On Saturday, June 22, UFE and other partner groups of the Avila Center for Community Leadership in Durham, North Carolina hosted our first Political Education Training. The day was filled with learning, collaboration, and a shared commitment to building a better North Carolina and fighting for a more just world. 

The landmark event brought together an array of organizations and individuals dedicated to social justice, economic fairness, and environmental sustainability, with several participant organizations leading sessions to share skills and deepen the group’s collective analysis. Participants came from the following organizations (starred groups* are also members of Raising Wages NC, which UFE coordinates):

1. Duke Graduate Students Union
2. El Pueblo
3. National Domestic Workers Alliance
4. North Carolina Climate Justice Collective
5. Peace Hill
6. REI Union
7. Self-Help*
8. Student Action With Farmworkers*
9. UNC Students For Justice in Palestine
10. Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW)*
11. United for a Fair Economy*
12. UE150*

Coming Together in Community

The day began with a session of contemplation, movement, and breathing exercises. This grounded participants and helped provide a sense of community among the group, thus setting the tone for the day to come.

Participants engage in movement exercises (Photo Credit: Self-Help)

Personalizing the Economy: Deep Collective Reflection with UFE

Victor from United for a Fair Economy led an exercise that helped personalize the economy as participants experience it, by asking questions: "How is the economy doing where you live, work, organize, or play?" and "What systems or laws cause the economy to be that way?"

These questions sparked deep reflection. Participants shared their perspective of how the economy was doing with partners, allowing participants to share diverse experiences with each other. Participants came from various places in North Carolina, allowing a diverse array of perspectives to be shared. As a group, we discussed what laws and systems contributed to the issues we discussed with partners. A consensus emerged: the economy often prioritizes accumulation and profit over the well-being of people and workers. Protecting working-class individuals is not the priority of the capitalist system in which we live.

Participants Share Their Perspective on How The Economy is Doing  (Photo Credit: Lily Perkins)

Voices from the Frontlines: USSW’s Insights and Songs

Next, we heard from Mama Cookie, Earl, Clara, and Lindsey about the impactful work of the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW). They shared their experiences and challenges, highlighting the importance of collective action in advocating for workers' rights. 

USSW demonstrated how they use movement songs in their work, emphasizing that movement songs create unified fronts and a sense of community. They shared that the heartbeats of those singing in groups beat in unison (an effect of the way singing synchronizes breathing), thus strengthening the feelings of togetherness.

Following this, attendees were divided into groups to workshop new movement songs. From reimagining "The Wheels on the Bus" to adapting Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," participants creatively emphasized the power of movement building through song.

Mama Cookie and Clara, from Union of Southern Service Workers, share their remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” (Photo Credit: Lily Perkins)

The Art of Storytelling: UFE Narrates to Humanize and Inspire

Kayan and Victor, from United for a Fair Economy, led a workshop on storytelling, focusing on the structure of presenting a challenge, a choice, and an outcome. They explained how storytelling humanizes data and statistics, incorporating an emotional aspect that resonates in campaigns. This session underscored the power of personal narratives in driving social change.

Splitting off into partners, we workshopped our stories. One partner interviewed the other, allowing the interviewee to pick out important details in their stories that they would be able to use when presenting a shortened version. Converging back as a group, several people presented their two-minute long story detailing how they ended up at the event at Avila. People shared personal events in their lives that led them to the justice work that they now do.

UFE’s Victor shares his experiences that led him into the world of community organizing (Photo Credit: Lily Perkins)

Financial Literacy for Empowerment - with Self-Help

James of Self-Help conducted a financial training session, stressing the importance of categorizing expenses into needs, wants, loves, and desires. This method helps in making responsible purchasing decisions and tracking spending patterns. By classifying and monitoring expenses, individuals can gain better control over their finances, identifying areas where they might be overspending and making adjustments accordingly.

Personal financial knowledge and responsibility is crucial to the pursuit of economic justice for all. Financial knowledge empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their money, reducing financial vulnerability and promoting economic stability. When people are equipped with this knowledge, they are in a better position to navigate economic challenges and build generational wealth. This, in turn, helps to bridge economic disparities by providing people with the tools to achieve financial security.

James Shares a Document That Helps Track Savings (Photo Credit: Lily Perkins)

Moving Forward Together and Building Networks

The inaugural Political Education Training at the Avila Center was more than just a day of learning; it was a step toward a more united and powerful movement for justice and equality in North Carolina. The training fostered stronger relationships and networks among the participating organizations. Through collaborative exercises and group discussions, attendees shared their experiences, challenges, and successes, learning from one another and finding common ground in their struggles and aspirations.

As the day came to a close, participants left with renewed energy and a sense of purpose, ready to take their newfound insights back to their communities and continue the fight for a fairer, more just world. The success of this first joint partner training at the Avila Center sets a promising precedent for future collaborations and collective action.

The Political Education Training at the Avila Center was a significant milestone for the participating organizations and the broader movement for social justice in North Carolina. The spirit of collaboration and solidarity that defined the day will continue to inspire and drive their efforts in the months and years to come.

The Avila Center for Community Leadership serves as a community center that supports and connects community organizers and leaders working towards systemic change. United for a Fair Economy is one of the four organizations that use collaborative governance to foster a welcoming and empowering environment.