hands on the Freedom Plow”, younger women and next generation activists were transported back to the pre- Civil Rights days of terror and oppression as experienced by African Americans, especially those who were caught in the exploitative share cropping system. The women spoke of the courage and vision of many of those community members who braved retaliation and the threat of death simply to register and vote.

Part of the 99%

Here at BMP, we’re excited to be in New York at the epicenter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. We’ve been watching for two weeks now as protestors continue to camp in Zuccotti Park to demonstrate their frustration with the current American economic system. While some are critical about the lack of a specific set of demands, what’s most important is that within the multitude of voices coming from downtown, people are standing together and speaking out for social change.

Webinar: Nonprofits Increase Voter Participation--New Research from the Field

Learn about exciting new evidence documenting the impact nonprofits have when they talk to their clients and constituents about voting. Professor Kelly LeRoux will discuss a new study that tracked the outcomes of nonprofit service providers that contacted their clients/constituents about voting.

Building Movement Project in Detroit

While the Building Movement Project is a nationally-focused organization, we’ve always had a very special relationship with Detroit. Linda Campbell - long time Detroit resident and member of the Building Movement Project Team since its founding 10 years ago – has deep connections throughout this city and has always encouraged us to look to Detroit as a place where some of the best ideas for community-led social change are developed and implemented.

Background and Media Coverage of Detroit

According to most of the articles and reports published about Detroit since the census, the city is a wasteland that people are flocking from, but if you visit Detroit or read articles written by local organizers and residents of the city, Detroit is alive with hope and ripe for change.

Engaging Community: A Toolkit for Building Healthy and Resilient Communities

Neighborhood Centers, in partnership with the Berkana Institute, have combined a how-to guide on the use of Appreciative Inquiry as a method of engaging community with other materials in a boxed kit called Engaging Community: A Toolkit for Building Healthy and Resilient Communities. Follow the link to find out more about what's included in the toolkit, and how to order one.

Social Movements and Philanthropy: How Foundations Can Support Movement Building

In an excellent article published by The Foundation Review, a peer-reviewed journal, Barbara Masters and Torie Osborn identify how foundations can support movement-building. As they seek to catalyze broad-based social change, there is a need for greater understanding of what social movements are, how they evolve, and the unique challenges that movement building presents to foundations. Social Service and Social Change: A Process Guide is included in the article.

A Powerful Tool to Get Low-Income Voters to the Ballot Box

This recent Yes! Magazine article, written by our friends at Demos, describes how we can help bridge the gap in voter participation by enforcing an already existing law that links voter registration to public assistance programs.

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